Hearing the Word

Summary of Resources

 This tool is for all who desire to hear the Word of God for themselves. It is designed to help them seek God as they read the Bible. It comprises: 

  1. The Rationale giving the basis for this approach 
  2. The Introduction to the method.
  3. The Follow On, giving opportunity to practise it.
  4. Different Bible studies to apply it to.

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The challenge

Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day.  Teach someone to fish and you feed them for a life-time. (CHINESE PROVERB)

The goal of a teacher is not to make people dependent on their ability but rather to encourage them to engage with the facts and then to think for themselves.  

The question for teachers of the Word of God: ‘How do we do it with our people and the Scriptures?!’ On a Sunday? But this is very limiting. It is said that people retain only about 5% of what they hear. It is a sobering thought for the preacher that 95% of all the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ of preparation during the week is going to be lost to their hearers after Sunday! How may we make our teaching more effective?

Educationalists tell us that if people prepare and familiarise themselves with a subject before receiving the work of a teacher, they will retain and learn considerably more of each ‘lesson’. 

A  question for the teacher of the Word, therefore, is – ‘How can we encourage our people to engage with the Word and think about it for themselves before they face our teaching?’

 ‘Hearing the Word’ addresses this question in two ways:

  1. The Introduction Course

This 4 hour, interactive course, suitable for novice and expert alike, encourages people in a straightforward way to engage with any part of the Word of God for themselves.

The course lasts in total for about 4 hours. During this one Bible passage is examined Mark 10:35-45, and there are 10 explorations 

The following approach is used: 

                       TEACH a principle

                       TRY it individually

                      TALK about it – first in groups of three, then in a plenary.

In a nutshell –Hearing the Word Introduction encourages an individual to do for themselves all that they humanly can, as they read the Word of God. Thereafter, they are dependent on the grace of God and the work of His Spirit to reveal Himself.

2.  Bible Studies

After the course there is a Follow on,  with six Bible studies on the passages following Mark 10:35-45.  

Having understood the method with the Introduction, and practiced with the Follow on, separate books provide studies on all genres of Scripture: law, letters, narrative, parables, poetry, prophecy, visions. For these, there are:- 

a) Workbooks* 

These are for individual or group use. They provide basic information on the text, which includes:- 

1)   help in reading this particular Bible literature

2)   background information about book / author

3)   notes on contemporary customs and religious words whose meaning is not self-evident in the text

4)   basic references to other relevant Bible verses.

b) Leaders guides*

There are complementary to the Workbooks and show questions that have occurred to others, and some possible responses to those questions.