Drink—Learning
Invite them to help in a search for truth.
“Seek and you will find.” Actively seeking for truth opens the mind, and seeking together gives you a common purpose. See if they have ideas about solutions for some problem you are currently struggling with. New Church teachings encourage us not to blindly trust what church leaders say, but to search the Word for for ourselves.
Those with a genuine affection for truth, that is, those who desire to know truths to put them to good use and for the sake of the life they ought to lead, they too keep to the teachings of the Church, until they reach the age when they begin to think for themselves. Then they examine the Scriptures and pray to the Lord for enlightenment; and when they receive it, their hearts rejoice. (Secrets of Heaven 8993.4)
Encourage them to do it on their own.
To drink means to make truth our own. Sometimes the best way to teach is to ask questions and then let them figure it out. They can also make truth their own by applying it to their life and sharing it with others, so encourage them to practice and share their ideas.
Ask them to teach.
Teaching is a great way to learn and the best teachers are people enthusiastic about truth. Invite them to share a passage or idea with your group, or to share their experience, strength and hope.
Let the Lord be the Teacher.
The real teaching is what the Lord does inside their heads to give them understanding and enlightenment. The Lord can use our words, but we don’t want seekers to take our word for anything, but to search the Word for themselves with prayer to the Lord for enlightenment.
We are led and taught by the Lord alone. (Divine Providence 155)
But in what manner these passages are to be understood, whether as meaning that these are three Gods, who in essence and consequently in name are one God; or that they are three objects belonging to one subject, that is, merely qualities or attributes of one God which are so named; or in some other way, the reason left to itself is incapable of seeing. What then is to be done? There is no other way than for man to go to the Lord God the Savior, and under His auspices read the Word; for He is the God of the Word; and man will then be enlightened and will see truths which reason also will acknowledge. But on the other hand, if you do not approach the Lord, though you read the Word a thousand times, and see therein the Divine trinity and the unity also, you will never understand otherwise than that there are three Divine persons, each one of whom singly is God, and thus that there are three Gods. (True Christianity 165)
Find out what they are interested in.
No one is ever instructed by means of truths, but by means of the affections for truth; for truths apart from affection do indeed come to the ear as sound, but do not enter into the memory; that which causes them to enter into the memory and to abide in it, is affection. (Secrets of Heaven 3066)
As a group, pray for enlightenment.
The reason we are taught by being enlightened is that enlightenment is an attribute of both our learning and our discernment, since our discernment, the sight of our inner self, is enlightened by spiritual light exactly the way our eyes, the sight of our outer self, are enlightened by physical light. (Divine Providence 66)
The Word should be searched with devout prayer to the Lord for enlightenment. (Secrets of Heaven 5432.5)
They found themselves without enlightenment and therefore prayed for it. And light then shone down from heaven. (Apocalypse Revealed 962.2, True Christianity 188)
Identify your neighbor’s questions and doubts.
Those with the affection for truth think about, question, and discuss whether a thing is true, whether it is so. And when they are convinced it is true, or is so, they think about, question, and discuss what it is. Thus they remain rooted on the doorstep and cannot be admitted into wisdom until they no longer have any doubts. (Secrets of Heaven 2718)
Ask your neighbor to share some Scripture.
Share Scripture with them.
Tell them a passage that has impacted you, and invite them to share a passage that has impacted them. Or read a passage together and discuss it. Going around the circle each person can share a relevant passage of Scripture.
Invite your neighbor to share an idea or lead a discussion.
Ask them to teach. Teaching is a great way to learn and the best teachers are people enthusiastic about truth. Invite them to share a passage or idea with your group, or to share their experience, strength and hope.
Invite them to help in a search for truth.
“Seek and you will find.” Actively seeking for truth opens the mind, and seeking together gives you a common purpose. See if they have ideas about solutions for some problem you are currently struggling with.
Encourage them to do it on their own.
To drink means to make truth our own. Sometimes the best way to teach is to ask questions and then let them figure it out. They can also make truth their own by applying it to their life and sharing it with others, so encourage them to practice and share their ideas.
Focus on learning what will help you serve.
Share resources such as studies, ministers, books, or internet. Joining communities in heaven sharing wisdom.
Be patient.
One sip at a time is better than a firehose for a thirsty person.
Ask what they have learned recently.
Find out what they are interested in, what challenges they currently face, or what truths affect them the most.
Discover their core values and principles.
Those with the affection for truth think about, question, and discuss whether a thing is true, whether it is so. And when they are convinced it is true, or is so, they think about, question, and discuss what it is. Thus they remain rooted on the doorstep and cannot be admitted into wisdom until they no longer have any doubts. (Secrets of Heaven 2718)
No one is ever instructed by means of truths, but by means of the affections for truth; for truths apart from affection do indeed come to the ear as sound, but do not enter into the memory; that which causes them to enter into the memory and to abide in it, is affection. (Secrets of Heaven 3066)