Improving Our Teaching Ability—Reaching the Student’s Heart
1 Jesus taught in such a way as to reach the heart of those he instructed. In explaining the parable of the sower, he showed that only those who ‘get the sense of the word’ will be moved to act. (Read Matthew 13:18, 23, 51, 52.) So, as we teach we must be mindful of reaching the student’s heart. We want to build appreciation for Jehovah, his Son and the Christian organization. We need to imitate Jesus in our teaching. This involves taking the time needed when conducting Bible studies to help students to reflect on the points being considered.
2 The apostle Peter’s teaching reached the hearts of the 3,000 who were then baptized on the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E. He helped them to reason on Scriptural prophecy related to Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that they could appreciate the roles played by Jehovah and Jesus Christ in what had taken place. (Acts 2:1-36) The Bible reports that those who believed were “stabbed to the heart” and “embraced his word heartily.” (Acts 2:37, 41) How can we today teach so as to reach people’s hearts and help them build similar love for the truth?
TAKE TIME TO REACH HEARTS
3 Those with whom we conduct Bible studies must get more than just facts about the Bible and world events. They need to feel something about what they are learning. We must get them to reason on what they learn. (Acts 17:2, 3) They must be helped to understand what Jehovah and Jesus are like, and what they have done for us. They need to see how Jehovah has shown love, patience and mercy in all his dealings with man. They must understand and respect his power and agree with his righteous requirements. They need to see the value of the great sacrifice Jesus made and realize the wisdom of the course he took. In this way they can be drawn into a warm personal relationship with Jehovah and Jesus.
4 The Live Forever and United in Worship books are designed to help us reach the hearts of our students and build heart appreciation. Observe how paragraphs 9 and 10 on page 10 of the Live Forever book help the student to reason on the fact that a loving God would not create humans with a desire to live forever and then fail to make it possible for them to fulfill that desire. Throughout chapter 4 of the Live Forever book there are examples of building heart appreciation. Especially note the examples in paragraphs 5, 12 and 13.
5 Throughout the book United in Worship we find questions directed at the heart of the student. Excellent examples of this are on pages 32 and 33. These questions cause the student to think and examine his heart motive carefully. They help him reflect on his feelings toward Jehovah, Jesus and the organization. Gradually he becomes more aware of what course he should be taking to please Jehovah and gain his blessings.
PREPARE WELL
6 So, as we conduct our Bible studies let us prepare well and then take sufficient time to reason with our students on the material presented. This way we will build into their hearts a warm feeling for Jehovah, Jesus and the organization. If we succeed in reaching our students’ hearts, they will be moved to take a course of action similar to that of the 3,000 who were baptized on the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E. (Acts 2:41-46) They will be helped to withstand Satan’s influence and efforts to mislead them.—Matt. 7:24-27.