Help People to Listen to God
1. What publications were released at the “Let God’s Kingdom Come!” District Convention, and what makes them such useful tools?
1 At the “Let God’s Kingdom Come!” District Convention, two new publications were released, Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD and a simplified brochure, Listen to God. Because they have little text, they can be translated quickly and easily. In fact, Listen to God and Live Forever was approved to be translated into 431 languages on its release.
2. Who will benefit from these publications?
2 Who in particular will benefit from these publications? Consider the following scenarios that arise frequently around the world:
• A publisher having a discussion with a householder, either on the initial call or on a return visit, discerns that the householder is illiterate or reads poorly.
• A publisher preaches to people who speak a language that we have translated few or no publications into. Or most in the territory are unable to read the language they are most comfortable speaking.
• A publisher uses sign language to preach to the deaf in his territory.
• A parent desires to teach the truth to his young child who does not yet know how to read.
3. How was Listen to God designed?
3 How They Were Designed: Listen to God has very little text—generally just a simple sentence and a Scripture citation at the bottom of each page that highlights the main points. Why? Imagine that someone offered you a brochure that is written in a language you cannot read, perhaps with characters that are foreign to you. Would it be of interest to you, even if it contained beautiful illustrations? Likely not. Similarly, people who cannot read are easily intimidated by publications that have text. Therefore, prominent on each page are carefully prepared illustrations with arrows to guide the discussion from one illustration to the next.
4. How was Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD designed?
4 Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD has the same illustrations as the Listen to God brochure. It has been designed to study with deaf persons who have limited signing ability or are learning sign language. This DVD can also be used when preparing to study with someone out of the Listen to God brochure. At the beginning of each lesson, there is a question that is answered in the lesson. Included with the illustrations are comments and cited scriptures. These comments and cited scriptures could be discussed, depending on the ability of the student.
5. When and how may we offer these publications?
5 How to Use Them: You may offer either publication in the house-to-house ministry whenever you feel it is beneficial to do so, even when these publications are not the offer for the month. (See the box “How They May Be Offered.”) You could introduce them on a return visit by simply telling the interested person that you have something to show him and handing him a brochure or DVD. Discernment is needed to determine whether to offer the DVD or the printed brochure. Some may have sufficient knowledge of sign language to begin using the DVD. For others, it may be best to start with the brochure. If at first you are unsure, it may be best to start with the Listen to God brochure. After a while, it may become more clear whether you should continue using the brochure or transfer to using the DVD.
6. How will we conduct a Bible study using these publications?
6 Since neither publication has printed study questions, the discussions will not be question-and-answer sessions such as you might normally have when studying out of Bible Teach—On DVD. In every culture, people enjoy hearing stories. So use the illustrations to tell the inspired stories that make up the Bible record. Explain what is being illustrated. Be enthusiastic. Invite the observations of the student. Show the scriptures at the bottom of the page or screen, and reason with him on what the Bible says. Ask questions to involve him in the discussion and to make sure he understands.
7. How can the printed brochure be used to complement the DVD when conducting a Bible study?
7 If you are studying out of the DVD, you can also use the printed brochure to progressively make logical connections in the mind of the student. How can this be done effectively? Suppose you are teaching using Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD, lesson 8, which is entitled “Who was Jesus?” Your goal is to make a visual connection that the one whom Jehovah sent to the earth is the same person that He created before all other things. Using the printed brochure, you can quickly flip back and forth between the pictures of Jesus on pages 6 and 16. This will keep the study moving and help the student to build an overall understanding of Jehovah’s purpose. This method is effective whether you are using the brochure on its own or as a complement to the DVD.
8. How can we help our Bible student to progress?
8 Help the Student to Progress: Hopefully, your discussion will awaken in your student a desire to learn sign language so that he can take in knowledge of Jehovah on his own. (Matt. 5:3; John 17:3) Therefore, if the discussions are from Listen to God, in time perhaps you can offer to teach the student how to sign, using Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD. Regardless of the publication you use, the student will not be ready for baptism once the brochure has been completed. You should transfer the study to the Bible Teach book or another appropriate publication that will give him a more rounded-out understanding of the Bible.
9. Why are you thankful for these new tools for the ministry?
9 People must listen to the Sovereign of the universe if they are to live forever. (Isa. 55:3) And Jehovah’s will is that “all sorts of men,” including those who have not yet learned sign language, learn how to listen to him. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) How thankful we are for these new tools that we can use to teach people how to listen to God!
[Box]
How They May Be Offered
Show the householder the opening picture in lesson 1 of Listen to God and Live Forever—On DVD [if using the Listen to God brochure, the picture is on pages 2-3], and say: “Would you like to live in a world that looks like this? [Allow for response.] The Scriptures promise [or, this holy book promises] that God will soon make the world a beautiful, peaceful place where no one is poor or sick. This publication encourages us to listen to God. But how do we listen to him?” Go to lesson 2 [pages 4-5 of the brochure] and discuss the answer with him. If he does not have time, leave the publication with him and make arrangements to return and discuss the answer.