While Paul was saying these things to defend himself, Festus said loudly, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has driven you crazy!”- Acts 26:24 (NCV)
Paul has met his divine appointment. He has faced fate faithfully, sharing his personal testimony blended with a thorough mix of the Good News and a history of God’s people of faith. Yet, we also learn that God can prepare us for a lifetime for that divine appointment. He can train us for years for just one singular moment. I suggest 5 strategies for approaching your Bible study lessons to take your teaching and preaching to another level.
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Purpose: Identify the “why” for your study. Why are you studying this text/ passage? What’s the point? Know your purpose before you even start.
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Preparation: Once armed with your purpose, you can prepare accurately. You cut to the chase in your Bible study and sermon preparation. You will see things differently, seeing a clear pathway to your goal as the Spirit leads you.
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Practice: You practice to perfect. As you practice, you review your material with your audience in mind. You start to get a feel for your pace and how to personalize your presentation.
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Performance: You have to show and prove. That’s where you give it your all and hold nothing back. Do what you do to His glory.
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Post-Performance: You have to review what you have already done. You want to perfect your presentation skills. Did you connect with the people?Did you connect the people with your material? Be able to identify what needs more work and how to rework it to make it work out for the better.
Let this simple serve as a general guide for you. As you become more and more practiced, you will be able to identify particular methods that help you more than others as you prepare to teach and preach. This simple guide is a plan to help you get started and stay on track from start to finish. Keep in mind that God’s will is supreme and overrides all that is suggested here. Let what is presented here simply help you become more confident in what God has for you as it confirms what He lays upon your heart.
Rev Bruce's Blog 
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