Teaching for Life Change

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

In small groups, in church settings, home settings and often in mentoring roles...women in leadership are often called upon to teach. It is amazing how even just a 10 minute devotional can help re-direct someone, encourage, instruct, or give them something to ponder and pray about.

Just yesterday I attended the women's ministry monthly prayer meeting in my own church. Before we began to pray the leader spent just a few minutes talking to us about our hearts being ready for intercession. In that short 5 minutes she had a goal of what she wanted to communicate and communicated it effectively. In turn that led all of us to a place of wanting our hearts to be right with God before we began praying for others. It was powerful. And, this woman does not probably think she is a "teacher." But she was, she is, and probably in your leadership position so are you.

First things First.
When handling God's Word, we must be convinced that it is a powerful tool for life change.According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the word of God is inspired by God and useful for:
Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us in righteousness. As it trains us it thoroughly equips us for every good work. And, as we share it with others, it is useful for these very same reasons.

Now consider the people you lead, whether it be your children, or the women in your small group, or a larger study setting....Each of these people, are God's people whom He loves, cares for and desires to work in and through. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God has created each of us for himself, and has created each person you lead for His work and plan too.

Now catch that vision, that when you are holding out God's word to others it is equipping them to be able to live out God's good purpose in their lives. Being a leader is serious and exciting business when we think of it this way. From a nugget of truth, to a full message, God is using us to make a difference in someones life by holding out the truth of God's word.

Now make it count, when given the opportunity or call to lead, make that time count, use it wisely. We often don't stop the run away trains in our groups because we don't want to offend. But, what if you were convinced that it offended the heart of God to allow all the idle chatter when the time was supposed to be centered on His word? Take a look at this verse that follows 2 Timothy 2: 15, " Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene." 2 Timothy 2:16

Oswald Chambers says that we must learn to express truth in a way that makes a difference.
"Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God's truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God's strength to someone else. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute Truth of God and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else." ( My Utmost for His Highest , Dec. 15th devotional)

The Goal: Transformation Not Just Information
Whenever you are teaching God's word remember that the goal is not to dish out information. People can be filled with all kinds of biblical information and have no real life transformation. God's goal is that His word will transform our lives so that we would no longer live according to the patterns, plans or ideals of this culture we live in ( Romans 12:1-2) And, we see in Timothy that He gave us his word in order that we would know how to live, and that we would be TRAINED in righteousness. This must be the primary goal when communicating truth.

How Do I Present a Truth for Life Change?
Unpack it for practical use!
Personally I use a three point guideline, that I set up for myself when speaking to women.
My goal is always life transformation, life change, relational change, not head knowledge. I set out to accomplish this by trying to follow these three things when preparing:

1. Recognize... This is this the head connecting with the information.What does God's word say and why? This is helping the listener to connect with and acknowledge the truth.
   
2. Rely...This is the heart part. Any one can hear the word and recognize it, that is the surface of things. Life change comes when we learn to lean into the truth for application. The question that I always ask myself when in God's Word...How can I apply this to my daily life? When teaching others...how can I help them understand this in a way that helps them apply to their every day life?
   
3. Remember...This is reminding myself of the truth so that I don't read it and never digest it's powerful life changing principles. How can I make this stick so that I don't forget it in my daily life? And, when teaching others, what can I say or what visual can I use that will help make this message stick? Jesus used practical stories known as parables. What can I do to make His timeless truth stick today?
   

When giving a message I always have a goal. The aim is to help women to recognize truth, learn to rely on truth, and walk away remembering truth. I want to accomplish this by the end of my talk, whether it be 5 minutes or 50 minutes. In other words, I want the truth, not my words, to make a difference in their lives. I want them to experience the abundance of life change that Jesus offers us all and the freedom that comes when TRUTH sets us free.

Often, out of pride, we think we have to give out a lot of information for something to be deep or spiritual. That simply is not true. It would benefit a person more to learn to live in 10 key verses, in a way that alters their life choices, more than it would benefit them to know 100 verses by memory while not living in out the truth in one of them. Seek to learn to live out a few verses in your own life, and then be obedient to lead others to the same life application of truth.

How to read God's Word for Life Change

• Have a scheduled time : your time is your time, don't let anyone give you a limit or number, or a place it has to be. Just be sure to include the study and reading of God's word in your life agenda. "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " Matthew 4:4
  
• Ask God to meet you in the Bible, and to draw you into deeper relationship with Him through His Word. "Direct me in the path of your command, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." Psalm 119:35-37
  
• Read with a repentant spirit and ask God to wash over you with his Word, cleansing you with it. And, why to you wash something? Because it's dirty. In the same way, we need God's word to wash us from the dirt we pick up throughout the day, every day. " Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish.." Ephesians 5:25-26
  
• Read with a readiness to surrender to Him, " How can a young man keep his life pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119:9-10
  
• Take a small section and immerse yourself in it. " I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11
  
• Take this same section and learn to apply it to your life. " Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." Psalm 119:18
  
• Practice living in this section of truth. "This has been my practice: I obey your precepts." Psalm 119:56
  
• Learn to express what you are learning from this section of truth. " I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32
• Hold out this truth to others in a way that is practical and purposeful.

"The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn't know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly." Oswald Chambers

This Week's Prayer
Lord, Your word is truth. Help us to recognize this and remember it each day. As truth and as our soul food may we not neglect it out of business. May we also not approach it out of duty, but may we approach it out of delight, that we might have our souls filled, and may be instructed how to live in your Spirit, pleasing to you. As we read your word, Lord cleanse us. As we study your word, Lord convict us. As we teach your word, Lord use us. May we stay true to you and only you. Jesus fill us, use us, and make a difference for your eternal goal through us.