i was asked if i would want to contribute anything to the thematic daily bible reading program. last year the church stressed reading through the bible in a year. instead of going from genesis to revelation all the different areas of the bible were read each week, with reading from one area being focused on each day. this year the focus is rather on themes. right now certain themes in I john are the focus. the idea is to move from giving factually correct answers to asking questions that hopefully make the reader think about their own walk with the Lord.
i'm not sure how this will work but said i would start praying about what i might contribute. several days later many thoughts started flowing and i wrote for a while. my goal here is just to get these thoughts down here and continue to think about how any of this could be formed into questions taken from different scripture passages. at heart they form a burden that is growing in me that i might not be so independent but more and more involved in the lives of other believers (and non-believers?) around me.
these questions could apply to people you know either within or outside the church fellowship.
i encourage you to take time to ask God to speak to you and direct your thinking, read the passage(s),
write out an answer and then ask God to show you how to put it into practice one time.
have you done what you wrote?
did you pray before, while, after you did it..asking for guidance?
how did it go?
do you have any questions?
if you do, have you asked any other of the believers?
do you know anyone who needs a faithful friend..someone they can ALWAYS count on to be there in their low times, difficulties, trials, waywardness from God?
are you such a friend?
does anyone in your life give you the definite impression that they LIKE you?
do you genuinely like anyone? do you think they know it?
has anyone ever missed you when you were not at a meeting of the brethren?
have you ever been missed in a way that made you feel good?
what did the person that missed you do/say that made you feel missed and wanted?
how would you describe a good friend who you would never want to lose?
besides Jesus, do you have one?
why do you count them a good friend?
there is a saying, 'he who would have friends would show himself to be friendly'.
would you say you are a good friend to anyone?
in seeing someone in or outside of meeting are you friendly only to one person, to several, or to everyone?
if you were sick and couldn't be at meeting, would you like others to notice, to call, to visit, to
lend a hand if needed or..what would you like?
if you were absent from meetings struggling with difficulties spiritual or otherwise, or because something was wrong,
does anyone call you?
is there anyone you call to let them know?
does anyone call or drop by to talk, encourage you and pray with you?
if no one ever inquired how you were, if you needed help, anything...how would that make you feel?
if Jesus were in souderton and He could only do one or the other, which do you think He would choose? 1. go to meeting or 2.come to see you and make Himself available to help you.
if you came into a meeting for the first time what would most likely bring you back again?
if you were poorly dressed would you feel at home if no one else was?
would you expect the people there to talk to you or would you see it as your job to talk to them?
if everyone was reading a bible, the bulletin or singing a song out of the hymnal or reading the guide for the study and no one offered you one how would you feel?
the Bible says, 'let brotherly love continue'.
have you ever lost a friend?
what was the reason?
what did you do? did you seek to resolve the problem?
if the person remained aloof, how did that feel to be abandoned like that?
have you ever abandoned someone yourself?
do you ever deserve to be abandoned (based on how you treat someone else)?
if you treated someone in a way that you yourself would not like would you be surprised?
how do you usually justify yourself when you move away from another person?
what was one reason why Jesus said friendships end? (matthew 5.21-6)
which does Jesus consider more serious: murder or anger?
which person should seek out the other? the angry one or the other?
what if they are both angry? how long do they have to become friends again? (ephesians 4.26,7)
should you take communion while you are angry at some other believer? (I corinthians 11.28-30)
what may happen if you take communion anyway when you are not friends with all the other believers?
how does it feel to be forgiven and treated kindly when you have a cold, shunning heart toward someone?
how does it feel when you know you have done or are doing wrong and you fly to Jesus for help and forgiveness?
does Jesus ever give you the cold shoulder when you admit you are wrong, have done wrong? I john 1.9
does Jesus ever forgive you based on how you behave yourself in the future?
do you ever spend time with those who are sick, those who are in prison, those who you know are passing through a specially hard time spiritually or otherwise?
do you sit with them, talk with them, read the Bible promises with them, ask them if there is any way you can help, think of things you can do that would encourage them, most of all..pray with them?
if when two believers in Jesus agree as to anything IT SHALL BE DONE,
what do you think happens when all the believers agree in prayer as to what Jesus wants?
david asks God to help him to be continually in His house (intimate presence) INQUIRING OF HIM, but he says nothing about requesting anything of God at all. psalm 27.4
Why is that?
do you do that?
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