The Holy Bible, Part 11

Servants Preparation Curriculum

Lecture 17, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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“How sweet are your words to my taste? Sweeter than honey to my mouth”

(Psalm 119:103)

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The Bible, Part 11 – How to Read The Bible

Objectives:

1. To study the different stages for reading The Bible
2. To practice the different components

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The Stages of Reading The Bible

1. Reading for knowledge
2. Study/Thorough reading
3. Spiritual Meditation reading
4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities
5. Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge
6. Finding yourself in The Bible
7. Identifying Interesting Verses
8. Turning the reading into Prayer

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1. Reading for Knowledge

• Reading to know the overall concepts regarding:
• Stories
• Events
• Missions
• Goal
• God’s role in solving problems

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2. Study/Thorough Reading

• Focuses on the locations and cities
• Times
• Background information
• Studies the characters’ behavior and relationships
• Compares The Old and New Testaments
• Makes correlations with The Liturgy

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3. Spiritual Meditation Reading

• Converting the materialistic actions into spiritual behaviors
• Uses numbers
• Uses symbols
• Uses names
• Checks God’s role and intervention

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4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities

• Tries to capture the obvious and subtle virtues
• Establishes the means to develop and grow the virtues
• Compares these virtues with saints who've mastered

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• Acknowledges the bad traits and their consequences

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Ex. Joseph

1. Knowledge
2. Study the location, time , brothers' visits, etc.
3. Spiritual Mediations
4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities

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5. Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge

• Checks for dogmatic information:
• Incarnation, Redemption, and Salvation

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• Any theological perspectives
• Examines church sacraments, if seen

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6. Finding yourself in The Bible

• Which characters fit your personality?
• Which characters inspire you?

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7. Identifying Interesting Verses

Either:

1. A verse from the text
2. A verse that summarizes the main idea/topic of the reading

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8. Turning the reading into Prayer

• Pick up the most important virtue and keep it in your prayer
• Ask God to grant you the same blessing/gifts as …
• Pray to God to pluck out the sins/weakness from you

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Ex. Joseph Cont.

• Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge = Jesus as symbol of Jesus Christ
• Find yourself in Joseph’s story
• Identifying Interesting Verses
• Turning the reading into Prayer

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The Bible, Part 11 – How to Read The Bible

Objectives:

1. To study the different stages for reading The Bible
2. To practice the different components

Lecture 17, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Let’s Practice!

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The Good Samaritan

1. Reading for knowledge
• An overview of the story and the main goal is to do favors for everyone regardless of religion, relation, etc.
2. Study/Thorough Reading
• Jerusalem vs Jericho
• Location, distance , important landmarks in each city, the purpose of travel, etc.
• Why did the priests and Levites act in this manner

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The Good Samaritan Cont.

3. Spiritual Meditations
• The symbolic meaning of all the characters and materials (oil, wine, donkey, denarii, inn, inn keeper, etc.)
4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities
• Generosity, giving from your own needs, ignoring the differences when treating others, etc.
• Bad traits: racism, selfishness

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The Good Samaritan Cont.

5. Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge
• Jesus chose the Samaritan man to indicate the failure of the Jewish religion and the necessity for a different savior to heal the sickness of human race
6. Finding yourself in The Bible
• Which character do you want to be?
• Are you be the traveler sometimes?
• Would you like to be the inn keeper, if not the Samaritan?

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The Good Samaritan Cont.

7. Identifying Interesting Verses

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“I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13)

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“Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back” (Luke 6:30)

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The Good Samaritan Cont.

8. Turning the reading into Prayer
• Pray that God grants you His Grace to stay in Jerusalem/church where the temple and sacrifices are
• Pray that God opens your heart to help everyone
• Pray that God gives you she spirit of the words and for you to be a doer

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Let’s Practice!

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1. Reading for knowledge
2. Study/Thorough reading
3. Spiritual Meditation reading
4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities
5. Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge
6. Finding yourself in The Bible
7. Identifying Interesting Verses
8. Turning the reading into Prayer

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Let’s Practice!

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Nehemiah

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Nehemiah Cont.

1. Reading for knowledge
• Nehemiah’s Background
• His mission to build the wall of Jerusalem
• Who are the supporting and opposing powers
• The role of everyone who helped
• The End of his mission
2. Study/Thorough Reading
• The locations, where was he when he heard the news?
• The names, messenger, emperor, priest, enemies, etc.
• When did it happened? How long did he walk around he city alone? How long did it take to build the walls?
• The conditions of the locals and the builders
• The diligence on counting the people

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Nehemiah Cont.

3. Spiritual Meditations
• An ordinary man with a fervent heart and passion for the people of God so God used, supported, and honored him

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• The role of one good person in the spiritual renaissance - Pope Peter 7^th, Pope Cyril 4^th, Pope Cyril 6^th, and Pope Shenouda 3^rd

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• Nehemiah was a man of prayer, fasting, self-sufficiency, generosity, honesty, and obedience to the law

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• Tobiah as a source of evil and as long as the source is on the outside it is weak – if Tobiah has a place inside the heart (like with the priest), then there is a problem

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Nehemiah Cont.

3. Spiritual Meditations Cont.
• Repentance leads to Bible readings, confession, donations, renewal of promises with God, and the return to the Old Spiritual Life – The Tabernacle

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• Remembering old experience with God strengthens your faith, boosts your repentane, and pushes you forward in the life of purity

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Nehemiah Cont.

4. Learned Virtues/Good Qualities
• Passion in the heart generates energy which leads to actions from a plan and the mission gets accomplished
• Genuine repentance should bring fruits like confession, Bible readings, and path changes
• Be aware of the little sins (little foxes) that sneak into your spiritual life
• True leadership should be built on a spiritual foundation

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Nehemiah Cont.

5. Dogma/Beliefs/Theological knowledge
• Don’t be in wedlock with partners from different denominations
• The sacrament of matrimony should be practice among believers of the same Christian denomination
6. Finding yourself in The Bible
• Are you Nehemiah in any means in the service? Is the church full of zeal to God and his people?
• Are you one of Nehemiah followers who need leader to encourage?
• Are you a troublemaker in your church or family like Tobiah?

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Nehemiah Cont.

7. Identifying Interesting Verses

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“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20)

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“for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)

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“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it… “ (Psalm 127:1)

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Nehemiah Cont.

8. Turning the reading into Prayer
• Use the characters and events in your prayer!
• God, I have a desire to serve Your Name and turn others to you, so use me as you did Nehemiah
• God, grant me the wisdom and strength to deal with trouble and troublemakers as you did with Nehemiah for Tobiah and Sanblaad
• God, send me as Your messenger as you sent Nehemiah to the people of Jerusalem
• God, help me to achieve a full repentance and get rid of my sins as the people with Nehemiah got rid of their wives

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Nehemiah Cont.

8. Turning the reading into Prayer Cont.
• When I meet someone who is far from God do I have pity on them and ask God to send Nehemiah to them?
• To whom can I be Nehemiah and how?
• Family
• Friends
• Church
• Work
• country

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The Bible, Part 11 – How to Read The Bible

Objectives:

1. To study the different stages for reading The Bible
2. To practice the different components

Lecture 17, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Memorization Verses

1. “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back” (Luke 6:30)

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• “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20)

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