Using Other People's Lessons with Integrity

By some estimates, there aren't very many original Sunday School lessons being created today. I've heard estimates as high as 85% of lessons are done from a pre-made lesson someone else crafted.

And perhaps a third of sermons, on any particular Sunday, are not original to the pastor who is preaching. Sermon tapes and outlines are big sellers. The Bible study lesson market is large and profitable.

I'm not opposed to re-using good sermons or Bible study lessons if they are a good fit for your congregation at this time. But we need to use them with integrity. Check out the good advice in this article for suggestions. Key points:

1. Borrow for the right reasons.
2, You still need to invest yourself in the material.
3. Give credit for the source. (The article has excellent examples on how to do this.)