Collegiate ministry is a time of great transition, and therefore great opportunity. Students are at a place in life that is completely different; never before has there been as much freedom to think, feel, and do. Perhaps never again either.

So what do we want to accomplish with our influence? I would argue that there are fewer things more important than instilling a love for the Bible in the minds and hearts of students. That’s easier to write than do, because college is also a time when the Bible is presented as a book. A good book, to be sure, but still just a book. The challenge than is to help students connect with the Bible in a uniquely deep way, and that takes time, preparation, and intentionality on our part.

In fact, you could look at teaching Scripture as an art form. Given that, here are 4 keys that have been helpful for me in the pursuit of making that connection:

1. Look for the story.

Everything in the Bible has a story. Even the laws of Leviticus or the specific instructions regarding worship of Paul. Everything has a story. Look for the back story of the text. Why did the author write it like this? What emotions was he feeling as he did? How would the people have received it? What was their personal relationship like with each other? If, as communicators, we can express this larger story, we not only help people get a more full sense of the scope of the text, we also help them connect more deeply to not just the words, but the spirit behind them.

2. Find the thread.

If we believe that ultimately the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture, then there is always a continuity between different parts of Scripture. If we look deeply, we can find the thread between seemingly unrelated parts of the Bible and how they thread together. Sometimes it’s with an image. Sometimes it’s with a single word. Sometimes it’s with an author or an audience. But finding that thread helps people see that the Bible isn’t isolated from itself; it’s one, cohesive unit.

3. Elevate the audience.

Simply, nothing is ever “just about” something. A text about parenting is never just about parenting. A text about mildew is never just about mildew. A text about sexual purity is never just about purity. There are cosmological things going on here, and because there are, there is always far more at stake than what might seem to be. A good example of this is Paul’s teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5. At first glance, we might treat the text as “3 Ways to Have a Successful Marriage.” But there is always something more at stake. What is at stake is the fact that marriage is meant to be a walking, talking, living, breathing illustration of the gospel. We must elevate the audience to see the immensity of what’s truly at stake in the seemingly common, everyday stuff of life.

4. Point to Jesus.

Jesus is the hero of the Bible. He’s the center of every story. As a seminary professor of mine once said, “The fingerprints of Christ are on every page of the Bible – sometimes you just have to dust for them a little bit.” We must always preach Christ and Him crucified, so that means it’s entirely appropriate when we approach any text to ask the question, “Where is Jesus in this passage?”

And in asking that question, we help students see that Jesus is at the heart of every story. Every page. Every word. He’s the Word of God – the star of the Bible.

• What strategy are you using to teach God’s word to students?
• Why is having a strategy and goals an important part of doing so?

===================

Michael Kelley is an author and communicator who lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and three children. He is the author of three Bible studies including the recently released Holy Vocabulary: Rescuing the Language of Faith. You can find him online at http://www.michaelkelleyministries.comwhere he is a daily blogger.