starting a bible study in an 'adults home'

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thefightinglamb

Guest
#1
An old friend from high school is struggling with reality...and he is in this 'adult home' with like 60 other people like him...he has and is into drugs and various other things...anyway, I went with him to support him and try to be a positive influence on his life...but then yesterday, we went to a chess club in the public library and one of his friends from the home wanted to come (I drove both of them), and then to a Bible study sponsered by this friend's church...so we went to chess...and then a little into chess, we find out the Bible study got cancelled...and then they were always wanting to get a 'smoke' outside...which is not too sketchy...but then they wanted to leave and I saw his friend had bought a lot of 'anacids'? and a lot of different types of them in a bag (thats what he told me they were)...and when I thought is suspicious...I asked about them...and his friend was like "What are you my mom?" Which suggests obviously that he was hiding something or doing something wrong with them...so I got confused about what to do...declined eating with them and then they said they were fine with walking back to the adult home after eating...so I was like fine...as I did not know what to do and did not want to be involved in their shadiness...SO I go back to chess, but remain confused throughout most of the night...

Anyway, I thought since they say they do not have a Bible study in the home, and they have like 60 people.....why should I not start one??? Here are needy, desperate people...and though it seems like a task too great for me...I know its not too great for God...so I ask that people pray about me actually commiting and following through with a Bible study for these people--

May the Lord prosper his work in us
 

pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#2
I will pray for you and these people. It can be a challange but all is in Jesus so all is possible. May Jesus give you the courage and sight and heart for this. God bless, pickles
 
May 21, 2009
3,955
25
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#3
Go with God what a blessing you are.
 
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thefightinglamb

Guest
#4
I just wanted to add a quick update of thanksgiving...

I had one bible study like around this was posted, about a year ago...and then I stopped. I was frustrated with them and just put this on hold.

But then, lately, though my high school friend is no longer there, I felt called to re-begin this ministry to the bereaved.

I am glad to report in thanksgiving that I have had five Bible studies with them in the past two weeks, and though there is almost always 'distractions' by different behaviors of attenders, the group has been able to overcome the frustrations and they seem to be seeking God and true fellowship in the study.

Tonight, since I wanted to play volleyball (selfish me), the bible study didn't get started until late, but even though this was true we still had a new participant.

We always begin by reviewing previous Bible studies, prayer, and then simple questions like "What do you think (insert word) is? When have you experienced (insert word) in your life or give a specific experience of (specific word)?

In case it helps anyone who reads this, the things we have studied and some of the jest of it has been in chronological order:

Bible study #1: Burdens--we focused on the on the verse where Jesus says, "Come to me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." We basically said you can either carry your burdens from the pasxt, present and future and be overcome by them, or you can give whatever holds you back to the Lord, for he desires them, and He will give you a burden he promises that you can bare.

Bible Study #2: Faith--we read Hebrews 11...and talked about what it means to have faith in what you cannot see and trusting God with our lives from day to day.

Bible Study #3: Love--we read the famous 1 Corinthians 13 and talked about the different aspects of love. We talked about how love opens the eyes of the soul that it can truly see whatever God is doing, and how callousness or lack of love leads into darkness, sin, and death.

Bible Study #4:peace--we focused on the famous words of Jesus saying Peace I give to you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. I actually saw this verse in two respects that are probably equally true in the Bible study. One is that Jesus gives us peace and this world does not, it gives us strife and worry and depression and anxiety and doubt, et cetera (we mainly focused on these problems that may arise)...The Second way I saw this verse is that perhaps this verse is saying there are two different types of peace. Those who are in this world do not fight their evil passions so that they are in a sense at 'some type of psuedo-peace' with their evilness. God does not call us to be at peace with our sins but to "fight" them and the adversary with the strength he provides. The peace the Lord gives us allows us to be at peace even though we are spiritually fighting a mighty battle. Anyway, thats what I saw.

Tonight's Bible study: prayer--We went through the Lord's prayer...We talked on how we should come to God not looking for ourselves but for God and his will, and it seems from Jesus saying that he knows what we need before we ask him that we do not have to give him our grocery lists, he knows what food we need and don't need so focus on him and these other things will be given...we also focused on how Jesus stressed that only if you forgive other their trespasses will God forgive us...Jesus said that both in his prayer, and also after it saying that God will not forgive us unless we forgive others. I brought up the parable of the debtor who owed more than he could have ever paid and had his debt cancelled but then did not have mercy on someone that owed him a trifle, and how that unforgiving debtor was tortured for an eternity for refusing to forgive people their small debts when God forgave him everything.

Anyways, keep praying for them and for me as well that the Lord would grow the Bible study and bring us to fruition.

God bless
tony
 
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pickles

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
63
#5
Praying for continued success in Jesus.
Keep up the good works.
God bless, pickles
 
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enduretotheend

Guest
#6
Prayed for your success in this endeavor.
 
Feb 27, 2007
3,179
19
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#7
you never cease to amaze me. I thought this was a recent prayer request but just noticed that this is ongoing and the Lord was working with you to fine tune it in your mind before bringing it to the people on a regular basis. You are one of a handful of people in CC who I feel to be equipped to serve the Lord in this way. I was thinking about you 2 days ago & was going to post a message on your profile. Maybe I got distracted or maybe theres no message spot there, I cant recall... maybe i posted something lol I'm getting old you know. I appreciate your psalms thread as well. Perhaps in the future you will think on doing a songs of Solomon thread. Anyway God will bless your ministry & I think you dealt with them in absolutely the correct way. You are a beacon of light in their dark world and in the instant that things happen it may seem they reject you but they will always remember you in fondness for the will see the Lord in you and deep down will desire this. Yesterday I had coffee with a girl who would scoff at my "religious" postings on facebook. She got to a very low place & guess who she called? I praise the Lord that we can be of service to him and that he opens opportunity for ministry to us in each of our own little worlds. Bless the Lord oh my soul!!! & bless your heart & ministry.