Use of Assigned Material

THE Bible compares the Christian congregation to a human body. Each part is necessary, but “not all have the same function.” In harmony with that, we should work at whatever privilege has been entrusted to us. This requires that we understand and care well for any speaking assignment instead of minimizing the importance of some subjects because we think that other subjects would be more interesting. (Rom. 12:4-8) The faithful and discreet slave class has the responsibility to provide spiritual food “at the proper time.” (Matt. 24:45) When we use our personal abilities to develop talks according to the instructions we have received, we show appreciation for that arrangement. This contributes to the smooth operation of the congregation as a whole.

What to Include. When you are assigned a subject in the school, take care to develop that subject and not something else. In most cases, specific reference material will be supplied. If you are not told what printed material to use as the basis for your talk, you may gather material from sources of your choice. However, as you prepare your talk, be sure that the entire presentation is built around the assigned subject. When deciding what to include, you will also need to take your audience into account.

Carefully study the reference material, analyzing the scriptures included in it. Then consider how to use it most effectively for the benefit of the audience. Select two or possibly three points from the printed material to use as main points in your talk. Likewise, select from the assigned material the scriptures that you plan to read and discuss.

How much of the material should you cover? Only what you can handle effectively. Do not sacrifice good teaching in order to pack in a lot of information. If some of the material does not fit the objective of your talk, concentrate on portions that will help you reach that goal. From the assigned material, use what will be most informative and beneficial for your audience. Your objective with this speech counsel point is, not to see how much you can cover, but to use what has been assigned as the basis for your talk.

Your talk is not meant to be simply a summary of assigned material. You should plan to explain certain points, enlarge on them, illustrate them, and possibly give an example of their application. Additional ideas should be used to develop important points from your assigned material rather than to replace that material.

Brothers who have the needed qualifications as teachers may in time be invited to give instruction on the Service Meeting. They understand the need to make good use of assigned material instead of replacing it with something else. Similarly, brothers who deliver public talks are given outlines to follow. These allow for some flexibility, but they clearly indicate the main points to develop, the supporting arguments to use, and the scriptures that provide the foundation for the talk. Learning how to teach using the assigned material as a basis is an important part of preparation for other speaking privileges.

This training can also help you to conduct progressive home Bible studies. You will learn to focus attention on the study material instead of digressing from the subject by highlighting other things that may be interesting but not necessary to an understanding of the subject. Yet, if you get the spirit of this lesson, you will not become so rigid that you fail to provide added explanation that a student may require.