Providing material based on maturity.

[Kyle Borger]

I have a service on Wednesdays that is mostly people with lots of years in the church. Our size is about 5 people.Ages range from 47 to 75.

I also have a service in Tuesdays that is people with little knowledge of the church. Ages range from 6 to 50. Our size is 6 to 8.

I was going to use the same material for both, but this week we were covering Acts 8 with Samuel the sorcerer. It just didn't make sense with a group who really doesn't even know who Jesus is. So I switched up and went to Genesis.

Being small allows for flexibility. I wonder if we ever contemplate how a passage comes across to people with no knowledge. It is really influencing my approach.

[Susan Unger]

"I wonder if we ever contemplate how a passage comes across to people with no knowledge. "

I'm trying to work on that but it is a challenge having grown up in the church.

[Michael Flowers]

Jan 10, 2018 21:54:33 GMT -5 Kyle Borger said:

Being small allows for flexibility. I wonder if we ever contemplate how a passage comes across to people with no knowledge. It is really influencing my approach.

Next Sunday (July 1) I will begin a new sermon series. I am preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. My lrimary concern has been that many people only know part of what Jesus taught. The first Sunday is going to be fun, I am “preaching” the entire sermon as it is written. I will be adding some slight commentary but mostly will be letting the text sit for the people to hear and process. I first had this idea while in high school, I am now putting it into practice.

[Susan Unger]

Jun 22, 2018 9:57:49 GMT -5 Michael Flowers said:

Jan 10, 2018 21:54:33 GMT -5 Kyle Borger said:

Being small allows for flexibility. I wonder if we ever contemplate how a passage comes across to people with no knowledge. It is really influencing my approach.

Next Sunday (July 1) I will begin a new sermon series. I am preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. My lrimary concern has been that many people only know part of what Jesus taught. The first Sunday is going to be fun, I am “preaching” the entire sermon as it is written. I will be adding some slight commentary but mostly will be letting the text sit for the people to hear and process. I first had this idea while in high school, I am now putting it into practice.

Cool  

So what resources are you using for your approach?

I remember doing my Gospel exegetical paper on the Beatitudes. I am not a writer at all... but the research into this one small passage was so rich that I just kept writing and writing and writing.... finally when the paper was double the length is was supposed to be, I decided that maybe I should stop. Thankfully, I was not deducted for the length.... ended up with a 100% on the paper which was the third time ever in all my years of writing research papers. 

[Marsha Lynn]

The variety of experience does bring challenges. A young man in his early 30s with connections to my church and, more specifically, the Sunday School group I lead bought an auto repair shop. Now there is a Bible study group that meets weekly in his garage. I am a regular attender but not the leader, although he always introduces me to visitors as his Sunday School teacher. I call it my "men's ministry" group since I'm often the only female present.😉

As we have talked, this young man has revealed he knows nothing about Jonah or Joshua or other well-known Bible characters. And he and his girlfriend have started coming on Sunday mornings more often, joining people who have been in the church for decades. It makes for an interesting dynamic. At the beginning of June I left the standard curriculum behind and started in on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed, deciding to study Jesus rather than Jeremiah. It remains to be seen where this will lead.

[Michael Flowers]

Jun 28, 2018 20:43:12 GMT -5 Susan Unger said:

Jun 22, 2018 9:57:49 GMT -5 Michael Flowers said:

Next Sunday (July 1) I will begin a new sermon series. I am preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. My lrimary concern has been that many people only know part of what Jesus taught. The first Sunday is going to be fun, I am “preaching” the entire sermon as it is written. I will be adding some slight commentary but mostly will be letting the text sit for the people to hear and process. I first had this idea while in high school, I am now putting it into practice.

Cool  

So what resources are you using for your approach?

I remember doing my Gospel exegetical paper on the Beatitudes. I am not a writer at all... but the research into this one small passage was so rich that I just kept writing and writing and writing.... finally when the paper was double the length is was supposed to be, I decided that maybe I should stop. Thankfully, I was not deducted for the length.... ended up with a 100% on the paper which was the third time ever in all my years of writing research papers. 

Sorry it took so long to reply. I tend to forget this site exists (and I have stayed busy enough that I haven't really had time to get back here). I mainly just used commentaries and developed the series on my own. I went through it and grouped passages together as much as possible based upon overall message. It was about 8 weeks of journey through Matthew 5-7, with week 1 being simply a reading/reciting of the entire sermon to bring it to the forefront for our congregation and prepare them for the weeks that were to come.