When all teaching components are committed to the learning aspect, the outcome is about true life-changing learning. Every teaching opportunity should be accompanied by an invitation for application of the learning experience.
While the classroom setting may not be the most conducive for application, application should be discussed and a challenge to apply lessons learned should be issued. Some application challenges will be specific, others may be broader. Examples: “How will you go out this week to be a better servant to others?” or “Who is the one person you will send a note of encouragement tomorrow?”
Much of the Christian teaching in our churches today focuses on delivering information, history, facts, and figures. While it is important to have knowledge of the scriptures, knowledge does not produce disciples. Information, history, facts, and figures may provide knowledge, and knowledge may produce a few trivia buffs, producing trivia buffs is not our calling.
Every time Jesus asked a question, offered an object lesson, or illustration, He was inviting His listeners to engage in the learning experience. He invited them to not only learn the facts and history, He invited them to apply in their individual lives the truth of His teaching. It was always about the learning experience transforming lives.
Content and application are both necessary in our disciple-making and “teaching them to observe all things…” Content without application leads to trivia buffs. Application without content leads to what many call “social gospel” in which an atheist could serve right alongside us.
Content pertains to knowledge, information, facts, figures, and material. Application pertains to transformation, wisdom, and discipling maturity. It is imperative that we give our listeners along with the information, the means to use the information to transform their lives, through applying it into their daily living. But are we? Would our answer be acceptable to God when so many that He has called us to are dying? What are the unwavering evidences of true application to a lost and dying community around us?
Not only in the classroom, opportunities for application come from the various ministries of the church, from the pulpit, and from the needs of the community around your church. People will always learn more from doing, applying, than sitting for weeks listening to someone speak on the need to serve. Application will always cement a learning experience. Plan application opportunities with an explicit thought of cementing biblical truths through each person’s engagement.
Every opportunity to serve and engage in ministry within the church and in the community should be a steppingstone to the next level of serving and engaging in discipleship maturation. Lives are changed, transformed, through application of biblical truths and principles.
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.