December 2, 2018 Lesson 1 GOD S WORD AND OUR GUIDE Scripture: Psalm 119:11; 1 Peter 1:18, 24, 25; 2 Peter 1:21 Aim: By the end of the lesson I will be introduced to Bible study. NOTE: This is not a traditional help for the teacher; instead, it is a day-by-day guide to aid the teacher in lesson preparation. Use of this guide will assure that the teacher is prepared and that adequate lesson material is available for the class time allotted. The help for the teacher will be integrated with the student lesson material. The preparation time suggested is ten to fifteen minutes each day for five days. Each section of the lesson material is covered in one of the preparation days. This will allow the teacher, whether a professional or a novice, to be prepared to present each lesson with a minimum of effort. The key to success is the regular and consistent use of the material. It is vital that the teacher devote a small amount of time each day to lesson preparation. DAILY PLAN MONDAY, DAY 1 INTRODUCING THE LESSON 1. Read the Scripture passage for Lesson 1. Read the Text Commentary section of the teacher s help. Make a note of any comments that might provoke questions from the class. 2. Consider the following questions to use in the introduction of your lesson. A. What are some of the confusing situations in which you have been? B. How did finding the beginning, middle and end help you eliminate the confusion? 3. If you have a topical Bible available, take a look at it or look in a Bible handbook to see the order in which the books of the Bible were written. Can you find any meaning to this order? 4. Write at least two good declarative sentences you can use to begin your lesson. 5. Pray and ask the Lord to guide you in your preparation. 3
TUESDAY, DAY 2 TAKE A CLOSER LOOK EXPLAINING THE SCRIPTURES 1. Read again the Bible passage used for the text of the lesson. Refer to the notes you made on Day 1 concerning any part of the text that is difficult to understand. 2. Read the Take a Closer Look section of the student quarterly. Consider the following questions for use in presentation of the lesson material. A. Why should we listen to what the Bible says about itself instead of what men say about it? B. What is the difference in changing someone s mind and in changing his heart? C. Which will be the more permanent change? D. How can Bible knowledge keep us from sinning? Can you give some examples? E. What is the difference in head knowledge and heart knowledge? F. What does it mean to be inspired? G. How long did it take God to complete the Bible? How many men did He use to write it? H. What is the central message and who is the central character of the Bible? I. To what experience is God directing each of us through His Word? J. How long will the Word of God last? Name some other things that will last as long. 3. Use any reference materials you have available to answer any questions you may have discovered from your reading of the text verses. 4. Pray about what you have learned and about your preparation for this lesson. WEDNESDAY, DAY 3 PERSPECTIVES APPLYING THE MATERIAL TO THE LIVES OF THE STUDENTS 1. Once more read the Bible passage used as the text of the lesson. 2. Read the Perspectives section of the student quarterly. Consider the following questions for class discussion. A. Why do some people study the Word but seem to be unchanged by it? The rich young ruler of Luke 18:18 23 is an example. B. To whom should we first apply the Word of God? Matthew 7:3 5 gives us more information. C. What does it mean to be a witness? Acts 1:8 offers us more information. D. What text verse can you memorize this week? How many Scripture verses can you recite from memory? 3. Write down a specific lesson you have learned from your study that you want to be certain to share with your class. 4. Pray about what you have learned and about your preparation to teach. 4
THURSDAY, DAY 4 BUILDING BLOCKS MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE LIVES OF MY STUDENTS 1. Read again the Bible passage used as the lesson text. 2. Read the Building Blocks section of the student quarterly. Choose some of the following questions to challenge your class members to make changes in their lives based on their understanding of the Bible. A. Make a list of some of the problems you are facing right now. Put the biggest problem at the top of the list. B. Try to assign a Scripture verse to each problem. C. What are some consequences of bad decisions? What are some consequences of good decisions? D. Has God ever led anyone to make a decision that had bad consequences? Emphasize to the class that the Holy Spirit is always leading in the right direction. 3. At this point be sure to have answers to all the questions suggested here and in the lesson material. If you have any other matters that you want to discuss with your class, note them now so that you can research them before class time. 4. Pray about the lesson material asking God to lead you in your preparation. FRIDAY, DAY 5 SPRINGBOARD TAKING THE LESSON MATERIAL INTO OUR FUTURE 1. Read once more the Bible passage used as the lesson text. Remember the best way to learn the Bible is to study the Bible. 2. Read the Springboard section of the student quarterly. 3. Are there students in your class who have personal spiritual decisions to make? Don t be confrontational, but present an opportunity for open and frank discussion of spiritual problems. 4. Present the plan of salvation. Those who are lost need to hear it, and those who are saved need to be reminded of it. 5. Present God s plan of service. Emphasize Ephesians 2:10 and 3:21. 6. Make your own brief outline of how you intend to use your class time. 7. Gather any materials you will need for the class and organize them as you intend to use them. 8. Pray again. Ask God to guide you and prepare your heart to teach His Word. TEXT COMMENTARY Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). This verse has three distinct divisions. First, there is a good thing, the Word of God. Second, there is a good place to put it, the heart of man. We can put the Word in many places, but the best place to put it is into our hearts. Finally, there is a good reason. Of all the things the Bible can do for us, perhaps the most important is that it can keep us from sinning by guiding us in the right way. We always have choices, and many of our choices are based on the wrong things. We can choose based on feelings or emotions. We can choose based on circumstances. These choices will often lead us into sin. When we 5
make our choices based on God s Word, we not only prevent sin but we also establish a basis for right living and right conduct in the eyes of God and men. First Peter 1:18, 24, 25 states, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not re deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. The most important foundation in our lives is the one on which we build our hope of eternal life. If we build this foundation out of silver, gold or any other standard of wealth, we will be disappointed, maybe not in this life but certainly in the life to come. Our redemption is not a matter of our judgment but of the judgment of God. We are not righteous because we say we are but because God says we are. This is why the corruptible things of life cannot save the souls of men. Peter mentioned things that are ineffective in bringing salvation. First is the physical wealth of life, however it might be defined. Remember the rich young ruler of Luke 18. He had what most men dream of, wealth and youth, but his life was still lacking. What he did not have was the forgiveness of his sins, and he let his wealth keep him from finding peace in Christ. What a tragedy. Peter also mentioned the traditions that promote vain conversation, or vain lifestyles. The religious groups of Jesus day were steeped in tradition; yet, they failed to recognize Jesus when they saw Him. Tradition had led them away from God, not toward Him. Tradition can be a great barrier to our faith and service. Remember that these things are not in themselves wrong. Silver and gold are only metals, and traditions are activities that we have sanctified. They are not intrinsically evil, but the uses we put them to can be extremely evil. You can trust your gold to save your soul, and this is evil, or you can give your gold to further the gospel, and this is good. As in so many things, the choice makes the difference, and the choice is yours. Second Peter 1:21 declares, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. All Scripture is inspired. There is a tendency in some to pick out favorite passages and emphasize these and ignore others. This is especially noticeable concerning the New Testament versus the Old Testament. Many scholars spend most of their study time in the New Testament. Remember that Peter was speaking about the Old Testament Scriptures. The Old Testament was the guide for all the men who wrote the New Testament. The Old Testament was the Bible quoted by Jesus. These verses still hold many vital messages for us, but we can only unlock them as we understand them. One barrier to understanding many verses in the Old Testament is in the way we think today. We are literal and linear in our thinking. In Old Testament days men tended to think more in metaphor and use circular instead of linear reasoning. Neither of these systems of thought 6
is inherently good or bad, but they are different; if we do not distinguish between them, we will be confused. In the Old Testament, God painted word pictures for us. A picture does not have a beginning, a middle and an end. It is a whole thing. It is a representation designed to give an impression. That is how it teaches. This makes the word pictures that Moses painted for us different from the brilliant logic of the apostle Paul. We must apply our interpretive skills to the Bible to make it mean to us what it meant to those who originally received it. It is also vital that we recognize and appropriate the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiration. Although God used men to write the Bible, He alone is the author. Without God the idea of the Bible would never have been born. It would never have occurred to men to write an instruction book for life and eternity. We have no natural knowledge of eternity except a certain, innate dread of it. God alone understands what is beyond the door of death, and He alone can guide us through it. The Bible is every bit as vital for today as it has been for any day. Every day we enter an uncharted wilderness of time. We go into the future where we have never been before. We move into unknown dangers and delights. If we go in our strength, we go alone and unprepared. If we follow our divine guide, we go certain of victory. 7
ANSWER KEY Various answers depending on the experiences of the student. Take a Closer Look Psalm 119:11, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 1 Peter 1:18, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. 1 Peter 1:24, 25, For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 2 Peter 1:21, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Perspectives 1. Apply the Word 2. Making our own spiritual decisions 3. Accept Jesus as our personal Savior 4. We can witness to them of our Savior s love. 5. Various answers Building Blocks Various answers depending on experience. Be sure to discuss these answers with your students. Springboard Various answers depending on the experience. 8