Thursday, May 18
You must love . . . your neighbor as yourself.—Luke 10:27.
If you are ever in doubt as to how you ought to behave in any given situation, it would be wise to ask yourself, ‘What would Jesus have done?’ The nation in which Jesus lived was made up of people from various regions—Judea, Galilee, Samaria, and others. Bible accounts reveal that there were tensions between people of these different areas. (John 4:9) Tensions also existed between Pharisees and Sadducees (Acts 23:6-9), between the people and the tax collectors (Matt. 9:11), and between those who had received a Rabbinic education and those who had not. (John 7:49) In the first century, Israel was ruled by the Romans, whose presence was deeply resented by the local people. While Jesus championed religious truth and acknowledged that salvation originated with the Jews, he never encouraged his disciples to foster rivalries. (John 4:22) On the contrary, he urged them to love all men as their neighbor. w15 7/15 3:5
May 15-21
JEREMIAH 39-43
Song 150 and Prayer
Opening Comments (3 min. or less)
TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD
“Jehovah Will Render to Each One According to His Works”: (10 min.)
Jer 39:4-7—Zedekiah suffered the consequences of disobeying Jehovah (it-2 1228 ¶4)
Jer 39:15-18—Jehovah showed appreciation to Ebed-melech for demonstrating trust in Him (w12 5/1 31 ¶5)
Jer 40:1-6—Jehovah took care of his faithful servant Jeremiah (it-2 482)
Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.)
Jer 42:1-3; 43:2, 4—What lessons can we learn from Johanan’s mistake? (w03 5/1 10 ¶10)
Jer 43:6, 7—What is the significance of the events described in these verses? (it-1 463 ¶4)
What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?
What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?
Bible Reading: (4 min. or less) Jer 40:11–41:3
APPLY YOURSELF TO THE FIELD MINISTRY
Initial Call: (2 min. or less) Isa 46:10—Teach the Truth. Lay the groundwork for a return visit.
Return Visit: (4 min. or less) Re 12:7-9, 12—Teach the Truth. Lay the groundwork for the next visit.
Bible Study: (6 min. or less) bh 153 ¶19-20—Invite the person to the meeting.
LIVING AS CHRISTIANS
“Jehovah Does Not Forget Your Love” (Ps 71:18): (15 min.) Discussion. Begin by playing the video Jehovah Does Not Forget Your Love.
Congregation Bible Study: (30 min.) kr chap. 12 ¶16-23, boxes “‘We Were Amazed’” and “Fruitful Weekly Visits,” review box “How Real Is the Kingdom to You?”
Review Followed by Preview of Next Week (3 min.)
Song 103 and Prayer