Temperance Sunday Bible Study

Alcohol & Drugs

Aim of the lesson:  To explore a Christian attitude towards drinking and drug abuse.

Study passages:  Isaiah 28:1-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Notes:

• The standpoint of our Church.  The official view of the Methodist Church is quite clear:
• “In view of the fact that prevention of alcoholism is both cheaper and more effective than its cure, Conference urges our people to promote by word and example the advantage of an alcohol-free way of life and calls upon our people to remain faithful to the principle of total abstinence.”

Our Church has also expressed deep concern about the problems related to harmful drugs, drug abuse and drug addiction.

• The Bible and wine.  There are two attitudes to wine expressed in the Bible, one positive and the other negative: it has benefits and it is a curse.  On the one hand, it is a symbol of God’s good gifts to people.  Paul urges Timothy not to abstain completely and to take a little wine for medicinal purposes (1 Timothy 5:23.)  Jesus provided wine for a wedding in Cana (John 2:10.)  He referred to it in His teaching to highlight the life and power of the Gospel (Mark 2:22) and as a symbol of the saving power of His blood (Matthew 26:28.)  On the other hand, the sinfulness and danger of drunkenness excess and abuse are strongly condemned (Isaiah 5:22, Proverbs 23:20-21, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:7.)  Wine befuddles the mind (Isaiah 28:7), causes anger (Isaiah 5:11) and brings shame (Genesis 9:21.)  Those who hold office or leadership in the Church are specifically warned against this fault (1 Timothy 3:8, Titus 2:3.)
• The tragic effects of drink in society.  There are few evils which cause greater harm in society than alcohol.  Relationships, characters, careers, businesses, families and marriages have been destroyed by it.  Drink is a significant factor in road accidents, unfaithfulness in marriage, crime, child abuse and health problems.  In the light of these facts, Christians must consider very carefully what kind of example God wants them to set.  Clearly the Christian must either use wine in moderation or abstain completely.  Because it has such tremendous dangers, our Church urges all Christians to adopt an “alcohol-free way of life” as a matter of principle and example, even if they think they can remain “moderate drinkers”.
• Our example to weaker believers.  The Christian also has a moral duty to abstain from things which might cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble or fall (Romans 14:21; Mark 9:42-43.)  there is no evidence that the “moderate drinker” has by his or her example ever deterred another person from taking his or her first drink.  In fact, the example of a Christian moderate drinker is far more likely to make them think it is acceptable.
• Drug abuse is a problem of very serious proportions affecting old and young alike.  Drugs have many good uses, but the abuse of drugs must concern us deeply as Christians.  Four main types of drugs are commonly abused:
• Stimulants (which make the user “feel good”)
• Tranquillisers (which have a calming effect)
• Hallucination-producing drugs (which affect the mind in some way – dagga, LSD, etc.)
• “Main-line” drugs (cocaine, opium, heroine, morphine, etc.)

The chief reasons why people start taking drugs are:

o   For “kicks” and pleasure

o   To prove oneself with the “in-crowd”

o   To escape from reality and problems in life

The danger of experimenting, even with less harmful drugs is that they can too easily lead on to more serious types, heavier doses, dependency and addiction.  This then results in the destruction of the person and often leads to criminal activity.

• Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19.)  We must respect and care for our bodies because god made them and owns them.  Avoiding harmful things like alcohol, drugs and smoking is one way of taking care of our bodies for God.  Abstinence can be a sign of our trust in God and our hope for the future.

Questions for discussion:

1. To what extent is alcoholism and drug abuse a problem in Alberton?
2. What do you think of our Church’s official stand on drinking?
3. What kind of response are total abstainers likely to get from those who see no harm in drinking?
4. As Christians, what can we do about the problem of alcoholism and drug abuse in our communities?

This material has been sourced from

the out of print

Faith and Life Lesson Notes

MCSA

Questions based on Does Jesus Really Mean What He Says

Read the sermon here

1.     Do you have the righteousness, peace and joy that is God’s Promise to you?

2.    Has God given you the Kingdom?  If your answer is “Yes”, how has that affected the way you have lived this past week?  If your answer is “No”, what does that mean?  If your answer is “I don’t know”, what does that mean?

3.    Are you afraid of anything?

4.    What does Jesus mean when He says:

Sell your possessions and give to the poor?

(We’ve explored this is much more detail previously.  If you want to access my teaching on this subject, please visit http://dentalmethodist.blogspot.com/2011/10/sermon-on-mount-10-storing-up-treasure.html)

5.    Is it true that: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”?

6.    Where is your heart?

7.    What does it mean to “live as if it we really do expect Jesus to return at any time”?

Questions based on Easter 6: Guided by the Holy Spirit

Read the sermon here

Acts 16:6-15

If you have a Bible with maps try and find the places mentioned in these verses.

Discuss: We are good at opening doors that God wants left shut.

Discuss: We are good at closing doors that God wants left open.

Share with the group or journal privately, about times in your life when ‘doors have been shut’ or ‘doors have been opened’.

What is the difference between dreams and visions? Try and identify dreams and visions recorded in the Scriptures. Does God still speak to us today in they way?

What is the gift of spiritual discernment?

Fill in the spaces and discuss each statement:

1     God seeks to ______________________________ us.

When we let Him, it is not always to the place that makes the

most ___________________________ to us.

2      God guides us in ______________________   _____________________.

3      When we are where God wants us to be, the _______________________ are beyond our _______________________.

Questions based on Having the Love of God Shed Abroad in our Hearts

Read the sermon here

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another

• Is there a difference between any of these terms: Christian, disciple, born again, saved, Christ or Spirit filled? Is it possible to be one of these without being any of the others?

• What (usually) makes us come to the conclusion that someone might be a Christian?

• Read Matthew 7:22. How is it possible to preach, prophesy, heal and drive our demons and yet not be a Christian?

• ‘One of the hardest commandments is that Christians are to love one another.’ Discuss.

• Discuss whether it is possible to love the Lord, but not love one another?

• What is love?

• Read Revelation 21:1-6. How many of the things mentioned:
Have already come about?
How many are busy coming about?
How many are yet to come about?

Study Notes and Questions based on Epiphany of our LORD

Study Notes and Questions based on Epiphany of our LORD, Sunday 6 January 2012

English doesn't really have its own word that quite says what the Greek word for epiphany captures. Epiphany! It's a word that really should always merit an exclamation point in English, at least. It's always something surprising, unexpected, exciting, even startling. We don't have any single word for this in English, but the borrowed one, "Epiphany!" Maybe about the briefest equivalent we might have is something like, "Sudden, surprising happening that changes everything completely."

Section A

(these questions and notes are from the General Board of Discipleship www.GBOD.org and are reproduced for use at Alberton Methodist Church with permission. They are general questions on the sermon topic for each Sunday)

1. When you look around you, where you are, what do you see? Do you see ruins? Do you see "thick darkness"? Or do you also see signs that God's glory shines and offers all sorts of gifts for the rebuilding of Christian community where you are? What are those signs? Where is Epiphany!?

2. Our mutual care for each other and extended to all, our commitment and action that renounces the evil forces of this world and resists injustice and oppression, our praise of God in the midst of suffering and uncertainty, our witness through lives of holiness to the holiness of God, all of these are signs of God's glory shining, if we will see the Epiphany! all around us, and if we will let it shine through us. So who and what around you is shining with the Epiphany! light of God's glory in the midst of the thick darkness surrounding us?

3. Iraqi or Iranian astrologers just didn't normally come striding into Jerusalem looking for a newborn child destined to become the new ruler of that nation. If they did, they would have known enough protocol from their own culture that they wouldn't normally start by asking common people and maybe a priest or two where this child might be. Matters of state like this would usually have been handled by an official delegation working through all the "right" channels. In short, what these men were doing in Jerusalem and how they did it was bound—and maybe even intended-- to draw suspicion from the powers that be. What are you doing as a congregation or as individuals, or what are others doing in your community, that draws suspicion by talking with "the wrong people?" Where are you taking action to find Jesus at work in ways that avoid or help you move around the barriers in place to keep you from finding him?

4. God's consistent activity in this story was Epiphany! God acted in suprising, transforming ways to subvert the powers that be and all they would attempt to stop God's reign from being made known (Epiphany!) through Jesus. In nature, God arranged the alignment of planets viewed by the astrologers. Through the astrologers going to Jerusalem, the wrong people are asked and Herod's suspicions are raised. Through Herod, the Magi discover where they need to go to find the king they seek. Through a series of dreams, God leads the astrologers and the Holy Family to safety in the face of what were very serious death threats from Herod. It is subversion after subversion, God never once using the "right channels" to spread the word of the newborn king and God's kingdom surely coming to all the world. Not once. God always acted by Epiphany!

5. How do people in your congregation or community join God's subversion of the powers that be to bring about the revelation of God's reign to strangers and enemies? How does God continue to act subversively where you are to continue to secure a place for God's reign not only to survive, but to thrive where you are?

6. Note that the Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer for today calls all Christians around the world to pray precisely for the region from which the Magi came, and it includes Iran and Iraq, among other Islamic nations, several of which are hostile to U.S. interests or have a history that is hostile to or limits open expressions of the Christian faith. How will you pray in the spirit of Epiphany! with and for these people in ways that embody the spirit of these texts today?

Section B

These are specific questions which arise from the sermons preached by Ryan and Cedric each Sunday and are drawn up by each of them once they have prepared their sermons.

Section A questions will be distributed to all Cell group, Small group and Bible study leaders and anyone who requests them, on a monthly basis. They will also be published on the AMC webpage. Section B questions will be published weekly.

Section B questions based on Cedric’s Sermon

You may wish to make notes under the following headings based on the text verses as I discuss them (please note that all my sermons and study notes can be copied from my blog http://dentalmethodist.blogspot.com/ )

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

they asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,

and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

1. Discuss the characteristics and differences between each of the three groups (Herod group, religious group and pagan astrologers).

Herod group is governed by ………………

Religious group is governed by …………………..

Pagan astrologer group is governed by……………

2. Which group best describes where you are right now?

3. Which group best describes your family?

4. Which group best describes your church?  

5. Which group best describes where our nation is right now?

Bible Studies on Stewardship of Money

Stewardship of Money 

John Wesley — the Use of money
Aim of the lesson:
•   To study some implications of the stewardship of money.
Study passage: Luke 16:1-13
Introductory exercise:
Are group members intelligently informed about your congregation's budget needs? Why not allow 10 minutes for someone (e.g. Treasurer or minister) to explain how church finances work.
Notes:
•    A precious gift. Wesley's famous sermon on The Use of Money was preached to Methodists whose industry and thrift were already bringing them wealth. He makes it clear that it is not money, but the love of money, which is the root of all evil. "The fault", he says, "does not lie in the money, but in them that use it." In another sermon he speaks of "that precious talent which contains all the rest — money." He pronounces it "unspeakably precious if we are wise and faithful stewards of it."
•   Three Rules. Wesley reduced his instructions for the use of money to three plain rules, and claimed that by keeping them we prove ourselves to be faithful stewards of God's bounty. The rules are: Gain all you can; save all you can; give all you can.
•    Gain all you can. Methodists were to work diligently and to trade intelligently — but not to the extent of damaging their health. They were to engage in no "sinful trade", contrary to the laws of God or the country. They were forbidden to "rob the king of his customs"; today's equivalent would be to evade paying taxes. There was to be "no cheating or lying, or whatever is not consistent with a good conscience." They were to avoid unfair competition, which would damage their neighbor’s trade. They were also to avoid selling anything that might impair health. Gaining all one could was to be achieved only by honest industry.
•   Save all you can. This does not refer to building up a huge bank account, but was to be done by avoiding all expense that was not absolutely necessary. So Wesley cautions against expensive goods, needless ornaments, superfluous clothing and furniture, even "elegant rather than useful gardens". He also cautions against spoiling children with more money than necessity requires, maintaining that this is simply to put temptation in their way. Children should be educated in the right use of money and be taught not to squander it.
•    Give all you can. In giving all we can, we must provide first for the reasonable needs of our own families and dependants, and if there is anything over, we must "do good to them that are of the household of faith", and if there is anything still left, "do good to all men". "All that is laid out in this manner", says Wesley, "is really given to God." And this is as it should be, for Wesley maintained that all goods, including money, are God's sole property, and that we are but stewards of His bounty. In Wesley's own words: "Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third, not a half, but all that is God's, be it more or less; by employing it all ... in such a manner, that you may give a good account of your stewardship."
•    Wesley's own life squared with his teaching. It has been pointed out that the sales of Wesley's published works alone were enough to make him a rich man, but he never spent more than 30 pounds a year on his personal needs. Yet in a single year he gave away 1400 pounds, "through his brethren, the poor".

Questions for discussion:
1.  Examine the study passage. Is what Wesley taught consistent with it?
2.   Is Wesley's teaching in conflict with the traditional idea of the tithe?
3.   Wesley told his preachers: "You have nothing to do but save souls." Isn't he then being inconsistent in preaching on the use of money?
4.   What do you make of the three rules?
5.   Should a Christian with money to spare, give first to the Church and to the Christian poor, and only after that to needs in the outside world?
Something to do:
To what extent are you honestly "giving all you can"? Think about this and if necessary, do something about it.

Stewardship of Money 2

Giving in the Old Testament
Aim of the lesson:
• To examine some of the principles of giving in the Old Testament and see what we can learn about our giving as Christians.
Study passage: Deuteronomy 26:1-15.
Notes:
• The first-fruits. In Old Testament times it was the practice to bring the first part of the harvest and the first-born animals to God (vs 2, Deut 15:19, Ex 23:16). Because the Jews had a strong belief that God was the Creator, all living things, vegetable, animal and human belonged to Him. It was therefore necessary to offer the first of these things back to Him to acknowledge His ownership of them. The person was then free to use the rest of them with His blessing. It was also believed that if they were faithful in this regard God would bless the rest of the crop with abundance. As Christians do we tend to give God the left-overs rather than the 'first-fruits'?
Note: In the New Testament the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit are sometimes spoken of as the 'first-fruits' of God's grace (Rom 8:23, 11:16, I Cor 15:20, Jas 1:18, Rev 14:4).
• Tithing. The normal standard of giving in the Old Testament was a tenth of one's crops, produce, live-stock, income etc (vs 12, Deut 14:22, Gen 28:22). In return God promised to bless the giver with plenty (vs 15, Mai 3:10). Every third year the tithe was given entirely to the poor and the Levites (priests), who had received no inheritance when the Promised Land was divided among the twelve tribes (Deut 14:28-29, Josh 18:7). For convenience people could give money instead of produce, but then they had to give one fifth extra (Lev 27:30-31).
• Proportional giving. Giving in proportion to the blessings one had received from God is mentioned in the Old Testament but does not seem to have been widely practiced (Deut 16:10, 16). This seems to be more in keeping with what Jesus taught about giving (Mk 12:41-44).
• Sacrifice. There were many different types of sacrifice in the Old Testament, but the common purpose behind all of them was to honour God, and in return to receive a blessing from Him. It might be to give thanks or remember some great act of God. It might be to receive forgiveness of sins, to restore fellowship with Him, or for good crops. An important assumption of all sacrifice was that, for the person making it, it had to cost them something (2 Sam 24:24). It meant giving up something precious for God. Today we no longer need to make sacrifices of this sort because Christ is our once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 7:27). But our giving to God still needs to reflect something of the costliness of Old Testament sacrifice.
• Giving the best. An offering had to be without blemish or defect because only the best was good enough for God (Deut 15:21).
• Thanksgiving. At the heart of all worship in the Old Testament (and the New Testament) was gratitude for God's blessings and goodness. It was as a sign of this thanksgiving that people were to bring their gifts and care for the needs of the poor. In the same way our giving to God must always be done in a spirit of thanksgiving, and it must be an essential part of our worship.

Questions for discussion:
Deut 26:1-15
1.  What lessons can we as Christians learn from the principles of Old Testament giving referred to above (a) the first-fruits (b) the tithe (c) proportional giving (d) sacrifice (e) giving the best (f) thanksgiving?
2.  What are the most important standards of Christian giving?
3.  Why do Christians give to God? What are we to give Him?

Stewardship of Money 3

Christian Giving
Aim of the lesson:
• To examine our giving to the work of God in the light of Paul's teaching. Daily Readings: Sun: 2 Cor 9:1-15; Mon: Mk 12:41-44; Tue: 2 Sam 24:18-25; Wed: Mai 13:6-12; Thu: Lk 19:11-27; Fri: Acts 27:27-44; Sat: Acts 28:1-30.
Study Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15.
Notes:
•  Background. In New Testament times at least two great famines affected the Roman Empire. During the first the Christians in Antioch decided to take a collection for the Christians in Judea, who were suffering more than most. They gave, each one as much as he or she could, and sent their gifts by the hands of Paul and Barnabas and the church elders (Acts 11:27-30). This was the first recorded example of Christian famine relief that we know of where Christians in one area got together to help the needy in another area. The same thing happened about twelve years later, and this event provides the background to our study-passage. In his instructions to the Christians in Corinth Paul teaches us several things about giving.
• Verses 1-4. Paul was not afraid to encourage a spirit of healthy competition. He told the Macedonian churches how well the Corinthian church gave, and he now urges the Corinthians not to let him down.
• Verse 5. When we give to God's work, or to the needy (which is the same thing, Mt 25:40) it should be done willingly and with a good heart (vs 7).
• Verse 6. We must give generously and not sparingly. Tithing, giving one tenth of what we receive back to God, is a well established biblical principle of giving (Mai 3:10) But truly speaking there should be no limits to how much a Christian is prepared to give to God, because we have acknowledged that everything we have belongs to Him anyway. If we sow sparingly we will reap in the same way. We should give in proportion to what we get. There should be no uniform assessments.
• Verse 7. Giving demands a purpose and a plan (1 Cor 16:2). We should make up our minds before-hand what we intend to give and carry out our purpose reverently and faithfully. Some people make promises but are very slow to carry them out. Our giving should be a sacred pledge. Being systematic also means we will keep an accurate account of our income and what we spend.
• Verses 8-14. The Old Testament often promises that if we give God will return our gifts to us with interest (Deut 15:10, 24:19). Paul however does not teach that we should 'give in order to get' from God. He says we should give freely and even recklessly, without hope of reward, trusting that God will meet our own needs (Phil 4:19). He might not bless us with material things but we will certainly receive spiritual graces; ability to do more good works and give more freely; the enlargement of our heart and soul; the increase of our love and devotion; greater joy and satisfaction. But more than this, those who receive our gifts will give thanks for us, and hopefully also give thanks and praise to God.
• Verse 15. No giving can be adequate return for the wonderful gift of God. The old Israelites were urged to give because God had rescued them from Egypt. Christians give because they have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus.

Questions for discussion:
2 Cor 9:1-15.
1.  Christians are asked to give to the work of God. What is the 'Work of God'? To what should we give? Why?
2.  Jesus said it was more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). What do you think He meant?
3.  How and what should Christians give?
4.  How can we be more systematic in our giving (a) as individuals, (b) as a congregation?
Group exercise:
Decide as a group on a project or a specific need to which you would like to give and make the necessary plans to do so. Later on, assess what you have done.
Something to do:
Spend time this week examining your own giving. Write down on paper what you are actually giving. How much do you receive each month, or each week? How does what you give compare with what you receive? What is God saying to you?

Stewardship of Money 4

Tithing
Aim of the lesson:
•   General aim: Understanding Christian giving.
•   Understanding the biblical principle of tithing.
Study passages: Mal 3: 6-12, Mark 12: 41-44.
Notes:
•   Tithing. When Abraham was successful in battle, he gave a tenth of his possessions to the priest Melchizedek (Gen 14: 17-20). When Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching up to heaven he had such a deep sense of the power and presence of God that he called the place Bethel (house of God), set up a memorial stone, and promised to give Him a tenth of his possessions and the increase of his possessions (Gen 28: 20-22). Tithing, giving a tenth of our income to God, is the biblical standard of giving and He promises that if we are faithful in this, He will bless us (Lev 27: 30, Deut 14: 22-29, 12: 6, 11, Neh 13: 5, Mai 3: 8-10, Heb 1: 5).
• Jesus accepted the principle of tithing but He stressed that our giving should come from a pure heart. He condemned those who tithed in a legalistic way but whose lives did not show evidence of the more important aspects of the law such as justice, mercy and faithfulness (Mt 23: 23, Lk 18: 12).
•   Christian giving requires more than just giving a tenth. Jesus taught that tithing was a basic minimum for Christians and mat we only begin to give when we have given over and above our tithe. The first tenth belongs to God anyway. If we fail to give it to God, we have in fact stolen what rightfully belongs to Him (Mai 3: 8-9). We start to really give to God when we give out of our nine-tenths. For a Christian there really are no legalistic laws and limits. Like the widow, we should be prepared to give our all to Him (Mk 12: 41-44).
•   What can we give to God? We can give Him nothing that He has not given us in the first place, but there are three clear areas of our lives in which we must give:
- Our money. We must tithe our income to the work of God. The Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil (I Tim 6: 10) but also that we should be wise in putting it to work for God (Lk 16: 10-12).
- Our time is also a gift from God. We ought to make sure that at least a tenth of our time is devoted to Him.
- Our talents and gifts. Some are natural abilities, others are special gifts of the Spirit. God has many tasks to be done. He needs our talents and gifts, and we must ensure that they are consecrated to Him to be used in His service.
•   If we are faithful in giving, God promises to bless us (Mai 3: 10). We do not subscribe to the "prosperity gospel" preached by some churches these days, but there is clear teaching mat if we are faithful and obedient to God, He will supply all our need (Mt 6: 33, Phil 4: 19, Gal 6: 8-10).

Questions for discussion:
Mai 3: 6-12, Mark 12: 41-44.
1.   What insights come to you from the Malachi passage?
2.   In the Mark passage what differences can you find between the way in which the widow gave, and the way in which the rich people gave?
3.   Do you agree with the principle of tithing?
4.   Of what things is a Christian expected to tithe?
5.   Must our tithe be given to the Church or can we give it to the work of God in other ways?
6.   If we are faithful in giving, in what way can we expect God to supply our need?

Study Notes: Stewardship of the Bible

Stewardship of the Bible 

Aim of the lesson:

•    To encourage regular devotional reading of the Bible and give some pointers as to how to do it.

Study passage: Psalm 119:89-112

Notes:

·     The Bible is the soil from which all Christian faith grows. Who is God? Is there a Divine plan for the world? What is God's purpose for us? How should we live today? We cannot know these things ourselves. Only God can reveal them to us. There used to be a gramophone record label "His Master's Voice", and this is a good description of the Bible. In it we hear God's voice making known the Divine nature and will.

·     The purpose of reading the Bible. There are various reasons why we should read it:

-    To develop our relationship with God by coming to understand more of his mind, what things are truly important, how God works etc.

-    To meet with and get to know Jesus Christ, the Living Word (Jn 20:31).

-    To give God an opportunity to speak to us and guide us through the Holy Spirit.

-    To allow ourselves to become saturated with God's word. This will affect our thinking, enabling us to bear fruit for God, and helping us to be obedient to the teaching of Jesus (Jn 15:5-7, 2 Tim 3:16-17).

•    How to read the Bible

-    Be regular and disciplined. The Bible rewards those who "stick with it" Persistence is one of the essentials of all Christian living.

-    Read expectantly, believing that as we read God will meet with us and speak to us.

-    Come in reverence, for we are meeting with the living God.

-    Rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us and enable us to know God's will (Jn 16:13-14). (When we say God "speaks" to us we do not usually mean that we actually hear an audible voice, but rather that the Holy Spirit convicts us inwardly about truth, sin or duty.)

-    Allow sufficient time. Bible study cannot be rushed. We are told to "wait" on the Lord (Ps 27:13-14). Use the time as follows:

-    Read the passage slowly. Don't read too much at a time.

-    Think about it; allow the mind to grasp the meaning.

-    Where appropriate, use your imagination to picture the scene.

-    Ask what God is saying to you through the passage.

-    Ask how can I be obedient? What does God want me to do?

-    Keep a note book and write down special thoughts, commitments to be obedient etc.

·     If you are just setting out on this road and don't know where to start, begin in the New Testament with Luke and move on to Acts, John, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Ephesians. Daily Bible study notes can take you on from there. (See below)

·     Commentaries - Many good commentaries exist and can help us to interpret the meaning of the passage. Ask your minister or your local Christian bookshop to advise you. However, it is more important to actually read the Bible yourself, not just books about the Bible. The Holy Spirit guides us into the truth. Discover things for yourself at first-hand.

·     Daily Bible study notes - These are intended to help with personal daily Bible study. A passage will be given to read, followed by a page or so of devotional comment and explanation. Various series are available: again, your minister or nearest Christian bookshop will advise you.

·     Bible study in a group - We often learn more in a group than as individuals. An essential part of our Bible study is to meet in Christian fellowship, in our class meeting or home fellowship group (Heb 10.25). If you are not already part of such a group, make a serious effort to join one.

Questions for discussion:

1.      Have you ever had an occasion when you have felt that the Bible has really "spoken" to you? Share what happened and how you felt.

2.      What benefits does the Psalmist get from studying God's Word (see the study passage)?

3.      What special things do we notice about a person who has spent many years in faithful study of God's Word?

4.      How can we be more systematic and disciplined about reading the Bible? What problems do we experience?

5.      Why is it important to apply what we learn in our Bible study? 

Study Notes for Confirmation Sermon

Confirmation Sunday – 23 September 2012

Duties of Church Membership

Aim of the lesson:

• To look at what is involved in being full and responsible members of the
Church.

Study passages: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Colossians 3:5-17, Hebrews 10:19-25, 13:1-7, 1 Peter 4:7-11, Mark 1:14-20,  Romans 8:12-17, Jeremiah 31:31-34

Notes:

• Conditions of membership. Any club or organisation has conditions of membership and duties which it lays down for its members. The Methodist Church is no different.   It lays down three simple requirements for membership:

A sincere desire to be saved from sin
Faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour
Involvement in the fellowship of the Church

• These three conditions are stated in our "Laws and Discipline" as follows:

"Membership is based upon a personal experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought about by his Spirit.
"All persons are welcomed into membership who sincerely desire to be saved from their sins through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and show the same in life and conduct, and who seek to have fellowship with Christ himself and his people by taking up the duties and privileges of the Methodist Church.

"As membership in the Church also involves fellowship it is the duty of all members in the Church to seek to cultivate this in every possible way."

• Duties of Church   membership - The following eight things should probably be regarded as minimum goals for members of the Church:

1. To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life.

2. To bear personal witness to Jesus Christ.

3. To be regular in private prayer each day.

4. To read the Bible each day and seek to be obedient to God's Word.

5. To attend worship every Sunday.

6. To receive Holy Communion regularly.

7. To give meaningful financial support to the work of the Church, locally and for the wider mission field.

8. To be involved in serving others in the Church and community.

As we grow in our faith and walk with the Lord we will understand these duties at a deeper and clearer level. We may add others to the list, but these will always remain a basic minimum for us.




Questions for discussion:

1. Read through all the study passages carefully. What do they teach us about the conditions of membership in the early Church? Make a list

2. What do you think of the three basic conditions for membership in the Methodist Church? Are they reasonable? Should there be others?
3. Go through the eight suggested duties one by one. What does each one mean? Are they too strict, not strict enough, or about right?

4. What should the Church do about people who want to be members, but don't want to accept any of the responsibilities of membership?

5. As a group make a list of some ways in which you could become more involved in the activities of your local church.

Something to do:
Spend some time thinking about how you have worked out the implications of your Confirmation. Have you kept the vows you once made? How can you make your membership of the Church count for something?

Study Notes for Stewardship 3

Week 3

Stewardship of Our Talents, Abilities and Spiritual Gifts

16 September 2012

The Parable of the Talents

Aim of the lesson

• To appreciate the gifts God has given us and look at how we are using them.

Study passage: Matthew 25:14-30.

Notes

• Jesus was on the Mount of Olives when the parables in Chapters 24 and 25 were told (Mt 24:3). Across the Kidron Valley they would have been able to see the walled city of Jerusalem and the magnificent temple. It must have been a wonderful sight. Yet Jesus looked at it and said it was all going to be desecrated and destroyed (Mt 24:1-2, 15). Why? Was it because Israel had failed to use her 'talent', her covenant relationship with God? This may have been one of the thoughts in Jesus' mind as He told the story. But of course it has a much broader and deeper meaning for the religious life as a whole.

• A talent was actually a measure of weight (about 30 kg). A talent of silver would today be worth several thousand rands. In the parable the talents are meant to represent all the gifts and blessings which God gives us; nature, material wealth, abilities, opportunity, health, character, intellect, grace, privilege, love etc. Some people receive in abundance, others get just a few. The main point is that these gifts (talents) really belong to God, not to us. They are loaned to us and we are accountable to God for the way we use them or misuse them. Obviously too, they must not be used selfishly but for Him, in His service, and in the service of others.

• Verse 14: 'a man going on a journey....' The reference here is to the time in which we are presently living, the period between Christ's ascension and His coming again. All three of the parables in Matthew 25 focus on the return of Christ and the final judgment.

• Verses 21-23: These two men had different gifts. But they had both worked equally hard and therefore they received equal rewards. We are not rewarded for our abilities or the quantity of the talents we have been entrusted with. We are rewarded for our diligence and for trying. The person who has very little may in fact have worked harder with it than the person who has plenty. It is interesting that the reward’ for work well done is not rest, but more work. Is there an implication here that there will still be work for us to do in heaven? It would seem so.

• Verses 18 and 25-27: This man failed to use his talent, either for his own benefit or for anyone else's. Even if he had ventured and lost God might still have said, 'well done'. We cannot excuse ourselves because we have received little. We cannot say, my gift is so insignificant that it doesn't matter if I don't do anything with it. God will accept our work with all its shortcomings provided we have tried, and done it with a good heart. • Verse 29: The law of gifts is very simple. If you don't use it you lose it. If you do use it, you get more.

Questions for discussion:

Mt 25:14-30

1.  Why does God give some people many gifts and some just a few?

2.  Why does God hold people accountable for the way they use the gifts they have been given? What right has He to do so?

3.  Why did the man with only one talent fail to use it?

4.  In the silence think for a moment what gifts has God given you? Make a list on paper. What have you done with your gifts? What more do you think you should be doing with them? Share what you have written with the group.

5.  How can we discover our gifts?

Study Notes for Stewardship 2

Week 2 

Stewardship of Creation – 9 September 2012

The environment: Pinpointing the problem

Aim of the lesson:

•    To consider what underlies and motivates the abuse of the environment through thoughtless "progress" even among Christian people.

Study passages: Genesis 1:20-31, Romans 8:5-25, Matthew 21:33-40

Notes

•    A Christian attitude? There should surely be a very great difference in attitude to the physical world between those who believe that the universe came into being by blind chance and those who believe it was created by God. Christians must surely have a special element of respect in their dealings with human beings, other living creatures and the natural environment in which God has placed us. Yet, sadly, the evidence does not show this to be the case. We Christians seldom show a special concern for our environment. Reluctantly, one has to acknowledge a measure of truth in what Lynn White says: "Christianity, in absolute contrast to ancient paganism and Asia's religions ... not only established a dualism of man and nature but also insisted that it is God's will that man exploit nature for his proper ends".

•    Two key words have been highlighted in the quotation -' 'dualism" and "exploit". They can help us understand why we as Christians do not have a good track record where care of the environment is concerned.

•    Dualism. This is a way of thinking that creates ad vision between things that essentially belong together. Dualism, for instance, sees a total separation between the spiritual and the material aspects of life, between the sacred and the secular, between religion and politics, and between God and humanity. Dualism was initially foreign to biblical thinking. It was imported from the ancient Persians and Greeks. Its effect has been to set up in us undesirable, unhealthy and, one could say unbiblical, patterns of thought and action, which have led us to believe that concern for the earth has nothing to do with our spiritual lives.

•    Exploitation. Lynn White is far from the only one who accuses Christians and Christianity of serving a God who wills His people to exploit and abuse the earth for their own ends. Much of the evidence in recent centuries supports their claim. Civilizations influenced by Christianity have laid waste the earth in wars and industrial ' 'development". We have opened ourselves to the charge in Ezekiel 34:18, that we have taken the good things of the earth and left it in a mess! A criticism often leveled at the Bible's teaching on our relation to the environment is that human beings were instructed by God at the point of creation to "subdue" the earth and to "have dominion over" all its creatures (see 20)

Genesis 1:26 and 28 - This appears to give human beings the license, even the duty, to use and abuse the world and its creatures to suit our whims. A common oversight is that the instructions were given to human beings before they fell away from God. In their first relationship with God, harmonious as it was, the ways in which they would have gone about subduing and having dominion would surely have been in keeping with the love of the creator-God who "saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (v 31). There is no place for exploitation here - only for appreciation and care as privileged fellow workers with God in His creation. After all, it is His not ours!

Questions for discussion:

1.   Can you think of examples in your own environment in which we are "guilty as charged" by Ezekiel (34:18)?

2.   In what ways are we (as Christians) separate from other people and in what ways do we belong together with them?

3.   Can you think of other reasons why human beings exploit and abuse the earth as they do?

4.   'Caring for nature is not merely a practical necessity. For the Christian it is a primary spiritual responsibility". Discuss.

5.   What does the Romans passage suggest to you about the future of the earth in God's scheme of things?

6.   Can you remember an experience in which the beauty of nature and the wonder of creation were brought home to you? Share with the group.

7.   Is the saving work of Jesus intended for human beings alone, or do you see it as having some effect on the whole creation?

8.   Can you think of some simple ways in which you (individually or as a group) could celebrate creation?