Congregation Book Study, Week of August 7-13, 2023, Lesson 53, May your entertainment please Jehovah, Answers.

Study of the Book of the congregation, August 7-13, 2023, Lesson 53, Answers.

Congregation Bible study (30 min.): lff lesson 53.

1. What should we take into account when choosing our entertainment?

When choosing our entertainment we must take into account if what we choose pleases the Lord, that is, it is important to make sure that our entertainment activities are aligned with the principles and values ​​that Jehovah approves. This involves avoiding entertainment that involves violence, sexual immorality, or the occult, since these are things that Jehovah hates.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When choosing our entertainment we must take into account that our lesson pleases Jehovah. Because today, the entertainment that most people like contains things that Jehovah hates. For example, violence sexual immorality and occultism. Hence, Ephesians 5:10 advises us that we must continue to make sure that we do what is pleasing to Jehovah.

And it is also beneficial to surround ourselves with friends who love Jehovah, since they can positively influence us in the choice of our entertainment.

Hence, in lesson 48 we were advised to choose friends well. If we surround ourselves with people who love Jehovah, they will help us choose our entertainment wisely. On the contrary, if we choose to spend time with people who do not respect Jehovah's standards, we will end up badly as Proverbs 13:20 says.

2. Why is it important that we put a limit on the time we spend on entertainment?

It is important to put a limit on the time we dedicate to entertainment, because if we exceed the time we spend on leisure activities, we would not have enough time left to do other more important activities. The Bible encourages us to use time in the best possible way.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

If we dedicate too much time to entertainment, we may neglect our responsibilities, such as work, studies, service to God, and time with family and friends. Therefore, setting limits helps us maintain a healthy balance in our lives and prioritize our responsibilities.

It's important, because if we don't, we may end up without enough space in our schedule for the most important activities, especially spiritual ones. Hence, Ephesians 5:15,16 encourages us to make the best use of time.

LET'S DEEPER INTO THE SUBJECT

Let's see what you can do to make good entertainment decisions.

3. Avoid entertainment that hurts

Why should we be selective? Watch the VIDEO and talk about the following:

VIDEO: What should I have fun with? (4:39)

How are ancient gladiator shows similar to some of today's amusements?

The video mentions that ancient gladiator shows were violent and cruel, and points out that some modern entertainment can also be violent or immoral. Therefore, it can be said that some amusements that today resemble the ancient gladiator shows in their violent or immoral content.

They are similar in that both activities appear to do no harm to their viewers. But it happens that from seeing so much blood and violence, people become insensitive to these things, with which they could develop a vice that leads them to want to See things much stronger and enjoy it much more frequently. Hence Romans 12:9 advises to hate what is bad and stick to what is good.

Based on the video, what did Danny learn about entertainment?

He learned that he had to be very selective, and that it was okay to have fun, but what Jehovah hates we must avoid at all costs.

Danny learned that Jehovah's Witnesses can have fun and even play video games, as long as it is a good choice, in order to bring joy to Jehovah and not harm ourselves spiritually. He understood that the games can change over time, but the violence is the same. He also learned that one way to show Jehovah that he hates what is bad is by making a good choice of his entertainment.

Read Romans 12:9 and discuss the following:

How does this verse help us to be selective about hobbies?

Romans 12 9 Says: Love be without pretense. Hating the bad and sticking to the good, applying this principle to our entertainment choices, we should avoid activities that are immoral or harmful and seek those that are healthy and uplifting.

This verse helps us because it makes us see that true loyalty to Jehovah should drive us to hate the things he hates, in the sense of avoiding and hating what is bad. On the other hand, this verse contains a warning. Consequently, those who do not hate what Jehovah considers disgusting may become hated by Jehovah. Hence, we must be selective when choosing our hobbies.

What are some of the things that Jehovah hates? Read Proverbs 6:16, 17 and Galatians 5:19-21. After reading each text, talk about the following:

Of the things mentioned in this text, which do you think are most common in today's entertainment?

For example, violence and lies are common in many forms of entertainment today, and both are things that Jehovah hates. Therefore, we must be selective and avoid entertainment activities that promote these things.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Proverbs 6:16,17 talks about pride, lying and bloodshed. And precisely these are the things that we see in entertainment today, as they are present in movies, video games, literature, music and even in dance. The same happens with the things mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21, idolatry, spiritism, fights, anger, jealousy, envy and uncontrolled parties are everywhere. There is not a single thing mentioned in these biblical texts that is not common in current entertainment.

And as for what Galatians 5:19, 21 says, or is sexual immorality, drunkenness and noisy entertainment are very common, since they are promoted a lot, especially among young people, so we must be very careful not to fall in those traps.

How to choose the right entertainment

In order to make good entertainment choices, the key is to ask ourselves if our choice will have to do with the things that Jehovah hates.

Although there is nothing wrong with entertainment, we must ask ourselves if our choice will not coincide with some more important activity such as family worship, preaching or meetings.

And the third is whether the entertainment we choose will not expose us to spending a lot of time or having a very intimate relationship with people who do not love Jehovah. 

ILLUSTRATION

In the Illustration we see a narrow road bordered by a precipice and a vehicle that passes through it dangerously. The narrow path is the entertainment, the vehicle is us, and the precipice is the things that Jehovah hates and that are contained in many of today's diversions and entertainments. Therefore, to be safe we ​​must choose well what we entertain ourselves with, as well as our hobbies and amusements, in order to move away from the danger of falling into the void.

 4. Make good use of your time

Watch the VIDEO and talk about the following:

VIDEO: How is time going? (2:45)

Although the brother in the video was not doing anything wrong, how was his use of free time affecting him?

The video shows a brother who, although he wasn't doing anything wrong, was using his free time unproductively. Instead of doing something that would benefit his spiritual life or his physical well-being, he was wasting time on activities that had no lasting value. This can negatively affect his spiritual life and his ability to fulfill important responsibilities and goals.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

So the video encourages us to be mindful of how we spend our free time, and to make sure that our entertainment activities don't distract us from what's really important in life.

Technology and entertainment were taking a toll on him as all his attention was on his phone, music, TV, and video games. All of this was taking away the attention that he should give to his work and spiritual things. And although this was not bad in itself. He was seriously harming his communication and friendship with Jehovah, since he did not take time for service, personal study or reading the Bible.

Read Philippians 1:10 and discuss the following:

How can this verse help us decide how much time to spend on our hobbies?

Philippians 1:10 encourages us to prioritize the great things in our lives, including how we spend our time on our hobbies. We must ensure that our hobbies are aligned with the principles and values ​​that God approves and that they help us grow spiritually and make better people.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When considering how much time we spend on our hobbies, we should ask ourselves if they help us grow spiritually, strengthen our relationships with God and others, and allow us to be Jehovah's Witnesses in our daily lives. If our cobis distract us and do not keep us from our responsibilities and our service to God, then we must reconsider how much time we dedicate to it.

It can help us establish what things we will give priority to and what issues we could neglect if necessary. In this way, we will better control the time we dedicate to entertainment. This way we will stay much more focused on the things that are really important, among which are our spiritual activities.

5. Choose healthy entertainment

It is true that Jehovah does not like some forms of entertainment, but there are many others that he does, and we can enjoy them. Read Ecclesiastes 8:15 and Philippians 4:8, and discuss the following:

What healthy diversions do you like?

Well, these texts help us to see that healthy activities are those that allow us to enjoy life in a constructive and positive way, without compromising our Christian values ​​and principles, some healthy activities that we can do are, for example, exercising, spending time with friends and family, learn something new enjoy nature.

I like to stay at home to read a good book, listen to music or watch a movie. I also like to do recreational activities with my friends, like walks on the beach or play a game of soccer, or maybe prepare a meal at home and share with them.

ILLUSTRATION

Images of people of different ages enjoying healthy entertainment: 1. A young girl listening to music while drawing. 2. Three boys playing basketball. 3. Two children on bicycles. 4. A boy assembling a toy car. 5. A man playing a drum. 6. A boy and his father playing a video game. 7. A woman taking pictures. We can have fun and relax in a healthy way.

WHAT SOME SAY: “Is entertainment that contains the occult, violence, or sex that bad? The bad thing is to do it!”.

What would you say?

As we have learned, we should avoid entertainment that involves autism, violence, or sexual immorality, since these are things that Jehovah hates, and the Bible urges us to be selective and think about everything that is true, honest, just, pure, kind and worthy of praise.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

I would say that it is bad both to see it and to do it, since we must avoid seeing or practicing activities that contain anything that Jehovah hates, because this would contaminate our mind to the point of making us insensitive and over time we could come to see these things as normal. And what is worse, is that it could become a vice that does not allow time for really important things such as our spiritual activities.

Therefore, we cannot justify the consumption of entertainment that goes against the principles and values ​​that God approves, arguing that it is wrong to do it. We must be aware that the entertainment we choose can influence the way we think and act, and we must strive to choose activities that are pleasing to Jehovah and that help us maintain a clear conscience and a close relationship with him.

 SUMMARY

Jehovah wants us to choose wholesome entertainment and to enjoy it.

Review

What kind of entertainment do we Christians avoid?

Christians should avoid any type of entertainment that promotes values ​​contrary to Christian principles, such as violence, sexual immorality, the occult, idolatry, and blasphemy. The Bible teaches us that we are to be selective in our entertainment choices and make sure that what we choose is pleasing to the Lord.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We avoid all types of entertainment that contain things that Jehovah hates, such as violence, the occult, and sexual immorality. We also avoid entertainment that could become a vice that steals our time, or disconnects us from our spiritual activities.

In addition, we should avoid any activity that could harm our relationship with Jehovah or with others, or waste time that could be spent on more important activities. In short, Christians should choose entertainment that is healthy, constructive, and that helps us grow spiritually, avoiding anything that could be detrimental to our relationship with God or with others.

Why should we be careful how much time we spend on entertainment?

Although entertainment can be a healthy way to relax and enjoy life, we must be careful not to spend too much time on it and neglect our responsibilities and obligations, because if we spend too much time on entertainment, we may not have enough time for activities. most important, such as work, study, family and our service to God.

We should be careful because entertainment could leave us without enough space in our schedule to do the most important things, mainly our spiritual and service activities.

Do you want to choose hobbies that are pleasing to Jehovah? Because?

Yes, 1 Timothy 1:11 says that Jehovah is the happy God so I do not want to choose any hobby that does not make me sad.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Yes, because choosing hobbies that please Jehovah is a way to honor him and live a full and satisfying life.

Yes, as Christians, we want to choose hobbies that are pleasing to Jehovah. This is because we call on God and want to please him in all areas of our lives, including our entertainment activities. So by choosing hobbies that are pleasing to Jehovah, we show our love and obedience to him.

In addition, by selecting hobbies that are in line with biblical principles and values, we protect ourselves from negative influences and avoid falling into practices or behaviors that God approves, since by dedicating our free time to activities that build us spiritually, we strengthen our relationship with God and we grow closer to him.