Close
As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In this session, you will be introduced to a simple way to study the Bible and teach it to others.
21 When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
We often struggle with a sense of worth and value and feel insecure in who we are. This is no less for leaders. In fact, sometimes our insecurities are magnified because of the added expectations on us.
At the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, before He had made any disciples or performed any miracles and before He was known, Jesus was baptized. It was a simple act of obedience to His Heavenly Father’s prompting. Something powerful followed that simple act.
Luke records that Jesus was praying and as He prayed “heaven openedand the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form” as a visible sign to others and the Father spoke. This is before any public ministry. What did the Father say? It is a powerful affirmation of identity and security in relationship with Him. “You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Being secure in knowing who we are flows from an understanding of whose we are. The love and pleasure of the Father are not based upon what we do and how we perform or what results we show but solely on our identity as His child. He knows us. He loves us unconditionally. He wants us to remember whose we are.
Read your assigned verses and then tell the group:
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Scriptures are God breathed – their source is from God. This is why we call the Scriptures God’s Word. The Scriptures are God’s Word and contain what we need to do every good work. Because of this, we deeply study God’s Word.
This type of question first asks you to understand the facts of the passage. You must first know the details of the passage before you can accurately understand the meaning. Questions like these will help you clarify exactly what Scripture records. (You may not be able to answer each of the questions below for each passage you study.)
Once you know the facts of a passage, you must then seek to understand the intended meaning. The exact meaning of a passage is often obvious, but questions like these can ensure you discover Biblical truth. For very difficult teachings, these questions will also help you discover an acceptable interpretation to the passage. You may not be able to answer each of the questions below for each passage you study. Your goal is to be able to clearly say (or write out) in a few sentences the main spiritual truths contained in a passage.
After determining the spiritual truths in a passage, you must ask, what am I to do now that I understand God’s truth? How am I to apply these truths to my life? One passage may have many application points. The questions below can help you identify your response to God’s word.
When believers identify sin to repent from, they will often need a plan on how to overcome that sin. Brothers and sisters can help them develop a plan, and even role-play situations they expect to encounter where they will face temptation. Such a plan includes:
Once you have applied the passage to your personal life, you can think how this passage would help others.
When you are studying a passage together in a group, you can use the questions below as a discussion format. These questions will replace the more in-depth questions you ask yourself in a private Bible study. However, it is best to prepare for group study by first studying a passage privately using the method discussed above. Someone should be picked to lead in asking the questions, but everyone in the fellowship should respond as God leads them. Often, there is no right or wrong answer to these questions; rather, they are designed to start conversations within your group about God’s truth contained in the passage, so you can learn from one another. When discussed with a Godly attitude, the result will be mutual encouragement, closer Christian relationships, and greater knowledge of God and His ways.
Discipleship is not merely knowledge. There is a knowledge component, but it is primarily patterns and processes to practice and pass on. As much is taught by example as by content. The methods and principles of Bible study, the patterns of prayer life and worship, and the encouragement, fellowship, support and equipping of the Body are all being learned as the leaders model these behaviors. A leader’s attitude of servanthood, humility, urgency, faith, passion for extending God’s Kingdom, and love for fellow believers and the lost are vital aspects of this approach.
These aspects of discipleship are caught more than taught.
Four parts of Studying the Bible:
Version 2.10
|
|