Question 1

What can make someone effective?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 39:3The Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.2 Chronicles 26:5Uzziah sought God. . . . And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.Staying close to God and trusting in him will help us live for him effectively. When we rely on God’s wisdom, like Joseph and Uzziah, then we can trust that God show that he is faithful in our lives.John 15:1, 4-5“I [Jesus] am the true grapevine. . . . Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. . . . “Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”Romans 7:4You are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.To be effective in serving God and in life, we must stay connected to Jesus. Only through him do we have what we need to know God and do his will.James 5:16The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.Making our needs and requests known to God connects us closely with him and allows us to see how God is shaping our situation and helping us be effective in our service and ministry.Hebrews 11:33-34By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.Having strong faith in God, knowing that he is good and trusting him completely, will help us to be effective as his servants.

Question 2

Why should I be effective?

Accepted Answer

2 Timothy 2:15Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.We should be effective in doing God’s work because that is what he wants us to do, especially in explaining his Word.

Question 3

How do I know if I am being effective?

Accepted Answer

2 Peter 1:5-8Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.Being effective in responding to God’s promises will help us know God better and be more useful to God. We will know we are being effective for God when we succeed in producing the results that he desires.

Question 4

How can I be effective in doing God’s work?

Accepted Answer

2 Timothy 3:16-17All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.We can learn to be effective in doing what is right by reading, studying, and applying God’s Word.

Question 5

What is effective prayer?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 6:5-8“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”James 5:16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.Effective prayer by God’s people is earnest. This means that we are serious and sincere when we pray, not simply going through the motions or saying the right words to impress others.

Question 6

How can I be an effective witness for Christ?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 5:16“Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”Being an effective witness for Christ begins with how we live. Because we represent Christ, people will be drawn to him by our good deeds.1 Peter 3:15-17You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!We should be prepared to explain the Good News about Christ when opportunities arise, which will happen with those who know us well and see how we live. This includes knowing the truth of the Good News and how to communicate that truth in clear and winsome ways.1 Corinthians 3:7It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.The ultimate effectiveness of sharing the message of Christ does not depend on us. God is who draws a person to himself as we plant and water the seed.

Question 7

What is the connection between effectiveness and stewardship?

Accepted Answer

Luke 12:48“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”God holds us responsible for the effective use of what he has entrusted to us, whether much or little.Luke 16:10-11“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?”God expects his people to invest the resources—talents, time, and treasure—entrusted to them well. To ignore or misuse these resources is to be an ineffective steward.1 Peter 4:10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.The most effective use of the spiritual gifts entrusted to us is to use them to serve others.

Effectiveness