Some Thoughts About Teaching Verse-by-Verse

I was asked recently for my thoughts about teaching/preaching sequentially through verses and chapters. The idea is simply to start in a verse, read it, and teach as you go. Loop back occasionally to help people see key points.

Some people consider this the best way to teach. I say, "perhaps" -- depends on you, the needs and preparedness of your hearers, and what God wants them to learn. God's Word is always powerful.

A few thoughts about this verse-by-verse teaching method:

• You still need to know what you will emphasize.
• You still need to keep people's attention, keep them engaged.
• This kind of teaching works best for groups who have the big story, who know the fundamental themes and ideas. One of the problems with a completely steady diet of this kind of teaching is that people zone out. If they don't have the big picture, they aren't going to get it verse by verse.

The successful preachers who use this approach the most, still frame verse by verse teaching in a larger context, and include some life application.

If you're teaching in a smaller group, be sure to leave plenty of time for interaction. Remember, people will remember most what they said -- so get them talking. Use dialogue to reinforce key points.