BASIC.TEACHING PERSONAL REFLECTION GUIDE

Copyright © 2011 by FlannelP.O. Box 3228Grand Rapids, MI 49501-3228 U.S.A.

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All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. NIV ®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, IncTM. Used by permission of Zondervan.All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

ISBN 978-1-4347-0097-1

Series Packaging Design: Jim Elliston, The Regime

Printed in the United States of AmericaFirst Edition 2011

BASIC.TEACHINGFRANCIS CHAN

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18–20

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Has reading the Bible ever seemed like a chore to you?

How do you typically approach reading the Bible?

How often do you read the Bible? Do you ever?

Do you read it more or less than you did when you first decided to follow Jesus?

Why?

“When I started attending church gatherings, I still remember peoplewould encourage me and say, ‘Okay, you need to read the Bible. You gottaread this thing, and you should read it every day, read it in the morning …’

I still remember trying that. I would just force myself, and disciplinemyself, and get up early and start reading this book.”

“But as I would read it, I would notice that there was something differentabout the way they studied the Scriptures and the way I was doing it.”

3

Do you see a difference in the way you approach Scripture and the way the early believers did?

What would it take for you to approach Scripture the way the early believers did?

How does a newborn crave milk?

Do you crave God’s Word like a newborn craves milk?

If not, what do you think is lacking?

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

Acts 2:42

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

1 Peter 2:2

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“What the Bible says is, there ought to be this natural craving when it comesto the Bible … not just a discipline, not just a forced thing, but to want it.”

Is it natural for you to read the Bible?

When in your life has it felt like a discipline or something you had to force?

Do you want to read the Bible?

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“When you think about it, it’s really no different for us today. Why?Because it’s the mission. I’m supposed to teach other people what Jesus taught,so I need to go to those who were actually eyewitnesses.”

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How does an eyewitness have authority that others don’t have?

Do you see the Bible as a book written in part by those who witnessed what Jesus said and did?

How would such a view of the Bible change the way you approach reading and understanding it?

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For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the comingof our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2 Peter 1:16

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James,and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them.His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said,“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:1–5

What does “the Word of God” mean to you?

In what ways have you trivialized God’s Word in your mind and life?

“See, when I first started reading the Bible, I just read it for information almost,just to know more stuff, rather than treating it as the words of God, like coming off of

that mountain, coming out of that cloud, trembling at His Word. It’s so importantto understand what we mean when we say ‘the Word of God.’”

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“Unfortunately, we live in a time when so many in the church are runningafter opinions. They want to know, ‘What does this person think? What doesthat person think?’ Forget about it. Look at this book. What does God say?It doesn’t matter what people think. God’s Word is so much the authorityof the church. And it has to be, or we’re going to ruin this.”

Have you found yourself putting more stock in people’s opinions than you have in the Bible itself?

What is the danger in that?

What can a misguided view of the authority of Scripture “ruin”?

How?

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“What about today? Who do you and I listen to?”

Who do you listen to?

Why do you listen to them?

What do you see in them that would make you want to listen to them?

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But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we havealready said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel

other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Galatians 1:8–9

Have you witnessed teaching that is contradictory to what the Bible says?

Have you witnessed it within a church setting?

Was anything done about it? What did you do about it?

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“The Bible says that the Spirit will gift people in certain ways, to where somewill have this gift of teaching. And so you’ll naturally start to follow them.”

Have you ever come across someone who has truly been gifted by the Holy Spirit with the gift of teaching?

What was unique about this person’s teaching?

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church firstof all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:27–28

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have thesame function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, thenprophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently;if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:4–8

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When was the last time you passed something you read in the Bible on to someone else?

Do you see this as part of your calling?

What holds you back from sharing what God is teaching you in His Word with others?

“We’re all called to teach. So if you read something in the Bible,what you’re called to do is pass that on to someone else.”

16

“The Bible says, and it warns over and over again, it warns against false teachers. And sometimes, it was because they were teaching things that were false,but other times, it’s because of their lifestyles.”

Have you listened to and accepted false teaching?

Have you unintentionally passed it on to others?

Do you listen to whomever comes along claiming to represent Jesus,or do you test what they say against God’s Word?

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“Watch their lives. Do they look like Jesus? Do they act like Jesus?”

Do you ask these questions about the teachers you listen to?

What is the danger in not looking at the lifestyles of our teachers?

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If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christand to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest incontroversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions andconstant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who thinkthat godliness is a means to financial gain.

1 Timothy 6:3–5

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say whattheir itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Timothy 4:2–4

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachersamong you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lordwho bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depravedconduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploityou with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and theirdestruction has not been sleeping.

2 Peter 2:1–3

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Have you ever spent time with anyone whose life gave you a glimpse of what Jesus’ life looked like?

Who was that person?

What was it about that person that made you feel you were seeing Jesus in his or her life?

“It’s not just about knowing the words of Jesus. It’s about actuallybecoming like Him. And so as we seek teachers, it’s not justthose who have the knowledge, but those who live it out.”

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Watch your life and doctrine closely.Persevere in them, because if you do, you will

save both yourself and your hearers.

1 Timothy 4:16

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Have you relied on others too much to teach you the Scriptures?

Have you become lazy with reading the Word of God?

What do you need to change in order to live out your responsibility to study God’s Word and to teach it to others?

“We all have a responsibility to study, and wealso all have a responsibility to teach.”

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Do you see the Bible as a beautiful gift entrusted to you by God?

Do you approach the Word of God as something sacred that needs to be absorbed and passed on?

What would it take for you to get back to seeing the Word of God for what it is?

“It’s a beautiful thing that God has entrusted to all of us.”

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Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household,which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1 Timothy 3:14–15

“We’re called to hold these sacred writings, and to pass them on, and too many people are gathering over opinions and thoughts and feelings. We’ve got to get back to teaching the Bible and holding it sacred. As we fellowship, let’s center everything on God’s words.”

Stop. Pray.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a new passion for God’s Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a craving for God’s Word that resembles a newborn baby’s craving for milk. Pray that God would silence all voices but His own and that you would be able to discern false teachers from those who speak His truth. Pray that you would become a faithful student of God’s Word, and pray that you would become a faithful teacher of God’s Word to others.

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He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdomof heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Matthew 13:52

They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people,proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

Acts 4:2

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they neverstopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5:42

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until weall reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and thereby every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body ofhim who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:11–15

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So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to theteachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

1 Timothy 4:13–14

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you knowthose from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,

which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathedand is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of

God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14–17

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God;whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and

does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.

2 John 1:9–10

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