15 Practical Helps for Teaching the Bible

At Cross of Grace we want to help raise up the next generation of faithful Bible teachers in El Paso and beyond. Ricky has just finished taking a mens group and a womens group through Bible teaching and did a session on what he’s learned about teaching the Bible over the last 15 years.

Note: This assumes you’re working within the Simeon Trust framework we used in our men’s and women's cohorts.

VIDEO // The quality isn’t very professional but you can also hear Ricky present this live here on YouTube.

Preparation

1. Get your earliest ideas and burdens on paper—then set them aside.

At the start, you’ll often arrive with things you want to say—stories, convictions, or burdens. If you let those drive your teaching, you’ll end up forcing the text to fit your agenda. But if you ignore them completely, you may lose valuable insights. So:

→ Write everything down up front.

→ Then set it aside and revisit it after you’ve done the text work and developed an outline.

2. Break your prep into smaller, manageable goals.

“Write a teaching” is too big of a task to tackle all at once. Break it into concrete steps. For example:

• Understand the text (structure, context, etc.)

• Determine the main point for the original audience, then for today

• Develop your teaching outline

• Write the manuscript or detailed notes

• Revise
  

3. Set time limits for each goal.

You can easily lose track of time in prep. Be realistic about how much time you have, and block it out accordingly. Example for a full teaching prep:

• 2 hrs – Understand the text

• 1 hr – Identify the main point (original and modern audience)

• 1 hr – Develop outline and applications

• 2–3 hrs – Write the teaching, add illustrations

• 1 hr – Revise
  
  Total: ~8 hours
  
  

What if you only have one hour? Here’s a simple structure:

• 20 min – Read and understand the text

• 20 min – Identify the main point and teaching flow

• 10 min – Refine

• 10 min – Pray

Presentation

4. The best cure for public speaking anxiety is… speaking in public.

If you’re nervous, start small. Share in community group, teach a short Bible study, or give a testimony. Much of the fear is “What if ___ happens?” The only way to get through that is to go through it.

5. Know your teaching strengths and weaknesses.

Understanding how you’re wired helps your growth.

Prep strengths/weaknesses:

• Tend to over-focus on text and skip application? Build time for application.

• Naturally engaging but tend to skim the text? Push yourself to dig deeper.

Presentation strengths/weaknesses:

• Soft-spoken? Practice reading aloud with volume.

• Great reader but not spontaneous? Use a manuscript—it’s okay!

• Better storyteller than reader? Create space to speak naturally during illustrations.

Not sure? Ask others.

They often see your strengths more clearly than you do.

Also—don’t try to imitate every trend. For instance, I once tried a “punk rock preacher” vibe because it was popular… but I’m not that guy. Know what fits you.

6. Say it out loud—at least 1–2 times.

This may feel awkward at first, but it’s a game-changer. You’ll catch awkward phrasing, clarify transitions, and get comfortable with your delivery. Want to grow fast? Record yourself and watch it back, then adjust.

7. Read the room.

Match your tone and presence to the setting.

• Context: Speaking in a large auditorium is different from leading a small group. Adjust accordingly.

• Audience: Teens, college students, and senior saints all require different tones and illustrations—but the goal stays the same: clearly present God’s Word.

Application

8. Get a clear view of where the text is aimed.

Bryan Chapell calls this the “Fallen Condition Focus” (FCF)—the part of our broken condition the text addresses. When you understand this, your applications will hit the heart more effectively. Ask:

→ What aspect of life is this text addressing?

9. Get a clear view of what the text is meant to do.

Jeff Purswell calls this the “Intended Redemptive Effect” (IRE)—what redemptive change the text aims to produce. Ask:

→ What change do I want to see in the listener’s life after hearing this?

Illustration

10. Fish for illustrations.

Once you’ve identified your FCF or IRE, brainstorm matching illustrations. For example, if the point is moving from fear to faith-driven action (e.g., Joshua 1):

→ What’s a story of someone acting despite fear?

Spend a few minutes listing ideas. Google and AI can help supplement your brainstorming.

11. Trawl for illustrations.

This is the long game: keep your eyes open as life unfolds. The more specific your theme, the more likely you’ll notice something useful. Example: your child is afraid before a big game—but is comforted when you promise to go with him. That’s Joshua 1 in real life.

12. Make the connection obvious.

The sentences before and after your illustration are what make it “land.” Don’t assume people will see the connection. Say:

→ “Here’s how that illustrates what this text is teaching…”

Heart Work

13. Remember: your ability is not your identity.

It’s easy to let your performance become your self-worth. If prep isn’t going well, or your teaching falls flat, you might think, “I’m a failure.” But your identity isn’t in your ability—it’s in Christ.

→ You are a child of God.

→ You are loved, redeemed, and secure.

→ That doesn’t change with your teaching performance.

14. Remember: your skill is not the power.

We often start believing our skill is what makes teaching effective. But it’s the Word of God that carries the power.

→ That’s humbling: our best efforts are never the source of transformation.

→ It’s freeing: even in weakness, God’s Word remains powerful.

15. Remember: success is measured in changed lives, not applause.

The goal isn’t to impress—it’s to transform. People may applaud and never change. Others may not be impressed but may experience deep transformation.

→ Changed lives = real success.