The first discipline is that we must have…
1. A Private Time Daily in the Word and Prayer (quiet time)
 
Having energized our lives privately in the Word and prayer, we are ready to be actively involved with other believers.
 
Last time, we looked at the need for…
2. One Large Group Worship Experience Each Week
 
We continue with the next public discipline of…
3. One Small Group Interactive Bible Study Each Week
 
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
 
What do we accomplish in a small group Bible study?
* It is the most effective means for discipleship to take place  
* It provides opportunity for asking questions 
* It allows for sharing insights with each other
* It builds intimacy, understanding and appreciation of each other
* It provides a means for meeting each other’s needs
 
While in a large group the teaching may provide the catalyst for growth, the small group provides for the process for growth through interaction.
 
I cannot place enough emphasis upon taking time to study God’s Word with other believers. While I encourage a weekly time, we cannot do this discipline often enough.
 
In Acts 17:11, Luke speaks of the noble character of the Berean Christians because “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
 
Paul was teaching them about Jesus from the Old Testament. They knew many of these teachings by memory, but now they had to examine them in light of the revelation of Jesus.
 
Who are you sharing and sharpening your life with around the Word of God?