Tag: lesson template

Richard Lawrence in his book, Creative Bible Teaching came up with an easy template for building a lesson. He called it hook, book, look, took (HBLT). It’s easy to remember and contains all the elements for a great Bible lesson. In this post, I am going to talk about the book part of building a lesson.

The hook is done; you have grabbed your class’s attention. Now it’s time to dive into the Bible.

This is the heart of the lesson. This is where we get into God’s Word and discover what it is saying and what it means. As a teacher, it is your job to help your students discover and understand Biblical truth.

Whether you are using a curriculum or writing your own lessons, always remember that the Word is central.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

Sunday School isn’t just about teaching kids Biblical truth. Information is important. Kids need to learn about God, that the Bible is true, that Jesus is the Son of God sent to save us from our sins. But we don’t want to stop there.  The ultimate goal is transformation. Sunday School is about making disciples. Disciples of Jesus are transformed people. Disciples of Jesus are people being transformed into the image of Jesus. A successful Sunday School class is one that reaches both the head and the heart of a student. The most effective way to reach the heart is through the faithful teaching of the Word of God.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

So, when you are building the book part of your lesson, look carefully at the lesson as printed (if you are using a curriculum) and study the Bible passages it is built on to ensure that the lesson is teaching what the Bible teaches.

I will talk more about preparing this part of the lesson in an upcoming post.

Faithful teaching of the Word of God will lead into the third part of this lesson building approach which is the look. What are the implications for the students of what has been taught?

Check out the rest of the series here:

Easy Template for Building a Lesson Series

• Introduction
• Hook
• Look
• Took

It’s Sunday morning. You are in your classroom waiting for your students to arrive. You are excited about what’s to come. You’ve prepared your lesson, you’ve prayed, you’ve grown yourself through your study of God’s Word. You are ready to teach.

You’re class starts to arrive. Emma is excited because last night she had a sleep over and 2 of her friends have come to church with her.  Jeremy is mad because his mom made him leave his PS2 in the car. Mark slept in and didn’t eat breakfast and he is so hungry right now. Maddy is trying to figure out what to do if that bully starts bugging her again tomorrow.
To be an effective teacher, your first job is to grab your class’s attention. You need to find a way to get everyone thinking about the theme.

“We must entice them away from their private thoughts to share in this time of learning.” (Creative Bible Teaching, Lawrence Richards)

A hook is so important because it provides a transition for students.

What are the qualities of a good hook?

Lawrence Richards gives 4:

A Good Hook Gets the Attention of Your Class

Your students are all thinking of different things. A good hook will get their attention. A good hook must therefore be interesting. In his book, “Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn,” C. Doug Bryan said,

“To what is initially interesting, we give our attention; to what we give our continual attention may become interesting to us.”

If we want a class that is engaged and having fun, we need to grab their attention. A word of warning: be careful that you don’t hook their attention on to something trivial or you will lose them. Kids will focus on the wrong thing. So, be careful in your hook to grab their attention and focus it on the central truth in your lesson.

A Good Hook Surfaces a Need

Right from the beginning, you need to show the students that what is about to happen in that classroom matters to them.

“When students sense that the class is related to their needs, they are far more likely to participate in the activities of the class and in the learning process.” (Creative Bible Teaching, Lawrence Richards)

A Good Hook Sets a Goal

With a good hook, students will discover why they should listen to your lesson. Let the class know the direction. This is where you reveal the central theme, the one thing you want your students to learn.

A Good Hook Should Lead Naturally into the Bible Study

A good hook is not distracting to the students. Instead, it should get them excited about what the Bible has to say.

It is also important to keep the hook short. It is a quick, attention-getting transition into the heart of the lesson. Get your students interested and then get into God’s Word.

“A good hook is one of the secrets of effective Bible teaching. When you capture interest, set a goal, and lead your students into the Word, you have a good start on a creative class.” (Creative Bible Teaching, Lawrence Richards)

Once you have hooked your students, it’s time to dig into the Bible. That’s the next stop in our series – Book.

Here’s a list of the complete series.

Easy Template for Building a Lesson Series:

• Introduction
• Book
• Look
• Took