Ask class members to each list two or three items from their life they wish to discuss. Bible lessons that are relevant to people's everyday challenges are well received. If students have difficulty thinking of topics, suggest issues such as financial stewardship, marital roles, effective parenting or dealing with grief.
Collect all the suggestions and write a different one on the wall calendar for each date the class will meet. This promotes accountability and ensures no topic is overlooked or repeated.
Locate a concordance. While "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible" is considered by many to be the best and most thorough, it can be cost-prohibitive for a layman's library. Many inexpensive alternatives will serve the purposes of most Bible classes. Some teachers may also be able to utilize a concordance in their church library, or use an Internet site, like Bible Commentary, that is enabled with Scripture search features to substitute for a concordance.
Examine the concordance to identify Scriptures that address each topic listed on the calendar. Remember that you may have to search for similar words to find all the applicable verses. Choose those verses that best relate to the class lesson and write them down.
Create a three- to four-point outline based on the Biblical principles discussed in Scripture for each topic. During class, encourage students to read the selected Scriptures out loud and offer opinions or interpretations. The best Bible classes are those where students teach and learn from each other while the instructor facilitates discussion.