O.K. I have spoken to Soul Care leaders and Bible teachers about how bad the question "What does this passage mean to you?" is.
Why is this a bad question: What the passage means to me is not the big question to ask in Bible study.
The questions should be "What did the writer mean?" and "How does it apply to me?"
So, if "What does the passage mean to you?" is a bad question,
why do I think "How did this Bible teaching make you feel?" is a good question.
At the Biblical Counseling Conference this weekend we were reminded that
feelings reveal desire.
If you ask, "how did this Bible teaching make you feel?" merely to satisfy your own curiosity or to make you feel better about yourself and your teaching than it is wrong.
If you ask the question to see what is going on in someone's heart, it is a good question
If a person answers the question by focusing on themselves and their circumstances,
there is a focus problem. The Bible was not written for our entertainment. Sermons are not preached to win the praise of men.
If a person answers the question with an expectant joy that can be know only through Christ,
there is a God-focused life. The Bible was written to show God's glory. Sermons are preached to proclaim the glory of God.
"How did this Bible teaching make you feel?" provides a great opportunity to expose the big desires in someone's life.
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