We recommend the first 6 areas of growth for almost every student at the end of the year. But we always try to provide at least 1-2 unique suggestions. This list might also give you ideas for feedback during lab.

• Get to know your Bible (consider doing the included Bible literacy assessment and start studying the parts you aren’t as familiar with).

• Read a biblical theology book (We’d recommend The Goldsworthy Trilogy, Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church by Michael Lawrence, or Even Better Than Eden by Nancy Guthrie).

• Keep listening to a variety of good Bible teachers, male and female.

• Pick up a biblical counseling book to grow in awareness of the chairs in the room (Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp is a good one).

• Practice teaching in small group contexts.

• Keep getting teaching reps in when you get the chance.

• Systematic theology books (Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem is a great place to start.)

• Find a mentor

• Counseling

• Growing the “teaching through a passage” muscle

• Simeon trust classes

• Listen to exegetical teachers like John Piper, Tim Keller and Jen Wilkin

• Get used to hearing your own voice, speak up

• Find ways to share your story with others, be vulnerable about yourself

• Disciple/walk with some college students

• Keep a list with how things you know about science relate to the Bible! 

• When you teach, keep working to share not just the information, but your very self. 

• Continue, as you already are, to fight to make a clear path for your listeners. You have great content! Continue to labor in finding one main idea, a structure and those sticky phrases so everyone can retain as much as possible!

• Fight for that thesis!

• Biblical and Systematic Theology books or classes - pick 1 book or 1 class for each Biblical and Systematic theology and take the next few months to a year to finish those.

• Practice in your own personal Bible reading outlining a passage and asking yourself “What is the 1 main point here?” It will help work that muscle of distilling things down to their most basic elements.

• Continue to find ways to teach what you’re reading in the scripture to your kids or other kids. Having to distill down Biblical information to tell a child is one of the best ways to simplify or “cut” information. Even if you don’t teach to your kids, occasionally journal what you would do if you had to explain this to a child. It will work that muscle. 

• Practice in your own Bible reading asking “What is the main point here?” and developing the habit of distilling ideas down to 1 central thing. 

• Ask those hard, heart oriented questions in your relationships 

• Continue to work the muscle of “feeling your way through your sermon”. Try to anticipate people’s reactions and feelings toward what you’re saying, what struggles they’re walking in with and how you can anticipate and shepherd their hearts.

• Finding the author’s AIM in your Bible reading.

• Read a few books by Leeland Ryken. He has made his specialty helping people understand the value of studying the Bible from a literary point of view. He has books primarily to do with narrative but others also that have to do with poetry and wisdom literature in the Bible. I think you would really enjoy this and it shape how you understand and teach narrative and poetry in the Bible which I think you do really well.

• Charles Simeon Theology classes. You’re already going down this road so keep going!

• Keep a list of illustration ideas but also notes about sticky phrases or ideas that come to you about teaching the Bible, things you see in the scripture, etc. 

• Dig deep in your personal Bible study 

• Application - as you hear sermons or podcasts, note how they apply the scripture to people. It may even be helpful to read a couple Biblical Counseling books in the next year to see how those people apply scripture to people’s hearts and struggles.

• Continue to grow in “being yourself” - You’ve already grown in this greatly this year but continue to find things that allow you to be more “natural”. That could be notes style, that could be more or less rehearsal, sharing more personal stories in your messages. 

• See if you can wean yourself off more notes or use less notes so people get more of you!

• Keep walking with Jesus and let him heal those wounds in his time