Part 2 in giving a better Bible study focusing on bring the study to a decision for Christ. Steve shares personal experiences from working with Amazing Facts ministries.

GCAEC 1st Annual Elders' Retreat

<p>Part 2 in giving a better Bible study focusing on bring the study to a decision for Christ. Steve shares personal experiences from working with Amazing Facts ministries.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Georgia-Cumberland Adventist Elders Consortium (GCAEC)

Steve Keiser

How to Give a Better Bible Study II

We closed with this, it might be well to open with it as well.

In the visions of the night, representations passed before me of a great reformatory movement among God's people.

Hundreds and thousands were seeing visiting families and opening before them the Word of God.

The world seemed to be lightened with the heavenly influence.

Now as I read this there's a picture in my mind.

It sounds like it's talking about giving Bible studies in people's homes.

Now we touched on this earlier, but I think it bears some re-emphasis.

A little bit of a trick question, I guess, the way I stated it.

The point of why I ask the question though is just to emphasize there's how much power in my words?

So if I want to leave something behind for the person to think about at the end of a Bible study, what might be a very good practice but to end the Bible study with what?

A verse that maybe perhaps reinforces that commitment question that maybe I made at the end of the Bible study, right?

Okay, by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

He commanded, and it stood fast." How much power is in the Son?

It was the power was in the words themselves, right?

God spoke to the prophets and as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, they wrote down God's words, right?

Now he didn't dictate them word for word, but it's basically God's word is what's in the scripture.

Does he have to add power to that word for it to be effective, or is it already there?

So take advantage of the power of God's Word and don't fall for the idea that your hour-long Bible study should consist of 3 or 4 or 5 texts.

Because if you're only giving 3 or 4 or 5 texts, what's the emphasis in terms of whose words they're hearing?

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void But it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it He asked me not to go over this way too far, and I just now realized I haven't been paying attention, so I'll try to stay here.

And can you remind me if I get too far over that way?

I don't go over that way, because there's all these obstacles, but all right, Thank you for doing that.

So the power is in God's word, and he says that his word will not return unto him void.

Have you never given a Bible study and people didn't respond to it?

Does that mean that God's Word isn't true?

Remember this, brothers and sisters, Because sometimes God will use you to take a last message of warning to somebody that he knows very well is not going to accept that warning.

Sometimes you will be used actually to harden someone's heart.

God's Word will not return unto him void.

It will either soften or harden the heart of the hearer.

Sometimes people get discouraged because they do things and they don't see fruit.

Remember, what you're doing might be sowing seed, but also what you're doing, God might be using in an unexpected way.

Does that mean we shouldn't go out and do it anyway?

Think of poor Noah, how many years did he preach?

For the words that go, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.

It shall not return unto me void." God's word will have an impact upon everyone that hears it.

The creative energy that called forth the worlds into existence is in the Word of God.

Every command is a promise accepted by the will, received into the soul.

It brings with it the life of the Infinite 1.

It transforms the nature and recreates the soul in the image of God." Education 126.

Everything that you teach should be bathed in the light of the cross.

And if you've been teaching and haven't done it that way, then I advise you to redo your thinking a little bit, or a lot.

Everything that we present should be presented in the light of the cross.

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, said Jesus, will draw all men unto me.

The wonderful love of Christ will melt and subdue hearts when the mere Reiteration of doctrine would accomplish nothing, says the Desire of Ages, page 826.

So, could this be a statement that you say, that you could envision yourself saying in a Bible study?

He is the 1 who can fill in the blank, who can transform your marriage.

He is the 1 that can reconcile you with your Father.

He is the 1 that you should commit your finances to.

He is the 1, no matter what it is, whatever their problem is that you've discovered, can you not fill their problem into that blank?

We touched on that before, but let's go just a little bit more into detail about that right now.

But the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth, what?

Does more and more imply some kind of a progression?

You've been in a cave for years and someone comes in and shines a giant spotlight right into your eyes.

Are people not caught up in various degrees of spiritual blindness?

And if you shine a giant spotlight by trying to reveal too much truth too soon, isn't that kind of the same thing?

So allow people's spiritual eyesight to adjust to the light before you proceed with additional light.

How to Give a Better Bible Study II

Transcript

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