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Practical Value Made ClearBenefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education
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Practical Value Made Clear
WHETHER you are speaking to an individual or to a larger audience, it is unwise to assume that your listener(s) will be interested in your subject just because you are interested in it. Your message is important, but if you fail to make clear its practical value, you will probably not hold the interest of your audience very long.
This is true of even a Kingdom Hall audience. They may mentally tune in when you use an illustration or experience that they have not heard before. But they may tune out when you talk about things they already know, especially if you fail to build on those things. You need to help them see why and how what you are saying is of real benefit to them.
The Bible encourages us to think in practical terms. (Prov. 3:21) Jehovah used John the Baptizer to direct people to “the practical wisdom of righteous ones.” (Luke 1:17) This is wisdom that is rooted in wholesome fear of Jehovah. (Ps. 111:10) Those who appreciate this wisdom are helped to cope successfully with life now and to lay hold on the real life, the eternal life to come.—1 Tim. 4:8; 6:19.
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Practical Value Made ClearBenefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education
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Helping Others to Get the Point. As you witness to others, do not fail to highlight the practical value of the good news. Doing so requires that you consider what is on the minds of the people in your territory. How can you find out? Listen to the news on the radio or television. Look at the front page of the newspaper. Also, endeavor to draw people into conversation, and listen when they talk. You may find that they are grappling with pressing problems—loss of a job, paying the rent, illness, death of a family member, danger from crime, injustice at the hands of someone in authority, breakup of a marriage, keeping young children under control, and so forth. Can the Bible help them? Absolutely.
When starting a conversation, you will likely have a subject in mind. However, if the person indicates that some other issue is of pressing personal interest, do not hesitate to discuss that instead if you are able to do so, or offer to return with some helpful information. Of course, we avoid ‘meddling with what does not concern us,’ but we gladly share with others the practical counsel that the Bible offers. (2 Thess. 3:11) Obviously, what will impress people most is Bible counsel that touches their own lives.
If people cannot see how our message affects them personally, they may quickly end the conversation. Even if they let us talk, failure on our part to show the practical value of the subject may mean that our message will have very little effect on their lives. In contrast, if we make the practical value of the message clear, our discussion could mark the turning point in people’s lives.
When conducting Bible studies, continue to highlight practical application. (Prov. 4:7) Help students to understand Scriptural counsel, principles, and examples that show them how to walk in Jehovah’s ways. Emphasize the benefits that come from doing so. (Isa. 48:17, 18) This will move students to make needed changes in their lives. Build up in them love for Jehovah and a desire to please him, and let the motivation to apply counsel from God’s Word come from within.
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