Whether in a public seminar, a confrontation with his enemies
or a private conversation with his closest friends, Jesus' teaching
consistently produced the powerful emotion of amazement!
Today, whether his teaching is discussed in North America, Asia
or Africa, the reaction of amazement persists.
In spite of this fact, I have never seen any seminar evaluation
form with a space for evaluating the participants' amazement.
Yet after concluding this study, I believe Jesus' skill in evoking
the emotion of amazement is one ingredient that gave his training
the power necessary to carry its message for 2000 years. Talk
about training transfer!
In the following sections, you'll discover 17 of his training
secrets to use in raising the level of amazement in your own training
sessions.
However, it's necessary to begin by stating the obvious. If you
glance back to the account of the public's reaction as referenced
at the beginning of this introduction, you're sure to make a startling
discovery.
Much of the amazement produced by Jesus' training came because
he taught with authority. He knew both his material and his audience
equally well. Consequently, he taught with amazement-producing
confidence.
Only by combining a mastery of our own content with an equally
complete understanding of our participants will we ever have the
confidence necessary to apply the following presentational techniques.
These techniques are not for the faint hearted.
No one could ever accuse Jesus of "over teaching."
More often than not even his closest friends went away from his
teaching sessions still discussing unanswered questions (Matthew
15:15).
His use of parables were often presented without public explanation
(Matthew 20:1-16).
One can only imagine the crowds walking home -- scratching their
heads while discussing with each other exactly what Jesus meant
by something he said.
What did he mean when he said "Many are called, but few are
chosen?"
(Matthew 22:14) or "But many who are first will be last;
and the last, first?" (Mark 10:31)
Even today theologians disagree about what he did mean, but those
ambiguous statements keep us discussing.
Jesus knew how much the human mind hated ambiguity and incompleteness
while loving clarity and completeness. He knew how we automatically
work to bring resolution and closure to anything incomplete.
As an example, take a moment to hum a favorite tune. However,
stop two measures short of the end. You'll feel an internal compulsion
to finish the song. If you finally do finish the tune, you'll
be able to leave it and move on to something else.
Jesus never wanted us to move on! He wanted us to continue discussing
his teachings.
Test the power of ambiguity yourself the next time you train.
Teach through your outline. However, without saying anything to
the class, just skip a major heading on your handout. Someone
in the class will surely bring the apparent oversight to your
attention -- oftentimes pursuing the subject until completeness
is restored. That's the power of ambiguity!
One of the greatest examples of ambiguity was Jesus' own use of
metaphors. This technique has the potential for enhancing every
trainer's impact.
Jesus called himself "the Bread of Life" (John 6:35),
"the True Vine" (John 15:1), and "the Light of
the World" (John 9:5). He called his followers "the
salt of the earth"
(Matthew 5:13).
Furthermore, he seldom explained what he meant. However, his use
of an unexplained metaphor created tension in a listener's mind.
Jesus knew that the participant would then seek to resolve that
tension by exploring the implications of the metaphor. Within
that exploration, the participant would mine out for himself significant
content truths.
The next time you prepare to teach, try and generate some metaphors
(or similes) in your content area.
Phrasing the metaphors as a discussion question is often a good
way to begin. You will be amazed at the answers generated by your
participants. Hopefully, you'll soon discover that using a metaphor
is worth the extra preparation!
Jesus masterfully generated involvement with questions. In
the eighth chapter of the book of Mark, He uses eight different
types of questions with each type serving a different function.
Answering Questions (Mark 8:5)
Rather than merely answering a question (and thereby halting the
question's content involvement), Jesus would often answer a participant's
question with a question of his own.
In the eighth chapter of Mark, when his followers asked Jesus
how he planned to feed a crowd of 4000 people, he didn't answer.
Instead, he asked them about how much bread they had. That question
kept his followers involved. He refused to cultivate a group of
mere "question askers." He insisted on being more than
a "question answerer."
We need this discipline as trainers. Learning to ask an involving
question as simple as "What do the rest of you think?"
as opposed to answering every question requires confidence. In
time, we need to develop the confidence to NOT answer every question
-- robbing the questioner of the satisfaction found only in personal
discovery! (see also Involvement)
Gathering Data (Mark 8:5,19,20,21)
Jesus will eventually ask some very personal question in this
chapter. However, he always begins with and intersperses throughout
the dialogue questions of a non-personal (more factual) nature.
"How many loaves do you have?" involved his followers
on a non-threatening level. Using these types of questions helps
maintain group involvement while gently moving the group towards
the more personal applicational questions. Participant questions
such as "How many years have been involved in your current
job?" is one type of factual question not requiring much
personal revelation while still giving the trainer needed insights.
Making Statements (Mark 8:12)
Usually rhetorical in nature, Jesus skillfully made statements
disguised as questions in order to give emphasis to a point in
a powerful but non-combative manner. "Why does this generation
seek for a sign?" communicates much better than "You
stubborn group of unbelieving people!"
Such diplomacy remains a beneficial teaching skill! (see also
Pacing)
Communicating Passion (Mark 8:17,18)
When the statement-making question discussed above is linked together
with others of like kind, the rhetorical series transports tremendous
passion. In Mark 8:17 and 18, he asks his followers:
". . . Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread?
Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a
hardened heart? Having eyes, do you not see? And having
ears do you not hear?"
Jesus joins questions together without giving pause for an answer.
His listeners are rendered thoughtfully speechless.
This particular technique can be used effectively in discussion
groups by carefully crafting a series of questions so that they
start in different places but lead the discussions to the same
conclusions -- reinforcing a piece of content in a powerful manner.
(see also Lecture)
Communicating Correction (Mark 8:21)
Sometimes when correction needs to be made, phrasing it as a question
will allow another individual to make the necessary changes without
defensiveness or a loss of face. Instead of saying "You are
so stupid. You never understand anything?," Jesus asked "Do
you not yet understand?" This question most assuredly made
the point while maintaining the involvement of His participants.
(see also Correction)
Seeking Feedback (Mark 8:21)
After seeking to heal a man of blindness, Jesus asks "Do
you see anything?" What a graphic picture of the trainer's
role! "Are you understanding what we're studying?" needs
to be a question asked n a dozen different forms throughout any
teaching process. Oftentimes, it can be included as an innocent
discussion question that has been carefully crafted to show the
trainer the current level of group comprehension. (see also Pacing).
Encouraging Personal Application (Mark 8:27-29)
Towards the conclusion of the eighth chapter of Mark, Jesus utilizes
two increasingly personal questions -- gently leading his followers
into the arena of content application.
However, he also wisely begins with the more general of the two
questions -- "Who do people say that I am?" (Mark 8:27)
After listening to their discussion surrounding that question,
he then asks "Who do you say that I am?" (Mark 8:29)
Although this conclusion was clearly Jesus' intent right from
the start, he had slowly led his followers to this final more
personal question.
The next time you seek to move your training group to application
try starting discussion with "What are some ways that WE
could _______________?" before transitioning to "What
are some ways that YOU could _____________?"
You'll feel the difference!
Soul Searching (Mark 8:36,37)
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world
and lose his soul? For what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36,37)
This type of question reaches to the heart of an issue and really
has no comfortable reply.
Oftentimes, having such a question in print on your handout will
give it maximum impact without even mentioning it during the teaching.
One example of such a question might be:
"How long can any business hope to survive without satisfied
customers?"
Learning to use all eight types of these questions will enable
the skillful trainer to provide variety while retaining focus.
(see also Variety)
What we see in the accounts above take us beyond the involving
nature of mere discussion questions. Jesus was a firm advocate
of on-the-job training.
He began selecting his disciples in the third chapter of the book
of Mark and already began sending them out only three chapters
later. He couldn't possibly have taught them everything they'd
need to know!
At the time of this writing, I have four adolescents. I have noticed
that around the age of thirteen enthusiasm for trying life is
high but knowledge is low.
As I allow them to experience some of life, they begin to realize
that they still must learn.
On-the-job-training literally makes room for more knowledge without
squelching enthusiasm.
Needless to say, this does require a trainer comfortable with
student failures -- recognizing failure as an indispensable component
in the internalization of knowledge.
In fact, if you look aback again at the second account at the
beginning of this section, you'll hear Jesus telling Peter rather
matter-of-factly that Peter would fail three times that very night.
Jesus, The Master Trainer, knew that there was no other way.
Now that's some seminar! Jesus had a three day seminar with
a registration of four thousand people!
It's now obvious from what we've already examined that Jesus did
not lecture for three days. In fact in examining his training,
one is impressed by the absence of lengthy lectures.
Today any good conference has both keynote presentations and workshops.
Keynotes set the emotional tone for a conference -- motivating
the delegates for further involvement. Workshops give opportunity
for the participants to have hands-on involvement with the content.
Pity the workshop participants when confusion prevails and they
realize that their workshop leader doesn't know the difference
between a three hour workshop and a three hour keynote!
It appears as though Jesus reserved lecture for those times in
which He desired to communicate his passion along with some content.
The leader's ability to communicate passion is an indispensable
part of the training experience! Passion infuses content with
urgency and importance!
Jesus' most comprehensively recorded lecture is oftentimes referred
to as "The Sermon On the Mount" from the book of Matthew
chapters five, six, and seven.
If we take a moment to look at those chapters. we will discover
how Jesus structured this extraordinary keynote address.
General To Specific
Like a great Broadway play's orchestral overture -- growing in
its intensity and building anticipation for the play; Jesus' introduction
to this important address serves the same purpose:
"Blessed are the poor . . .
Blessed are those who mourn. . .
Blessed are those who hunger. . .
Blessed are the merciful. . .
Blessed are the pure in heart . . .
Blessed are the peacemakers. . .
Blessed are those who have been persecuted . . .
Blessed are you . . . "
If you listen carefully, you can still hear his voice as he begins
with this captivating series of pronouncements. Its parallel construction
gives it a musical quality while its movement from the general
to the specific (third person to second person) builds its intensity
through focus!
We have already seen how this transitioning from the third person
person ("What do most people do in this situation?")
to second person ("What do you do in this situation?")
works well in preparing discussion questions. Now we see application
of this technique to the lecture!
New Information Linked To Known Information
A good keynote will always introduce new information and/or fresh
perspective on old information. However, the best keynotes will
always help the participants relate the new information to something
they already know. This requires an equally thorough understanding
of both the audience and the content.
Throughout the fifth chapter of Mark, Jesus links new knowledge
to present knowledge in a series of parallel statements each beginning
with the phrase "You have heard. . . " and transitioning
by means of the phrase ". . . but I say to you. . . "
(Mark 5:21,22; 27,28; 31,32; 33,34; 38,39; 43,44)
He begins by reminding them of something they already knew and
then adding to that knowledge his new insights. This "new"
concept in learning has only recently (late 1980's) been rediscovered
by L.S. Vygotsky with his learning theory of informational "scaffolding."
Word Pictures
"And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and
throw it from you;
for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish,
then for your whole body to be thrown in hell. And if your right
hand makes you stumble, cut it off,
and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the
parts of your body perish,
than for your whole body to go into hell." (Mark 5:29,30)
Jesus painted mind pictures to help his listeners literally "see"
what he was saying. He knew that the human mind thinks in pictures.
When I say the word "father," you don't picture the
word "father." Instead you visualize your own father
or someone else's father. It's the way we think.
When you take time to analyze the word pictures just presented,
three common characteristics soon become obvious:
There is ACTION -- something is happening!
There is EMOTION -- something emotional is happening!
There is IDENTIFICATION -- His listeners could easily identify
with the action happening to them!
Using these three criteria strengthens any word picture!
Practical Content
Although Jesus did not always confine himself to addressing felt
needs (sometimes we need information we don't even know we need),
He did always speak to practical issues.
In fact his training on worry and stress (Matthew 6:25-34) contains
many of the principles espoused by those who conduct stress management
seminars today!
Focused
As trainers, it's a constant challenge to eliminate all extraneous
content in order to maximize the strength of a keynote presentation.
Any extraneous material only dilutes the ultimate impact. Powerful
keynotes are without exception intent on a single purpose with
all content unified around that purpose.
A Call To Action
Finally, Jesus concluded His lecture with a passionate "call
to action."
There were specific behavioral changes he wanted his listeners
to make and he didn't leave those changes to their imaginations!
In a lecture format, we mustn't either!
The word literally means "to feel with."
Although Jesus might not have been hungry, he could feel with
the crowd when it became hungry. Although Jesus did not need to
be healed, he could feel with those who did. Although Jesus wasn't
discouraged, he could feel with the crowd when it became discouraged.
Great teachers are as tuned to the feelings of the group as they
are to their own. This compassion might express itself in simply
adjusting the temperature in a room, slowing the pacing of a presentation
or even taking an early break!
An effective trainer cares!
Lest we be tempted form the last section to believe that Jesus
only had compassion for crowds, the writer Mark records an incident
in which a woman in a crowd happens to touch Jesus' clothes, and
He stops to ask "Who touched Me?" The disciples were
amazed (there's that word again) that in the midst of a crowd
Jesus could ask such a question. However, Jesus sensed an individual's
need.
We all know trainers who are good in front of a group but tend
to fall apart one-on-one. It really hinders their effectiveness.
Some practical suggestions for cultivating this quality might
include:
*Have preparations done thirty minutes before the actual class
start so that you can spend time getting to know class members
individually;
*Be available at breaks and lunches for individual interaction;
and
*Be willing to remain after class for any individual questions.
When an unexpected interruption breaks into a training session,
you are guaranteed to have everyone's attention!
When we're in a class, we love this type of spontaneity. It gives
us a chance to see how the teacher is going to react. We literally
get to now the teacher better.
Maybe that explains why 85% of Jesus' training appears to be spontaneous
in nature -- outside the oftentimes sterile nature of a structured
teaching situation.
Although you may not be good at thinking on your feet, you can
capitalize on this technique of spontaneity by planning spontaneously
appearing in incident throughout a session.
Possibly it will be a "sudden" thought that motivates
the trainer to try an apparently spontaneous (albeit planned)
activity. It might be an object suddenly "found" on
the floor that the trainer can use to help visualize an emphasis.
It can even be an unexpected insight produced by a participant
that the trainer allows to evolve into a beneficial discussion.
Learning not to be afraid of the unplanned or unexpected does
take some training maturity. However, it is in those spontaneous
moments where we find the most fertile ground for planing our
content seeds.
Trainers quickly learn that there is no substitute for demonstration
of content application. Before Jesus asked his followers to wash
each other's feet, he washed their feet. His willingness to do
what he asked others to do empowered his training.
What would have happened if Jesus' lifestyle had not been congruent
with his teachings?
I'm convinced that if such had been the case, all of his carefully
selected words and all of the presentational techniques studied
so far in this book could not have kept his message from falling
silent generations ago.
That's the power of modeling!
The above account graphically demonstrates how the role of
modeling interacts with the indispensable ingredient of pacing.
If anyone had the potential of overwhelming his listeners with
content, it was Jesus. Instead he would often quietly model until
his followers asked for information or explanation.
Any parent quickly discovers the need for pacing the raising of
children. When the three year old child asks "Where did I
come from?," the wise parent doesn't reach for the biology
textbook with all of its diagrams. Instead, they simply clarify
the child's question -- realizing that more information will be
required later.
The trainer too paces content in much the same manner -- organizing
material from basic to advanced with hands-on experiences interspersed
throughout. (see Involvement)
You might try using these division to pace your own content.
Your participants will thank you!
You may not be able to make blind people see, disable people
walk or the dead come back to life. But I have yet to meet anyone
who couldn't produce the reaction of astonishment from a group
of people.
Each of us must search for our own uniquenesses -- the very qualities
we have come to take for granted. Those personal uniquenesses
possess the power to render our training memorable through the
astonishment of our participants.
Possibly it might be our knowledge on a given subject, our life
experiences, a handicap we've overcome or a talent we've developed.
If you look (sometimes with the help of others), you will find
that you too have within you a one-of-a-kind tool for creating
the powerful emotion of astonishment in the minds of your trainees.
Learning to use that tool in your training really makes a difference!
As we read the accounts above, we soon realize that although
Jesus healed all four people from blindness, he used a different
method on each one.
What a graphic portrayal of the trainer in the training room.
The most effective trainers can teach the same content with a
diversity of methods -- helping each person in the class to "see"
clearly the subject matter at hand.
A few participants will need only spoken words; some will require
printed materials; others will need hands-on experience or a visualization
through a chart, diagram or object lesson.
However, nothing will kill a participant's enthusiasm for good
content quicker than a lack of variety in its presentation.
Jesus always met people where they were. . . but never left
them there.
In the above scenario, an angry crowd had bought Jesus a woman
caught in the act of making love to someone other than her husband.
"Shouldn't she be killed by stoning?" the crowd wanted
to know. You can read Jesus' reply for yourself.
As trainers we must understand our participants' current knowledge
level in the area under study. We then must accept each one of
them individually (at the skill level where we find them) before
we'll ever be able to successfully impact them with our training.
If they sense a lack of acceptance form us, they will only back
up from our presentation.
We must move acceptingly towards them. They cannot be expected
to come to us.
In spite of his acceptance, Jesus never served his content
too low. Rather his standards were extremely high. He talked openly
and unashamedly of commitment, sacrifice, and quality. He gave
his followers a challenge -- something to reach for.
In order to bring the best out of those we train, we as trainers
must get comfortable with such talk. Whether we're training how
to do math, clean a hotel room, or program a computer, an appropriate
insistence on excellence brings out the best in us all.
If we are to insist on standards in our trainings, then we
must have the courage to identify the sub-standard.
Whether that sub-standard is classroom deportment, an unsatisfactory
performance or an incorrect answer, we can't just always "let
it go." If you've read this far, you know that Jesus never
advocated perfectionism (see Involvement). Jesus never advocated
ridicule or personal attacks (see Acceptance).
However, just as he did with Peter in the incident cited above,
Jesus not only knew when to correct and how to correct, but he
also had the courage to correct.
For the sake of our participants, we need a dose of that same
courage.
The time limitations of the training session as well as the
absorbing capabilities of our minds require that trainers use
print in handouts, summaries, books, and articles.
All of the training ingredients we have examined to this point
would have been insufficient to carry Jesus' content into the
twenty-first century.
Without the transportation power of print, the message would have
been silenced, inaccurately reported, or both. Instead we are
able to hold in our hands and learn from both the content as well
as the presentational techniques of Jesus Master Trainer.
Take a moment to retrieve from your memory those ideas that
impressed you most from this series of articles -- jotting them
on a piece of paper. That very action could make this section
the most valuable of the series.
Although I believe that the ideas in these articles will never
change you. . . I do believe that the thoughts you have about
these ideas just might!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Pastor Dave Arch