• Provide outline of the passage:

Main Point:

Supporting points:

• How has this passage affected my spiritual life?

• Goal of the teaching:

• Relevance to audience:

1. Why is this passage of importance to my Bible study group and guests?

2. How can I begin to engage the audience in considering the importance of the topic?

• Analogy that illustrates the importance of the topic

• Unresolved questions about the topic

"Have you ever wondered about…?"

• Personal experience with the topic

"Can you remember/have you ever felt… about…?"

• Observation showing diverse opinions/confusion about the topic

"Have you ever noticed how everyone has an opinion about…, but none of them seem to make sense?"

• Antithesis showing what happens when the topic is misunderstood

"Can you imagine what it would be like if…?"

"Remember the story about…?"

Teaching outline

Introduction

• Engage audience by use of discussion question, illustration or story
• State briefly the topic and read the verse (or whole passage if short enough)
• Provide relevant background information

Examine the main point: the "what" question

• Identify and clarify meaning of theological concepts involved
• Connect clarification of main point with the question, illustration or story used
• Identify what the passage is saying or presupposing about key theological subjects that your audience may not know or understand

Provide explanation: the "why" question

• Read from the text each of the supporting statements for the main point and restate them in your own words
• Explain each point in terms of:
• How it relates to the main point of the passage
• Why it is true and can be believed by the your audience
• Why it is important for your audience to understand and accept
• Use appropriate illustration, cross-reference, discussion question, etc.

Application

• Explain why the main point was of importance to the original audience

• Personal application: what the main point meant to me as I thought about it