PREPARING TO LEAD A LIFE BIBLE STUDY- Part 3

When it comes to teaching others the word of God, it is essential that we properly study it ourselves. Thus, we first looked at Observation (What does the passage say?) Then last week we looked at Interpretation (What does the passage mean?) Now we are going to look at the last step, Application (What does this passage mean to me?) If we have done our homework correctly up to this point in the Observation and Interpretation  steps, we will know if we are in  the Old Testament laws and that they are not binding on us today. Thus, when it comes to this last step of Application, we won't be laying OT laws upon ourselves or others. But apart from the small section of Mosaic laws, the rest of the OT is very important to apply. For example, Paul said that the stories of the disobedient wilderness wanderers "were written down as warnings for us." They occurred as "examples to keep us from setting our hearts on  evil things." The books of the N.T. hadn't even been gathered together when Paul wrote this of the OT-"All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in  righteousness" 2 Tim.3:16. And Hebrews 11 lists lots of people from the OT who are examples for our faith. By faith he still speaks.

I've heard some people say, "I just don't seem to be getting much out of the Bible. If only God would just speak to me!" But He has! As you seek to apply God's word, ask the following S.P.E.A.K. questions and you'll be surprised how much God has to say to you through His word. 

Is there a   Sin for me to confess? This leads to His pardon and peace.
Is there a   Promise to claim or a Prayer to utter?
Is there an Error to avoid or an Example to follow?
Is there an Answer to a question or a problem I've been facing?
Is there     Knowledge of God's character for which I can praise Him?

It is through God's word that He speaks  to us. And as He does, speak in response to Him in prayer and praise. Seek to make it a holy habit not to leave your Bible until you have done so. Here's a quote for your wealth Catcher- "Through the Bible, God speaks to us. Through prayer and praise we speak to God."

Here's a great video to pass on, especially to your unsaved friends. It's the testimony of Josh McDowell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYqvWvk6qBk

Announcements and Reminders

Congratulations! You've nearly made it through this long semester of NGL training. As we announced in our meeting Sunday, this will be the last blog for this season. (Enjoy a lighter load the remainder of the summer.) I've so enjoyed your responses to the blog and I hoppe you've learned a lot. Keep reading daily in the Word, sharing with others and meeting with you mentor. 

Our next NGL Leaders Training Meeting will be Sunday, August 24th at Bea's home- 3719 W. Marquette! Yum! Thanks so much Bea!

As always, feel free to email, text or call me anytime- c.773-742-2694.
yourstoserve,
dave

PREPARING TO LEAD A LIFE BIBLE STUDY Part 2- Interpretation

The most powerful tool God has given us to influence people is His Word, the Bible. But if we are going to share it with others, it is vital that we properly understand it first. We need to discover what it says, what it means and what it means for us today. Thus, last week we focused on Observation (What does it say?)- This is where we Look and List the FACTS we see when studying a passage of Scripture. FACTS stands for listing Fast Facts, Ask questions, Catch key words, Title the passage or Summarize it. This week we want to focus on Interpretation (What does  it mean?) Those things you and I had listed under Ask Questions, we now get to seek to discover their meanings. As we focus on Interpretation, we will use the 4 C's to help us properly interpret the word of God.

1. Context. This means that we pay attention to the surrounding verses or even chapters to make sure we are not taking a verse out of context. This often happens when people read the Old Testament and believe that they need to keep the Sabbath or any other number of old covenant practices. Since the context is a Mosaic command, we are not under it, but the New Testament teachings. Sometimes a confusing verse can be cleared up by just reading the context- the surrounding verses. For example, if you were reading through the book of Daniel or the book of Revelation, you might wonder what various symbols mean. Thankfully, by just reading a bit further, they are often explained. Context is crucial. So if we are to properly interpret a passage, we need to study the context.

2. Cross References. Study Bibles will have these alongside the text you are studying. They refer you to other places in the Bible where a similar word or phrase is used. It's been said that Scripture should be used to interpret Scripture. This is certainly true. But just remember to study the context of that cross referenced verse as well. It might refer to something different. You'll spot it.

3. Commentaries. I spent a small fortune "when I was your age" buying commentaries- books scholars wrote sharing the fruit of their deep and careful study of a book of the Bible. But now several commentaries are yours for free with a few clicks of a mouse. 

4. Concordances. These list all the words of the Bible in alphabetical order, showing you all the different places that word is used. Keep in mind that a word is defined also by its context. For example, if I said, "It's by the trunk," you wouldn't know if I was talking about a car trunk, a storage trunk or an elephant trunk without the surrounding words. "Flesh" is a word in the NT that can refer to your flesh and bones or the same word is also used to refer to our sinful nature. So context also determines meanings when doing word studies with a concordance.   

Conclusions. After you've done all your study using the above 4 C's on a question you had regarding a word or portion of Scripture, you can now write your findings or conclusion. Because we are always open to learning, hold your conclusions open to further review if you glean important insights later. Such humility keeps us from getting into arguments. If they are wrong, agree to disagree agreeably.

To help you use the above interpretive tools of Context, Cross references, Commentaries and Concordances, I put together the following video. So please watch it. You'll want to click Full Screen to see it well.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJl7GAAbLM&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

1. Please post your response to the following. Take one of your questions from the Ask Questions step last week and seek to discover it's answer on Biblehub.com. For example, if last week you wrote, "What does sacrifice of atonement mean in Rom.3:25?" Go online to Biblehub.com, type in Rom 3:25, then look at the Context and Cross references to that phrase in Rom.3:25. Then scroll down to the Commentaries and study this out. Or even try the Concordance (For the Concordance, remember to go the Interlinear, click on the Greek word and then click Summary. That is a gold mine of info!) Now share your Conclusion with me. Way to go!

2. Please enrich your wealth partner with something you're learning. Perhaps it might be from Romans or the following Youtube video. I wish the sound quality was better, but Nicky's testimony is still powerful. If you think it's appropriate, please pass it on to the unsaved person you're praying for. Sow good seeds. It's hard for things to grow without sowing and watering. So sow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zelqF0mamCw

Announcements/ Reminders

We are almost at the finish line! See you next Sunday, July 13th at 11:30 for a very important NGL leadership training mtg.

Review Eph.2:1-10. Remember, repetition is the mother of learning. 

Here's more of our Romans reading guide.

July 9-  Read 5:1-11
July 10- Read 5:12-21
July 11- Read 6:1-14
July 12- Read 6:15-23
July 13- Read 7:1-14
July 14- Read 7:15-25
July 15- Read 8:1-21
July 16- Read 8:22-39
July 17- Read 9:1-18 (Happy Birthday Pastor Mike!)
July 18- Read 9:19-33
July 19- Read 10:1-13
July 20- Read 10:14-21


Want more on properly interpreting the Bible? Then read the following linked article on principles of properly interpreting the Bible.
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-principles-biblical-interpretation