Encouragement
Encouragement (Gk. “paramutheomai”)
means to counsel, advise; comfort – Vine, Unger, and
White’s, An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words.
(Gk. “protrepo”) means to urge forward, persuade.
(Gk. “paraklesis”) a calling to one’s aid; an exhortation,
encouragement, beseech, comfort.
(Gk. “parakaleo”) to beseech or exhort, encourage, comfort.
to give courage, hope, or confidence to; to help or
give support to – Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.
Exhort – to
strongly urge, warn, or advise – Webster’s.
1
Thes.
[Gk. “paramutheomai” – to stimulate to the
discharge (i.e., performing/doing) of the ordinary duties of life – Vine’s,
p. 356].
[The
fainthearted/timid tend to become discouraged and despondent, in despair, more
easily than most. They need cheering up, stimulation to press on, and extra
help to live the Christian life.].
Are you doing this? Why?
If so, specifically, how are
you doing this?
If you’re not, when and how do
you plan on starting?
1
Thes.
When
and how have you done this?
Do you acknowledge people’s
presence when either you or they enter a room? Do you give people a warm greeting when you
meet them? Do
you let people know that you are praying for or thinking about them, if in fact
you are? Do you write notes of appreciation or thanks
to people? Do
you compliment people for a job well done or a good character quality they
have? Do you remember people’s birthdays? Do
you send people get well cards or phone them to see how they’re doing? Do you genuinely listen to people when
they talk to you?
Do you fix things for people
if you have the ability to? Do you get items for people that you know
they need?
Do you give people a helping
hand with things they have difficulty doing by themselves? Do you show interest in people
by asking questions about them? Do
you verbally tell people how much they mean to you?
2 Tim. 4:2 What are we to do with great patience and instruction to those
failing to live the Christian life the way they should?
Is
this what you’re doing? Why do
you think we are to do this with great patience and instruction?
Titus 1:9 Not only must an overseer meet moral and spiritual standards
in his personal life, but he must also be able to do what?
As a
spiritual leader are you exhorting/encouraging/urging others to live godly by
teaching them biblical/accurate doctrine, and why?
When,
and how often?
If
you’re not a spiritual leader, are you ready to do this, and why?
How
could you be ready, and when do you plan on starting?
Titus
2:6 What was
Titus commanded to do?
Do you ever encourage/urge
young Christian men to be sensible/self-controlled, and why?
Has anyone ever
encouraged/urged you to be sensible/self-controlled, and why?
If so, how did he/she go about
doing it?
Heb.
3:12, 13 What is our
responsibility here?
How
often? Why?
How often do you encourage
Christians in their spiritual lives so as to keep them from an evil,
unbelieving heart (vs. 12)?
How could you encourage a
Christian in this area?
Lk.
What
happened?
Though we cannot go around
healing anyone, what can we do to encourage a sick person?
Have you ever done this? Why, and when?
Lk.
Knowing that your reward will
be great in heaven, does this encourage/motivate you? If so, how?
Lk.
Have you ever encouraged
someone who thought that he was too sinful to go to heaven by telling him that
he was going to heaven because he placed his faith in Jesus as His Savior? If so, when?
Was he encouraged? How do you know?
Acts
3:2-6 Though Peter did not possess any silver or gold, what did he
give the cripple/lame man?
Though we cannot make a
cripple/lame man walk, what can we say or do to encourage such a person, and why
that?
Acts
4:23, 24 What did Peter
and John do after their release?
When their companions heard
this, what happened?
Have you ever shared with
other Christians how God has brought you through some hard time and how good
God is?
How does a person get
encouraged/given confidence and comfort through this?
Acts
11:23 What did
Barnabas do?
When you encourage/strongly
urge people, is it with a resolute (determined) heart?
How do you specifically encourage
Christians to remain true to the Lord?
Acts
12:17 What things
did Peter want to be reported to James and the brethren?
When God helps you through hard
times, what do you do (e.g., just tell your friends about it, tell all your
acquaintances about it, or keep it to yourself), and why?
When
was the last time you did this?
Do you encourage Christians to
continue/remain in the faith? How?
Has anyone ever encouraged you
to remain true/faithful to the Lord and Christianity when things were rough for
you? How did you
feel, and why?
Acts
What did Judas and Silas do
also?
Have you ever done this (i.e., sent letters of encouragement) or
verbally shared some encouraging biblical truths with new believers? If so, how often?
Acts
Have you ever encouraged (verbally
supported) someone when he was about to leave to do God’s work and also
written a letter to where he was going, so that the people would welcome him
there (if you knew people there)?
Acts
27:33-36 What did Paul encourage/urge them to do?
What happened (vs. 36)?
How could you encourage someone
to eat some food, get rest or sleep, see a doctor, etc. if that person needed
it?
Or, has anyone ever encouraged
you to do any of the above? If so,
how did they do it?
Rom.
1:11, 12 What
did Paul desire for himself and the Christians at Rome, while among them?
Have you ever encouraged/strengthened your spiritual leader by your faith in God (i.e., trusted God, as evidenced by the way you lived)? If so, when, and how (e.g., for finances, relationships, your future, some project, protection, necessities, etc.)?
Rom.
12:8 The person
who has the gift of exhortation/encouragement should do what?
If you have the spiritual gift of exhortation/encouragement, do you exercise it by comforting those Christians who need comfort, warning those who need warning, and urging to obedience those who need motivating?
If you don’t have the spiritual gift of
exhortation/encouragement, should you be exhorting/encouraging people anyway? Why (1 Thes.
When was the last time you did this?
Eph.
6:21, 22 Why
did Paul send Tychicus to the Christians in Ephesus?
Have you ever sent someone or
has someone else ever sent you for this purpose? If so, when?
If so, what happened?
Phil.
1:12-14 Because of
Paul’s imprisonment, what did it give the Philippian Christians?
Have you ever been encouraged
because of the imprisonment of another Christian who was doing God’s work?
Do you know of someone who was reluctant about speaking out for Christ, but was encouraged to speak boldly later because of the imprisonment of another Christian?
Phil.
2:19 Why did
Paul send Timothy to the Philippian Christians?
Would you be encouraged right now if you learned of a Christian friend’s good, spiritual condition whom you haven’t heard from in a long time? Why?
Col.
4:7, 8 For what
purpose did Paul send Tychicus?
Could someone send you to encourage other people’s hearts because you’re a good encourager and not a sour, depressing, pessimistic, critical kind of person?
Col.
4:10, 11 Who has proved
to be an encouragement to Paul?
Could people say this about
you? Why?
How could you become an
encouraging person if you’re not one now (be specific)?
1
Thes.
2:10-13 What were
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy doing (vs. 11)?
Why?
Are you doing this to other
Christians? If so, how often, and how?
1
Thes. 4:18 What are we told to do?
What
words (vss. 13-17)?
Have you ever encouraged
others with these words? If so, when?
Philemon
1:7 What did Paul
tell Philemon?
Why?
Have the hearts/lives of other
Christians ever been refreshed through you? If so, how?
Or, has your life ever been
refreshed through other Christians? If so, how?
Heb.
6:17, 18 What’s impossible
for God to do?
What should that cause us to
have?
Has it been for you? If so, how?
Heb.
12:4-6 What exhortation did these Hebrew Christians forget?
Do you forget God’s
exhortations/warnings in the Bible and, therefore, suffer the consequences or
react wrongly?
If so, give an example.
Deut.
Why?
How could you encourage someone who has taken the leadership position of someone else who was over you, and who is now going to help you reach your God-given goal(s)?
1 Sam.
23:16-18 What did Jonathan do to David?
How?
Have you ever encouraged
someone in God (i.e., to trust God)? If so, how?
Or, has someone ever
encouraged you in the Lord? If so, how?
Psa.
10:17 What will
God do to the humble?
Knowing this, how does it
motivate you to live, and why?
Dan.
11:1 Whom was
Daniel an encouragement and protection to?
Are you an encouragement to
any political leader? If so, how?
Ezek.
13:22 What had the
prophetesses encouraged the wicked to do?
Have you ever encouraged
someone to continue in sin (wickedness) or to sin, and why?
What should you have done
instead, and why?