March 18, 2025

96: Teaching the Old Testament to Youth (Chelsea Erickson)

45 minutes

It can be tempting to stick to the New Testament when teaching the Bible to youth. But doing so will only short-change teenagers and limit their understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ. Some parts of the Old Testament can feel foreign or intimidating, and therefore easy to avoid. Today's conversation with Chelsea Erickson will highlight the importance of teachign the Old Testament and will equip you with some good tools to help you do so with confidence.

Why is it so easy for us to accidentally overlook the Old Testament in our teaching calendar?

How do you respond to those who say we should prioritize the NT and stop teaching things like the Ten Commandments because we’re under grace, not law?

What are some gospel themes that bind the whole Bible together that can help us teach the OT in light of the gospel?

Can you walk us through some of the different genres in the OT and offer some reflections on how youth workers can teach them well?

Many OT books are very long or confusing, so they’re easy to skip over. How did you approach the longer and complicated books in your youth ministry?

Can you give us an example of an OT character that you’ve taught on, and share how you taught their story in a gospel-centered way?

Chelsea Erickson served in full-time youth ministry for over a decade and is now the Director of Publishing for the Rooted Ministry. She’s been on the YPT podcast.

Recommended Resources

Exodus Old and New, Michael Morales

According to Plan, Goldsworthy

The Unfolding Mystery, Clowney

Delighting in the Old Testament, Derushi

How to Read the Bible For All It’s Worth, Fee and Stuart

How Tread the Bible Book by Book, Fee and Stuart

CASKET EMPTY, Kaminski

Chelsea’s article on Rooted about the conquest: Is the God of the Old Testament Unjust?

Bible Project

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