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Search God’s Word As the Bereans Did
Learn to study and apply God’s word
Anchor command. Make disciples who obey Jesus’ commands above all else. Matt. 28:18-20
Anchor promise. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but
on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’“ Matthew 4:4
Anchor story. The wise and foolish builders. Matthew 7:24-27
Anchor verse. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2
Timothy 3:16-17
Learning goal. Value the wealth of wisdom and redeeming truth in the
Bible.
Growth goal. Learners will study God’s Word with the strong
intention to put it into practice.
Skill goal. Effectively teach their own disciples and friends the
Word of God.
Outcome goal. Many believers will train many others to use God’s Word
skillfully.
Basic Study
Prayer: “Our Father
in heaven, help us to interpret Your Word accurately, and to store it
in our hearts.”
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Learn from the
Bereans how to use God’s Word.
Read the story of the
Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 and find
in it two ways in which the Bereans responded to the gospel.
1.
Plan with coworkers activities to do during the week.
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Have each family read or
recall by memory the story of the Bereans, Acts 17:10-12, and talk over
how they will apply its lessons as a family.
2.
Plan with coworkers the upcoming worship time
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Help each
family to know what the Bereans did, and do the same.
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Have older
children teach younger ones
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Those who
teach children should read study #26 for children.
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Have the
children present what they have learned to the adults.
Advanced Study
1.
Main instruction. Prepare your heart and mind with God’s word.
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Find in
1 Peter 1:14-22 several things that God’s truth should produce in
our lives.
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Find in
1 Peter 1:24-25 for how long God’s Word will remain in us.
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Find in
2 Timothy 3:10-17 what Paul wrote to Timothy:
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What things
did Timothy observe in Paul’s life that gave Timothy valuable
instruction?
See verses 10-13.
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What did
Timothy know since his childhood that made certain his salvation by
faith in Jesus?
See verse 14-15
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Who inspired
the human writers of the Bible? See verse 16.
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In what ways
should we use the Bible to help others? See verse 16 again.
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For what
purpose does God want you to study and apply His Word? See verse 17.
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Find in
2 Timothy 4:1-5 several tasks for young shepherds. See verses
2 and 5.
2. Plan with Co-workers Things to Do During the Week:
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Visit
believers to help them study the Bible themselves.
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Help small
groups and families in the congregation to study the Bible together.
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Encourage
believers to ask one another what they have learned from their study.
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Help believers
to memorize several Scripture verses each week.
3. Plan with co-workers
additional things to do in the upcoming worship time. Suggestions:
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Pray for God to
speak through His Word by the power of His Holy Spirit, and to help you
put into practice immediately what you hear.
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Read Acts 17:10-12.
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Ask everyone
to listen and discover how the Bereans responded to the gospel.
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Explain that
they, too, should examine the Word of God as the Bereans did. You
should actively mine its gold, rather than listen passively. You should
begin to examine the Word eagerly, on your own initiative. Here are
some steps to help you:
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Explain how to
let the Bible speak for itself. After praying for guidance, do four
things:
1) Examine the
details of a Bible passage, considering each word and phrase.
2) If the
meaning is not clear, then examine the context and setting of the
passage:
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To whom was it
written?
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Who wrote it
and why?
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What do the
verses or chapters before and after it say, that clarifies its meaning?
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What is the
historical occasion?
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When was it
written?
(If it was written before Christ came, in the Old Covenant, then expect
to find laws for ancient Israel that do not apply to your congregations
in the New Covenant.)
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What is God
telling us to do in this passage?
Important:
3) Extract from
these details the main truths and applications.
4) Put into
practice what you have found.
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Praise God for
having given you the Bible.
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Ask for testimonies
and reports from believers about how
they have been blessed by studying God’s word.
5) Memorize
together 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Skit about interpreting the Bible
Mr. Tradition: Watch ‘Mr.
New Believer’ read a Bible for a moment, then snatch it away from him.
Say, “You cannot understand Scripture by yourself. Here are some modern
books for you to read instead.”
Mr. New
Believer: Pull out another Bible from under your shirt. Say, “No.
Keep your books. I have hidden God’s Word in my heart by studying,
memorizing and obeying it. So I know that the Holy Spirit uses the
Bible to give me life as no other book can.”
Mr. Tradition: “Only
priests who have studied modern methods of interpreting ancient
documents can understand it.”
Mr. New
Believer: “Our group shepherd taught us that any believer can
understand God’s Word, if we pray and follow the simple rules of
interpretation.”
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Announce the
activities that you planned to do during the week, for families and
small groups to study the Bible during the week.
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Help one another
in groups of two or three. Pray, confirm plans and encourage one
another.
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To introduce
the Lord’ Supper, if you serve it, read Exodus 12, verses 3,
7-8 and 12. Explain briefly the first Passover, the feast to which
Jesus added new meaning when He established this most sacred ceremony.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, sacrificed to free us from sin and death.
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