edwjextrama11

God’s One and Only Published Work MAR/APR 2011EDWJextra Every Day with Jesus group resource

www.cwr.org.uk/edwjextra

Session 2: Loving the Author 9—14 March

IcebreakerS

Who is your favourite author?

Contrast your attitudes to junk mail and

birthday cards.

key thOuGht

With the Bible, you have to know the Author

before you can understand the Book.

key verSe

‘We have not received the spirit of the world

but the Spirit who is from God, that we may

understand what God has freely given us.’

1 Corinthians 2:12

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. How would you counter the argument of

relativism?

2. To what extent are the Scriptures a mix of

human and divine?

3. How have you translated the message of the

Bible into life?

4. How do we ‘assimilate God’s Word’?

5. Why is relationship required for revelation?

6. Is it important to memorise Scripture?

the exaMPle Of JeSuS

‘… but the world must learn that I love the

Father and that I do exactly what my Father has

commanded me.’ John 14:31

Prayer POInterS

• Pray for a deeper relationship with God and

revelation of His Word.

• Pray that you may be able to encourage

others to deepen their understanding of God

and His Word.

IcebreakerS

Which is your favourite Bible passage?

Try to name all the books of the Bible.

key thOuGht

The Bible is the inexhaustible written revelation

of God and therefore to neglect it is to weaken

our spiritual lives.

key verSeS

‘The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives

understanding to the simple.’ Psalm 119:130

‘But these are written that you may believe that

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by

believing you may have life in his name.’

John 20:31

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. Given our busy and responsible lives,

how much time should we give to reading

the Bible?

2. Contrast the Bible with other books.

3. How could you find more time to read the

Bible?

4. Is your thinking shaped more by the media

or the Bible?

5. Discuss Dr E. Stanley Jones’s six points.

6. What makes the Bible unique, even among

other religious texts?

7. What is your view on the inerrancy of

Scripture?

8. Which is your favourite Bible translation or

paraphrase?


‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not

live on bread alone, but on every word that

comes from the mouth of God.’”’ Matthew 4:4

Prayer POInterS

• Thank God for giving us not just His spoken

words but the written Word as a lasting and

easily available resource for life.

• Pray that the Holy Spirit will both help you find

the time to study God’s Word and that He will

reveal more of its meaning to you.

Session 1: The Bible — God’s written Word 1—8 March



Icebreaker

Who is your favourite character from the

Old Testament?

key thOuGht

God has given us His Spirit to help us

understand His Word.

key verSe

‘But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit ... will teach

you all things ...’ John 14:26

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. Can you describe a time when you

have experienced ‘the inward witness

of the Spirit’?

2. What is the difference between doubt

and unbelief?

3. Contrast the role of education and

revelation. Is education unimportant?

4. Why is there no full revelation without the

Holy Spirit?

5. How does the Old Testament speak

of Christ?

6. Describe how you became a Christian.


‘... I do nothing on my own but speak just what

the Father has taught me.’ John 8:28

Prayer POInterS

• Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, that

you may fully understand God’s Word.

• Pray that God would open your eyes to see

wonderful things in His law.

Session 3: The role of the Holy Spirit 15—20 March Session 4: Praying for insight 21—26 March

Icebreaker

Write some biblical words backwards in large

letters and ask people to identify them (eg,

reconciliation). Similarly, to understand the

Bible requires a degree of effort, attentiveness

and insight.

key thOuGht

It is essential that we approach the Bible

prayerfully. It cannot simply be understood

by human reasoning, but by spiritual insight.

We can only fully comprehend God’s Word with

God’s help.

key verSe

‘Though seeing they do not see; though hearing,

they do not hear or understand.’ Matthew 13:13

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. Why should we pray before reading

the Bible?

2. Is a daily Quiet Time necessary for spiritual

maturity?

3. How can we be more receptive to

God’s Word?

4. Is a surrendered soul a weak soul?

5. Do you become too easily distracted instead

of praying or reading the Bible?

6. Discuss the quote of George Muller.


‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me;

yet not my will, but yours be done.’ Luke 22:42

Prayer POInterS

• Ask God that He would help you focus on Him

and not be easily distracted.

• Establish a habit of praying for insight when

you open your Bible.



Icebreaker

What do you imagine heaven will be like?

key thOuGht

Approaching the Bible imaginatively can make

it come alive.

key verSe

‘You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind

(‘imagination’, Young’s Literal Translation) is

steadfast, because he trusts in you.’ Isaiah 26:3

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. What are the benefits and disadvantages of

the imagination?

2. Describe how you plan a holiday or a party.

3. What is the difference between imagination

and fantasy?

4. Imagine a biblical scene and describe what

you ‘see’.

5. What is the difference between news

reports and personal testimonies?

6. To what extent do you use your

imagination?

7. Describe meeting Jesus as if you were

Zacchaeus himself.

8. How might using your imagination help you

in reading the Bible?


‘... he already had in mind what he was going

to do.’ John 6:6

Prayer POInterS

• Ask God for a fertile and sanctified

imagination.

• Pray that the Bible will come alive as you use

your imagination to visualise and personalise

its stories.

Session 6: Biblical meditation 4—11 aPrIl

IcebreakerS

What do you spend time meditating on eg, work,

family, sport, leisure, finance, career?

Read John 11:35 and allow five minutes of

silence for meditation before people share

their thoughts.

key thOuGht

Meditation on God’s Word takes biblical truths

and makes them working realities in our lives.

key verSe

‘But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on

his law he meditates day and night.’ Psalm 1:2

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. What do you feel about the concept of

biblical meditation?

2. How can our meditation be pleasing to God?

3. Discuss the three definitions of meditation.

4. Why does biblical meditation differ from all

other forms of meditation?

5. Chew over John 3:16.

6. What may hinder you from biblical

meditation eg, time, effort, uncertainty?

7. How could meditating on God’s Word bring

success?

8. Why are thoughts so powerful?


‘After three days they found him in the temple

courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to

them and asking them questions.’ Luke 2:46

Prayer POInterS

• Pray that you might fully understand the

concept of biblical meditation.

• Pray that you might apply the principle of

biblical meditation.

Session 5: Imagine 27 March — 3 aPrIl



Session 7: Obedience and revelation 12—17 aPrIl

Icebreaker

Try to find out something about the Bible

Society and perhaps take a collection for its

work overseas.

key thOuGht

The Bible will keep us from sin or sin will keep

us from the Bible.

key verSe

‘If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find

out whether my teaching comes from God ...’

John 7:17

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. How may the Bible lose its power?

2. What are the consequences of

disobedience?

3. How can we apply Scripture to our

own lives?

4. Is partial or delayed obedience

satisfactory?

5. How can we avoid the pitfall of self-

deception?

6. Discuss the role of the conscience and other

believers in helping us see blind spots. (See

James 5:19—20.)


‘The reason my Father loves me is that I lay

down my life ... No-one takes it from me, but I

lay it down of my own accord.’ John 10:17—18

Prayer POInterS

• Ask God to show you any areas of deception in

your own life.

• Commit yourself to obey God whatever He

tells you to do.

IcebreakerS

Which is your favourite quiz show?

Find out something about someone in

the group.

key thOuGht

Questions are a primary tool for obtaining

information, and when we use them in our own

Bible studies the Word can come alive in a most

exciting way.

key verSe

‘His disciples asked him what this parable

meant.’ Luke 8:9

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. How could your knowledge and

understanding of the Old Testament

be improved?

2. Who in the Bible would you like to discover

more about?

3. What was life like in occupied Palestine

(eg, see Matt. 22:17; John 11:48; and Acts

5:36—37)?

4. Using some Bible maps, trace the route of

the Exodus.

5. Discuss the importance of prayer in

the morning.

6. Why is it important to take communion?

(See 1 Cor. 11:23—26.)

7. Use the five questions on a Bible reading of

your own choosing.


‘He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who

are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he

said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For

whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is

my brother and sister and mother.”’

Matthew 12:48—50

Prayer POInterS

• Ask God to help you use this technique in your

own studies.

• Thank God for so many treasures that lay

buried in His Word for you to discover.

Session 8: Question Time 18—24 aPrIl



Session 9: Do It Yourself 25—30 aPrIl

Icebreaker

What has most impacted you about the

studies in this issue and how will you change

as a result?

key thOuGht

We need to explore Scripture continually and

persistently for ourselves.

key verSe

‘Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day

long.’ Psalm 119:97

DIScuSSIOn StarterS

1. Discuss the phrase ‘We don’t plan to fail, we

fail to plan’ in relation to Bible study.

2. What are your clear objectives?

3. What is your specific plan and system of

accountability?

4. Why do so many good intentions fail?

5. Discuss the role of the Bible in our national

life and history (eg, our laws, morality,

education, social justice and ethics).

6. How can we encourage and help others to

read the Bible?


‘... he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet

Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found

the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the

Lord is on me ...”’ Luke 4:16—18

Prayer POInterS

• Ask for God’s help as you implement your plan

of studying the Scriptures.

• Pray for CWR as it reaches out with God’s

Word to others.

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