Malcolm Cox

10th Commandment: Tests aren’t just for students.

Introduction

Do you ever wonder if your teaching is effective? Do you sometimes sense your preaching might not have the impact you had hoped? If so, you are like 99% of the speakers I know. The other 1% are deluded. 

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11)

Point of Clarification

Teaching and preaching are dynamic skills that require continuous refinement. We are never done learning. It takes humility for a student to learn, and it should take no less humility on the part of us who teach and preach for us to improve in our effectiveness. To place yourself in a position of learning can be a little scary. Don't let that put you off from discovering how to grow. Your security in God is what matters, not what your students think of you. 

12 Tips for teachers to grow

1. Self-Reflection: Set aside time regularly to reflect on your teaching practices. Think about your lessons, interactions with students, and classroom dynamics. Consider what went well and what could have been better. Reflecting on your experiences can help you pinpoint areas where you might need improvement.

2. Solicit Feedback: Ask for feedback from colleagues, mentors, supervisors, and even students. Constructive feedback from different perspectives can provide insights into areas you might not have considered. Be open to receiving both positive and constructive criticism.

3. Video Recordings: Record your teaching sessions and review the footage. Watching yourself teach can reveal body language, classroom management, and teaching techniques that you might not notice during the actual lesson. This can be a powerful tool for self-assessment.

4. Peer Observations: Engage in peer observations with other teachers. Observe their teaching and have them observe yours. Discuss what you both observed, including strengths and weaknesses. Collaborating with colleagues can offer fresh perspectives on your teaching methods.

5. Formal Evaluations: If your institution conducts formal evaluations, use them as opportunities to gather feedback. Take the evaluation reports seriously and consider the suggestions for improvement.

6. Student Feedback: Gather feedback from your students through anonymous surveys or discussions. Ask them about what they find engaging and challenging in your teaching methods. This can provide valuable insights into areas that might need improvement.

7. Professional Development: Attend workshops, seminars, conferences, and training sessions related to teaching. These opportunities can expose you to new techniques and approaches, helping you identify areas where you could enhance your skills.

8. Keep Up with Research: Stay updated on current educational research and trends. This can help you identify gaps in your knowledge or areas where you might not be using the most effective strategies.

9. Set Goals: Identify specific areas where you feel you could improve and set goals for yourself. For example, you might focus on improving classroom management, student engagement, or assessment methods. Having clear goals can give you a sense of direction.

10. Experiment and Reflect: Don't be afraid to try new teaching methods or approaches. Experimenting with different strategies can help you identify what works best for your students and teaching style. After trying new techniques, reflect on their effectiveness.

11. Continuous Learning: Cultivate a growth mindset. Understand that weaknesses are opportunities for improvement rather than failures. Approach your weaknesses as areas where you can learn and grow.

12. Journaling: Keep a teaching journal where you document your thoughts, experiences, and insights from your teaching journey. This can help you track your progress over time and identify patterns in your teaching practices.

Conclusion
Remember that assessing weaknesses is a continuous process, and growth takes time. Be patient with yourself and commit to ongoing self-improvement. By the way, one word of warning – don't try all 12 at once. It will be overwhelming. Pick one, implement it and see what you learn.

Next time we will review the series. 

Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review. 

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

Introduction
Unity is always a vital topic, but even more so now than usual. 
The church continues to spread, expand and develop. This is all good but it means we must pay more careful attention to our unity. 
These lessons will discuss attitudes and actions that can strengthen our unity.
Today's lesson is focussed on examining one example of how Jesus built unity, and one example of how the early church built unity. 

- - - 

1.  Jesus
Prays for unity
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22–23 NIV11)
- Jesus in the Father is the model for us

Teaches on unity
““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” (John 13:34–35)

How did Jesus maintain unity?

Example
“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”” (Mark 9:33–37)
- See also vv 14,16
The disciples react to Jesus attempting to help them be honest by going quiet.  No one has the conviction or purity of heart to confess on behalf of the group.

- How did Jesus maintain unity?
- Observant - was not looking at his phone while with his disciples!
- Waited for the right time and place
- Asked a question
- Allowed silence
- Taught with compassion
Reminded them it was about him

More work needed - Mark 10:35–45
We are one chapter further on and they still need help. 
Unity is never ‘finished'.
Important we do not get tired of working to maintain unity.

Application
- Any tensions? 
- Any ungodly attitudes or behaviour?
- Unity is not maintained by harshness, nor by silence
- Unity is maintained by listening, loving and talking

- - - 

2. The Early Church
Example
“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:1–7 NIV11)
- Leadership listened
- Involved everyone
- Understood limitations
- Discussion
- Prayer

- - - 

Conclusion
All about Jesus
Tuning fork
(Ephesians 2:11–22 NIV11)

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

Would you like to freshen up your prayer life? I want to share something I have developed that has done just that. It’s a three-step prayer framework I’ve been experimenting with for the last three weeks. Those three steps are 1. Security, 2. Submission, 3. Supplication. Last week we discussed security. This week we continue with submission. First, however, a point of clarification.

Point of clarification
Submission is, for some people, a troubling word. It carries connotations of oppression, abuse and control. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline states, “Revolutionary submission commands us to live in submission to human authority until it becomes destructive.” Demands for submission to human authority can be destructive, but when God calls us to submit to his will, he invites us into a constructive life. If you fear full submission to God, you are a normal human. Don’t worry. Just invest in what we talked about last week. Security in God’s love is the antidote to anxiety over submitting to him. Trying to be submissive to God’s will for our lives without security in his love is, frankly, terrifying! 

Leadership or Servanthood? by Hwa Yung — “Jesus in life, ministry, and mission lived in the full consciousness of his filial relationship with his Father and in the unfailing security of the Father’s love. This allowed him to go about life in a calm and cool manner, and gave him inner strength and fearlessness in the face of immense challenges and unrelenting opposition.”

Submission: Surrendering Our Will to God’s Plan
To make sense of submission to the will of our Heavenly Father, we take our cue from Jesus, who said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38 NIV11). How did he feel about God’s will?

He delighted in it, ““My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 NIV11),

Just because he delighted in it does not mean it was easy. Jesus’ prayer in the Gethsemane is a poignant example of submission to God’s will in challenging circumstances (Matthew 26:39). Despite the overwhelming weight of impending suffering, Jesus humbly surrendered to the Father’s plan, saying, “not as I will, but as you will.” His submission demonstrated the depth of His trust in God’s wisdom and divine purpose. As the book of Hebrews tells us, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV11) His submissive heart meant his prayers got heard.

Conclusion
It makes no sense to pray, ‘your will be done’ (Matthew 6.10) and live in opposition to God’s will. Take the time to refresh your security in the Father, and you will find praying to live in submission to his will much more appealing than you might think.

Next time we will go on to look at the topic of supplication.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm 

Introduction
Do you ever wonder if your teaching is effective? Do you sometimes sense your preaching might not have the impact you had hoped? If so, you are like 99% of the speakers I know. The other 1% are deluded.

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11)

Point of clarification
We are limited in knowing how much our listeners learned. God does not give us miraculous insight into the mind and heart of each person who hears our teaching. We must trust that the Holy Spirit is at work. Our humility is tested in this. We are not in control. However, there are things we can do which will give people the best possible opportunity to learn.

Three Tips
1. Ask Questions. You may have noticed that this tip comes up in several of the commandments. It is a crucial technique for helping people learn. It allows them to reflect on what they have heard and put it into their own words. Jesus did this. Sometimes it was to draw their attention to the obvious, “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve” (Mark 8:19 NIV11) At other times, he used questions to stimulate his disciples’ thinking, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 NIV11) Questions come in various shapes and sizes. Ask questions during the lesson, and ask them in the fellowship afterwards. What did you learn today? What helped you?
2. Set a task. After teaching a point, one option is to break up into groups for your listeners to discuss it. Then ask for sharing from those groups a few minutes later. Then you will know how well your point has sunk in. You might then adjust your teaching to explain the matter further if it was not well understood or draw out some of its implications.
3. Follow up. After some time has passed, go back to the topic you were preaching or teaching on. This is especially effective if you have a follow-up gathering in which you can talk about the issue in a different setting. Let’s say you speak on Sunday to the whole group. Two weeks later you have a small group focused on the same issue. Bring up the text and discuss it. You will soon discover how much your listeners learned.

Conclusion
Jesus was a master teacher — both in this teaching and in his ability to help his listeners learn. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 is testimony to the fact he ‘got it’. Your learners can too. 

Next week: 10th and final Commandment: Tests aren’t just for students.

Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review. 

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a teaching class for the Thames Valley churches of Christ. This week we take one of Douglas Jacoby's lessons and add some questions to facilitate personal and group reflection on the message of the challenging book of Jude.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

Would you like to freshen up your approach to prayer? I want to share something I have developed that has done just that. It’s a three-step prayer framework I’ve been experimenting with for the last two weeks. Those three steps are 1. Security, 2. Submission, 3. Supplication. We start this week with security. First, however, a point of clarification.

Point of clarification

Dangers exist regarding frameworks. What may start as a refreshing framework can descend into formulaic dryness. Frameworks exist in the Scriptures. Examples include the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6.9-13, some of Paul’s prayers in his Epistles (1 Thessalonians 5.23-24), praying through Psalms, or that majestic hymn about Jesus (Philippians 2.6-11). All of these can be used as frameworks. But none of them should be seen as something to be repeated rote as if in the very act of repetition something spiritual magically happens. It is with that clarification in mind I offer this framework.


Security: Finding Strength in God’s Presence

Before delving into submission or supplication, it is essential to establish a sense of security in the presence of God. Jesus enjoyed deep security with his Father. Imagine how he felt on hearing these words, 

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV11). 

“Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”” (Mark 9:7 NIV11)

Even in one of his darkest moments he was able to use the more intimate form of address — ‘abba’. ““Abba , Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”” (Mark 14:36 NIV11)

We are authorized — nay — encouraged to do the same, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” (Romans 8:15 NIV11)

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba , Father.”” (Galatians 4:6 NIV11)

Jesus lived a life of submission to the Father because he experienced the loving acceptance of his Father. We will live healthier lives of discipleship when we connect with that same love in our times of quiet with God.

By the way, you might note that praise is missing from this framework. But, I have found that it is in this first step that praise most naturally occurs. How can I fail to praise my heavenly father as I reflect on my gratitude for being included in his family, his household, as among those destined to share his love not only now but forever? Praise naturally comes from my heart when I remember how much it cost him to adopt me as his child. One of the beauties of reflecting on my security with the father is that I gain renewed confidence and a refreshed feeling of gratitude. 

Beginning with reflecting on my security in the Father enables the rest of my prayer to flow more naturally. As Richard Foster put it in his book Prayer, ‘Prayer is the human response to the perpetual outpouring of love by which God lays siege to every soul.’ Connecting with that love at the start will catalyst your prayer. 

Next time we will go on to look at the topic of submission.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

Introduction

Do you ever wonder if your teaching is effective? Do you sometimes sense your preaching might not have the impact you had hoped? If so, you are like 99% of the speakers I know. The other 1% are deluded. 

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11)

Point of clarification

I vividly remember my wife telling me after church one day, “I don’t like it when you shout”. At the time I argued the point claiming that I was not shouting, simply excited. On reflection (and listening to the tape - yes, it was that long ago), I had to agree with her. What in my ears was ‘enthusiasm’ was in her ears shouting. I was confusing volume with enthusiasm. The two are not the same. There is a place for shouting — “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you, I whom you have delivered.” (Psalm 71:23 NIV11) — but it is rarely in preaching. Public speaking is a conversation more than a presentation, and shouting is a conversation killer. However, talking too quietly can be just as problematic. In his blog, Leith Anderson writes, ‘Volume ranges come with diminishing returns. If a voice is too soft we can’t make out the words. If a voice is too loud we just hear the noise. Too soft is irritating; too loud is painful.’ (https://www.nae.org/so-loud-i-cant-hear-you/) When we are discussing enthusiasm we are not addressing volume, but something much deeper. You might like this article about the great preacher Charles Spurgeon — https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/10-public-speaking-tips-from-charles-spurgeon/. 

4 Tips

Pray. In the days leading up to the delivery of the lesson pray that God would help you to connect the Scripture with your heart, mind and life. When you see the beneficial effects of living what you are about to teach, your enthusiasm will be natural. It will flow from the conviction of knowing God’s word is ‘alive and effective’ (Hebrews 4.12). This first tip is about how to become enthusiastic in a healthy way.

Prepare. Examine your lesson in advance to identify the key points you believe God wants you to get across. Those will be the ones that deserve your greatest enthusiasm. Do not put your enthusiasm into minor issues, interesting or exciting as they may be. If you are enthusiastic about everything, then nothing is important. Reserve your greatest enthusiasm for God’s greatest points. You might want to highlight those points in red or mark them out in some way.

Spontaneity. As good as it is to prepare, one must allow for the movement of the Spirit during a talk. Pray in advance to discern when God’s Spirit is moving to prompt you to greater enthusiasm about something that you may not have prepared in advance. 

Exaggerate. When speaking to others it is important to be yourself, but you need to be more of yourself — especially when speaking to a larger group. Exagerrating gestures, bodily movements, facial expressions and voice inflexions are not fake if done in service of your listeners. The enthusiasm we are describing is not designed to draw attention to yourself, but to your message. As Richard Venables puts it in his book, Worship Leading Essentials, ‘The best sermon is that in which the theme absorbs the preacher and hearers, and leaves no one either time or desire to think about the speaker’. This second tip is about how to express enthusiasm in a healthy way. Praying will help with this point.

Conclusion

Jesus was enthusiastic. Sometimes he was loud. It’s hard to imagine how he spoke to 5,000 people without significant volume (Matthew 14). Sometimes his enthusiasm was physical. Turning over the tables in the temple courts and speaking to the crowd while the adrenaline was still in his system must have been quite the sight (Matthew 21:12-13)! But whether he was speaking or acting with volume or physicality, he was all-in. I think that’s the main point. Do your listeners sense what you are speaking about matters to you? 

Next week: 9th Commandment: It doesn’t matter how well you taught it, it matters how well they learned it.

Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Homiletics (the preparation and delivery of lessons).

Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review. 

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

Keep calm and carry on teaching.

God bless, Malcolm

The more I study the Bible in detail, the more I realise I need a better handle on the big picture. 

As I mentioned in last week’s episode, several things have come together recently to help me make the decision to read the entire Bible in 12 months. The two sources of inspiration for this decision are my good friend Douglas Jacoby who has been doing this for years, and the fact that studying texts in detail has required me to look at the rest of the Bible's teaching on the topics raised there. 
 
Is this something you might consider? If you would like further motivations for reading the Bible in 12 months, here are some given to me by chat GPT! See what you make of these… 
 
1. Spiritual Growth: Engaging with the Bible regularly allows individuals to deepen their spiritual understanding and connection with their faith. It provides insights into the core beliefs and teachings of their religious tradition.     

2. Comprehensive Understanding: Reading the entire Bible in 12 months ensures that you cover both the Old and New Testaments, providing a comprehensive understanding of the sacred scriptures, their historical context, and the overall narrative of the faith. 

3. Discipline and Commitment: Committing to read the Bible over a year requires discipline and consistency, fostering a sense of commitment and perseverance in spiritual practices. 

4. Personal Reflection: Regular reading of the Bible prompts introspection and self-reflection. The stories, parables, and teachings can often resonate with one's own life experiences, leading to personal growth and insights.     

5. Inspiration and Encouragement: The Bible contains numerous stories of faith, resilience, and hope, which can inspire and encourage individuals during challenging times. 

6. Community and Discussion: Reading the Bible on a schedule can be done individually or as part of a group study. Engaging with others in discussions about the scriptures fosters a sense of community and allows for diverse perspectives and interpretations. 

7. Cultural and Literary Knowledge: The Bible has profoundly influenced Western literature, art, and culture. By reading it in its entirety, one gains valuable insights into references and allusions found in various works of art and literature. 

I hope you find these reflections helpful. Reading the Bible in 12 months is to some degree an artificial aim. However, I cherish the idea of becoming more familiar with all of Scripture. It's there for a reason, and interacting with it can only enrich my life. Let me know your thoughts. 
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm 

https://www.accordancebible.com/ 

A sermon for the Watford church of Christ.

1. Huldah, vv14-20

A. What was an Old Testament prophet?
QUESTION: Definition?
A ‘covenant enforcer’

B. One of a few female prophets
The others: Miriam, Deborah, and Isaiah’s wife (Exod 15:20; Judg 4:4; 2 Kgs 22:14; Isa 8:3).
No sense this wrong
No sense should be a man
Contemporaries: Jeremiah; Nahum; Zephaniah; Habakkuk

C. Knew the Bible
Knew the book - even though lost
Knew it was Scripture
Knew how to interpret into her time

2. Josiah, vv8-13; 23:1ff

A. Strikes against him
Evil grandfather and father - 2 Kings 21:6; 21:20-22
Tragic family - 2 Kings 21:23-24
Evil societal religious culture - 2 Kings 23:6, 7, 10,
Evil leadership culture - 8/4
His elders and betters had got it wrong
Not a victim

B. Spiritual Integrity
Enquire of the best person - even if not conventional.
Wants to know how much authority this book has
Wants to know what it means for him

C. Renews covenant & Passover
23:1-3, 21-23, 25
Urgent, thorough, self-motivated, brave
Consequences to religion industry!
Purity of heart — he was OK. Did this for Israel and God.

Why did Josiah react in the way he did? What does that tell us about him?
What motivated his actions? Why did he do what he did?
What can we learn from Josiah?

What does Huldah’s response tell us about her?
Why do you think Josiah asked her, not any other prophet?
What can we learn from Huldah?

Summary
Josiah had a good heart
He needed someone to help him interpret God’s Word
Huldah had cultivated her relationship with God
She was ready when the most important opportunity came

3. God and Us

A. Huldah as a model of spiritual wisdom
Do you need to devote yourself to learning scripture?
We are all teachers - but teachers need to learn

B. Josiah as a model of repentance
Do you need to seek out someone to help you understand your spiritual state?
Do you need to repent?
Any idols?

C. God as patient, warning, helping

Conclusion
Josiah’s name: healed by God; God will support; God heals
1 Peter 2.24 - his wounds heal us

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

7th Commandment: They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Introduction
Do you ever wonder if your teaching is effective? Do you sometimes sense your preaching might not have the impact you had hoped? If so, you are like 99% of the speakers I know. The other 1% are deluded. 

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1 NIV11)

Point of clarification
A church leader once contacted me asking for advice. They had someone in the congregation who was a good student of the Bible and an able presenter. He liked to preach and teach. He taught accurately and with conviction. However, the congregation did not warm to his speaking. The problem as it was explained to me was that this person turned up late to meetings, did not engage with the fellowship, and was not connected relationally to the rest of the congregation. Those he spoke to did not sense he cared. I won’t make a judgement on that, because I don’t know this person’s heart. Suffice it to say that if a congregation don’t sense you care, your effectiveness is greatly compromised. What we are going to talk about today is not how to make people feel like you care—that would be manipulative—but instead how are you can grow in caring and communicate that you care.

7 Tips
1. Pray. Pray for the people you speak to. Pray for their spiritual well-being. Pray that issues in their lives will be resolved by God’s strength. Pray like Paul did. Do a Bible study of some of his prayers embedded in his letters. They will guide you in your prayers for your listeners.
2. Make the most of fellowship. Whenever you have a chance to speak, arrive early and stay until, as they say, the last dog dies. Talking to people before you speak helps your listeners to see you as a fellow human being - not as ‘the speaker’. 
3. Connect as a habit. Look for reasons to connect with your fellow brothers and sisters. Remember birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. Pray together in person and using technology. Pick up the phone when you have a spare moment and call somebody just for a chat. 
4. Ask questions. As tempting as it is to tell people about yourself, it is by asking questions people feel cared for. How are people feeling? How are things at home with the kids/spouse? What’s going on with elderly relatives? What’s it like at work at the moment? How are they feeling about their relationship with God? What else are they interested in?
5. Time. You can’t beat time together. Nothing replaces that. Contact is not the same as connection, and connection is nurtured by time. Do things together.
6. Eye-contact. When you are speaking to people, look at those people.
7. Vulnerable. As scary as it is, open your heart and share vulnerably when you speak. Let everyone know that you are a normal person just like them. You’re not standing there and speaking because you are superior. You are simply doing so because you’ve been called and gifted.

Conclusion
You cannot force people to believe you care about them, but you can love them. Do that consistently and in a Christlike way, and your speaking will find a smoother channel to the spirits of your listeners.

Next week: 8th Commandment: Enthusiasm is infectious!

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"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

Keep calm and carry on teaching.

God bless, Malcolm