Discovery Bible Study

A Modern Day Luke 10 Story

Aug 7, 2024 | Stories

Though they didn’t know where they would spend the night, Natalie* and her friends followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and traveled to a new town in the large Muslim nation where they live. They were there to intercede for its people and see who the Father wanted them to meet.

Discovering a small cafe run by a local Muslim woman named Miriam*, the ladies entered the fragrant cafe and ordered a bite to eat. They were glad when they had the opportunity to pray with Miriam, asking God to bless her business with many customers.

As they sat eating the delicious food, Miriam, her husband, and their little girl stopped by their table. “You guys asked God for me to have many customers,” Miriam declared, “and I’ve had non-stop business this afternoon!” Natalie shared that they pray for people as a way of loving their neighbors as they love themselves.

The women were then able to share a Bible story while Miriam and her husband listened eagerly. Miriam insisted that Natalie and her friends stay the night at their home before more customers took the family back to their work.

Later that evening, these young Christian women were able to meet many of the family’s relatives and neighbors at Miriam’s home. They stayed up late into the night chatting with their new friends.

Pray that the Lord would open up opportunities to study, discuss, and obey the Word together with Miriam and her community.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 that God “uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.”

*pseudonyms used

EARNEST PILGRIMS
Many of the women waiting in line with Natalie* held young children. As they approached the entrance to the holy cave, they removed their shoes read more …

THEY HAD PLANS BUT …
Natalie* and Sue hosted an online prayer time with local believers. Amil and Zara, a husband and wife, joined read more …

WHO IS STRONGER? JESUS OR BLACK MAGIC?
“I’m tired,” wept Sunil* as he explained to Gia* and Samir* all the things he had done to appease the evil spirits read more …

Share What you Know

Jul 31, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

The Samaritan woman in John 4 had problems. She had been married and divorced five times, and was now living with a man who wasn’t her husband. That’s a lot of marriages, even for this century, much less the first century.

We know that first-century women in that region did not have the right to leave their husbands. We know that this woman had been left, discarded, by five different men, and her current man didn’t even bother to go through the ceremony. What pain she must have harbored in her heart!

And then she met Jesus.

He had a physical need (He was thirsty), and He allowed her to meet that need (she gave Him a drink). They had a conversation, and then the woman ran back into her village (where everyone knew she had problems). She said to them, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

This story begs the question: How much did the Samaritan woman actually understand? During the conversation, she’d been confused by Jesus’ double meanings for different terms and ideas. Later, after they finished talking, she testified: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” How very interesting!

The woman didn’t say, “Come, see the man who claims to be God,” or, “Come, see the man who did this amazing miracle,” or even, “Come, see the man who is the best teacher I’ve ever heard.” She doesn’t mention any of those points. We don’t know if she even knew Jesus could do miracles at that point.

But what she did know was this: Jesus knew her, inside and out. So, she ran back to her village and proclaimed that to anyone who would listen. We mention this story because of another story one of our movement catalysts shared:

Nicole* and Neha* met every Monday to discuss Bible stories. On this particular morning, they were joined by Bharthi, Neha’s neighbor. As soon as Bharthi sat down, Nicole started to feel a little nervous. Nicole and Neha had a routine. They would chat a little over some chai and then Nicole would share a Bible story. This new person introduced some uncertainties. Would she understand Nicole’s accented Hindi? Did *Bharthi really want to be there? Or was she simply being polite?

Nicole decided it would be best for Neha to read the story out loud. As soon as Neha finished reading, Bharthi started complaining about her difficult life. Nicole didn’t know what to do. Should she gently remind Bharthi that they hadn’t gathered to complain but to read and discuss the story? Should she try to steer the conversation back to the creation story? Then suddenly Neha spoke.

As Nicole listened to Neha share her thoughts, she realized she didn’t need to say a word.

Neha was no Bible scholar. She knew a total of maybe three Bible stories, but she was sharing with her neighbor about all she had learned from applying those three stories to her life. She shared about the peace in her heart, now that she, like Mary (Martha’s sister), chose to sit at God’s feet each day and be with Him.

There was so much Neha didn’t know, but that didn’t matter. Because like the Samaritan woman, she simply shared what she did know. For her, the message was, “You’ve got to believe me, spending even two minutes at God’s feet has changed me.”

Nicole could only watch, listen, and pray. Watching Neha share all she knew of God in her gentle, authentic way was beautiful, humbling, and inspiring. Like the woman at the well, Neha simply shared her experience. It was all she knew. But it was more than enough.

Bharthi left, saying she wanted to return the following week because she wanted to once again feel the peace that she felt while talking with Nicole and Neha.

*pseudonym

Be Patient . . .

Jul 17, 2024 | Stories

Standing for two hours in the bitter cold was not what *Erden had envisioned for his night. After all, he had been invited to come back and share more Bible stories with *Yul’s family. Frankly, Erden wanted to give up, but he felt God telling him, “Be patient.” To pass the time, Erden reflected on the training he was receiving from *Stephen, a Beyond movement catalyst, and how his homework had gotten him here in the first place.

The training was on Jesus’ greatest command: love God with all your heart, and be a witness to that love by talking about it at all times, seeking those interested in knowing more about Him. The students’ homework had been to put into practice the simple strategies they had learned by going into the local community, sharing stories of what God had recently done in their lives with three or four non-believers. If that person wanted to hear more, they were asked to gather family and friends the following night so they could listen to the “God stories” as well.

The night before, Erden had been excited when Yul, a restaurant owner, had invited him back to share more stories with himself and his family. But tonight, while Erden had waited outside for the restaurant to shut down, he felt Yul had been ignoring him. Finally, Yul had come over to him and said, “I will take you to my son’s house.” Together they went to the son’s house, but after waiting outside for an hour, there was no sign of Yul’s son. Erden prayed about what to do:

“Be patient.”

Before long, Yul spoke up, “I will bring you to my brother’s house instead.” When they arrived, Yul’s brother and his wife welcomed them inside. As they started talking, the three men realized they had grown up in the same village! Yul’s brother even remembered Erden’s childhood nickname and what a naughty boy he had been. Erden shared how God had changed his life and told them there were many more stories of God changing people’s lives in the Bible.

All three were open to hearing the stories. Erden started with Genesis chapter one and did a Discovery Bible story with them. The family was so eager to learn that they did Genesis two as well. As the night was drawing to a close, Erden asked, “If these stories are true, what do you need to do differently in your lives?” Yul was the first to reply, “If God really loves us, then I need to love myself too.” He decided to stop getting drunk, and start taking better care of himself. His brother said, “I will make a decision to trust God.” The brother’s wife said, “I will pray to God to heal my sickness, and trust God. Will you pray for me?” Erden did, of course, and after the prayer, they all agreed that they needed to continue reading the Bible together!

Erden was so excited with what happened by merely doing his homework that he now has a vision of starting a house church in each village of his country.

Praise God with us that during this five-day training at least 8-10 new DBS groups started in this remote area near Siberia.

WAYS TO PRAY:

Pray that these students would continue to apply their training, grow in the Word, and eagerly witness to those around them by sharing stories of God’s love.
Pray for Erden as he seeks to implement his vision, bringing God’s glory to his country.

*pseudonym

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A FAMILY AFFAIR
Harto’s story illustrates why it is so important for seekers to bring their family and friends to hear what the Bible says about Jesus. read more …

WIFE BEATER TO JESUS FOLLOWER
When his wife refused to press charges, Nur was released. Filled with humiliation and deep remorse, he returned to his empty house. read more …

A BOLD WITNESS
*Yeng is Khmer (most Khmers are Buddhist) who comes from a big family. Her husband, Pouch, is blind; her 97 years old mother-in-law and three read more …

Buddhist Woman Healed of Cancer

May 22, 2024 | South East Asia, Stories

*Somchai lived in the bustling city of Bangkok. Life for the 26-year-old seemed to be crumbling around her. She was separated from her husband and distanced from her daughter. Her abdominal pain had turned out to be the same type of intestinal cancer that had taken her mother’s life when Somchai was just a girl.

Frail and worn out from surgery and chemotherapy, Somchai clung to her Buddhist amulets, the last vestiges of hope in a world that offered little solace or peace. Depressed and hopeless, Somchai decided to go back to the quaint village where her mother had once lived before the allure of the big city called.

In this small village, Somchai fondly remembered the days she spent there with her mother. She even reunited with her Uncle *Sunan. Having returned from Bangkok a few years before himself, Sunan had come back with a mission to start a house church in his ancestral village. This vibrant community of new believers embraced Somchai, and after many months of fellowship and prayer with the house church, Somchai felt hopeful.

A few months later, surrounded by the prayers of her new church family, her uncle, and a movement catalyst, Somchai cast aside her Buddhist beliefs and confessed her faith in Christ. As she did, she felt a weight lift from her weary shoulders. She described it as feeling a rush, like something had left her body. She felt slightly nauseous and clammy, but oddly free.

In the days that followed, miracles unfolded before the eyes of skeptics and believers alike. Somchai defied medical expectations. Not only did she surprise her doctors with a rapid recovery, but she put on weight. Even her countenance changed. As news of Somchai’s healing spread throughout the village, other villagers and even people from neighboring villages started to believe in Jesus.

Pray for Somchai and her daughter, now that the Lord has healed her physical body, pray that He would heal the relationship between her and her daughter.

*pseudonyms

READ OTHER STORIES FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA

THREE DELICIOUS DISHES …
Danny and *Holly were at their favorite Thai open-air market on Christmas Day. When they gave … read more

MIRACLES, DEMONIC EXORCISM
After prayer walking with a local partner, sowing gospel seeds with whoever was receptive, Scott* asked … read more

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR
WORK IN THIS AREA

Making Disciples Despite Their Grief

Apr 30, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

In January, tragedy struck a team in North India as they lost a key leader to a sudden brain hemorrhage. His passing left behind not just a grieving wife and young children, but also a network of approximately 1,000 house churches. Many of these house churches include people from esteemed Hindu backgrounds, including Brahmin, Thakur, and Kshatriya castes. Despite the immense loss, the team came together in February to plan how to best support these churches and nurture the new leaders within them.

Among those who stepped up to the task is *Shakuntala, a remarkable woman who participated in a gathering for women leaders in Delhi, last October. Little did the North India team know then that she would become such a pivotal figure in the team’s journey forward. While the absence of the leader who passed is deeply felt, the team is unified in their determination to continue the important work that he began.

Shakuntala has helped cultivate eight generations of believers, and she is also mentoring 12 emerging leaders. In a recent testimony, she described her joy in sharing Bible stories with people from diverse backgrounds, including Thakur, Pandit, Yadav, and Dagar. She attributes their embracing of Jesus to God’s grace and the dedication of her team of leaders, who tirelessly spread the Good News and make disciples in various communities.

In a touching audio recording from a recent mentoring session, Shakuntala led a discussion on the parable of the sower from Matthew 13:3-9. She urged her fellow disciples to emulate Jesus’ method of teaching through parables. She emphasized the importance of connecting with people through relatable stories, which foster deeper understanding and connection, rather than merely preaching at them.

Shakuntala earnestly requests prayer for the women under her mentorship, their families, and some specific challenges they face: “Please pray for these dear sisters and their households. Pray for one of the woman who relocated her daughter to another city to continue her study. Pray for the daughter as she studies in that city. Pray that they have enduring faith. Pray that we will continue to make more disciples.”

*pseudonym