Learn From Jesus' Younger Brother - TEACH EFFECTIVELY LIKE JAMES

 James did not have an impressive secular education.  The religious leaders of his day no doubt viewed him in the same way  they veiwed the apostles Peter and John-as "uneducated and ordinary." (Acts 4:13) But James learned to be an effective teacher, as is evident when we read the book that bears his name.  Like James, we may have limited secular education. Even so,w ith the help of Jehovah's spirit and practical training from his organization, we too can become good teachers.  Let us consider the example Jame set as a teacher and see what lessons we can learn.

James did not use big words or complicated reasoning.As a result, his audience knew what they needed to do and how to do it.  Consider, for example the simple way James taught that Christians  must be willing  to suffer injustice without becoming  resentful. He wrote: "We consider happy thsoe who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful." (James 5:11)  Note that James relied on the Scriptures as his authority.  He used God's Words to help his audience to see that Jehovah always rewards those  who, like Job. are loyal to Him. James got his point across by using simple words and logic.  In that way, he drew attention, not to himself, but to Jehovah.

The lesson"  Keep your message simple, and teach from God's Word.  Our goal should be, not to impress others with how much we know, but to impress them wiht how Jehovah  knows and how much he cares about them.  (Romans 11:33)  We can reach that goal by always basing what we say on the Scriptures.  For example, rather than tell our Bible students what we would do in their place, we should help them to reason on Bible examples and to perceive Jehovah's thinking and feelings.  Then they will bve motivated by a desire to please Jehovah, not us.

Next time:  Learn From Jesus' Younger Brother - Continue TEACH EFFECTIVELY LIKE JAMES

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