1. Daily Bible Reading
We hear from God by reading His word and by listening to it preached. His word is found in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Besides hearing the word preached and taught at church, we need to read His word on a daily basis. We should set aside a specific time of the day, preferably in the morning, to read the Bible. It is a good idea to start in the New Testament and read at least three chapters a day.
When we read we need to ask some questions about the passage to help us understand and apply it.
Understanding Questions:
- Who is writing this passage of the Bible?
- Who are they writing it to?
- What is the main point the author is making to the original reader?
Application Questions:
- What commands does this passage contain that I need to obey?
- What promises does this passage contain that I need to trust?
- What does this passage teach me about God, humanity and/or myself?
Read and Discuss: Psalm 1:1-3, Matthew 4:4
Discussion:
Do you find it difficult to read your Bible every day? What are some ways you can build a habit of daily Bible reading?
2. Daily Time in Prayer
Christians hear from God by reading their Bibles and listening to biblical preaching; Christians talk with God through prayer. After reading our Bibles during our daily reading time, we should then respond to what God says in His word by praying. Praying is simply sharing with God the things that are on our heart and asking Him to help us in ways that are according to His will.
Our time of prayer should contain the following four ingredients:
Praise – We should come to God with reverence and praise for Who He is.
Confession – We should humbly confess any sins we have committed, determine to forsake them and pray for God’s strength to overcome any weaknesses we have.
Thanksgiving – We should remember the ways God has blessed us and give Him thanks for what He has done.
Petition – We can present our requests (both for ourselves and for others) to God that are in accordance to His will and trust that He hears us and will respond.
Read and Discuss: Matthew 6:9-13
Discussion:
Do you already pray to God on a daily basis? Has your prayer included the 4 aspects of prayer mentioned above? What time of day do you plan on setting apart for reading the Bible and praying?
3. Fellowship
We must have a daily time alone with God in His word and in prayer, but we must also have regular fellowship with other believers. God called us out of sin and makes us members of His holy people. We are not called to live the Christian life alone, in fact God has commanded us to fellowship with the Church because we cannot live the Christian life alone.
God has established the Church so that each member both gives and receives ministry. If a person lives alone without fellowship they will be missing out on the grace God wants to give them through the Body of Christ; and the Church will be missing out on the grace that God wants to give them through the individual believer. We are called to serve Christ by serving His people; we cannot do that if we don’t fellowship with them on a regular basis.
The Church means, “The called out ones.” God has called the Church as a whole, and the individual members of it, to live holy lives that are set apart for God, His ways and His Kingdom. We are in the world, but are not supposed to be under its influence. When we meet with the Body of Christ to pray together, worship, share the Lord’s Supper and study the word of God, our minds and hearts are influenced by the culture of God’s kingdom. This equips us to go back out into the world and make a difference. If we live isolated from the Church we become conformed to the world and will drift away from the Lord. Fellowship with the Church of Christ is vital to our walk with God.
Read and Discuss: Ephesians 4:4-16, Romans 12:1-2
Discussion:
Do you know of a good Bible-believing church you can attend?
4. Evangelize
One of the purposes of fellowship is to equip us for ministry to a lost world. As believers we are like a person with cancer who has found the cure. If we discovered the cure for cancer it would not only be wrong to keep it to ourselves, it would also be almost impossible because of our great joy. Now that we know the way to receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life we must share it. Most new believers naturally want to share what God has done for them, but they often let fear stop them. They fear they do not know what to share with someone and so they stay quiet. This will lessen our joy in the Lord, and more importantly it will keep others from hearing the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ, so we must share.
Here are the three key points of the biblical message. Each point has two sub points. Take time to discuss these points:
- The Problem
– God is holy. He hates sin and will not allow it to go unpunished.
– Man is sinful. People have sinned and are going to face God’s wrath.
- The Solution
– Jesus Christ died for sins so that people could receive forgiveness and peace with God.
– Jesus rose from the dead to give people a new life of holiness now and eternal life in the age to come.
- The Response
– The first thing a person must do to benefit from the death and resurrection of Christ is repent of their sin.
– The second thing a person must do to be saved is place their trust in the saving work of Christ.
Read and Discuss: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Discussion:
Who do you want to share your faith with first? Does it scare you to share your faith? If yes, why?
Gospel Commission Indonesia 