DEVELOPING A FAITH THAT WORKS YOUNG ADULT CELLS OCTOBER 2006

HOW TO BE BLESSED BY THE BIBLE

Leader’s Notes

IMPT NOTE:
The important thing in this lesson is to encourage members to evaluate Objective:
At the end of this lesson, you
their own walk with God in light of the 4 instructions taught here in the
will be able to:
way they read God’s Word. There will be an immediate personal 1. Remember 4 instructions
application point for all members at the end of this lesson. we must take in
approaching God’s Word.
Remember to review these applications in next week’s cell meeting. 2. Evaluate our walk with
God on what might
Tell members that God wants us to be blessed by His Word and not just hinder us from being
read His Word. He wants us to benefit from His Word which is able to blessed by God’s Word.
3. Memorize James 1:25
meet our spiritual and emotional needs. We need to pay close attention
to what He says.

HOOK (10 Mins)

Review last week memory verse.

Encourage members to share what was the condition of the soil of

their heart the first time they heard about Jesus.
19My dear brothers, take note
Ask them to compare that with their present condition. Is there any
of this: Everyone should be
difference? Why? quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry,
Ask members to read the today’s passage before continuing. 20for man's anger does not
bring about the righteous life
II. We Must Receive God’s Word that God desires. 21Therefore,
get rid of all moral filth and
Read James 1:19-21.
the evil that is so prevalent
and humbly accept the word
1) Be careful, be calm, be clean, be compliant. planted in you, which can
save you.
2) If we want to be blessed by the bible, we must learn to listen. We Jas 1:19-21
must be careful to pay attention, be alert, slow to speak so we can
listen carefully and clearly. We must listen with the intent and be ready
to receive His Word. We also need to get rid of bad attitudes in our
hearts such as anger, guilt, bitterness etc that blocks us from receiving
and allowing God’s Word to penetrate our hearts.

3) It is important to rid ourselves of all moral filth because they are like
ear wax, blocking us from hearing what God wants to say to us. They
prevent God’s Word from being planted into our hearts. We need to
confess our sins and allow God to cleanse us (1 Jn 1:9) to hear His
Word. 23Anyone who listens to the
word but does not do what it
says is like a man who looks
4) A mirror helps us to evaluate ourselves to see if we need to fix our
at his face in a mirror 24and,
hair or clothes etc. It shows us what we need to change in terms of after looking at himself, goes
external appearances. You need to point your members to Heb 4:12 away and immediately forgets
which tells us that God’s Word does more than the external but rather what he looks like.
the internal change. His Word checks our inner thoughts and intent of Jas 1:23-24
our hearts.

III. We Must Reflect on God’s Word

25But the man who looks
1) Read it, Review it, Remember it. intently into the perfect law
that gives freedom, and
2) James tells us to gaze rather than glance at God’s word. When we continues to do this, not
glance at the mirror, we quickly forget what we see but when we gaze, forgetting what he has heard,
but doing it—he will be
we remember better. We need to spend unhurried time during out QT
blessed in what he does.
to look into God’s Word so we will not forget. Other words associated Jas 1:25
with looking intently are research, study and investigate. Share with
members the following as a suggestion to help them gaze intently into
the Word of God: SPACEPETS.

Member’s Notes
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DEVELOPING A FAITH THAT WORKS YOUNG ADULT CELLS OCTOBER 2006

S – is there a Sin to confess?

P – is there a Promise to claim?
A – is there an Attitude to change?
22Do not merely listen to the
C – is there a Command to keep?
word, and so deceive
E – is there an Example to follow? yourselves. Do what it says.
P – is there a Prayer to pray? Jas 1:22
E – is there an Error to avoid?
T – is there a Truth to believe? See above for v25
S – is there Something to thank God for?
17Now that you know these
3) Explain to members that meditation means focusing your attention things, you will be blessed if
you do them.
on God’s Word over and over again. Affirm member’s sharing on what
Jn 13:17
can hinder them from meditating on God’s Word. It could be not
allowing themselves unhurried time to dwell on God’s Word or other 26If anyone considers himself
distractions. Encourage them to ask God to help overcome these religious and yet does not
hinderances so they can be blessed by His Word. keep a tight rein on his
tongue, he deceives himself
4) We forget 90% of what we’ve heard within 72 hours if we don’t write and his religion is worthless.
them down. Encourage members to memorize a verse per week or 27Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and
more, depending on their ability so that they can think about these
faultless is this: to look after
verses anytime. orphans and widows in their
distress and to keep oneself
from being polluted by the
IV. We Must Respond to God’s Word world.
Read Jas 1:22, 25. Read also Jn 13:17. Jas 1:26-27

1) God doesn’t want us to be puffed up with knowledge. He wants us to

do what He tells us to do so that we will be blessed by His Word. He
doesn’t want us to be just a discusser or moderator of the Word. The
bible says do not just merely listen to the Word. In Greek, it means
“audit”. When we take classes only for audit and not credit, we just
enjoy the class but won’t need to do research, homework or take much
responsibility for what we’ve learnt. Some of us may be going to church
or cell group like an “audit” student, with no intention of doing anything
about what they’ve learnt. The bible says that we deceive ourselves if
we are merely listening to the bible without applying it into our lives.

V. We Must Practice God’s Word

Read Jas 1:26-27.

James concludes this passage with 3 things we would know if we are

practicing God’s Word.

1) Controlled mouth, Caring heart, Clean mind.

VI. Conclusion

1) Encourage members to share an example of how they’ve been

blessed when they put God’s Word into practice. Tell members that God
wants us to be blessed by the bible. Ask them to write down 3 things
from this lesson which they would like to apply to their lives this week
and review it next week in cell.

2) Memorize James 1:25

3) Get members into smaller groups to pray for one another.

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Member’s Notes
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