This past Saturday, I had the blessing of participating in a Bible Teacher Training at Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church, led by my friend, Dr. Ed Johnson. In addition to being an enriching time exploring techniques to ensure accurate teaching of God’s Word, it was also good to be among people belonging to the Family of God.
The three-hour seminar was divided into three hour-long parts, including lunch.
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
Titus 2:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.2.1.ESV
The first session, led by Pastor Kevin, focused on approaching the Bible inductively to help us understand Scripture by closely examining the text before drawing conclusions and applying it. By following the three core steps of observation, interpretation, and application, we can ensure that we will handle God’s Word correctly and in accord with sound doctrine.
Family, you know that sometimes folks like to turn to the Bible to support their point rather than letting what God says in His Word drive our conclusions. It’s similar to praying for God to approve our will without first seeking His.
Pastor Ed led the next session, helping us understand the Interpretative Journey (J. Duvall) and identifying how to properly use hermeneutics, so that we are certain of what we are teaching. Hermeneutics is the science and art of deriving meaning from the biblical text.
The last session, also taught by Pastor Ed, focused on proper application of God’s Word, which included the principles laid out by the late Dr. Howard Hendricks.
In today’s contentious world, there is a lot of competing noise that we must contend with when it comes to matters of our Christian faith, including from pulpits and church classrooms. You and I are each accountable for what we teach and for who’s teaching we follow.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James 3:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.1.ESV
Friends, we can flesh this out more in future posts, if you like. But for now, I want to leave you encouraged with the affirmation that God is good and working in your life, as He is in mine.
After a difficult season, I left Saturday’s seminar with a greater degree of clarity and confidence in the calling God has in my life.
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
© 2026 Rainer Bantau | The Devotional Guy™ | All Rights
The Devotional Guy™ 
So true, David. That’s why it’s so important to look and see what God says in His Word. We had several great discussions that highlighted some different misconceptions that we had each heard ourselves over the years and may have even had.
There is a lot of folklore and homegrown wisdom out there—things that sound biblical and true but really aren’t, or if they are true, they aren’t necessarily in the Bible. We often see this play out in things like what God actually commands versus something that is sound practice, but not a commandment. We are quick to put ourselves in chains with works, as if our salvation depended on us or was as a result of anything we contributed in a positive way.
Anyways, you can undoubtedly sense my enthusiasm and excitement about it.
Thanks for reading and dropping an encouraging comment! Blessings.
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I’m glad you were able to experience genuine Christian fellowship at the Bible teaching conference. It’s seems like that would be a given, but anytime two believers talk about scripture, there are often three opinions!
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