Sunday, April 26
Just as Jehovah freely forgave you, you must also do the same.—Col. 3:13.
Jehovah expects us to be ready to forgive those who hurt us. (Ps. 86:5; Luke 17:4; Eph. 4:32) We may be deeply hurt because of what someone says or does to us, especially if that person is a close friend or family member. (Ps. 55:12-14) At times, the emotional pain we suffer can be likened to being stabbed. (Prov. 12:18) We may try to suppress or ignore our hurt feelings. But doing so might be like getting stabbed and then leaving the knife in the wound. Similarly, we cannot expect our hurt feelings to get better if we simply ignore them. When someone offends us, our initial reaction may be to get angry. The Bible acknowledges that we may become wrathful. However, it warns against allowing that emotion to dominate us. (Ps. 4:4; Eph. 4:26) Why? Because anger seldom leads to good results. (Jas. 1:20) Remember, getting angry is a reaction, but remaining angry is a choice. w25.02 15 ¶4-6
APRIL 20-26
ISAIAH 54-55
Song 86 and Prayer | Opening Comments (1 min.)
1. How Much Are You Willing to Pay?
(10 min.)
Jehovah promised to teach his sons (Isa 54:13; w09 9/15 21 ¶3)
We must buy truth with our time (Isa 55:1, 2; w18.11 4 ¶6-7)
Listening attentively requires effort, but it means our life (Isa 55:3; be 14 ¶3-5)
ASK YOURSELF, ‘How can I improve my personal study habits?’
2. Spiritual Gems
(10 min.)
Isa 54:17—The first part of this verse reminds us of what three important facts? (w19.01 6 ¶14-15)
What spiritual gems from this week’s Bible reading would you like to share?
3. Bible Reading
(4 min.) Isa 54:1-10 (th study 11)
4. Starting a Conversation
(2 min.) HOUSE TO HOUSE. Share a truth from appendix A of the Love People brochure. (lmd lesson 1 point 4)
5. Starting a Conversation
(2 min.) PUBLIC WITNESSING. Share a truth from appendix A of the Love People brochure. (lmd lesson 2 point 3)
6. Following Up
(2 min.) PUBLIC WITNESSING. Give the person a contact card. (lmd lesson 9 point 3)
7. Talk
(5 min.) be 28 ¶3–31 ¶2—Theme: How to Study. (th study 14)
Song 97
8. Overcoming Obstacles to Personal Study
(15 min.) Discussion.
There are many challenges to maintaining a consistent routine of personal study. Imagine that you are trying to encourage a fellow Christian who is struggling to have a good routine of personal study and daily Bible reading. He brings up the following obstacles. For each one, write down at least one practical suggestion, Scriptural principle, or publication reference that can help him.
“I don’t read well”
“I don’t enjoy studying”
“I don’t know where in the Bible to start reading or how much to read each day”
“There’s so much material! What should I try to study each week?”
“My schedule is so full that it’s difficult to find time to study”
“I have trouble concentrating and sometimes can’t remember what I just read”
Play the VIDEO Effective Personal Study. Then ask the audience:
What suggestions to make personal study more effective did you appreciate?
9. Congregation Bible Study
(30 min.) lfb lessons 78-79