Isaac was a wealthy man, and the Philistines envied Isaac’s prosperity. (Gen. 26:12-14) They even stopped up the wells that Isaac depended on in order to water his flocks and herds. (Gen. 26:15, 16, 27) Like the Philistines, some people today become envious of those who have more material possessions than they do. They not only want the things others have but also want to deprive them of what they have. The Jewish religious leaders envied Jesus because he was much appreciated by the common people. (Matt. 7:28, 29) Jesus was God’s representative, and he was teaching the truth. Even so, these religious leaders spread wicked lies and slander to ruin Jesus’ good name. (Mark 15:10; John 11:47, 48; 12:12, 13, 19) What warning lesson can we learn from this account? We must fight any tendency to envy those who have qualities that endear them to the congregation. Instead, we should try to imitate their loving ways.​—1 Cor. 11:1. w20.02 15 ¶4-5

Imagine that you are living some 2,500 years ago in Persia and want to speak to the king. You would not even think of approaching the monarch without first receiving his permission. To do otherwise could very well cost you your life! How thankful we are that Jehovah is not like that Persian king! He welcomes us at any time. He wants us to feel free to approach him. For example, although Jehovah bears such lofty titles as Grand Creator, Almighty, and Sovereign Lord, we are invited to call on him using the familiar term “Father.” (Matt. 6:9) How touching that Jehovah wants us to view him in such a warm and intimate way! We can rightly call Jehovah “Father”​—he is the Source of our life. (Ps. 36:9) Because he is our Father, we have a responsibility to obey him. When we do what he asks of us, we will enjoy marvelous blessings. (Heb. 12:9) Those blessings include everlasting life, whether in heaven or on earth. w20.02 2 ¶1-3

Our goal is to help our Bible student to grow spiritually. (Eph. 4:13) When someone agrees to a study of the Bible, he may mainly be interested in how the study will benefit him personally. As his love for Jehovah grows, however, he will likely begin to think about how he can help others, including those who are already part of the congregation. (Matt. 22:37-39) When the time is right, do not hold back from mentioning the privilege of supporting the Kingdom work financially. Teach your Bible student what to do when problems arise. Suppose, for example, that your student, an unbaptized publisher, tells you that he has been offended by someone in the congregation. Rather than take sides, why not explain what his Scriptural options are? He can either forgive the brother or, if he cannot let the matter go, approach the person kindly and lovingly with the goal of ‘gaining the brother.’ (Compare Matthew 18:15.) Help your student to prepare what he is going to say. w20.01 5-6 ¶14-15