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Qualities Of A Qualities Of A Bible Class Bible Class TeacherTeacher

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IntroductionIntroduction• James 3:1James 3:1• ““My brethren, be not many My brethren, be not many

masters, (teachers) masters, (teachers) knowing that we shall knowing that we shall receive the greater receive the greater condemnation.”condemnation.”

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IntroductionIntroduction• Have the proper motives Have the proper motives

for wanting to teachfor wanting to teach• ““Unless you possess the Unless you possess the

unquenchable desire to unquenchable desire to teach, don’t teach.” Mike teach, don’t teach.” Mike RileyRiley

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IntroductionIntroduction• 1 Tim. 4:161 Tim. 4:16• ““Take heed unto thyself, and Take heed unto thyself, and

unto the doctrine; continue unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”and them that hear thee.”

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1. Spiritually Minded1. Spiritually Minded• Rom. 8:6Rom. 8:6• ““to be spiritually minded is to be spiritually minded is

life and peace.”life and peace.”• We must live in harmony We must live in harmony

with the word of God – A with the word of God – A teacher can only really teacher can only really teach what he is.teach what he is.

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1. Spiritually Minded1. Spiritually Minded• ““A good man or woman may A good man or woman may

not be a good teacher; but not be a good teacher; but it is impossible for a bad it is impossible for a bad man or woman to be a good man or woman to be a good teacher. We must practice teacher. We must practice what we preach (and teach what we preach (and teach L.B.) David J. RiggsL.B.) David J. Riggs

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1. Spiritually Minded1. Spiritually Minded• The character of a man is The character of a man is

based upon what he thinksbased upon what he thinks• Proverbs 23:7Proverbs 23:7• ““For as he thinketh in his For as he thinketh in his

heart, so is he”heart, so is he”

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2. Have A Working 2. Have A Working Knowledge Of The BibleKnowledge Of The Bible• 2 Tim. 2:152 Tim. 2:15• ““Study to shew thyself Study to shew thyself

approved unto God, a approved unto God, a workman that needeth not workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”dividing the word of truth.”

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2. Have A Working 2. Have A Working Knowledge Of The BibleKnowledge Of The Bible• Those who would teach Those who would teach

must understand God’s must understand God’s message as revealed in His message as revealed in His wordword

• The teacher must know The teacher must know what the Bible says and what the Bible says and also how to apply it to lifealso how to apply it to life

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2. Have A Working 2. Have A Working Knowledge Of The BibleKnowledge Of The Bible• The The first stepfirst step in teaching is in teaching is

to understand the passage to understand the passage yourselfyourself

• The The second stepsecond step is try to is try to simplify the passagesimplify the passage so so that others can understand that others can understand (Sometimes this is hard)(Sometimes this is hard)

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• We must teach the lesson We must teach the lesson

in such a way that others in such a way that others will understand itwill understand it

• Not all people learn the Not all people learn the same waysame way

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• Neh. 8:5-8Neh. 8:5-8• ““And Ezra opened the book in And Ezra opened the book in

the sight of all the people; (for the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the and when he opened it, all the people stood up:people stood up:[6] And Ezra blessed the LORD, [6] And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. the great God.

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• And all the people answered, And all the people answered,

Amen, Amen, with lifting up their Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.with their faces to the ground.….. and the Levites, caused the ….. and the Levites, caused the people to understand the lawpeople to understand the law

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• : and the people stood in their : and the people stood in their

place.place.[8] So they read in the book in the [8] So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and law of God distinctly, and gave gave the sense, and caused the sense, and caused them to understand the them to understand the reading.”reading.”

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• Jude 1:22-23Jude 1:22-23• ““And of some have And of some have

compassion, making a compassion, making a difference: And others save difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”garment spotted by the flesh.”

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3. Be Resourceful3. Be Resourceful• JesusJesus used various teaching used various teaching

methods in his teachingmethods in his teaching• A good Bible teacher will A good Bible teacher will

use different teaching use different teaching methods so that the methods so that the students will be able to students will be able to learn biblical truthslearn biblical truths

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4. Cheerfulness & 4. Cheerfulness & OptimismOptimism

• Rom. 12:12Rom. 12:12• ““Rejoicing in hope; patient in Rejoicing in hope; patient in

tribulation; continuing instant tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”in prayer”

• Phil. 4:4Phil. 4:4• ““Rejoice in the Lord alway: and Rejoice in the Lord alway: and

again I say, Rejoice”again I say, Rejoice”

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4. Cheerfulness & 4. Cheerfulness & OptimismOptimism

• 1 Th. 4:161 Th. 4:16• ““For the Lord himself shall For the Lord himself shall

descend from heaven with a descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”shall rise first:”

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4. Cheerfulness & 4. Cheerfulness & OptimismOptimism

• 1 Pet. 4:131 Pet. 4:13• ““But rejoice, inasmuch as ye But rejoice, inasmuch as ye

are partakers of Christ's are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”glad also with exceeding joy.”

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4. Cheerfulness & 4. Cheerfulness & OptimismOptimism

• ““Our Bible classes should Our Bible classes should bring hope and bring hope and encouragement to an encouragement to an otherwise dreary world.” otherwise dreary world.” Mike RileyMike Riley

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5. Be Sympathetic & 5. Be Sympathetic & KindKind

• Js. 1:27Js. 1:27• ““Pure religion and undefiled Pure religion and undefiled

before God and the Father is before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from to keep himself unspotted from the world.”the world.”

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5. Be Sympathetic & 5. Be Sympathetic & KindKind

• Sympathy is more than Sympathy is more than understanding a understanding a individual’s needs --- it individual’s needs --- it means doing what we can means doing what we can to help meet those needsto help meet those needs

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5. Be Sympathetic & 5. Be Sympathetic & KindKind

• Help them conquer sin in their Help them conquer sin in their liveslives

• Be a friend and support for your Be a friend and support for your studentsstudents

• Gal. 6:2Gal. 6:2 “Bear ye one another's “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”Christ.”

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6. Be Prayerful6. Be Prayerful

• Eph. 6:18Eph. 6:18• ““Praying always with all Praying always with all

prayer and supplication in the prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”supplication for all saints”

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6. Be Prayerful6. Be Prayerful

• 1 Th. 5:171 Th. 5:17• “ “Pray without ceasing”Pray without ceasing”

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ReferencesReferences• Qualities of a Bible Class Teacher, by Qualities of a Bible Class Teacher, by

Mike RileyMike Riley• Bible Class Teachers, by David J. RiggsBible Class Teachers, by David J. Riggs