Sword Bible Study Method
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Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
This picture of a sword helps us to teach any passage of the Bible. When we think of a sword we think of four parts of the sword and six questions we need to ask.
The tip points up to the heavens:
What do we learn about God? Jesus? Holy Spirit?
The handle is held by people:
What do we learn about people?
Use the acronym “SPEC” to help remember 4 questions on the blades:
Left Blade:
S – Is there a sin to avoid?
P – Is there a promise to believe?
Right Blade:
E – Is there an example to follow?
C – Is there a command to obey?
Instructions:
During the “Look Up” part of the 3/3’s meeting, you can tell the Bible story, then read the story from the Bible. After telling and reading the story, first pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach everyone how to understand and obey this passage (John 14:26). Next, ask these questions one at a time. The questions are open for anyone to answer from the Bible. As people answer from scripture, the Holy Spirit will teach everyone how to understand and obey God and His Word. As the facilitator, keep the group focused on the specific story or passage you are studying. If there are seasoned believers in the group, they may intimidate new believers by jumping around from passage to passage. We do not want new believers to think that simply “knowing” a lot equals maturity. However, each week as believers learn more scripture, while obeying it, God will mature them in His timing. It’s always better to let people discover the truth for themselves than for the teacher to tell them. Trust the work and power of the Holy Spirit! Also, make sure all the answers come from the Bible, not simply someone’s opinion or “what I think this means to me.”
Baptism & How to Do It
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Baptism - or Baptizo in the original Greek language - means a drenching or submerging - like when you dye a cloth and it soaks in the color and comes out transformed.
Jesus said – “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...” If you have never baptized someone before, it may seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t be. Here are some simple steps:
- Find some standing water, deep enough to allow the new disciple to be submerged. This can be a pond, river, lake or ocean. It could be a bathtub or another way to gather water.
- Let the disciple hold one of your hands with theirs and support their back with the other.
- Ask two questions like these to make sure they understand their decision. “Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” “Will you obey and serve Him as your King for the rest of your life?”
- If they answer “Yes,” to both, then say something like this: “Because you’ve professed your faith in the Lord Jesus, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
- Help them lower into the water, submerge completely and raise them back up.
Congratulations! You’ve baptized a new follower of Jesus - a new citizen of heaven - a new child of the Living God. It’s time to celebrate!
Prepare Your 3 Minute Testimony
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As followers of Jesus, we are “testifying” about the impact Jesus has had on our lives. Your story of your relationship with God is called your Testimony. Everybody has a story. Sharing your Testimony is a chance to practice yours.
Try using this format to share your testimony:
There was a time in my life when _____________________, but more recently, God has helped me ________________. Has anything like that happened to you?
B.L.E.S.S. Prayer Method
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The BLESS prayer pattern gives five ways you can pray for people you meet at any time, but especially while prayer walking.
As you walk and pray, be alert for opportunities and listen for promptings by God’s Spirit to pray for individuals and groups you meet along the way.
You can say, “We’re praying for this community, is there anything in particular we can pray for you about?” Or say, “I’m praying for this area. Do you know anything in particular we should pray for?” After listening to their response you can ask about their own needs. If they share, pray for them right away. If the Lord leads, you may pray about other needs as well.
Use the word B.L.E.S.S. to help you remember 5 different ways you can pray:
Body - healthLabor - job and finances
Emotional - morale
Social - relationships
Spiritual - knowing and loving God more
S.O.A.P.S. Bible Reading Format
As a follower of Jesus, we should be reading Scripture daily. Keeping a daily journal using the S.O.A.P.S. Bible Reading format will help you understand, obey and share even more.
As a follower of Jesus, we should be reading Scripture daily. Keeping a daily journal using the S.O.A.P.S. Bible Reading format will help you understand, obey and share even more.
S.O.A.P.S. stands for:
S.O.A.P.S. stands for:
Scripture:
Write out one or more verses that are particularly meaningful to you, today.
Observation:
Rewrite those verses or key points in your own words to better understand.
Application:
Think about what it means to obey these commands in your own life.
Prayer:
Write out a prayer telling God what you’ve learned and how you plan to obey.
Sharing:
Ask God who He wants you to share with about what you’ve learned/applied.
It’s a simple way to learn and remember an effective Bible study method that any follower of Jesus can use.
Here’s an example of S.O.A.P.S. at work:
Here’s an example of S.O.A.P.S. at work:
S
O
A
P
S
Accountability Groups
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Every follower of Jesus will be held accountable, so every follower of Jesus should practice accountability with others. Jesus shared many stories of accountability and told us many truths of how we will be held responsible for what we do and say. So accountability groups are a natural expression of brothers and sisters walking together in truth and love.
Accountability Groups are made up of two or three people of the same gender – men with men, women with women – who meet once a week to discuss a set of questions that help reveal areas where things are going right and other areas that need correction. They can even meet by phone if they’re unable to meet face-to-face.
Accountability Questions
- How have your insights from last week’s reading shaped the way you think and live?
- Who did you pass your insights from last week on to and how was it received?
- How have you seen God at work?
- Have you been a testimony this week to the greatness of Jesus Christ with both your words and actions?
- Have you been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed your mind to entertain inappropriate sexual thoughts?
- Have you acknowledged God’s ownership in your use of money?
- Have you coveted anything?
- Have you hurt someone’s reputation or feelings by your words?
- Have you been dishonest in word or action or exaggerated?
- Have you given into an addictive [or lazy or undisciplined] behavior?
- Have you been a slave to clothing, friends, work, or possessions?
- Have you failed to forgive someone?
- What worries or anxieties are you facing? Have you complained or grumbled?
- Have you maintained a thankful heart?
- Have you been honoring, understanding and generous in your important relationships?
- What temptations in thought, word, or action have you faced and how did you respond?
- How have you taken opportunities to serve or bless others, especially believers?
- Have you seen specific answers to prayer?
- Did you complete the reading for the week?
How to Spend an Hour In Prayer
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The Prayer Cycle is a simple tool for practicing prayer that you can use by yourself and share with any follower of Jesus. In just 12 simple steps – 5 minutes each – the Prayer Cycle guides you through 12 ways the Bible teaches us to pray. At the end, you’ll have prayed for an hour.
PRAISE:
Start your prayer hour by praising the Lord. Praise Him for things that are on your mind right now. Praise Him for one special thing He has done in your life in the past week. Praise Him for His goodness to your family.
WAITING:
Spend time waiting on the Lord. Be silent and let Him pull together reflections for you.
CONFESSION:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything in your life that might be displeasing to Him. Ask Him to point out attitudes that are wrong, as well as specific acts for which you have not yet made a prayer of confession. Now confess that to the Lord so that you might be cleansed.
READ THE WORD:
Spend time reading in the Psalms, in the prophets, and passages on prayer located in the New Testament.
PETITION:
Make requests on behalf of yourself.
INTERCESSION:
Make requests on behalf of others.
PRAY THE WORD:
Pray specific passages. Scriptural prayers, as well as a number of psalms, lend themselves well to this purpose.
THANKSGIVING:
Give thanks to the Lord for the things in your life, on behalf of your family, and on behalf of your church.
SINGING:
Sing songs of praise or worship or another hymn or spiritual song.
MEDITATE:
Ask the Lord to speak to you. Have a pen and paper ready to record impressions He gives you.
LISTEN:
Spend time merging the things you have read, things you have prayed, and things you have sung, and see how the Lord brings them all together to speak to you.
PRAISE:
Praise the Lord for the time you have had to spend with Him and the impressions He has given you. Praise Him for His glorious attributes.