How to Teach the Bible

One of my favorite pieces of advice to give new teachers/preachers is this: “Think about bad sermons you’ve listened to… don’t do that.” I know, I know. That sounds terribly unclear. But at the same time, you probably know exactly what I mean! 

It’s easy to be a bad teacher. Either underthink or overthink your topic, and then simply say it however you want to say it, without much consideration or thought for your listener. 

Being a good teacher, however, takes preparation and a big eraser. You simply cannot say everything you want to say. This article is a very brief summary of topics addressed in YPT’s Teaching Workshop and Online Cohorts. 

Your Content: The Bible

Your teenagers need to hear from God. This means they need the Bible more than your advice. Resist the urge to stand before them sharing your wisdom. Many well-intended youth pastors’ ministry habits would lead you to believe the Bible is too hard for “normal” people to understand, so it’s much better to hear the Christian testimonies rather than to hear the Word of God read and taught. 

If you believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, then let that become an obvious foundation for your entire ministry. Read the Bible to youth with joy and confidence that God really will speak to them through it. 

Gospel Clarity

It’s possible to read the Bible as a theology book, without ever encountering the Living God through its pages. The Bible doesn’t merely want to tell us what God is like; it seeks to introduce us to him. Let your teaching and preaching take the same approach. Yes, you need to teach doctrine and address the questions that your particular students are asking and wrestling with. But the goal is to introduce teenagers to the Triune God who created them in His image, gave Himself as an atoning sacrifice so their sin would be forgiven, and sealed them as beloved sons and daughters according to His lovingkindness. 

New youth pastors and well-intentioned volunteers often fall into gospel-absent ministry by accident, because they want to be so helpful and relevant that they’re always telling kids what to do. When we’re always telling them what to do or what to avoid, then we’ve stopped celebrating the promises and faithfulness of God. Study the text you’re teaching until you see how it relates to the Narrow and Broader Gospel. Until that’s clear, then you’re not ready to teach. 

Components of a Biblical Message

Introductions: The point of your introduction isn’t to merely capture their attention. Students will pay attention to a comedy routine, but it would be a terrible setup for proclaiming the Word of God. Instead, capture their attention by sparking their curiosity in a way that prompts them to think, “Yeah, that’s right. I do want to hear about this!” One of the best ways to do that is by identifying the ways they already care about the topic you’re teaching about, and then build your introduction. Don’t settle for attention; spark their curiosity. 

Big Idea: Expository teaching and exegetical teaching aren’t the same thing. In exegetical teaching, you’re teaching about every verse and making sure that your listeners behold all the beauty in the passage. In expository teaching, you are studying in order to discern the central message of the text, and then you faithfully teach and apply that to your listeners. Exegetical teaching has its place (mostly during Bible studies and more formal classroom settings), but expository teaching is preferable for larger-group youth ministry gatherings. Rest assured, you don’t need to say everything in the text to faithfully teach the text. Say the main thing, illustrate its truth and beauty well, apply it to students’ lives, and trust the Holy Spirit to work. 

Points: How many points should a good message have? As many as it takes to drive home your Big Idea, but no more. Different texts and different teaching settings will shape the way you structure and deliver your message. Instead of having one sermon template that you use for every message, allow the text and your context to inform how many points you have. 

Illustrations: Good illustrations lead your listener to understand the text better. Unfortunately, too many people think illustrations need to be funny or leave people on the edge of their seats. If you use a metaphor, tell a story, or share a quote that helps your students understand your point, then it’s a great illustration. If your illustration is so engaging that everyone listens, but they don’t have any more clarity about your point, then it’s a terrible illustration. Lastly, illustrations are necessary for more than just clarity–they’re on-ramps for people’s attention spans. Even the best student will get distracted or their mind will wander, and illustrations make it easy for them to re-engage. If your illustrations don’t lead back to the point you’re tryign to illustrate, then people aren’t led to re-engage with your message. 

Transitions: A message without transitions will grind on like joints without cartilage. The most important pieces may be there (clear Big Idea, faithful gospel centrality, and good points along the way), but the message seems more like a collection of good ideas than one cohesive message. It’s usually best when transitions are short and unnoticed. But if you don’t include them in your message preparation, then let this be a gentle nudge to start thinking about how you want to move students through your message, rather than simply thinking about what you want to say to them. 

Conclusion: An effective conclusion synthesizes everything you’ve said. It doesn’t simply repeat the main points with rapid-fire bullet points; it takes everything you’ve said and distills it into a cohesive and helpful exhortation before they turn off their brains and go home. 

Good teachers care about their listeners. And good youth pastors love their teenagers. The absolute best way for you to love your students well is to lead them to Jesus, which also happens to be the reason why God has given us the Bible! Keep the Bible front and center in your ministry. 

YPT is happy to provide two training opportunities. First, YPT is hosting a pre-conference, “Teach with Confidence,” before the Rooted Conference in October. Second, YPT Teaching Workshop is a daylong training that you can host to equip your volunteers to teach the Bible with confidence. Just imagine what could happen in your community if your volunteers, and if the volunteers at other churches nearby, were equipped to teach God’s Word with confidence.