## Basic Principles of Teaching

## Psalm 34

Christian education is often misunderstood. Many have the idea that we sit around all day singing Kum-Bay-Ya. Now don't get me wrong, we do on occasion sing that song. However, we do much more than that. We teach traditional academic subjects such as English, Math, Science, Spelling, and History. But one of the primary distinctions of GBA is that we teach all subjects from the Christian perspective. We are not just a private school, we are a Christian school. As such, God's Word is an integral part of all that we do here.

So this morning I want us to open the Bible and learn what I call some 'Basic Principles of Teaching'. Turn with me to the 34th Psalm. I see three basic thoughts from this Psalm.

We teach what we know… We teach those we love… We teach what is right…

I. We teach what we know.

A. This may sound simplistic, but stay with me.

B. Someone has said that, "Experience is the best teacher".

C. I don't know if it is the 'best' teacher, but it is important that we teach from experience.

D. David is a great example for us.

1. He gives his testimony. v1-10

a. "I sought the Lord and He heard me"

b. "O taste and see that the Lord is good"

c. "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of his troubles."

d. David is coming from experience…

e. It isn't about I think that this is the way it is…

f. David knew the Lord from experience!

2. What about our testimony?

a. Do we know the Lord by experience?

b. The old song asks the question, "Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"

c. Do our children…our grandchildren…know that we know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior?

d. Is our relationship with the Lord such that we want to share with others what God has done for us?

e. Our children need to know that God is real in our lives…they need to hear our testimony of His goodness.

3. What are we teaching?

a. We teach so much more by our example than by our lips.

b. I hear so much about peer pressure, and the impact that others have on children.

c. Many worry about TV or video games and the negative influence that they can have on children.

d. But the people who have the most impact young people today are their parents and grandparents!

e. What are we teaching our children?

f. Are we teaching them to love God?

g. Are we showing them by our lives the love and character of Christ?

h. What are we teaching our children?

II. We teach those we love.

COME, YE CHILDREN, HEARKEN UNTO ME: I WILL TEACH YOU THE FEAR OF THE LORD. (PSALMS 34:11)

A. Come, ye children…

1. Because we love our children…we seek to teach them.

2. At times our children may not understand that…

3. They may look at coming to school more like doing time.

4. But we know better…

5. We know that it is because of our great love for them that we want them to learn…

6. Especially about the Lord and His great love.

B. Hearken unto me; I will teach thee…

1. The word David uses for 'hearken' is more than just hearing…it is hearing with intelligence.

2. We might say, 'Pay close attention to what I'm about to say."

3. Why do we want them to pay attention?

4. So that they can learn.

5. David uses an interesting word for 'teach'.

6. From the Hebrew it means 'to goad'.

7. A goad was used to direct…to get the oxen to go one way rather than the other.

8. David's desire to teach is to change the direction of those whom he loves.

9. To show them which way to go.

C. The next phrase tells us about that way.

1. The fear of the Lord…

2. Used in the sense that he desires his children to have a proper reverence and respect for the Lord.

3. That incorporates a number of things.

4. Knowing Who He is…What He has done…and What He will do.

5. He is the One True God.

6. He is the One who loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus to die in our place that our sins could be forgiven.

7. And He desires a personal relationship with us! To dwell with us daily and forever!