Most churches have small groups, bible studies, Sunday morning messages, Sunday school, accountability partners, support groups, and more. What is the goal of biblical teaching that happens in these circles?

How we answer this question is critical to knowing why we are teaching specific things and also to becoming more more effective at whatever our answer to that question is.

From my experience, it seems like a lot of teaching in these groups revolve around teaching information about God and His Word, which is great and very necessary. But at some point I think we make the mistake of assuming that because people know something that they must then believe it.

It’s an easy mistake to make because often we equate belief with, “giving mental consent that something is true.” If that is how we define belief, then yes, they may believe it. But what if we define belief a bit differently?

A lot of us ask the question, “Why do teenagers live one way at school and another way at church? Why don’t they live what they believe?” Actually, teenagers live exactly what they believe. It’s just that what they profess to believe doesn’t line up with what they actually believe. What we deeply believe affects everything else about us.

What if teaching revolved not around, “How much of God’s Story do you know?” but also revolved around the question, “How deeply do you believe this story?”

I think this is exactly what the American Church needs. “If I deeply believe that this is true, then what should be different in my life? And if that difference is not there, then do I really believe this?” It’s not simply about asking these questions, although that is a great start, but also teaching in a way that is directed toward increasing our belief, not just increasing what we know.

QUESTION: How can you teach God’s Word in a way that addresses how deeply we believe it more than how much we know about it?

Posted on November 6, 2012