YOU TOO CAN BE CREATIVE!

By: William P. Cass

RE-ENFORCING THE LESSON WITH CREATIVITY

I. To teach or preach without the touch of God is to teach or preach without life! Lessons and sermons, if rightly prepared and presented with power will create something in the lives of your listeners. For the lesson to live in others it must first be a living reality in the teacher.

II. The Word of God is “DYNAMITE” and when “ignited” by God’s spirit within the teacher’s heart, results in some exciting classroom experiences. Sincere teachers often fail to “connect” in communicating lessons to their students.

III. If our teachers generally have:
1. Adequate Bible knowledge
2. Teaching ability
3. Teacher training “and” their students still are not affected, revitalized and stirred to action, then it is a good sign that what I have to offer could be helpful.

IV. Can our society in this 2Oth century point their finger in our faces and ask, “What are you Christians doing to turn things around in the sin-warped world of ours?” Are we of the same “BREED”that ‘Turned The World Up-Side-Down”?

V. A FACT: To know the Bible is not a sign that a person knows God. God Revelation is not Bible knowledge, but a personal life-changing experience with him, an up-to-date living relationship with Jesus Christ.

John 6:63 and John 7:38-39

A. God does not communicate ideas but “Himself”!

B. Teachers who have a “FRESH”experience with God are reaching people—ARE CONNECTING!

C. To report on an experience will be exciting because it goes beyond information or story-telling. It has dynamic behind it. Remember, “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life”.

D. Paul had a “Damascus Road Experience” which he told and retold many times. It kept him going when the “Going Got Tough”, which it often did. (Same with Elijah, David, Daniel, Peter, etc.)

1. But it is not enough to get excited about someone else’s encounter–we must have our own experience.

2. Students need to relate Biblical principles to present day problems.

3. Search for the non-verbal meaning beneath the surface. Scripture came to us through men moved by the Holy Ghost.

4. Pray and Meditate on your lesson and related scriptures until they begin to burn in your heart.

5. Ask God to help you be “Creative”, (fresh, vital, interesting, exciting, thrilling). Creativity means: Originative, inventive, productive!

6. MAKE YOUR GOAL: To change lives not just impart information!!

7. Your classroom can become a lion’s den, a herod’s court, a Roman jail,
a Golgotha Hill, etc.

8. Common qualities of a creative teacher:

a. Enthusiastic (contagious interest in each lesson)

b. Open-minded (to everything God wants to show or tell you; to ideas of others; be a good listener) Be curious! Alert!

c. Imaginative (put yourself in lesson setting, seek ways to be different, teach with variety, learn to shape your surroundings to fit your lesson)

NOTE: Never take creativity beyond the bounds of God’s Word.

d. Sensitive (to surroundings, sounds, colors, people, events, etc.)

e. Growing (as you teach, your creative potential will grow with you)

f. Willing (to work, sacrifice, pray, whatever it takes to win souls)

g. Develop Creativity in Students (as David developed his mighty men)

E. I Cor. 2:9-13

1. Vs. 9 – God has prepared—–

2. Vs. 10 – God has revealed—–by His spirit (also vs. 11)

3. Vs. 12 – That we might understand—–

4. Vs. 13 – That we speak as taught and unctioned by the spirit.

F. Measure of your life is not how long you live (Methuselah – 969 years).
Jesus lived 33 years yet His life has affected the entire world for nearly 2000 years. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU AFFECTING BY YOUR TEACHING AND LIFE????

(The original publisher of the above material is unknown.)

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