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How Can the Bible Help You?Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course
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LESSON 01
How Can the Bible Help You?
Nearly all of us have questions about life, suffering, death, and the future. We are also concerned about day-to-day matters, such as making a living or having a happy family. Many people find that the Bible not only helps them answer life’s big questions but also gives them practical advice for daily living. Do you think that the Bible can help anyone you know?
1. What are some questions that the Bible answers?
The Bible answers these important questions: How did life begin? Why are we here? Why do innocent people suffer? What happens when a person dies? If everyone wants peace, why is there so much war? What will happen to the earth in the future? The Bible encourages us to seek answers to such questions, and millions have found its answers very satisfying.
2. How can the Bible help us to enjoy our daily life?
The Bible gives us good advice. For example, it teaches families how to be truly happy. It offers advice on how to deal with stress and how to enjoy our work. You will learn what the Bible teaches about these topics and much more as we discuss this material together. You may come to agree that “all Scripture [everything in the Bible] is . . . beneficial.”—2 Timothy 3:16.
This publication does not replace the Bible. Rather, it encourages you to examine the Bible for yourself. Therefore, we urge you to read the scriptures that are listed in these lessons and compare them with what you are learning.
DIG DEEPER
Consider how the Bible has helped people, how you can enjoy reading it, and why it is good to get help to understand it.
3. The Bible can guide us
The Bible is like a powerful light. We can use the Bible to show us how to make good decisions and to help us see what lies ahead.
Read Psalm 119:105, and then discuss these questions:
How did the writer of this psalm view the Bible?
How do you view the Bible?
4. The Bible can answer our questions
One woman found that the Bible provided answers to questions that had troubled her for many years. Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the questions that follow.
In the video, what sort of questions did this woman have?
How did studying the Bible help her?
The Bible encourages us to ask questions. Read Matthew 7:7, and then discuss the following:
What questions do you have that the Bible may be able to answer?
5. You can enjoy reading the Bible
Many people enjoy reading the Bible and are benefiting from it. Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the questions that follow.
In the video, how did the young people feel about reading in general?
Why do they now feel differently about reading the Bible?
The Bible says it can give us instruction that comforts us and gives us hope. Read Romans 15:4, and then discuss this question:
Does the Bible’s promise of comfort and hope interest you?
6. Others can help us to understand the Bible
In addition to reading the Bible on their own, many have found that discussing it with others is helpful. Read Acts 8:26-31, and then discuss this question:
How can we understand the Bible?—See verses 30 and 31.
The Ethiopian man needed help to understand the Scriptures. Many people today find it helpful to discuss the Bible with others
SOME PEOPLE SAY: “Studying the Bible is a waste of time.”
What would you say? Why?
SUMMARY
The Bible offers advice for daily life, answers important questions, and gives people comfort and hope.
Review
What kind of advice can we find in the Bible?
What are some questions that the Bible answers?
What would you like to learn from the Bible?
EXPLORE
Consider how the Bible’s advice is practical today.
“Bible Teachings—Timeless Wisdom” (The Watchtower No. 1 2018)
See how the Bible helped a man who had struggled with his emotions since childhood.
Examine the Bible’s practical advice for family life.
Learn how the Bible clears up a common misconception about who really rules the world.
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The Bible Gives HopeEnjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course
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LESSON 02
The Bible Gives Hope
People around the world deal with problems that cause them to feel sadness, anxiety, and even pain. Have you ever faced a situation that made you feel those things? Perhaps you are suffering because of an illness or because someone you love has died. You may ask yourself, ‘Will life ever get better?’ The Bible provides a reassuring answer to that question.
1. How does the Bible give hope?
The Bible not only explains why the world is filled with problems but also shares the good news that these problems are temporary and will soon be gone. The Bible’s promises can “give you a future and a hope.” (Read Jeremiah 29:11, 12.) Those promises help us to cope with our present problems, to have a positive attitude, and to find lasting happiness.
2. What kind of future does the Bible describe?
The Bible describes a future time when “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” (Read Revelation 21:4.) The problems that can make life seem hopeless today—such as poverty, injustice, sickness, and death—will no longer exist. The Bible promises that humans will be able to enjoy life forever in Paradise on earth.
3. How can you build up your trust in the hope the Bible gives?
Many people hope for good things to happen, but they cannot be sure that their hopes will ever be fulfilled. What the Bible promises is different. We can build up our trust in what it says by “carefully examining the Scriptures.” (Acts 17:11) As you study the Bible, you will be able to decide for yourself whether you can believe what it says about the future.
DIG DEEPER
Examine some of the conditions that the Bible promises for the future. See how the hope the Bible gives is helping people today.
4. The Bible offers the hope of everlasting life in perfect conditions
Look at the following list of promises found in the Bible. Which ones especially appeal to you? Why?
Read the scriptures cited next to those promises, and consider these questions:
Do you feel that these scriptures give hope? Could they give hope to your family and friends?
Picture living in a world where
NO ONE WILL . . .
EVERYONE WILL . . .
feel pain, weaken with age, or have to die.—Isaiah 25:8.
see dead loved ones resurrected, brought back to life on earth.—John 5:28, 29.
get sick or live with a disability.—Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6.
enjoy good health and youthful energy.—Job 33:25.
experience injustice.—Isaiah 32:16, 17.
have plenty to eat, a comfortable home, and satisfying work.—Psalm 72:16; Isaiah 65:21, 22.
suffer as a result of war.—Psalm 46:9.
experience complete peace.—Psalm 37:11.
be plagued by troubling thoughts or memories.—Isaiah 65:17.
live forever in ideal conditions.—Psalm 37:29.
5. The Bible’s hope can make a difference
Many people are discouraged or even angered by the problems they see around them. Some fight to try to change things for the better. See how the Bible’s promise that things will get better helps people now. Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the questions that follow.
In the video, what injustice troubled Rafika?
Although the injustice that she saw did not go away, how did the Bible help her?
The hope that the Bible offers for the future can help us to battle discouragement and cope with our problems successfully. Read Proverbs 17:22 and Romans 12:12, and then discuss these questions:
Do you think that the message of hope found in the Bible could make a difference in your life now? Why?
SOME PEOPLE SAY: “The Bible’s promises for the future are too good to be true.”
Why do you think it is important to examine the evidence?
SUMMARY
The Bible gives us hope and helps us to cope with challenges by promising a future filled with happiness.
Review
Why do people need hope?
What does the Bible say about the future?
How can having a hope for the future help you now?
EXPLORE
Learn more about the power of hope.
Discover how hope for the future can help those who are living with chronic illness.
“Living With Chronic Illness—Can the Bible Help?” (Web article)
When you watch this music video, picture yourself and your family enjoying life in the Bible’s promised future Paradise.
Read how a social activist’s life changed once he learned the Bible’s hope for the future.
“I No Longer Feel That I Have to Change the World” (The Watchtower, July 1, 2013)
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Can You Trust the Bible?Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course
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LESSON 03
Can You Trust the Bible?
The Bible makes many promises and offers much advice. Likely you are curious about what it teaches, but perhaps you are also cautious. Should you trust promises and advice from such an old book? Can you really believe what the Bible says about enjoying life now and in the future? Millions of people do. Let us see whether you can too.
1. Is the Bible a book of fact or fiction?
The Bible claims to be a record of “accurate words of truth.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10) It relates real events that involved real people. (Read Luke 1:3; 3:1, 2.) Many historians and archaeologists have confirmed the accuracy of important dates, people, places, and events described in the Bible.
2. Why can we say that the Bible is not out-of-date?
In many ways, the Bible has proved to be ahead of its time. For example, it touches on scientific subjects. Much of what it says on those subjects was controversial when it was written. However, modern science confirms that what the Bible says is accurate. It is “always reliable, now and forever.”—Psalm 111:8.
3. Why can we trust what the Bible says about the future?
The Bible contains propheciesa that foretell “the things that have not yet been done.” (Isaiah 46:10) It accurately foretold numerous historical events long before they occurred. It also described today’s world conditions in striking detail. In this lesson, we will examine some of the Bible’s prophecies. Their accuracy is amazing!
DIG DEEPER
Examine how modern science agrees with the Bible, and investigate a few impressive Bible prophecies.
4. Science agrees with the Bible
In ancient times, most people believed that the earth rested upon something. Play the VIDEO.
Notice what was recorded in the book of Job some 3,500 years ago. Read Job 26:7, and then discuss this question:
Why is the statement that the earth is suspended “upon nothing” surprising?
It was not until the 1800’s that the earth’s water cycle was well understood. Yet, notice what the Bible stated thousands of years ago. Read Job 36:27, 28, and then discuss these questions:
Why is this simple description of the water cycle remarkable?
Do the scriptures you just read strengthen your trust in the Bible?
5. The Bible foretold important events
Read Isaiah 44:27–45:2, and then discuss this question:
What details did the Bible foretell 200 years before the fall of Babylon?
History confirms that King Cyrus of Persia and his army conquered the city of Babylon in 539 B.C.E.b They diverted the river that protected the city. After entering the city through gates that had been left open, they captured it without a battle. Today, over 2,500 years later, Babylon lies in ruins. Note what the Bible foretold.
Read Isaiah 13:19, 20, and then discuss this question:
How does what happened to Babylon confirm the fulfillment of this prophecy?
Babylon’s ruins in modern-day Iraq
6. The Bible foretold things we see today
The Bible refers to our time as “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1) Notice what the Bible foretold about this time period.
Read Matthew 24:6, 7, and then discuss this question:
What significant conditions did the Bible say would exist during the last days?
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5, and then discuss these questions:
What common attitudes of people during the last days did the Bible describe?
Which of these attitudes have you observed?
SOME PEOPLE SAY: “The Bible is a book of myths and legends.”
In your opinion, what is the strongest evidence that the Bible is trustworthy?
SUMMARY
History, science, and prophecy all indicate that you can trust the Bible.
Review
Is the Bible a book of fact or fiction?
What are some areas where science agrees with the Bible?
Do you think that the Bible foretells the future? Why, or why not?
EXPLORE
Are there scientific errors in the Bible?
What are the facts about “the last days”?
“6 Bible Prophecies You Are Seeing Fulfilled” (The Watchtower, May 1, 2011)
Learn how Bible prophecies about the Greek Empire came true.
Discover how Bible prophecies changed one man’s view of the Bible.
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