HOW TO TEACH THE BIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE
MEET GOD
By Andrew Page
VTR Publishing. 63 pages. £7.50
ISBN 978 3 957 760 357
This book is a short, elementary guide on how to preach and teach the Bible faithfully, clearly, relevantly and passionately .
It is primarily for those considering or recently starting out on this important journey of service within the local church. However, having said that – and writing as someone with many years’ experience in preaching – this book also has more than a few helpful insights and ideas for the experienced preacher too!
Straightforward method
The heart of the book explains a straightforward, easily remembered, three-part method for preparing Bible talks and sermons. The three parts deal with: understanding the meaning of the passage; finding a good structure to teach; and adding ‘the flesh and blood’ (as the author describes it)! Of course, as the book stresses, all this preparation itself must be saturated in prayer.
Overall, the book is excellent and succeeds in what it sets out to do. Yes, I may have one or two quibbles or disagree with one or two of the details. For example, is preaching really the same as teaching? Is it always a bad thing to give out all the headings at the beginning of a sermon? However, as the author himself is willing to admit, many of these differences are more to do with his own experience and preference, rather than black-and-white absolutes.
Best bit
For me, the best part came at the end of the book and relates to how I think it can best be used within a local church. The writer suggests running a Bible Teachers’ Club for a small group of people who ‘either know they have the gift of teaching or want to find out if they do’. This is an excellent idea and the book itself would be a good place for such a club to start. In addition, there are some very practical ideas on how to run the group.
