by stillAwitness 34 Replies latest jw friends
Theme: What can We Learn From Jesus' Family?
Source Material: Student research
Working on point #25: Use of An Outline- (Basically making sure I don't read straight from my notes and my words flow)
And I can't find that damn WT CD-Rom! HELP!
No setting was listed. I guess I'm supposed to just make one up?
Theme: What can We Learn From Jesus' Family?
Source Material: JWD, Freeminds
No setting was listed.
How about, "An apostate helps a pioneer™ deal with a crappy family life in a toxic cult".
W
KEE KEE KEE. I see we have jokes today. That's just great.
There are several settings in the new TMS school guidebook. You can pick one, just not one you have used before.
***
be p. 82 Program for Developing Ability as a Speaker and a Teacher ***Use
a Variety of SettingsYou may use these settings in any order in the Theocratic Ministry School when presenting student assignments that take the form of demonstrations. To the extent possible, try not to use any setting more than twice before using all the others that are appropriate for your congregation’s territory. On the line provided, note the date on which you used each setting.
Date
Used____
____ 1. Giving a house-to-house presentation____
____ 2. Overcoming a potential conversation stopper____
____ 3. Making the first return visit on someone who showedinterest
____
____ 4. Demonstrating a Bible study on the initial call____
____ 5. Conducting a study with a person who does not readwell
____
____ 6. Conducting a study with an advanced student____
____ 7. Encouraging a Bible student to attend meetings____
____ 8. Persuading a Bible student to apply some point ofScriptural counsel
____
____ 9. Having a practice session with an unbaptizedpublisher
____
____ 10. Encouraging Bible reading by showing how to do itor how reading a specific Bible book can benefit us
____
____ 11. Witnessing over the telephone or by intercom____
____ 12. Engaging in street witnessing____
____ 13. Witnessing at a market or other place of business____
____ 14. Witnessing informally in a waiting room____
____ 15. Witnessing informally on public transportation____
____ 16. Witnessing in a local setting____
____ 17. Witnessing to a neighbor____
____ 18. Explaining your belief to a non-Witness relative____
____ 19. Sharing your belief with a workmate or a schoolmate____
____ 20. Witnessing to a schoolteacher, an employer, or alocal official
____
____ 21. Witnessing to a doctor, a lawyer, or anotherprofessional
____
____ 22. Witnessing to a person who does not speak yourlanguage well
____
____ 23. Conversing with an atheist or an agnostic____
____ 24. Witnessing to an animist, a Buddhist, a Catholic, aHindu, a Jew, a Muslim, a Protestant, or someone of
another local religion
____
____ 25. Working with someone in the Pioneers Assist Othersprogram
____
____ 26. A parent reasoning with a child, or a youthreasoning with a sibling
____
____ 27. Sharing Scriptural encouragement with someone whois ill
____
____ 28. Using the Scriptures to comfort a grieving ordepressed person met in the field
____
____ 29. An older person counseling a youth____
____ 30. Another setting appropriate to your area
*** be study 25 pp. 166-169 Use of an Outline ***
Study
25Use
of an OutlineWhat
do you need to do?Speak from an outline, either mental or written, instead of using a word-for-word manuscript for delivery.
Why
is it important?Preparing an outline helps you to organize your thoughts. Using it for delivery makes it easier for you to be conversational and to speak from the heart.
THE prospect of speaking from an outline makes many people nervous. They feel more secure if everything they are going to say is down on paper or memorized.
Yet, in reality, every day we all speak without a manuscript. We do it in conversation with family and friends. We do it when sharing in the field ministry. And we do it when offering heartfelt prayers, whether in private or on behalf of a group.
When you deliver a talk, does it make a difference whether you use a manuscript or an outline? While reading from a prepared script can help to ensure accuracy and the use of choice wording, it has its limitations in reaching hearts. When you read more than a few sentences, you will usually adopt a pace and a pattern of inflection that differ from your spontaneous conversational style. If your attention is focused more on your papers than on your audience, many may not listen as intently as they would if they felt that you were really thinking about them and adapting your material to their circumstances. For a truly motivating talk, extemporaneous delivery is the best.
The Theocratic Ministry School is designed to help us in everyday life. When we meet friends, we do not pull out a piece of paper and read our thoughts to them in order to ensure the best wording. In field service, we do not take along a manuscript to read, out of fear that we might forget some points that we want to share with people. When demonstrating in the school how to witness under such circumstances, practice speaking in a manner that is as natural as possible. With good preparation, you will find that an outline, either mental or written, is usually sufficient to remind you of the main thoughts that you want to discuss. But how can you develop the confidence needed to work from one?
Organize
Your Thoughts. In order to use an outline when speaking, you need to organize your thoughts. This does not mean selecting the words that you plan to use. It simply means thinking before you speak.In daily life, an impetuous person may find himself blurting out things that he later wishes he had not said. Another person may speak somewhat aimlessly, wandering from one idea to another. Both of these tendencies can be dealt with effectively by pausing to formulate a simple mental outline before beginning to speak. First fix your objective in mind, next select the steps that you need to take in order to achieve it, and then start to talk.
Are you preparing for field service? Take time not only to pack your witnessing case but also to organize your thoughts. If you decide to use one of the suggested presentations from Our Kingdom Ministry, read it over several times to get the main ideas clearly in mind. State the gist of it in one or two brief sentences. Adapt the wording to your own personality and to conditions in your territory. You will find it helpful to have a mental outline. What might that include? (1) As an introduction, you might mention something that is of concern to many people in your community. Invite the other person to comment. (2) Have in mind something specific that you could share on the subject, including one or two scriptures that show what God has promised to do to bring relief. If given the opportunity, emphasize that Jehovah will do this by means of his Kingdom, his heavenly government. (3) Encourage the person to take some action on what you have discussed. You might offer literature and/or a Bible study and make definite arrangements to continue the discussion.
The only outline you will probably need for such a presentation is a mental one. If you want to consult a written outline before your first call, the outline will probably contain no more than a few words to use for your introduction, a notation of one or two scriptures, and a brief note of what you want to include in your conclusion. Preparation and use of such an outline prevent us from rambling, helping us to leave a clear message that is easy to remember.
If some question or objection comes up often in your territory, you may find it helpful to do research on the matter. Usually, all you need are two or three basic points along with scriptures that provide the basis for them. "Bible Topics for Discussion" or boldface subheadings in Reasoning From the Scriptures may provide exactly the outline you need. You may find a good quotation from another source that you want to include. Make up a brief written outline, attach a photocopy of the quotation, and keep these with your equipment for field service. When a householder brings up the question or objection, let him know that you welcome the opportunity to give a reason for what you believe. (1 Pet. 3:15) Use the outline as a basis for your reply.
When you are going to represent your family, a book study group, or the congregation in prayer, it is also beneficial to organize your thoughts. According to Luke 11:2-4, Jesus gave his disciples a simple outline for meaningful prayer. At the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon prayed at length. He obviously thought about the subject in advance. He focused attention first on Jehovah and His promise to David; then on the temple; and then, one at a time, on specific situations and groups of people. (1 Ki. 8:22-53) We can benefit from these examples.
Keep
Your Talk Outline Simple. Is your outline meant for use when giving a discourse? How much should it include?Remember that an outline is meant to help you recall ideas. You may feel that it would be beneficial to write out a few sentences for use as an introduction. But after that, focus on ideas, not words. If you put those ideas down in the form of sentences, favor short sentences. The few main points that you plan to develop should stand out clearly in your outline. This can be achieved by writing them in capital letters, underscoring the points, or marking them in color. Under each main point, list the ideas that you want to use when developing it. Cite the scriptures that you plan to read. It is usually best to do the actual reading from the Bible. Make note of illustrations that you want to use. You may also have some significant secular quotation that is appropriate. Make your notes extensive enough to have specific facts to present. The outline will be easier to use if it is neat.
Some use outlines that are very basic. An outline may consist of a few key words, notation of scriptures that the speaker will quote from memory, and drawings or pictures that help him recall ideas. With these simple notes, a speaker is able to present his material in a logical order and a conversational manner. That is the objective of this lesson.
On pages 39 to 42 of this book, you will find the discussion "Making an Outline." It will be very helpful to read that material while you are working on this study, "Use of an Outline."
How
to Use the Outline. Your goal at this point, however, is not simply to prepare your discourse in outline form. It is to use the outline effectively.The first step in using your outline is preparation for delivery. Look at the theme, read each of the main points, and state to yourself the connection that each of those main points has to the theme. Make note of how much time can be devoted to each main point. Now go back and study the first main point. Review the arguments, scriptures, illustrations, and examples that you plan to use to develop that point. Go over the material several times until that section of your talk is clear in mind. Do the same with each of the other main points. Consider what you could omit, if necessary, in order to finish on time. Then review the entire talk. Focus on the ideas, not the words. Do not memorize the talk.
When you deliver the discourse, you should be able to maintain good visual contact with your audience. After reading a scripture, you should usually be able to reason on it with the use of your Bible but without going back to check your notes. Similarly, if you use an illustration, tell it as you would to friends instead of reading it from your notes. As you speak, do not look at your notes to pick up each sentence. Speak from the heart, and you will reach the hearts of those who listen to you.
When you master the art of speaking from an outline, you will have taken a very important forward step in becoming an effective public speaker.
HOW TO DO ITImpress on your mind the benefits of speaking from an outline.
In everyday conversation, organize your thoughts before you speak.
To gain the needed confidence to speak from an outline, pray to Jehovah, and make it a habit to participate freely in congregation meetings.
Make your outline simple, easy to read at a glance.
Prepare for delivery by reviewing ideas, not by memorizing words.
EXERCISE: Before you go into the field service this week, prepare a mental outline of something specific that you want to say. (See page 167, paragraph 3.) While in field service, take note of how many times you are able to have your planned discussion or at least to state the gist of the message.
Stillawitness, I would love to help you! I used to enjoy giving talks. I used to volunteer when a sister couldnt give one.
This talk sounds fun and appropriate for the season!
Lets pm each other!
Anewme
*** w03 12/15 pp. 4-8 Learning From Jesus’ Human Family ***
Learning
From Jesus’ Human FamilyWHAT do you know about Jesus’ immediate family, those with whom he lived until his baptism, for the first 30 years of his life on earth? What do the Gospel accounts tell us? What can we learn from examining his family? You can benefit from the answers.
Was Jesus born, as it were, with a silver spoon in his mouth? Joseph, his adoptive father, was a carpenter by trade. That called for strenuous physical work, which often involved cutting down trees for timber. When Jesus’ human parents went to Jerusalem some 40 days after his birth, they presented a sacrificial offering prescribed by the Law. Did they offer a ram along with a turtledove or a pigeon, as stipulated by the Law? No. It appears that they could not afford such offerings. Yet, the Law had a provision for the poor. In line with that, Joseph and Mary offered "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." The choice of the less expensive animals showed that they were a family of limited means.—Luke 2:22-24; Leviticus 12:6, 8.
You can see that Jesus Christ, the future Ruler of all mankind, was born among the humble, among those who had to work hard to make ends meet. He grew up to be a carpenter, just like his adoptive father. (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) "Though [Jesus] was rich" as a powerful spirit creature in heaven, the Bible says that he "became poor" for our sakes. He took a lower position as a human and grew up in a family of common people. (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:5-9; Hebrews 2:9) Jesus was not born into a well-to-do family, and this may have helped some people to identify with him. They were not distracted by his status or position. They could appreciate him for his teachings, for his appealing qualities, and for his wonderful works. (Matthew 7:28, 29; 9:19-33; 11:28, 29) We can see Jehovah God’s wisdom in letting Jesus be born into an ordinary family.
Now let us consider members of Jesus’ family and see what we can learn from them.
Joseph—A
Righteous ManWhen Joseph found out that his fiancée was pregnant "before they were united," he must have been torn between his love for Mary and his aversion to even the appearance of immorality. The whole situation seemed to be an infringement upon his right as her future husband. In his day, an engaged woman was considered as good as the man’s wife. After considerable thought, Joseph decided to divorce Mary secretly so that she would be spared being stoned as an adulteress.—Matthew 1:18; Deuteronomy 22:23, 24.
Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Upon receiving that divine direction, Joseph acted accordingly and took Mary home.—Matthew 1:20-24.
With this decision, that righteous and faithful man became involved in the fulfillment of what Jehovah had spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Look! The maiden herself will actually become pregnant, and she is giving birth to a son, and she will certainly call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) Joseph was surely a spiritual man who appreciated the privilege of becoming the adoptive father of the Messiah, despite the fact that Mary’s firstborn son would not be his own.
Joseph refrained from having intercourse with Mary until after she had given birth to her son. (Matthew 1:25) For the now newlywed couple, abstinence might have been a challenge, but they apparently did not want any misunderstanding as to who the Father of the baby was. What a wonderful example of self-control! Joseph put spiritual values ahead of his natural desires.
On four occasions, Joseph received angelic direction about raising his adoptive son. Three of these were regarding where to raise the boy. Prompt obedience was vital for the survival of the child. In all instances, Joseph immediately acted, taking the young child first to Egypt and then back to Israel. This protected young Jesus from Herod’s massacre of babes. Also, Joseph’s obedience resulted in the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Messiah.—Matthew 2:13-23.
Joseph taught Jesus a trade so that he could care for himself. Thus, Jesus was known not only as "the carpenter’s son" but also as "the carpenter." (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus was "tested in all respects like ourselves." This naturally would have included working hard to help support the family.—Hebrews 4:15.
Finally, we see evidence of Joseph’s devotion to true worship in the last episode in which he appears in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Joseph took his family to Jerusalem for the Passover. Only males were required to attend, but Joseph made it a custom to take his family to Jerusalem "from year to year." He made great sacrifices, for they had to walk some 65 miles [100 km] from Nazareth to Jerusalem. On the occasion reported on in the Scriptures, though, Jesus got separated from the group. He was found at the temple, listening to and questioning the teachers of the Law. Though but 12 years old, Jesus manifested great wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word. From this incident, we see that Jesus’ parents must have taught him well, bringing him up to be a spiritually-minded boy. (Luke 2:41-50) Joseph apparently died some time after this, since there is no mention of him in later Scriptural accounts.
Yes, Joseph was a righteous man who cared well for his family, both spiritually and physically. Do you, like Joseph, put spiritual interests first in your life when you discern what God’s will is for us today? (1 Timothy 2:4, 5) Do you willingly obey God’s voice as expressed in the Word of God, thereby showing Josephlike submission? Do you teach your children so that they can carry on spiritually meaningful conversations with others?
Mary—An
Unselfish Servant of GodMary, Jesus’ mother, was an excellent servant of God. When the angel Gabriel announced that she was to give birth, she manifested surprise. Being a virgin, she had not had "intercourse with a man." On learning that the birth was to be by means of holy spirit, she humbly accepted the message, saying: "Look! Jehovah’s slave girl! May it take place with me according to your declaration." (Luke 1:30-38) She valued the spiritual privilege so much that she was willing to bear any hardship that her decision might entail.
Indeed, accepting the commission changed her entire life as a woman. When she went to Jerusalem for her purification, a reverent older man named Simeon told her: "A long sword will be run through the soul of you yourself." (Luke 2:25-35) Evidently, he was referring to how Mary would feel upon seeing Jesus rejected by many and finally nailed to a torture stake.
As Jesus grew up, Mary kept a mental note of what took place in his life, "drawing conclusions in her heart." (Luke 2:19, 51) Like Joseph, she was a spiritual person and treasured up the events and sayings that fulfilled prophecies. What the angel Gabriel said to her must have stuck in her mind: "This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom." (Luke 1:32, 33) Yes, she took seriously the privilege of being the human mother of the Messiah.
Mary’s spirituality again became evident when she met Elizabeth, her relative who also had become pregnant miraculously. Upon seeing her, Mary lauded Jehovah and revealed her love for the Word of God. She alluded to Hannah’s prayer recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and included thoughts from other books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Such knowledge of the Scriptures showed that she was qualified to become a devoted and God-fearing mother. She would cooperate with Joseph in spiritually nurturing her son.—Genesis 30:13; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Malachi 3:12; Luke 1:46-55.
Mary had strong faith in her son as the Messiah, and that did not wane even after Jesus’ death. Soon after his resurrection, she was among the faithful disciples who met for prayer along with the apostles. (Acts 1:13, 14) She maintained her faithfulness, despite having to go through the agony of seeing her dear son die on a torture stake.
How can you benefit from learning about Mary’s life? Do you accept the privilege of serving God regardless of the sacrifices involved? Are you concerned with the seriousness of this privilege today? Do you keep in mind what Jesus foretold and compare that with what is happening today, ‘drawing conclusions in your heart’? (Matthew, chapters 24 and 25; Mark, chapter 13; Luke, chapter 21) Do you imitate Mary in becoming well-versed in the Word of God, using it freely in your conversation? Would you maintain your faith in Jesus despite mental anguish that you might have to go through because of being his follower?
Jesus’
Brothers—Change Is PossibleIt seems that Jesus’ brothers did not exercise faith in Jesus until after his death. It likely was no coincidence that they were not present when he died on the torture stake and that he had to entrust his mother to the apostle John. Jesus’ relatives showed that they did not appreciate him, even saying on one occasion that Jesus was "out of his mind." (Mark 3:21) Since Jesus had family members who were unbelievers, those who today have unbelievers in their household can rest assured that Jesus understands how they feel when relatives mock them for their faith.
After Jesus’ resurrection, however, his brothers apparently began to exercise faith in him. They were in the group who met in Jerusalem before Pentecost of 33 C.E. and fervently prayed together with the apostles. (Acts 1:14) Obviously, their half brother’s resurrection moved them to a change of heart, to the point of becoming his disciples. We should never give up on relatives who do not share our faith.
James, Jesus’ half brother to whom He appeared personally, is presented in the Scriptures as having an outstanding role in the Christian congregation. He wrote a divinely inspired letter to his fellow Christians, admonishing them to maintain their faith. (Acts 15:6-29; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:18, 19; 2:9; James 1:1) Another half brother, Jude, wrote an inspired letter to encourage fellow believers to put up a hard fight for the faith. (Jude 1) It is noteworthy that neither James nor Jude appealed in their letters to their fleshly tie with Jesus so as to convince fellow Christians. What a wonderful lesson of modesty we can learn from them!
So, what are some things that we learn from Jesus’ family? Certainly, lessons in devotion that can be manifested in such ways as these: (1) Faithfully submit to the expressed will of God and face all the trials that doing so implies. (2) Put spiritual values first, even when that means making sacrifices. (3) Train your children in harmony with the Scriptures. (4) Do not give up on family members who do not share your faith. (5) Do not boast about any connection you may have with ones prominent in the Christian congregation. Yes, learning about Jesus’ human family draws us closer to him and enhances our appreciation for Jehovah’s choosing an ordinary family to nurture Jesus during his childhood.
[Pictures on page 4, 5]Joseph took Mary as his wife and became involved in the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies
[Pictures on page 6]Joseph and Mary taught their children spiritual values and the role of work
[Pictures on page 7]Although raised in a spiritual household, Jesus’ brothers did not put faith in him until after his death
[Pictures on page 8]Jesus’ half brothers James and Jude encouraged fellow Christians
How to Raise a Savior in only 33 Years!
by Mary and Joseph (postmortem)
Pick it up at your local library...hee-hee!
Just kidding.
We can learn that we should encourage our children to study God's word deeply, plying religious leaders with deep questions on Scriptural topics so they can be told to stop doing that after baptism.
AuldSoul
Theme: What can We Learn From Jesus' Family?If youre a virgin too long a deity might see you as a suitable 'rent-a-womb'. If youre up the duff and your old man finds out and its not his you could try the old 'god gave it to me' line?
Source Material: Student research
Or you could spice it up a bit. Source Material 'National Enquirer' - Jesus in family shocker. Full story on Page 9.
Working on point #25: Use of An Outline- (Basically making sure I don't read straight from my notes and my words flow)Basically they cant give you a 'G' too many times in case it looks like you are perfect (and then what would be the point of all those grovelling 'we are not worthy' prayers?). So look at your record card. If youve had 2 G's in a row odds on you will get a 'W' this time. If you had a 'W' last time, you are bound to get an 'I' this time, unless you have pissed off the brother giving the counsel. If he gives you two 'W's in a row you can probably take him to court.
And I can't find that damn WT CD-Rom! HELP!
If you are not baptised, the CD-Rom is a state secret. How do you know it exists? If you are baptised you shouldnt have lost such a precious resouce from Jehoobah. Either way you should be disfellowshipped immediately .
No setting was listed. I guess I'm supposed to just make one up?
Yah, do the one everyone does - meeting a friendly person on the doors who is interested and just happens to ask EXACTLY the question you wanted to answer. Knock Knock 'hello we are engaged in a christian work this morning and have been asking our neighbours if they think there will ever be and end to (insert 'aint it awful' topic of your choice) 'Oh ive just been praying to god for guidance. He must have sent you. Can you tell me what we can learn from Jesus family? Ive wondered about it all my life but no-one in any church I have been to has been able to answer my question.' Best of luck with the talk.
Katieeee! I knew as soon as I saw your name on this post to expect something funny and i was not disappointed. I did try to think up something humourous myself but it all came out like hommous. I feel sure this talk will have stillawitness a no longer a witness in no time at all!
