RCCG JUNIOR ZEAL FOR 2022/2023 AGE 13-19 STUDENTS’ MANUAL SUNDAY 28TH OF MAY, 2023

[16]All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

[17]That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

INTRODUCTION: Jesus desires that His followers be hot and burning for Him, you should not be lukewarm [Revelation 3:15-16]. One of the ways of keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit burning is through studying the Word of God. They say what you fill your mind with which influences the way you act. The famous Bobo Doll experiment by Badura et al between 1961 and 1963 shows how violent media influenced children’s behavior. You will notice that the kind of things you watch, read and listen to can affect your behavior. Since we have established this fact, reading the Word of God consistently will also influence you. You will find yourself conscious of the Word of God. When you study Jesus you will be able to make decisions on “what will Jesus do?”, and you will find yourself imitating Him.

STUDY GUIDE

A.) HOW DOES THE WORD OF GOD HELP TO SUSTAIN THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

1. It influences your actions – We have established that what you consume in your mind influences you. But rather than being influenced by the world, influence your mind with the word. That way you will find yourself acting like the word. By behaving according to the word, your actions conform to the holy spirit and it helps you follow His instructions. [Romans 12:2]

2. Overcome temptation – The word of God helps us to overcome temptation. When you are tempted and you don’t know what to do, you can refer back to the Word. Knowing the Word helps you in difficult situations. We saw how Jesus used the Word to resist the temptations of the devil. [Luke 4:1-13]

3. It makes you hear God- Sometimes we always think that hearing God will be a clear audible voice, but hearing God starts from studying His Word. He communicates to us through His Word. It makes us sensitive to know when the Holy Spirit is reaching out to us. To also discern the voice of God from any other voice is to know which voice conforms to His Word because God does not go against His Word. [1 Samuel 3:21]

4. It makes you pray – Prayer is also as important as studying the Word. The Word of God can inspire you to pray, it gives you something to pray about (prayer points) and it even teaches us how to pray. And this is important in keeping you sensitive to the Holy Spirit and keeping the fire burning [Matthew 6:9-13]

5. Helps to abstain from sin – Keeping the fire burning also means avoiding sin because sin grieves the Holy Spirit. God’s word is a guide that helps a believer to make the right decisions. It strengthens you and helps you understand what to do and what not to do. [Ephesians 4:30, Romans 15:4, Psalm 119:105]

6. It makes you hungry for more – The more you study, the more you hunger for more knowledge of the word of God and hungry for the things of God.

B.) HOW TO READ THE WORD

According to 2 Timothy 2:15, we are to “rightly divide the word of truth Some believers read the Bible without care and fall into error. It is important to rightly study the Word to prevent a situation where one falls into heresy. There are some heretic doctrines out there that resulted as a result of misinterpreting the Word. It is first important to note that the Holy Spirit’s help is key in understanding the Bible. After all, it is inspired by him.

The following are factors to consider when studying the Word of God.

1. Observation: Observations on who is talking, who wrote the text, and to whom it was directed. Observe the words, sentences, and language. Use a dictionary for any word you don’t understand, all these play a part in understanding the text.

2. Context: Always endeavor to read a part in its full context. A part is from a whole. Don’t just extract a part without knowing the whole. What was happening before a statement was made and what events led to the actions that Occur.

3. Cross-referencing: Sometimes you need to use other passages to understand a passage. Sometimes people in the Bible will quote other parts of the Bible especially if it is the fulfillment of a prophecy. It is important to cross-reference also because you can explain some passages in the Bible using other passages in the Bible.

4. External references: External references like Strong’s dictionary, historical references, and comments from theologians or pastors also help in your Bible study. Historical references, for instance, help you to understand the Jewish or Roman culture at that time which will facilitate your understanding of why some things happened in the Bible, it gives you an in-depth understanding of time context. Or if you’re struggling to understand a passage, you can refer to comments or explanations from trusted theologians or pastors who have given a good explanation of such passage.

5. Translations: Some translations can be archaic or ambiguous. There are so many translations. If one translation is difficult to understand, try using other translations.

C.) HOW TO PLAN A WORD STUDY SCHEDULE

1. Daily: Try as much as possible to fix your study schedule every day. Just like you eat daily food, eat the Word daily.

2. Morning/evening: As teenagers who have their afternoons- occupied with activities or errands, early mornings or evenings are a good time to study the Word.

3. Plan with manuals or audio messages: You may not exactly read a passage every time, you can use manuals like the Teens Open Heavens or audio teachings of a trusted teacher of the Word.

4. As you observe daily activities: This can happen for instance, if you’re using an audio Bible or audio teaching. Maybe as you’re going for a walk along with the neighborhood, or in a vehicle, airplane, train traveling a long distance, or if you’re cleaning or performing any other activity that doesn’t need your full attention, you can listen to your audio bible or teaching during this period.

5. Order: This may be transitioning from the old to the new testament, Using a period to study the gospels or the acts of the apostles. You should follow a particular order and not just read anyhow. This makes it easier to understand the context and encourages consistency.

6. Prayer time: It is suitable to do your study time with your prayer time.

DISCUSSION: Can you finish the Bible? Have you finished it before and if you have, do you need to read it again? Can you have enough of the Bible?

LIFE APPLICATION: Just as how the media is shaping the minds of the youth today through continuous consumption, let the Word of God shape your mind through continuous daily consumption. Endeavor to make a study plan and read the Word every day to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning.

CONCLUSION: There are so many distractions today. The development of new media has indoctrinated many teenagers with its secular content. To resist this and to conform to the Word of God we must make a conscious and deliberate effort to study the Word and be consistent. Pray for God to help you as you make effort to study his Word daily.

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

What is I learn in today’s lesson?

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How can I apply this to my life?

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My prayer today is:

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