Weekly Tip #4 Spring 2017
John 15
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
One of the main blessings and benefits to abiding (remaining) in the Lord, is that He will hear our prayers. We will bear much fruit and our joy may be full, as we love one another. We have the mind of Christ, as we are in communion and in right fellowship with Him. We can confidently pray and experience all He has for us.
Consider your heart. Be sure that there is nothing that would keep you from fully abiding in Him. God has so much to give you by abiding moment by moment in Him.
Solid Bible Studies – Part II
Continuing on the topic of last week, I have edited and illustrated a pattern you might use as you write, re-work, delete, and decide on some good questions for your Bible study.
I use an easy format to carefully craft the questions for my Bible study. First, I will carefully read read the first two pages of any of the Community Bible studies which explains the “What do I need to know about the passage”, “What’s the big idea?”, “What’s the problem?, and “What’s our response?” Second, I will read all the questions for the study in the “What are the questions?” section. Here is where the hard work begins of scaling back the number of questions to about 6-9.
Your questions should be discussion oriented to provide much interaction. I use this format:
Easy Format:
1 – Good Launch Question
2 – Observation type questions (what do you observe as you look at the passage? What is it
saying?)
2 – Interpretation questions (what does the passage mean?)
1 or 2 – Summary questions (putting it all together, summarizing what was discussed and discovered above)
1 or 2 – Application questions (questions that are not just a “to-do” list, but questions that also target the heart)
As you go to the Community, look at the first two studies under the Discovery level – The Basics: 1. Walking in the Light and 2. That You May Know. Look them over. Now look at how I re-worked the questions in the examples below. (Bible study 2. follows the format more closely, where Bible study 1. has more open questions since it is an introductory study, needing more explanation).
Bible Study Example – The Community, Discovery Level: 1 – Walking In The Light / Confession
Bible Study Example: The Community – Discovery Level: 2 Walking in the Light – 1 John 1:5-13
Hope these examples help.
Talk to you next week,
Ben with Cru