For many of our students, the lessons we teach enhance the things they are learning in worship and at home. For some, these lessons are the only opportunities they have to hear the saving Gospel. We want to share the Gospel effectively. We strive to find time for lesson preparation. Here are three easy tips that will sneak additional preparation time into your busy schedule.
1. Make it Easy
Put your teacher materials on the kitchen or living room table so when you do get a moment to yourself, you can glance at it and refer to the upcoming lesson. Carry it with you any time you know you’ll have to spend a few minutes waiting. If my materials remain inside my Sunday School bag and I leave it in the front closet, I may forget about the lesson until Saturday evening. If, instead, I keep the material in front of my eyes, I pick it up and glance through the lesson at various points during the week.
2. Give It Just Ten Minutes
Taking even ten minutes early in the week to review the lesson helps us think ahead to what we want to emphasize. Use the helps at the beginning of each lesson in the teacher materials to have the goal of the lesson in mind. Concordia Publishing House Sunday School materials have a Preparing the Lesson section in Growing in Christ teacher guides and Cross Explorations teacher leaflets that highlight the Key Point of the lesson, and provides context for the Bible narrative and Bible commentary that provides additional background detail for the scripture reading. Review this page or, if you have more time, listen to the Seeds of Faith podcast [1] to add depth to your knowledge of the lesson text. This can lay a great foundation for additional lesson preparation later in the week.
3. Find the Focus
After glancing through the lesson, digest the Bible story. Do you have the Bible in audio format? Listen to the lesson text while you’re cooking dinner or driving to soccer practice. After becoming familiar with the text, review the Law and Gospel emphasis in the Sunday School materials.
Always ask:
- What is that God requires of us in the passage?
- How does the Gospel of Jesus’ love and mercy from these verses impact our lives?
This focus on God’s Word of Law and Gospel for ourselves and for our students will keep our preparations focused as well.
A little extra time spent reviewing the lesson helps in several ways. Not only are you better prepared for Sunday, but God’s Word will also nourish you spiritually. And know this and take heart: through even our humble efforts, God’s Word works and flourishes in our lives and in the lives of our students too.
This post is based on an article originally written by Julie Stiegemeyer.