References for “Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook”

References for Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook

SEPTEMBER 8-14

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PROVERBS 30

w11 6/1 10 ¶4

Living Within One’s Means—How It Can Be Done

Save up money before buying. Although it may seem old-fashioned, saving up money before making a purchase is actually one of the wisest ways to keep out of financial trouble. Doing so keeps many out of debt and its associated plagues, such as high interest rates, which ultimately add to the price of everything a person buys. In the Bible, the ant is depicted as being “wise” because of saving up “food supplies even in the harvest” for future use.—Proverbs 6:6-8; 30:24, 25.

SEPTEMBER 15-21

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | PROVERBS 31

w11 2/1 19 ¶7-8

Inculcate Moral Values in Your Children

Teach the whole truth about sex. Warnings are necessary. (1 Corinthians 6:18; James 1:14, 15) However, the Bible primarily portrays sex as a gift of God, not as a trap of Satan. (Proverbs 5:18, 19; Song of Solomon 1:2) Telling your teens only about the dangers may leave them with a distorted, unscriptural view of the topic. “My parents put a lot of emphasis on sexual immorality,” says a young woman in France named Corrina, “and that gave me a negative attitude toward sex relations.”

Make sure that your children get the whole truth about sex. “What I have always tried to get across to my teens,” says a mother in Mexico named Nadia, “is that sex is beautiful and natural and that Jehovah God gave it to humans for them to enjoy. But it has its proper place within marriage. It can give us happiness or suffering, depending on how we use it.”

ijwhf článok 4 ods. 11 – 13

Začnite rozhovor na túto tému

Mark z Británie hovorí: „Deti niekedy nemajú jasno v tom, či si môžu alebo nemôžu vypiť. Svojho osemročného syna som sa preto priamo spýtal, či je podľa neho správne piť alkohol. Rozprávali sme sa v nenútenej a priateľskej atmosfére, takže mi otvorene povedal, čo si myslí.“

Na dieťa najviac zapôsobí, keď sa o alkohole porozprávate pri viacerých príležitostiach. Prispôsobte rozhovor veku dieťaťa a spojte ho napríklad s poučením o bezpečnosti na ceste alebo s poučením o sexe.

Dávajte dobrý príklad. Hovorí sa, že deti sú ako špongie – nasajú všetko, čo je v ich okolí – a od rodičov toho preberú najviac. Ak pijete alkohol vždy, keď sa chcete upokojiť alebo keď sa chcete zbaviť stresu, vaše dieťa sa naučí, že alkohol je liek na problémy života. Dajte dieťaťu dobrý vzor. Pokiaľ ide o alkohol, správajte sa zodpovedne.

OCTOBER 20-26

TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | ECCLESIASTES 9-10

w11 10/15 8 ¶1-2

Is Your Recreation Beneficial?

THROUGHOUT the Bible, we find statements indicating that Jehovah wants us not only to live but also to enjoy life. For instance, Psalm 104:14, 15 states that Jehovah is causing “food to go forth from the earth, and wine that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice, to make the face shine with oil, and bread that sustains the very heart of mortal man.” Indeed, Jehovah makes crops grow to yield grain, oil, and wine for our sustenance. But wine also ‘makes the heart rejoice.’ It goes beyond what is strictly necessary to maintain life and adds to our joy. (Eccl. 9:7; 10:19) Yes, Jehovah wants us to be joyful, our hearts filled with “good cheer.”—Acts 14:16, 17.

² There is, therefore, no reason to feel guilty when we once in a while schedule some time to “observe intently the birds of heaven” and “the lilies of the field” or to enjoy some other activities that refresh us and enrich our life. (Matt. 6:26, 28; Ps. 8:3, 4) A wholesome life is a “gift of God.” (Eccl. 3:12, 13) Viewing leisure time as part of that gift will move us to use it in a way that will bring pleasure to the Giver.