Hands on Bible Activities for Teen Sunday School

Study Bible Session

Study Bibles include footnotes and cross-references to help readers develop a deeper understanding of a biblical text. Footnotes provide the root meanings of words in original languages and the original intended meanings of verses, passages and books in the Bible. Assign a well-know Bible passage, such as the Creation narratives in Genesis 1 and 2. Instruct students to list each term with a footnote and to make a note of the information in the footnote. Ask students to select one cross-reference Bible passage to look up for the following Sunday. Instruct the teens to come prepared to describe both verses and how they relate to each other.

Christian controversy over Bible versions is a source of deep division among the denominations. Show teens how Bible versions vary and get them talking about the differences to expand teen awareness of this difficult issue. Use an online Bible resource such as Bible Gateway so teens can easily view Bible translation differences. Ask teens to discuss the differences and to discuss how the differences are important to the Christian faith.

The Bible is full of ancient images and ideas that can be confusing to modern minds. Bible commentaries place the books of the Bible in the context of the times in which authors wrote the texts. Commentaries describe Bible authors and their reasons for writing the books of the Bible. Ask teens to dig deeper into the meaning of Bible texts to try to determine what the authors meant when they wrote them. Give teens access to Bible commentaries and concordances to give them an idea of the complexities related to Bible interpretation and comprehension. Ask Sunday school teens to dig into the Gospel of John. Instruct students to find information about the author of the gospel, the possible dates of authorship, the audience to whom the author wrote and any controversies about authorship. Ask for examples, if relevant, of these details from the gospel text.

The Bible arguably contains universal wisdom for the ages. Challenge teens in Sunday school to explore the seemingly endless range of topics in the Bible by using an online topical index. Ask students to select a Bible version to search on a Bible reference website, such as Bible Gateway. Encourage your teens to search topics that interest them. Suggest terms like "joy," "sorrow" and "love" as examples of concepts familiar to modern readers. Ask each teen to write one or two paragraphs about a related passage and its relevance to his life.