Study Questions

Questions for the Next Lesson
January 8th, 2012

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:16. How does someone receive a fool who wants to do a little boasting? Have you ever been the fool by trying to impress someone when you shouldn’t have? Try and think of several different reasons why we do these things. After you boasted to someone when you shouldn’t have what kinds of feelings or emotions did you go through? What can we learn from this? Obviously that is not Paul’s point so what do you think he is getting at? Look at the context in which this verse is sitting.

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:17-21. What do you think Paul means by the phrase “self-confident boasting?” Do you think self confidence is a good thing or not? From verse 18 try and describe how the world boasts. Why do you think it might have been alright for Paul to boast the way the world does or do you think he has something else in mind? Try and say what you think Paul’s thinking is in verses 19-20. Do you think as human beings we are ever influenced by boastful arrogant people when we should not be? If so how does that usually look? Do you think Paul is using sarcasm in verse 21? What do you think God wants you to learn from this section?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:21-29. In this section Paul boasts about many different things. Some were good things and some were hardships. Divide his boastings into two categories; hardships and attributes. Which one of Paul’s attributes would he have been most proud of from a worldly point of view? Which one of his hardships would he have been most proud of? Which was probably the hardest on him? Looking at verse 28 try and explain what this hardship would have been like for Paul. Try and describe your thoughts as a result of studying this passage.

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:30-33. Why do you think Paul would want to boast about his weaknesses? Would you say this concept of boasting about our weaknesses is a Christian concept or a human concept? Is this idea of boasting about your weaknesses something that you buy into? How are you doing in this arena?

Questions for the Next Lesson
January 1st, 2012

In this week’s study we will look at 2^nd Corinthians 10:1-11:15. However, the sermon will only cover 11:1-15.

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 10:1-6. In what ways do you think Jesus Christ was meek and gentle? Try and think of several areas in your life where applying these attributes would benefit you and then say how. Starting in verse three, try and discover everything you can about how a Christian is to wage war and describe the weapons we are to use to wage this war. See Ephesians 6:10-20 for help. Do you use these types of weapons when you wage war against the things giving you trouble in your life or do you use the weapons of the world?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 10:7-11. What is Paul trying to say to the Corinthians in this section? One thing Paul is arguing is that he is consistent when you compare what he says in his letters verses when he is face to face. Do you think that is important in your life, to be consistent? Try and give some examples of how that might be important.

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 10:12-18. Looking at verse 12, try and think of one word that could describe what Paul is talking about here. Do you ever compete against other Christians in any areas? If so, do you think that is wise? Starting in verse 13 and following, try and think of two or three life changing principles we could learn to live by. Try and think of some examples of when it is appropriate to boast and when it is not. What is the big idea in verse 18? How do you think a person gets a commendation from the Lord? What things might prevent that person from being commended by the Lord?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:1-6. From verse one, try and say what Godly jealously is verses worldly jealousy. When is it alright to be jealous and when is it not? Have you ever struggled with this problem? Looking at verses 3-4, can you think of ways that people teach a different Jesus, Spirit or gospel other than the one Paul teaches us in the Bible? According to Galatians one, what should happen to someone who is teaching heresy? How do you think a person could make sure he is not being taught a false gospel, Christ or Spirit? Looking at verse 6, how do you think Paul had made it perfectly clear he had a superior knowledge than the so called “super apostles” he talks about here?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:7-15. From verse 7, can you think of why the Corinthians might have thought less of Paul because he didn’t charge them for his services? In what ways do people do this today with ministers? From verses 8-9, how did Paul support himself while he was with the Corinthians? What term do we use for people today who get support from some other means than the people directly under their ministry? Looking at verse 10-15, what do you think was going on in Corinth that was so disturbing to Paul? What warnings can we get from this passage?

Questions for the Next Lesson
December 11th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:6. Keeping in mind the context of this passage, what is Paul teaching here? What do you think this promise means?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:7. What do you think this passage is teaching concerning New Testament giving? Have you done this as regards your giving to the church, to other Christians and to the world at large? How did you come out? From this verse, why is it important that you do not give under compulsion or reluctantly? When you give to the church or other Christians, do you do this cheerfully?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:8-9. Keeping in mind the context of this passage, what is Paul teaching in these two verses? Have you found this to be true in your life?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:10-11. What do you think Paul means when he says, “you will be made rich in every way?” From verse 11, what two purposes does God have in mind when He makes you, “rich in every way?” Have you experienced this?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:12. Try and think of all the ways that Christian giving, including your gifts to the church, supply the needs of God’s people. Is this a cool concept to you?

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:13. Try and imagine how your giving to the church or another Christian who is in need would grow their faith and trust in God.

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:14. What is Paul saying in this verse? Do you think if you are generous to someone that would really cause them to pray for you? Is that cool to you?

(8)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 9:15. What gift is Paul talking about here? See 9:14 and 8:1 for help.

(9)   What is the big idea in today’s study? Do you believe this? If so, what are you going to do about it?

Questions for the Next Lesson
December 4th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:16-17. How does Titus feel about the Corinthians? According to this verse, how did Titus come to feel this way about the Corinthians? Have you ever had an experience like this, where God caused you to love someone deeply that you might not have felt that way about if God hadn’t intervened? According to this verse, what response does Paul give God for this gift of love Titus has for the Corinthians? Try and come up with a very good life principle from this verse. Is there someone in your life that you should pray to God and ask Him to help you have a heart of love for them?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:17. In what two ways is Titus coming to the Corinthians? Try and describe all the difficulties Titus would have had to go through by doing all this for the Corinthians. Most of the time in Christian ministry, people have to be coerced or begged in order to get them to serve. How is Titus’ attitude a lesson for all of us as regards Christian service? How might this be a lesson to you personally? See Romans 12:1 and Matthew 6:19-21 to help with your answer. Using your answers to question # 1, try and say how we can get the same attitude Titus had.

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:18-24. There are two brothers, (Brothers in this case means fellow Christians) who are coming with Titus. List all their attributes and then describe what each attribute means. Do you think these are qualities that each of us should aspire to? If you answered yes, how could we try and become people like this. Which attribute would you most like to develop more fully in your life?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:16-24. What seems to be Paul’s main concern in this passage? Do you think it is important to maintain integrity in financial matters as regards the monies collected and used within a local church? If so, what should be some of the things a church should do to insure their financial integrity? Do you know if your church does any of the things you came up with? What lesson can we learn from this question?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:24. From this verse, come up with a life lesson as regards people who are diligently serving the Lord in your community.

(6)   What is the most meaningful thing you learned from your study this week?

Questions for the Next Lesson
November 27th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:1-3. According to this first statement, Paul seems to be declaring that Christian giving is a gift of grace from the Lord. How is this a gift and not a burden? Do you see giving to the church and to others as a gift? Can you share how giving makes you feel good? From verse two, what all was going on in the Macedonians’ lives when they gave to Paul? How generous were they according to this verse? What lesson could we learn from this?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:4-5. In this verse, Paul says they gave themselves first to the Lord. What do you think that means? How do you think we could give ourselves first to the Lord, and then to others?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:6-7. Why do you think Paul wants Titus to make sure the Corinthians bring their act of grace giving to completion? Is there some kind of lesson for us here? List all the things Paul says the Corinthians excel in and say how that looks practically in a Christian’s life. Which one of these attributes do you feel you excel in the most and which one do you want to work on the most?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:8-9 and Philippians 2:5-11. Try and explain how our Lord Jesus Christ became poor for our sakes. Paul says in, verse 8, he wants to compare the Corinthian’s love to others. Do you think we should compare our Christian virtues with others? If so, why, and if not, why was Paul doing this?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8: 10-11. In verse 8, Paul said he was not commanding the Corinthians to do this, and in verse 10 he says it is his advice. Why do you think he didn’t command them to give, but rather gave the advice to give? From these verses, do you think maybe Paul thought the Corinthians had problems with completing promises they had made? Do you ever struggle with this, and if so how, can we overcome this?

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:12 and 1^st Corinthians 16:1-4. According to these passages, what criteria should we use when deciding how much offering to the Lord we are to give? Is this conflicting with any other Christian teaching on giving? If so, how can you explain this? How do you go about deciding how you will give to the church and to others in need?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 8:13-15. What is Paul’s desire in this section? What lesson can we learn from this section? What did you learn from the study this week?

Questions for the Next Lesson
November 13th, 2011

(1)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 7:2-4. Try and think of several different ways in which someone could make room for another person in their heart. Who in your life do you need to make room for in your heart that you might not be letting in right now? According to verse 3, how much room does Paul make in his heart for the Corinthians? Even though we might not be willing to die for someone, what are some other ways we could selflessly add to our list of making room for someone in our hearts? In verse two, Paul says he has neither corrupted, wronged, nor exploited anyone. Somehow the Corinthians had gotten into their minds he had. How is it that we sometimes make judgments about people that are completely erroneous? What could we do to avoid this problem?

(2)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 7:5-7. Try and put yourself in Paul’s place in verse five. From all you know about Paul and his travels, why do you think he felt this way? Read Acts 16-20 for help. Do you ever feel harassed or at conflict with other people? What do you think causes these things? What does Paul have to say about God in verse 6? Is this comforting to you, and if so, why? How did God comfort Paul according to this passage? See 2^nd Corinthians 2 for a better understanding. Can you think of some times in your life when you were downcast and God comforted you in some special way? What news did Paul receive from Titus, recorded in verse 7, that would have been especially encouraging to him. Is there anyone in your life that you could encourage by telling them how much you long for them or telling them about your sorrow for having caused them pain? What could you do about this?

(3)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 7:8-13. After reading this passage, try and explain what Paul did, how he felt, and what the results were. What different changing emotions did Paul go through as a result of his letter, according to verse 8? Have you ever been through something like this? According to verse 9, what did Paul’s letter ultimately lead the Corinthians to? From verses 8-11, list the progressive steps that take place when someone allows God to work in their hearts. After each item try and define what it means. Have you ever had God work in you this way when you were harming someone else or sinning against them in some way? If so, what was it like? Do you think this is a wonderful concept, that God could do this for us? According to verse 12, why did Paul ultimately write the harsh painful letter? Does this teach us anything about our motives for confronting people?

(4)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 7:13-16. According to verse 13, what happened as a result of the Corinthians’ genuine repentance? Try and list all the ways Paul encourages and builds up the Corinthians in verses 14-16. Is there someone in your life you could call, write to, or speak to and encourage them in some way, like Paul did to the Corinthians?

(5)     What have you learned from this passage this week?

Questions for the Next Lesson
November 6th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:3. When Paul says he puts no stumbling block in someone’s way so that his ministry would not be discredited, what do you think he means by this? In what ways can people do or say things that end up discrediting their ministries? Why is it so important that Paul not discredit his ministry? How do you think you could apply this principle in your life?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:4-5. What title does Paul use for himself in this section? Do you see yourself in this way, and if so, how are you fulfilling your title? Try and say which of all the problems Paul talks about in this passage that seem the worst to you. Have you ever gone through any of these in your own ministries?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:6-8. Which of these traits are the hardest for you to adhere to? Which are the most admirable to you? Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:9-10. How do you think it is possible to have nothing and yet possess everything?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:11-13. How can a person speak freely, open their heart to someone else and not withhold affection? Try and think of someone in your life where you could do these things and think of how it might help your relationship with them. Try and think of one word that describes what Paul is talking about here. Is this something that is easy or hard for you to do?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:14-14. What is Paul teaching here? Try and think of several institutions in which this might apply. If someone is yoked with an unbeliever in marriage, does this mean they should divorce? See 1^st Corinthians 7 for help.

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:15. Answer all of Paul’s questions. Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:16. Did you know you are the temple of God? From this verse, try and explain what that means and how it works. How meaningful is this concept to you?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:17-18. In what ways are we to be separate from non-believers and in what ways should we not be separate? Try and make a life principle from 2^nd Corinthians 6:14-18.

Questions for the Next Lesson
October 30rd, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:16. What does Paul mean when he says he doesn’t view people from a worldly point of view? In what ways do people view Jesus Christ from a worldly point of view? How should we view people if we don’t view them from a worldly view? How should we view non-Christians and how should we view Christians?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:17. What does it mean to “be in Christ?” When Paul says the “old has gone” what does he mean by that? What does he mean by “the new has come?” Try and think of all the ways God promises to change us when we get saved. What things are new and wonderful in your life as a result of your new life with Christ? What things are you glad you don’t have to deal with anymore?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:18. According to this passage, how did you become a new creation? What does that mean to you? What does the word reconciliation mean to you? If you have been reconciled to God through Christ, what does that imply as to your relationship with him before salvation? What does it mean that we have a ministry of reconciliation? Is that speaking about reconciliation between people and people or people and God?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:19. How did God actually go about reconciling mankind to himself through Christ? In other words, what was the specific methodology? What assignment has he given you? Do you find this a heavy responsibility?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:20. What does God call you in this passage? What does it mean to be an ambassador? Try and explain exactly what this verse means and how it makes you feel.

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:21. Who is Paul talking about in this passage? What was Jesus like before the cross? What happened to him at the cross? Who did this to Jesus? What happens to us as a result of what God did to Jesus? How does this verse make you feel?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 6:1-2. According to this verse, what is one of your titles? How do you think a saved person might receive the Lord’s grace in vain? What does it mean “now is the time of God’s favor and now is the day of salvation?”

(8)   How has this passage been particularly meaningful to you?

Questions for the Next Lesson
October 23rd, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:1-3. What do you think Paul is referring to when he speaks of our earthly tent? What do you think he is referring to when he speaks of having a heavenly house or tent? Why do you think we groan and long to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling? Some people think when we die we will be with God in spirit and others think we will receive temporary heavenly dwellings until we get our permanent heavenly bodies. See if you can see this last point of view from verse 3.

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:4. Our bodies we have while we are here on earth are mortal bodies. Why does this cause us trouble? See 2^nd Corinthians 4:7-12 for help. Try and think of several reasons why having a mortal body is inferior to having an immortal body. Can you see more reasons in verse four to defend the concept that we might get temporary heavenly bodies when we die? What do you think our heavenly bodies will be like? Is this something you believe in and look forward to?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:5. What is meaningful and comforting to you in this verse? Do you ever sense or feel the presence of God dwelling in you through the Holy Spirit? If you answered yes, in what ways do you sense God?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:6-10. What do you think it means, “we live by faith not by sight?” Try and describe several ways in your life in which you live by faith? Look at verse 8 and Philippians 1:20-23. Which would you prefer in your life, to be with God in heaven or to go on living here on earth? Do you think Paul had a lot of faith in what heaven would be like? See 2^nd Corinthians 12:1-6 to help discover why he might have had so much faith in the afterlife.

(5)   Using Romans 8:1 and 2nd Corinthians 5:10, try and make a statement of what the believers judgment will be like. Are you looking forward to standing before the Lord when you get to heaven?

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 5:11-15. From verse 11, what do you think it means to fear the Lord? In what ways do people take pride in what is seen? In what ways do you take pride in what is seen? According to this passage, what should we take pride in? What do you think this means? What does verse 14 mean? See Romans 6:1-14 for help.

(7)   In what ways are you carrying out and obeying verse 15?

(8)   What was most meaningful to you in this weeks study?

Questions for the Next Lesson
October 16th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:1. According to Paul, why does Paul have the ministry he has? See verse One. Try and explain what this means and how it should effect our outlook on doing ministry.

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:2-3. Paul says he has renounced secret and shameful ways. Can you think of things Christians do today that they should renounce? Can you think of things you should renounce? What does Paul say he does in contrast to shameful ways? What do you think he means? How do you think we could do that today?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:4-6. Who do you think the god of this age is? In what ways do you think he blinds unbelievers? Paul says he is a servant of the Corinthians for Jesus’ sake. Do you see yourself as a servant to other Christians? Do you think you should see yourself that way? Try and list several different ways in which you are serving other Christians. Do you like the fact that God is making His light shine in your heart? What does that mean to you?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:7. What treasure is Paul talking about? What power is Paul talking about? According to this verse, why is the treasure in jars of clay? Another way of putting this is to say, “to God be the glory.” Do you think we are ever tempted to not admit we are “jars of clay” and try and take the glory for ourselves when we serve the Lord? Why do you think this is?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:8-12. Try and explain what you think Paul is saying here. Read 2^nd Corinthians 11:16-33. Try and list what you think would have been the top five most dreadful things that happened to Paul from the list in chapter 11. Can you see why he says all the things he says about himself in 2^nd Corinthians 4:7-12.

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:13-15. Paul talks about belief in this passage. What things does he say he believes in? Do you believe in these things? Do you look forward to one day being with Jesus or is this a scary concept to you?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 4:16-18. What do you think verse 16 means? In verse 17, Paul says, “his light and momentary troubles.” Would you say, based on what you read today, that Paul’s troubles were light and momentary? What does he say will be the result of these troubles? What is the big idea in this last section? Do you think this should put a different perspective on how we view things? What was most meaningful to you in the study this week?

Questions for the Next Lesson
October 9th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:1-3. Try and explain in what way the Corinthians were actually Paul’s letter of recommendation. Can you think of people in your life that you have the opportunity to effect so much that they become your personal letter of recommendation? Try and write down who these people are and how you could be in the business of doing something in their life where they become a recommendation for you. What other people can you think of that you don’t know that could become your letter of recommendation? What will you do about this?

(2)   Read Hebrews chapter 7-10. Try and explain all you can learn about the New Covenant; what it is and what it means.

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:4-6. Try and explain exactly what Paul is getting at in verses 4-5, and then explain how that should effect the way we live our lives and learn to depend on God. From verse 6, try and explain what Paul means by the term “letter” and the term “Spirit.” Explain how the letter kills and the Spirit gives life.

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:7-11. How do you think the ministry that condemned could actually be a glorious thing? In what ways can things that kill us end up helping us in the long run? In what ways was the Spirit that gives life superior to the letter that kills?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:12-16. Paul says he is very bold. He is talking about his work in the presenting of the gospel. Are you bold in presenting the gospel? Do you feel you are commanded by God to present the gospel? If you are not bold, then why aren’t you? What are you going to do about that this week?

(6)   Who is Paul talking about in verses 14-16? Do you think these people are ministry opportunities for us today?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:17. What does this verse mean to you? What do you think we are free from? What do you think we are not free to do? Have you ever experienced the freedom that comes in Jesus Christ?

(8)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 3:18. In what ways are you reflecting the Lord’s glory in your workplace, family life, the Russellville community etc.? Do you feel that you are progressing in your spiritual growth as this verse talks about? In what ways have you been transformed more into His likeness over the last ten years, year, month, week, today? How do you think this transformation is taking place in your life?

Questions for the Next Lesson
October 2nd, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:12-13, 2:1-4 and 7:1-10. Can you figure out why Paul had no peace of mind in Troas and what all he might have been worried about? Have you ever been so worried about something that it messed up your personal walk with God or service to God? Looking at the verses in chapter 7, what was the eventual outcome? What lessons can we learn form that? Read Philippians 4:6-7. Paul wrote Philippians long after this event. Do you think he might have learned anything from this experience?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:14. Try and list all the things in this verse that Paul wants to thank God for. What do you think he means by the fragrance of the knowledge of him? In what ways do you think you bring the fragrance of God to other people?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:15-16. Try and explain in your own words what Paul means by his statements here. Why would his message be the smell of death to those who are perishing?

(4)   In verse 16, Paul asks, “who is equal to this task.” What does he mean here? Do you feel that you are equal to this task? Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:14 again and then answer this question with that verse in mind.

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:17. In what ways do you see pastors peddling the word of God today just for profit? In what ways do you see pastors today speaking from God with sincerity?

(6)   Read 1^st Corinthians 9:1-18. From this passage develop a mission statement for your church on how you think pastors should be paid.

Questions for the Next Lesson
September 25th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:5. According to this verse, what added problems occur when someone causes another person grief? Can you think of different ways in which this happens? Have you ever caused anyone grief and by doing so, caused others grief as well? How might we avoid this?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:6 and 1^st Corinthians 5:1-5. Many Bible students feel that this whole section in 2^nd Cor. is about this man. Can you see why they might think this? If not, what do you think Paul has in mind with verse 6?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:7. What two things does Paul call the Corinthians to do with the person who has caused them grief? Do you find that hard to do whenever someone has caused you grief? How do you think we can go about forgiving people who have caused us much grief?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:8. What assumption does Paul make in this verse? Using a Christian framework, why do you think Paul would make this assumption? Do you love all other Christians? Did you know that is a Biblical command? What do you think it means to love one another? What is Christian love?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:9. What test is Paul referring to here? Have you passed this test?

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:10. Using this verse, make a case that this is not the man in the 1^st Corinthians passage. Do you think Paul thinks he does not have to forgive someone if the Corinthians don’t? If that’s not what he means, what do you think he means?

(7)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:11. What do you think Satan is up to whenever we refuse to forgive one another? In what ways might he scheme against us? Ephesians chapter four talks about not letting Satan get a foothold. Is this kind of what Paul has in mind here?

(8)   Are there people in your life that you need to forgive? Are there people in your life that you need to ask forgiveness of? Paul talks about passing the test. Are you going to pass the test?

Questions for the Next Lesson
September 18th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:12-14. What does Paul boast about in this passage? What do you think it means to conduct yourself in holiness and sincerity? Paul says he accomplished this not by worldly wisdom, but by grace. What deep idea is he getting at here? In what ways do you think we sometimes try and do Christian life using worldly wisdom instead of God’s grace?

(2)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:15-22. Paul says he does not make his plans in a worldly manner or take them lightly. How do you think a person could make plans using the grace and wisdom of God? What do you think it would look like if we did this whenever planning out our days?

(3)   Do you like verse twenty-one, and if so, for what reasons?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:23-24. According to this section, we stand firm by faith. What do you think that means? Do you feel that God gave you your faith or did you come up with it? Do you love your faith? Try and think about your faith as something concrete, something you possess or own. What do these thoughts bring to your mind?

(5)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-4. Try and describe Paul’s feelings in this section toward the Corinthian church. What conflicts was he seemingly going through? Have you ever experienced this kind of pain in a relationship? What is the answer to this dilemma?

(6)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 2:5-11. What is the teaching of verse 5? Do you find this to be true in a general sense? From verses 6-8, what does Paul prescribe for the person who actually caused grief? What is his reasoning here? Is there someone in your life that you should be doing this with now?

(7)   From verses 9-10 Paul talks about forgiveness. What do you think he means by the phrase, “if there is anything to forgive?” Do you think sometimes we think we have been sinned against or hurt when in reality our perception was not reality?

(8)   According to verse eleven, what is one really big reason why this problem needed to get straightened out? What possible schemes could Satan accomplish when Christians are struggling in their relations?

(9)   What can we learn from this passage today?

Questions for the Next Lesson
September 11th, 2011

(1)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:1-2. From this passage who wrote this letter? What part do you think Timothy would have played in the compilation of the letter? Timothy was most certainly being mentored by the apostle Paul; how important do you think it is that young men and women are mentored by older men and women as they grow in their faith? Some scholars feel this letter was a circulatory letter to be read throughout Achaia. From your Bible map in the back of your Bible identify what and where Achaia is and was and then say why some might think it was to be circulated.

(2)   From verse two Paul wants the Corinthians to experience grace and peace. What do you think that looks like in the Christian life? Do you experience that in your life?

(3)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:3-7, James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5. From these three passages what things should we expect and hope for whenever we go through trials of many kinds as Christians? From the Corinthian passage try and observe everything Paul says about God in this passage. Try and observe everything God does in this passage. Try and observe what God expects of us from this passage. In what ways is this helpful and challenging? How is reading these three passages on trials, suffering and comfort different from some of the things we get taught by the televangelists and health and wealth teachers of our day? Do you see trials as something useful in your life?

(4)   Read 2^nd Corinthians 1:8-11. According to verses 8-10 how difficult was Paul’s life, some of the time, when he was in the province of Asia? Have you ever experienced this kind of pressure? Have you ever experienced this kind of pressure because of your service to God?

(5)   Why do you think Paul wants the Corinthians to know all about this as he starts off by saying “we do not want you to be uniformed?” Look at verse nine and say why Paul says all of his hardships happened? Do you think going through hardships drives you closer to reliance on God? From verse nine what does Paul say about God’s power that helps us know he actually can help us in times of stress?

(6)   In what ways is verse ten very comforting to the Corinthians and to all Christians for all times?

(7)   How much emphasis does Paul seem to place on prayer as regards going through difficult times?

(8)   What lessons do you think we are to learn from this passage?

Questions for the Next Lesson
September 4th, 2011

(1)     Read Ephesians 6:10-11. According to this passage how does Paul want us to be strong? Paul says “and in his mighty power.” Try and describe God’s mighty power. What are some other ways that people even Christians try to be strong? Have you ever tried to be strong on your own power? Have you ever tried to grow spiritually on your own power? How did that work out for you? Paul says “put on the full armor of God.” In a moment we will look at that armor but for now let’s try and answer how we might go about putting on that armor.

(2)     Paul implies if we put on the full armor of God we can take our stand against the devils schemes. Try and say all you know about the devil; who he is and what he is like. Do you believe there is an actual being like this or do you think this is some type of description of the personification of evil?

(3)     Read Ephesians 6:12. When Paul says our struggle he implies we as Christians are struggling. What struggle is he talking about here? Do you find this to be true in your life; that you struggle? In what ways do you struggle in this way? List all the entities Paul says we are struggling against in verse twelve and then try and say who these beings are. Would you say we have some powerful enemies we are battling? Does this make verse one even more meaningful to you?

(4)     Read Ephesians 6:13. In this verse Paul says “when the day of evil comes we may be able to stand our ground.” What pictures does this bring to your mind? Do you think this “day of evil” is an eschatological event or is it a reference to times in our lives when we are tempted by the devil and his buddies?

(5)     Read Ephesians 6:14-17. Make a list of all the armor we are to put on and try and define each item on the list. Why would these things help us in our spiritual battles? Is this concept of arming yourself with these pieces of armor comforting to you? Have you ever done this in your life and stood firm against the devils schemes?

(6)     Read Ephesians 6:18. What do you think praying in the Spirit means? How often does Paul want us to be praying in the Spirit? What do you think he means “with all kinds of prayers and requests?” Who all does he want us praying for? Do you do this now? How can we be better at praying for others?

(7)     Read Ephesians 6:19-20. Paul was the great apostle to the gentiles yet he wanted the Ephesians to pray for him. What could this teach us? Since Paul is not here anymore who could we put in Paul’s place and pray for them?

(8)     What do you think God wants you to learn from this lesson?

Questions for the Next Lesson
August 28th, 2011

(1)     Read John 1:14-18. What things does this passage teach about the grace of God? What does the term “fullness of Jesus Christ’s grace mean to you?” According to this passage what did you receive from the fullness of his grace? Is that meaningful to you?

(2)     Read Romans 3:21-26. What can you learn about God’s grace from this passage? Try and define righteousness, justified and redeemed.

(3)     Read Romans 5:1-3. What do you think it means to “stand in God’s grace?” Read Romans 5:20-21. What can we learn about grace from this passage? Read Romans 6:1-4. Is it possible do you think to abuse God’s grace, or at least to try and abuse it? Read Romans 6:11-14. What do you think it means to be under God’s grace? Read Romans 11:6. How do Christians sometimes end up not being under God’s grace but under some type of works system?

(4)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 12:7-10. What do you think Paul is teaching about grace from this passage? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt very week and unable to save yourself and God’s grace was sufficient for you?

(5)     Read Galatians 5:1-6. In what ways do you think a Christian can fall away from grace by trying to live the Christian life under some type of legal system?

(6)     Read Ephesians 1:6-7. What can you learn about God’s grace from these verses? Read Ephesians 2:4-8. Try and see how many different things you can discover about God’s grace from this passage. Again, are you glad you stand under God’s grace?

(7)     Read Colossians 4:6. In what ways could we let our conversations be full of grace? Do you think God wants you to be gracious towards other people? Can you think of some people in your life that you are not extending God’s grace to? What do you think you should do about this?

(8)     If time allows read the following scriptures concerning God’s grace and try and say what these scripture passages teach us about grace. Hebrews 2:9, 4:16, James 4:6 and 2^nd Peter 3:18.

(9)     Having done this short word study on grace try and give a definition of what God’s grace really is. Do not just say getting something we don’t deserve.

Questions for the Next Lesson
August 21, 2011

(1)     Read John 1:14-18. What things does this passage teach about the grace of God? What does the term “fullness of Jesus Christ’s grace mean to you?” According to this passage what did you receive from the fullness of his grace? Is that meaningful to you?

(2)     Read Romans 3:21-26. What can you learn about God’s grace from this passage? Try and define righteousness, justified and redeemed.

(3)     Read Romans 5:1-3. What do you think it means to “stand in God’s grace?” Read Romans 5:20-21. What can we learn about grace from this passage? Read Romans 6:1-4. Is it possible do you think to abuse God’s grace, or at least to try and abuse it? Read Romans 6:11-14. What do you think it means to be under God’s grace? Read Romans 11:6. How do Christians sometimes end up not being under God’s grace but under some type of works system?

(4)     Read 2^nd Corinthians 12:7-10. What do you think Paul is teaching about grace from this passage? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt very week and unable to save yourself and God’s grace was sufficient for you?

(5)     Read Galatians 5:1-6. In what ways do you think a Christian can fall away from grace by trying to live the Christian life under some type of legal system?

(6)     Read Ephesians 1:6-7. What can you learn about God’s grace from these verses? Read Ephesians 2:4-8. Try and see how many different things you can discover about God’s grace from this passage. Again, are you glad you stand under God’s grace?

(7)     Read Colossians 4:6. In what ways could we let our conversations be full of grace? Do you think God wants you to be gracious towards other people? Can you think of some people in your life that you are not extending God’s grace to? What do you think you should do about this?

(8)     If time allows read the following scriptures concerning God’s grace and try and say what these scripture passages teach us about grace. Hebrews 2:9, 4:16, James 4:6 and 2^nd Peter 3:18.

(9)     Having done this short word study on grace try and give a definition of what God’s grace really is. Do not just say getting something we don’t deserve.

Questions for the Next Lesson
August 14th, 2011

(1) Read Ephesians 5:21. Do you think this means that we should submit to our children in some way? If so, how? Do you think it means that if you are an employer, you should submit to your employees in some way? If so, how?

(2) Read Ephesians 6:1-3. Do you think this command by Paul is ongoing throughout our lives or is there some point in time, (say age 21), when we are no longer under this obligation? Do you think there is a subtle difference between honoring and obeying? How do we honor someone? Would there ever be a situation when someone is not under obligation to obey a parent? Try and think of some possible illustrations.

(3) Read Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. Paul does not include mothers here, but do you think this applies to mothers as well? Try and think of about ten different ways in which a parent could exasperate their children. Why do you think this is so important? Is this convicting to you? How could we become proficient in obeying this command?

(4) Read Ephesians 6:5-8. Do you think this passage supports the idea that Paul, and possibly Jesus, approved of slavery? If not, what do you think Paul is teaching here? Do you think we could take this passage and apply it to the workforce of today? If so, what are several points of truth that we all could learn from this passage? Looking at verse six, and taking the phrase “when their eye is on you”, how does this differ from the old saying “when the cats away the mice will play?” What lesson could we learn from that? Looking at verse seven, and applying this verse to the workforce, how should this affect the way we work for our employers? Is this convicting to you? What promise do you find in this passage? Do you believe this? If a person really worked in their workplace like this, how do you think they would be viewed by their employer?

(5) Read Ephesians 6:9. Do you think we could use this verse and apply it to the employer and how he treats his employee? According to this verse, how does God view the person who is a “big shot” verses someone who is in a lower position in life? Are you glad there is no favoritism with God? Have you ever been guilty of treating someone in a seemingly lesser position than you in a way that is not befitting of a Christian? What lessons can we learn from this verse?

(6) Look back at Ephesians 5:21. Taking all these different scenarios, the wife, the husband, the child, the parent, the slave or employee and the master or the employer, what humbling lessons can we learn?

Questions for the Next Lesson
July 24th, 2011

(1)     Read Ephesians 4:17-20. Sometimes Paul gives suggestions in his letters and at other times he gives commands. Are these instructions suggestions or commands? By what authority do you think Paul has the right to give commands? Do you think these commands are still valid today? What things cause people to not want to obey someone else who has authority over them? What things cause you to rebel against people in authority over you?

(2)     Try and express in your own words what Paul has to say about non-Christians in this section. Looking at all the different phrases Paul uses, try and define what he means by each one. What does Paul say the Ephesians must do as regards these things? In what ways do you struggle with some of these issues?

(3)     Read Ephesians 4:20-24. What do the phrases, “old self” and “new self” mean? What do you think it means to put off one and put on the other? Paul says our old selves are being corrupted by deceitful desires. What do you think this means? If Paul tells us to put these things off, then by implication he assumes we still struggle with this. How do you think we can be “new creatures in Christ the old has gone” and still struggle with old issues? Do you think we have two personalities living in us? According to verse 24, what are we made for? What do you think true righteousness and holiness looks like? Is this a sweet concept to you?

(4)     Read Ephesians 4:25-28. Do you think Paul assumes that we all struggle with anger? In what ways do you think letting anger fester in us gives the Devil a foothold? How can we not let the sun go down on our anger? How are you doing with this concept? What all do you think verse 28 means?

(5)     Read Ephesians 4:29-32. Try and think of the different types of unwholesome talk that comes out of Christian’s mouths. What kinds of unwholesome talk do you struggle with personally? In what ways do you think we can build each other up with our talk? In what ways do you think a Christian can grieve the Holy Spirit? The word grieve could also be translated as quench; what do you think that implies? Which things do you struggle with from verse 31? How do you think we “get rid” of these things? Try and describe what verse 32 might look like in your life?

(6)     What do you like most about this week’s study?

Questions for the Next Lesson
July 17th, 2011

(1)   Read Ephesians 4:1-2. What do you think Paul means by the phrase live a life worthy of the calling you have received?” What do you think it would look like in your life personally, to be completely humble and gentle? What things could you do to accomplish this task? Do you ever struggle with patience? Do you ever struggle with the concept of bearing with one another in love? How do you think we might be patient with each other? What are some specific ways you could bear with someone in your life that you have a hard time loving?

(2)   Read Ephesians 4:3-6. What do you think Paul’s intent is in going over all these ones? Do you think there are Christian people today that think there is more than one way to a relationship to God? How could we apply this section to our own lives?

(3)   Read Ephesians 4:7-10. Paul says Christ has given each of us grace as He apportioned it. What do you think this means? Verse nine is a difficult verse to interpret. What do you think it means? Try and explain how verse ten brings great glory to Jesus Christ our Lord.

(4)   Read Ephesians 4:11-13. What gifts does Paul list in this section? What job do people with these gifts have as regards the church of Jesus Christ? According to verse twelve, what should everyone who is a believer be doing if they don’t have one of the gifts listed? What works of service do you think the Lord wants you doing? Do you think you have a responsibility to serve God? What happens in the church, according to this verse, when people are serving the way they should? According to verse 13, how long are we supposed to be serving in the church? What do you think Christian maturity looks like? Do you feel you are mature in Christ?

(5)   Read Ephesians 4:14-16. From verse 14, would you say that Paul is including himself in this group who is tossed around? Do you ever feel like you are tossed around by different types of teaching that might not be true Biblical Christian teaching? What kinds of things are being taught in our church today that we need to be careful not to buy into? From verse fifteen, we see the idea of growing up in Christ. Is this something you desire in your life? How do you think we do this according to this passage of scripture? See verse sixteen for help.

(6)   What do you think is Paul’s big idea in this section? What do you think God wants you to learn today from this passage?

Questions for the Next Lesson
July 10th, 2011

(1)  Read Ephesians 3:1. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter. In what way do you think his imprisonment was for the Ephesians sake or do you think this means something entirely different? If Paul was in prison as a result of his preaching to Gentiles, then what lessons can we learn from this as regards living an unselfish, Christian life? Do you think we should be willing to go to any lengths to lead other people to the Lord Jesus Christ or to serve Christ when we are asked? Can you think of things that hold you back from doing this? Is God calling you to serve Him in some way and you are turning Him down for some reason? What are some of the reasons we turn God down when we are called to serve Him?

(2)   Read Ephesians 3:2-6. Paul speaks about a mystery that was given to him. What was that mystery according to this passage? See Ephesians 2:11-22 for help. Try and explain all that Paul is talking about in this section. It will most likely be helpful to go one phrase at a time.

(3)   Paul says that this has been made known to the apostles and prophets but he also says it was not made known in previous times. So who are these prophets?

(4)   Read Ephesians 3:7. Try and explain what God did for Paul and why this is such a striking verse when we think of Paul’s former life. Do you see serving God as an act of God’s grace or do you see it as an obligation that often times gets in your way? According to this passage, what help does someone get when they serve God?

(5)   Read Ephesians 3:8-13. Try and explain the meaning of the following phrases; “I am less than the least of all God’s people,” “the unsearchable riches of God’s grace.” “The manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities of the heavenly realms,” “the eternal purpose,” “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

(6)   Looking back at this long statement, what do you think is the big idea?

(7)   The NIV translates the word dispensation to administration in this (vs. 2 and 9) passage. Dispensation means stewardship in this case. What stewardship do you think the Lord has given us today as regards the gospel of Jesus Christ?

(8)   What do you think Paul wants the Ephesians to walk away with as they read this section? What do you think God wants you to walk away with as you read this section?

Questions for the Next Lesson
July 3rd, 2011

(1)   Read Ephesians 5:1-2. Paul says we are to be imitators of God. What does he mean by this? Look at the context for help. In what ways can we not be imitators of God? Try and think of some specific ways in which you could live a life of love. Try and explain in your own words how Jesus Christ gave himself up for you as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. How could we go about doing that in practical ways to others in our lives?

(2)   Read Ephesians 5:3-7. How strong do you feel Paul feels concerning sexual immorality, impurity or greed? What do you think he means by each one of these phrases? In verse four, Paul adds three more things he doesn’t want going on in the church at Ephesus. What are they and what do you think each one means? What does he want us to replace these six things with according to verse four? From verse five, try and explain how someone becomes an isolator if they are immoral, impure or greedy. What is idolatry? What are some other ways we can struggle with idolatry? What do you think these three words mean? What does a person not have if they are immoral, impure or greedy? What do you think that means?

(3)   Read Ephesians 5:8-14. What all do you think it means to be the light of the world? What does Paul say is the fruit of the light? What do these three terms mean to you? Do you think the “fruit of the light” and the “fruit of the Spirit” are synonymous or is there some subtle difference? How do you think we expose the fruitless deeds of the darkness? Looking at Ephesians 5:13, John 3:19-21, and 1^st John 1:5-7, what things happen when we walk in the light or live in the light? Are you afraid to expose the dark things in your life? According to verse 14, what is the light that we are talking about here? How important do you think this teaching on light and darkness is as regards the Christian walk?

(4)   Read Ephesians 5:15-20. Try and explain what you think verses 15-16 mean. How should we respond to this command? From verse 17, what are some ways you have been able to understand the Lord’s will in your life? From verse 18, what do you think it means to be filled with the Spirit? How does Paul want us to speak to each other? What do you think he means by this? How cool do you think it would be if we actually did this? From verse 20, what all are we to thank God for? What do you think this means and possibly doesn’t mean? From verse 20, how are we to approach God the Father?

Questions for the Next Lesson...
June 26th, 2011

(1)     Read Ephesians 2:11-13. In this passage, Paul says the Israelites called the gentiles the uncircumcised. Obviously that had a deeper meaning than just a physical difference between two people groups. What do you think the Jews meant when they called gentiles uncircumcised?

(2)     From verse twelve, what all did the Ephesians miss as a result of being gentiles and not Jews? Try and explain what benefits the nation of Israel experienced as a result of being God’s chosen people. What were the benefits of living under the covenant?

(3)     Read Galatians 3:26-29 and Ephesians 2:13. What wonderful thing happened to gentiles as a result of Jesus Christ shedding his blood on the cross? What questions cross your mind as you study through this section?

(4)     Read Ephesians 2:14-18. First of all, what do you think is the big idea that Paul is presenting? This passage says Jesus, “abolished the law in his flesh.” What do you think this means? When Paul uses the word peace in this section do you think he is talking about peace between Jews and gentiles or peace with God for both people groups? What do you think of when you think of the word peace? Do you feel you are at peace with God and are you at peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ? What things can cause us not to be at peace with other people or God? What can we do to maintain a sense of peace? How important do you think this is?

(5)     Read Ephesians 2:19. What all do you think is included when you think of being part of God’s household? Do you like this concept? Do you like this verse?

(6)     Read Ephesians 2:20. Break this verse down and try and explain what the different parts mean.

(7)     Read Ephesians 2:21-22. What other name do we use to refer to this building or temple that is in the Lord? According to verse 22, who all lives inside of you and how does it transpire? Try and think of all the different ways this should affect us. Read 1^st Corinthians 6:19-20 for help. What was the purpose of the temple in the Old Testament?

(8)     Do you find Ephesians 2:11-22 hard to understand? Does it bring up questions? Can you see why scholars would say that Ephesians is one of Paul’s deeper letters?

Questions for the Next Lesson...
June 19th, 2011

(1)   Read Ephesians 2:1-4, Romans 3:9-11 and Romans 8:28-30. Paul has already taught us we were chosen by God before the creation of the universe and that He predetermined that we were going to be adopted into His family. How do these verses validate that concept? From the Ephesians passage, what do you think it means to be “dead in your sins?” Who do you think the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” is? Paul says he is now at work in the disobedient. Who do you think these people are?

(2)   Read Ephesians 2:3. According to Paul, who all was dead in their sins? What do you think the term “sinful nature” means? If you have a New American Standard Bible, what word does it use for sinful nature? According to Paul, what did we do as regards our sinful nature before we became children of God? Read Romans 6:19-23. According to this passage, why were we not able to quit living in sin? According to the Romans passage, what were we and what are we now that we have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation? Is any of this thinking new to you? What do you think it means to be objects of God’s wrath? Read 1^st Thessalonians 5:9 and Romans 8:1. What relationship do we now have as regards God’s wrath?

(3)   Read Romans 2:4-5. According to this passage, what reasons does Paul give as to why God saved us? What three attributes of God are found in these two verses? Try and define love, mercy and grace. Are you glad God is gracious, merciful and loving?

(4)   Read Ephesians 2:6-7. What did God do when He saved you? What do you think this means? Why did God raise you up into the heavenlies?

(5)   Read Ephesians 2:8-9. According to verse eight, how are we saved? Paul says it is a gift. What is the gift, grace or faith? According to verse nine, what specific thing does Paul say is not part of the salvific process? Why do you think this is so important? Looking back at verse one, how does this make sense? Do you think even though we know we are saved by grace through faith and this is a gift from God that sometimes we want to take credit for what we did? If our faith was not a gift but something we conjured up then would we have at least some right to boast? Some people love what Paul is teaching in this passage while others struggle with it. How do you feel about this passage and the Romans passages we read today? If you have questions or concerns with this study please feel free to call me at the church, Bob Manry

Questions for the Next Lesson...

June 12th, 2011

(1)     Read Ephesians 1:15-16. What two reasons does Paul give for his prayers for the Ephesians? From verse sixteen, we see Paul prays on some type of consistent basis. What do you imagine Paul’s prayer life would have been like? Who all do you think we should be praying for in our prayers? Do you find it hard to have a consistent prayer life and to remember to pray for all the people you would like to pray for? If this is hard for you, what things could we do to enhance our prayer life?

(2)     Read Ephesians 1:17-18. Try and list all the things Paul prayed for his Ephesians to have. Which of these things would you like to have the most? Since Paul has earlier stated that we have the Holy Spirit, why do you think he would pray that Jesus would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? Do you feel you have this Spirit?

(3)     Read Ephesians 1:19-23. Try and see what all you can discover about Jesus from these verses. How big is Jesus to you? Do you think sometimes we don’t really understand or give Jesus credit for all that he is, and if so, how might this diminish our faith and trust in Him?

(4)     Looking back at this prayer, what sticks out to you that is most meaningful?

(5)     Read Ephesians 3:14-15. What posture does Paul use when he prays? Do you think he always prays like this? Why do you think he is kneeling? Do you think we should ever pray like this? Why wouldn’t we want to kneel before the Lord in our prayers?

(6)     Read Ephesians 3:16-17. What does Paul pray for in these two verses? Would you like for someone to be praying this prayer for you? What do you think this looks like in a believer’s life when they have these qualities?

(7)     Read Ephesians 3:17-19. In this passage Paul prays for something that he then claims is unattainable, what is that? What do you think he really wants here? How much do you think God and Jesus love you? How cool is this concept to you?

(8)     What do you think it would be like to “be filled with all the measure and fullness of God?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

June 5th, 2011

(1)   Read Ephesians 1:1-2. According to verse one, who wrote the letter of Ephesians and what were his credentials? From Paul’s credentials what respect should we give for what he has to say and what respect should the Ephesians’ have given for what he had to say?

(2)   From verse one, who is Paul writing to and what adjectives does he use to describe them? What do you think a saint is? What do you think it looks like to be faithful in Christ Jesus? Do you see yourself as a saint and as someone who is faithful in Christ Jesus?

(3)   Read Ephesians 1:3. What does Paul praise God the Father for in this verse? What do you think it means to be blessed? What do you think a spiritual blessing is? In what ways do you praise God for the blessings He has given you?

(4)   Read Ephesians 1:4-6. What do you think the words chosen and predestined mean in this passage? When did God do the choosing and predestinating according to this passage? What three things did God choose us and predestinate us for? Is this meaningful to you and if so, why? According to verse six, what attribute of God gets praise as a result of God’s action towards us? Try and explain what God’s “glorious grace” means.

(5)   Read Ephesians 1:7-10. What do you think the word redemption means? What all is included when we say we are forgiven of our sins? What is particularly meaningful to you in this little section?

(6)   Read Ephesians 1:11. Theologians use the term God’s sovereignty, which is the idea God is in control. Using this verse, try and defend the concept that God is in control of all things including you. Are you glad that God chose you and predestined you before the creation of the world to be holy, blameless and adopted into His family?

(7)   Read Ephesians 1:12-13. Who are the two different groups that Paul is talking about here? Paul says all this was done for “the praise of God’s glory.” How do you think that should affect the way we live and view God?

(8)   Read Ephesians 1:13-14. What things can we learn about the Holy Spirit and His relationship to us from these two verses? Do you like that?

(9)   Remember Paul started this section of by saying “praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us.” How blessed do you feel after having studied this passage?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

May 15th, 2011

(1)   Read John 17:1-5. From verses one and five, try and give a comprehensive explanation concerning Jesus’ requests for glory. What do you think “the glory of God” actually is? Do you think from verse five this means that Jesus gave up His glory when He came from heaven? If so, what do you think that looked like?

(2)   From verse two, try and explain how Jesus and the Father were interwoven within the salvation process of believers.

(3)   According to verse three, what is eternal life? What do you think this actually means? What is most meaningful to you about this section?

(4)   Read John 17:6-19. This section is often titled, “Jesus prays for His disciples or His 11 apostles.” As you read through this, make a list of things that indicate this part of the prayer is only for the current disciples in Jesus’ life.

(5)   According to verse 6, who did the disciples belong to? Do you think this concept applies to you as well? If so, how is that meaningful to you?

(6)   Try and make a list of all the different things Jesus prays for concerning His disciples. How might this help you in your intercessory prayers for those you love? What is most meaningful to you in this section?

(7)   Read John 17:20-26. Looking at verse twenty, who does Jesus pray for now? Is it meaningful to you that Jesus actually prayed for you? Reading through this section, try and make a list of all the things Jesus prayed about for all believers, including you.

(8)   Reading through this passage, try and discover all the different ways God is in you, Jesus is in you, you and other believers are interwoven together, etc. etc. How significant and cool do you think this idea is?

(9)   From verse twenty six, how is Jesus going to continually grow you in your Christian faith? Can you describe ways that has actually come to fruition in your life? What is most meaningful to you in this passage?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

May 1st, 2011

(1)   Read John 15:18-21. According to verse eighteen how does the world feel about Jesus? Who does John have in mind when he says “the world?” Why do you think the world hates Jesus? Do you think this is still true today?

(2)   Jesus says He chose the disciples out of the world. What do you think it means, to be taken out of the world? Why do you think this caused the world to hate the disciples? Do you think the world hates disciples today?

(3)   This passage says the disciples would be persecuted as a result of their following Jesus Christ. Do you know anything about the traditions around the persecution of the apostles and the early Christian believers? Can you think of ways that Christians are persecuted today as a result of following Jesus Christ? Have you ever experienced Christian persecution?

(4)   Try and explain all that verse twenty-one means.

(5)   Read John 15:22-25. This is a difficult passage to interpret. Try and explain what you think it means.

(6)   Try and explain what verse twenty-three means.

(7)   Read John 15:26-16:4. In verses 26-27 we see two witnesses for Christ; who are they? What beginning do you think Jesus is referring to? Even though as Christians today we were not with Jesus from the beginning do you think we have the same charge to be witnesses and testify? From previous studies where is this counselor going to reside? Do you think there is a Counselor/Christian partnership that is formed that is to witness for Jesus Christ? If so how is that working for you?

(8)   Looking at 16:1 why do you think the disciples would have gone astray if Jesus hadn’t told them ahead of time? Do you think the modern day church should teach the concept of Christian persecution? Do you think we fall short of teaching that concept? If so why don’t we teach it more? What other thoughts do you have on this subject?

(9)   Looking at verse two do you think there are people today who persecute Christians and think they are helping God out?

(10)   What do you think God wants us to learn from this section?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

April 24th, 2011

(1)   Read John 15:1-2. According to this passage, who is the Gardener and what is He doing as regards the vine and the branches? Who is the vine? What does the Gardener do to the branches that are producing fruit? What do you think this means and what do you think this actually looks like?

(2)   Read John 15:3-4. What do you think Jesus means when He says the remaining 11 disciples are already clean? The NIV uses the word remain. What do some of your other translations use to describe this word? What do you think it means to remain or abide in Jesus? According to verse four, what cannot happen if someone doesn’t abide in Jesus Christ? What do you think this looks like practically? What kind of fruit is Jesus talking about here?

(3)   Read John 15:5. What happens if you abide in Christ and what happens if you don’t? Have you ever experienced the joy of abiding in Christ and bearing this fruit? Do you think there can be a Christian who is not abiding in Christ yet he is trying to bear fruit? What do you think usually happens when that occurs?

(4)   Read John 15:6-8. According to this passage, what happens whenever someone abides in Christ, asks for whatever he wants and God grants it? How important is it to you to glorify God in your life? Do you think there are some restrictions to this promise about asking and getting whatever you want? If so, what do you think these restrictions are?

(5)   Read John 15:9. How do you think the Father loved Jesus? How much does Jesus say He has loved His disciples? What is His command here? Do you think it makes good sense to obey Him?

(6)   Read John 15:10-12. What is the requirement to abide in Jesus’ love? Notice that in verse ten the word command is plural and in verse twelve it is singular. What do you think we should do with this?

(7)   How hard do you find it personally to obey verse twelve? Taking our teaching from today, what steps could we take to be able to obey this command?

(8)   Read John 15:13-14. Do you find it a cool concept that you can actually be a friend of Jesus?

(9)   Read John 15:15-17. How long does regular fruit normally last either on the vine or once it has been picked? How long does the fruit that Jesus promises last? Do you want this type of fruit?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

April 17th, 2011

(1)     Read John 19:38-42. Do you think this is the same Nicodemus we met in John three? If so do you think Nicodemus became a believer? Joseph was what John calls “a secret believer.” Do you think there are secret believers today? Do you think this would have been a bitter/sweet moment for these two men?

(2)     Read John 20:1-9. What day is the first day of the week? What was Mary Magdalene’s first impression of what had taken place? Who do you think the other disciple was? From what you know of the other gospels why was Mary there? Making careful observations what can you discover about the grave clothes? What was the result of this event for “the other disciple?” Would you share the time in your life when you believed in the risen Lord Jesus Christ?

(3)     Read John 20:10-18. When Mary looked inside the tomb who did she see? From the other gospels were there other angels around the vicinity that morning? Do you think there would have been a lot of unseen angels hanging around the scene that morning? Why do you think Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first? Try and discover all the wonderful news found in verse 17. How is this news wonderful for you personally? See 1^st John 3:1-3 for help.

(4)     Read 1^st Corinthians 15:1-11. How meaningful is this passage to you? What sticks out the most to you in this passage? From this passage give a short form of the gospel message. Do you think the phrase “you have taken your stand” is cool?

(5)     Read 1^st Corinthians 15:12-20. Why is the resurrection so important to the Christian faith?

(6) How much do you love Easter morning?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

April 10th, 2011

(1)   Read John 18:1-11. What other things happened during this event that you can remember from the other gospels? Try and describe the setting in this scene. Do you think this would have been intimidating? Why do you think the soldiers and others accompanying them fell to the ground? How did Jesus know all that was going to happen to Him? Do you think Jesus knows all that is going to happen to you before it happens, including your thoughts and your freewill decisions?

(2)   Read John 18:12-14, 19-24, 28-40, and Matthew 26:57-67. As you go through this try and discover all the physical abuse as well as mental abuse that was inflicted upon Jesus. In what ways is this trial meaningful, alarming or amazing to you?

(3)   Read John 18:15-18 and 25-27. How do you think Jesus knew that this was going to happen? How do you think Peter felt about denying Jesus? Do you think this would have been something he always held onto? Do you think Peter was ever able to move on from this failure? What lessons can we personally learn from Peter’s failure and his successful ministry later on in his life?

(4)   Read John 19:1-16. Does anyone know anything about a flogging they could share? From the first three verses what physical abuse did Jesus receive? Why was Pilate so afraid of Jesus according to this passage? What stands out to you the most in this staggering scene?

(5)   Read John 19:16-27. Can you see the irony in the notice above Jesus’ head “King of the Jews?” Can anyone share things they know about a crucifixion?

(6)   Read John 19:28-37. What do you think the phrase, “it is finished”, means? What does it mean to you personally?

(7)   How does this study make you feel? How should it cause us to grow in our love for Christ?

For the Next Lesson

(1)     Read John 14:15. Why do you think Jesus says we will obey Him if we love Him? Why couldn’t we love Him and not obey Him? Aren’t there plenty of examples where we love someone but don’t obey them?

(2)     What do you think pure obedience to Jesus actually looks like?

(3)     Read John 14:16-17. Try and make a list of all the things Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit from these two verses. In what ways is this comforting to you?

(4)     What do you think it means, He will be with you and in you?

(5)     Read John 14:18-20. Many people think that when Jesus left this world He left us with the Holy Spirit and that he is no longer here with us. What all can we learn about this notion from these three verses? In what ways does that make you love Jesus even more?

(6)     Try and describe exactly what verse 20 means.

(7)     Read John 14:21. What do you think are the commands of Jesus? This is not as simple as you might think.

(8)     Read John 14:22-25. What can we learn from this passage?

(9)     Read John 14:26. A good old time bible study question goes like this; would it have been better to have lived with Jesus when He was here on earth and you could have walked with Him and experienced Him or is it better to live as Christians today under the guidance of the Holy Spirit? What do you think?

(10)   Read John 14:27 and 14:1. What things trouble you? How can we overcome having a troubled heart, according to verse one?

(11)   Have you ever experienced the peace Jesus speaks of in this verse? What was it like?

(12)   Read John 14:28-31. According to verse 29, why did Jesus tell the disciples ahead of time He was going away? Can you share some experience in your life where Jesus did something special to help you grow in your faith?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

March 27th, 2011

(1)   Read John 14:1. Jesus gives three commands in this passage, what are they? Try and think of four or five things in your life that can cause your heart to be troubled? According to this verse what is the solution to a trouble free heart? Using one of the things that cause you to have a troubled heart, try and explain what it means to trust God with that particular issue. This could be very helpful to someone else so be sure and share.

(2)   Read John 14:2-4. What do you think Jesus is talking about when he references His Father’s house? Jesus says He is going to prepare a place for them. Try and imagine what that place might be like. In verse three, Jesus says He is going to come back and get them. There are at least two Christian views about what happens to someone when they die; (1) soul sleep until the second coming of Christ (2) our souls go to be with Jesus immediately and then one day at His second coming our souls will be reunited with our resurrected bodies, which view do you think is most Biblical?

(3)   How meaningful and comforting is John 14:1-4 to you?

(4)   Read john 14:5-6. Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life. What do you think these three terms mean? Postmodernism holds many different beliefs. One of the prevalent postmodern beliefs is that mankind cannot ever know truth objectively and they also hold there may not even be such a thing as objective truth. How would you defend the Christian view that there is truth and that we can know to some degree what that truth is from a Biblical point of view?

(5)   According to these two verses, Jesus says no one comes to the father except through Him. The world holds that Christians are an exclusive group. How are Christians both inclusive and exclusive all at the same time? Try and defend your reasoning with Bible references.

(6)   Do you think someone can come to Jesus without ever knowing Jesus or proclaiming His name? Some people today who claim to be Christians hold that a person can come to a saving faith without ever actually believing in Jesus or knowing who He is. Do you think this is a Biblical concept that holds water?

(7)   Read John 14: 7-13. Try and discover all that you can about the Father/Son relationship. Is it neat to you to be able to discover deep concepts for yourself through independent Bible study?

(8)   What is the most meaningful thing to you in our study today?

Questions for the Next Lesson...

March 20th, 2011

(1)     Read John 13:18-20. Some liberal scholars today believe that God/Jesus does not know what decisions people will make. In other words, God doesn’t know the future. How does this passage contradict that philosophy? Do you think God knows your future? Do you think he knows the decisions you will make before you make them? Do you think God really is omniscient?

(2)     Read John 13:21-27. In verse 23, Peter refers to one of the disciples as “the one He loved.” Do you think Jesus loved that disciple more than the others? If not, what do you think is meant here? How much do you think Jesus loves you?

(3)     What do you think it means in verse twenty-seven when it says Satan entered Judas? There are two terms often used about Satan in regard to human beings; oppression and possession. Do you think a Christian can be attacked by Satan? Do you think they can be possessed by Satan or one of his demons? Do you think they can be oppressed? Read 1^st Peter 5:6-11 and Ephesians 6:10-18 for suggestions as to how we might combat Satan.

(4)     Read John 13:27-30. John reports to us that as soon as Judas went out it was night. Do you think he intends any type of spiritual significance to the night thing?

(5)     Read John 13:31-32, John 17:1-5, Exodus 33:18-23 and Matthew 17:1-8 and John 1:14. Try and say what you think God’s glory is. How awesome do you think it is when we think about the glory of God? How do you think you could glorify God in your life?

(6)     Read John 13:33-35. What command does Jesus give the disciples? How significant do you think it was that Jesus could give a new law, since nothing had been added to the law for over 1500 years? This command wasn’t completely new, so what was new about it? Do you think it is hard to follow Jesus’ new command in everyday life?

(7)     What does God want you to learn from today’s study?

Questions for the Next Lesson

March 13th, 2011

1.     Read John 13:1-5. According to verse one Jesus is going to show the disciples the, “full extent of His love.” Washing their feet is a very humble act of love but you must ask does this really show the full extent of His love? What do you think, is this act a demonstration of His full love for us or is there more behind this?

2.     The verse says, “having loved His own.” Who do you think His own are?

3.     What do you think it would have been like to have Jesus kneel down at your feet, washing them? What is most meaningful to you about this event?

4.     Read Philippians 2:5-11 and John 13:1-5, 12. Many scholars believe there is symbolism in this act that is captured in the Philippians passage. See if you can find the symbolism.

5.     Read Philippians 13:6-11. This is somewhat of a strange passage theologically. Try and explain what this passage means to the believer today.

6.     Why do you think Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet? Do you think Peter is an interesting character? If so, why?

7.     Read John 13:12. Why do you think Jesus asked this question? Do you think they did know what he had done for them? Do you know what Jesus has done for you?

8.     Read John 13:13-17. In what ways has Jesus been an example to you throughout your life?

9.     How can we go about washing other people’s feet? Do you think there is more here than just the physical act of washing each other’s feet?

10. According to verse 17, what will happen if we do wash each other’s feet? Have you personally experienced this blessing? Have you ever washed someone else’s feet?

11. What is most significant to you in this story?

For the Next Lesson Questions

March 6th, 2011

(1)     Read John 12:1-11, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9 and Luke 7:37-39. There are seeming discrepancies in these four different stories. See if you can pick them out and then try and resolve the discrepancies using the guideline that the Bible is the written word of God and is without error.

(2)     The stories are beautiful stories. What impresses you the most about each account? We are told that Jesus said this account would be told wherever the gospel was preached. How much do you think Jesus appreciated the anointing? What should that tell us in regards to what this woman did?

(3)     Read John 12:4-6. What was Judas outward objection and his real motive behind his objection to the pouring of the perfume onto Jesus? Do you think sometimes we do things with the wrong motives and don’t actually know our real motive behind our action? If so how could we try and be more honest with ourselves?

(4)     What do we learn about Judas from this passage?

(5)     Read John 12:7-8. This is a hard saying to understand, don’t you think. What should we glean from these two verses?

(6)     Drawing from the John account and the synoptic accounts do you think this was a humble act on this woman’s part? Try and think of several reasons that made this act so humble.

(7)     Do you think this was an act of worship? What are some ways we can worship Jesus Christ in our lives today? Read John 13:1-5, 12-17 for help. What are some ways that you personally worship Jesus in your life?

(8)     What do you think God wants us to learn most of all from this passage?

For the Next Lesson Questions

February 27, 2011

(1)     Read John 11:17-20. Knowing what you do about Mary and Martha why do you think Martha went out to greet Jesus and Mary stayed at home. It’s possible she didn’t know Jesus had arrived but most likely she did. Have you ever lost someone close to you due to death? Often people criticize one another in the way we grieve. What are some of the different ways people grieve and some of the ways we criticize one another? Do you think people grieve over a loss differently? Do you think we should allow people flexibility and grace in the grieving process?

(2)     Read John 11:21-26According to this passage Martha says she knows God will give Jesus anything he asks. Do you think she was right and if so why? Do you think God will give us anything we ask and what is your reasoning for your answer? What things should we be asking of the Lord, in your opinion?

(3)     Try and explain everything Jesus is saying and means in verses 25-26. What does this mean to you personally?

(4)     Read John 11:27. How significant do you think Martha’s statement is? See Matthew 16:13-20. Do you think God has to open a person’s heart in order for them to truly understand who Jesus Christ really is?

(5)     Read John 11:28-32. When Mary saw Jesus she fell at His feet and worshipped Him. In what ways do you worship Jesus privately and corporately? Can you give us ways we could try in worshipping the Lord?

(6)     Read John 11:33-37. Jesus obviously knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, so why do you think He wept and was deeply moved and troubled in spirit?

(7)     Try and say to what degree the fall of mankind and sin has affected the human race and the creation. See Romans 8:18-25 for help.

(8)     Read John 11:38-44. This is the last sign/miracle recorded in the gospel of John. Besides the actual miracle itself what is most impressive to you in this passage?

(9)     Looking at verses 43-44 see if you can see how the removal of the grave clothes is similar to what happens to someone when they come into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

For The Next Lesson

February 20th, 2011

(1) Read John 11:1-3 and John 10:40-42. Look on your maps in the back of your Bibles and try and ascertain where Jesus was in relation to where Bethany is located.

(2) Read Mark 10:38-42 and John 12:1-11. Try and say what the personalities of these two women would have been like. Which one of these personalities most resembles you and how has that affected your life?

(3) Read John 11:4-16. According to this passage, why did Jesus stay two more days before he went to Bethany? Have you ever had times in your life when God’s timing about something was quite different than yours and yet in the long run it turned out his timing was perfect, where yours would not have been? Have you ever had times when you were wringing your hands and it seemed like God had forgotten about you? Have you ever had times when God was teaching you lessons by asking you to wait on Him?

(4) According to verse four, what was the purpose of Lazarus’ death? Does this seem somewhat harsh to you? If you could glorify God through some type of suffering would you be willing to do that? Have you ever experienced some type of suffering that ended up glorifying God?

(5) According to verse five, how did Jesus feel about Lazarus and his sisters? Try and say just how much you think God loves you.

(6) Verses nine and ten are hard to understand, don’t you think. What do you think Jesus means by His statement?

(7) According to verses fourteen and fifteen, what was the purpose of Jesus not being there when Lazarus died? Do you think Jesus still goes to extreme measures to help us grow in our faith?
If so, how?

(8) In verse sixteen, Thomas makes a rather dramatic statement. For fun, do you think he was being sarcastic or serious?

(9) Read John 11:38-45. Do you think Jesus accomplished His objective spelled out in verses fourteen and fifteen? What should we learn from today’s lesson?

For The Next Lesson

February 13th, 2011

(1) Read John 10:1-6. Try and identify all the different players in this passage. In this passage Jesus talks about how the sheep respond to their shepherd and to other shepherd’s voices. Describe how they respond. According to verse six what was the result of Jesus’ parable? Do you think this is hard to understand at first glance?

(2) Read John 10:7-10. In this passage who does Jesus say he is? What do you think he means by this? What is Jesus’ purpose in coming, according to verse ten? Try and think of all the things that are implied by Jesus’ statement; “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In what ways are you experiencing this full life that Jesus promises?

(3) Read John 10:11-13. In this verse who does Jesus say he is? So who all does Jesus say he is so far in our study? What does the good shepherd do for his sheep and what do the hired hands do?

(4) Read Ezekiel 34:1-16. After reading this passage who do you think Jesus is talking about when he refers to the hired hands? In what ways were the hired hands misleading and not caring for the lost sheep of Israel in Jesus day and in Ezekiel’s day?

(5) Read John 10:14-18, 3. According to verse three and verse fourteen just how intimate is Jesus with his sheep? So what does this mean to you personally?

(6) According to verse sixteen Jesus says he has other sheep who are not of this sheep pen. Who do you think he is referring to?

(7) What does he mean when he says there will be one flock and one shepherd?

(8) How important and meaningful is it to you that you are part of the body of Christ (the church) which consists of all kinds of peoples and nationalities? Do you think it is important to stay in close relationship with other people who are part of Jesus flock?

(9) Read John 10:22-30. Many people in the protestant faith believe that you cannot lose your salvation once you are saved. FBCR holds to this belief. There are many passages in the bible that teach this doctrine. This passage is one. Explain why from this passage one could come to this conclusion.

(10) How comforting is it to you that once you are saved you can be assured you will always be saved?

For The next Lesson

February 6th, 2011

(1) Read John 9:1-5. What was the condition of the man in this story? What do you think that would have been like for a man in those days?

(2) What question do the disciples ask Jesus about this man? Why do you think they would have asked such a question? Do you find this somewhat judgmental?

(3) What is Jesus’ reply to their question? Is this troubling to you in any way and if so why? Can you think of how this might end up being an incredible honor for this man? If so what can we learn from all this?

(4) Read John 9:6-19. What do you think it would have been like to have never seen all your life and then all at once to receive your eyesight? How do you think this man would have felt? Have you ever had God do something incredible for you that would have caused you to have some of these same types of feelings?

(5) Why do you think the people could not recognize the man? In what ways does this remind of the spiritual transformation that should take place when someone comes to Christ? Do you know people who are just plain unrecognizable since they came to Christ, compared to their old person?

(6) Read John 9:9-38. Try and discover how this man progressively grows in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ until he finally worships him. Do you think there are people today whose eyes are opened in a progressive way over a period of time to receive the Lord as savior?

(7) What seems to be the Pharisees hang-up concerning the healing of this man by Jesus? Do you find this interesting, troubling, irritating etc? Do you think we can have similar hang-ups today without realizing it? What lesson can we learn?

(8) From verses 18-23 do you think the parents were loyal to their son or deserted him? Looking back at verses 1-2 can you think of several reasons why the parents might have had some deep resentments for their son? If so what might they have been and why?

(9) Are you ever afraid to witness to other people for fear that you won’t have all the answers? If so what could we learn from the man born blind’s response in verse 25?

For the Next Lesson

January 30, 2011

(1) Read John 8:37-41. According to this passage Jesus says that He knows they are descended from Abraham yet he says they are not Abraham’s children. What do you think he means?

(2) Read Genesis 12:1-9, Genesis 15 and Genesis 17:1-8. What all can we discover about Abrahams relationship with God as relates to the covenant God established with him? What would you say is the difference between Abraham and the Jews that Jesus is talking to?

(3) Read 1^st kings 19:9-18 John 8:37-47 and Romans 10:1-15. From these passages what can we learn about the Jewish race as relates to their salvation? Would you say a Jew is automatically saved because he or she is a Jew or that they need to have saving faith in Jesus Christ? How would you explain this to a Jew who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah?

(4) In all these passages we saw what is known as the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant God told Abram he would bless all nations who bless him, and his descendants, and curse those who didn’t. Would you say this covenant is still in effect today? If so what implications does that bring with it?

(5) Read John 8:42-47.Try and discover as much as you can about the devil from Jesus’ teachings in these verses. Do you believe the devil is a real being or is the personification of evil? Give reasons for your answer.

(6) Jesus proclaims the Jews listening to Him to be children of the devil. Those are very strong words. What do you think he means by this?

(7) One of the things that is clear in this passage is that the devil is a liar or untruthful. How does this contrast with Jesus’ claims about Himself? How does this affect us as believers?

(8) Read John 8:48-59. What is the big idea in this passage? How significant do you think this is as regards Jesus? Can you see why the Jews would have tried to stone Him when Jesus made this proclamation?

(9) According to this passage who should be getting glory and who shouldn’t be getting glory? In what ways can we try to gain glory when it really belongs to God? Is this something that people really struggle with? How can we overcome this problem?

(10) How do you think we can give God and Jesus glory in our life?

For the Next Lesson

January 23, 2011

(1) Read John 8:31-59. As you go along try and find every negative thing Jesus says about these people. According to verse 31, would you say these people seem to be believers? Obviously there is a tension here. What do you think the solution is?

(2) What would you say is the main emphasis of this passage?

(3) Read John 8:31-32. What must a person do in order to know the truth and be set free? What do you think it looks like to hold to the teachings of Jesus Christ? What do you think it means to know the truth and be set free? Do you think a person can be a believer and not hold to Jesus’ teachings, and not be experiencing what it means to be free in Christ and enjoy living in the truth? Can you think of some experiences in your own life when you held to Jesus’ teachings and experienced walking in the truth and the freedom that comes in Christ?

(4) Read John 8:31-36 and Romans 6:15-23. Try and discover as many things as you can from these two passages that should be meaningful to all believers.

(5) The following verses describe the freedom we have in Christ and who we are in Christ. They come from Neil Anderson’s book, “Living Free in Christ.” After each verse say what we can learn about our position in Christ and our freedom in Christ. I have divided these verses into three categories. Ex: John 1:12, I am God’s child.

(A) I Am Accepted in Christ

John 1:12, John 15:15, Romans 5:1, 1^st Corinthians 6:17, 1^st Corinthians 6:20, 1^st Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 2:18, Colossians 1:14, Colossians 2:10

(B) I Am Secure in Christ

Romans 8:1- 2, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:33-34, 2^nd Corinthians 1:21, Colossians 3:3, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 3:20, 2^nd Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 4:16, 1^st John 5:18

(c) I Am Significant in Christ

Matthew 5:13-14, John 15:1, 5, John 15:16, Acts 1:8, 1^st Corinthians 3:16, 2^nd Corinthians 7:17-20, 2^nd Corinthians 6:1, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 3:12, Philippians 4:13

For The Next Lesson

January 16, 2011

(1)    Read John 8:12. What two promises does Jesus make in this verse and what is the one requirement to receive the promise? Try and describe what it is like to walk in darkness and try and describe some of the benefits of walking in the light. Would you say that this promise of Jesus has worked itself out experientially in your life? Explain.

(2)    Read John 8:12, Numbers 9:15-22, Exodus 14:19-20, Ephesians 5:8-9, Philippians 2:14-15, Matthew 5:14-16, Revelation 21:22-27, John 3:19-21 and 1^st John 1:5-7. Besides each passage write down different things you can learn about Biblical light and how it might affect us. How do you think we can let our light shine here in Russellville and in our church?

(3)    Read John 8:13-20, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and Deuteronomy 19:15. Can you see where the Pharisees (men devoted to studying and obeying the law) might have come to the conclusion Jesus needed another witness besides himself? Ultimately what witness does he say will testify on his behalf? A witness is someone who has credibility. Try and think of all the attributes of God that make his witness so incredibly credible.

(4)    Read John 8:21-24. What do you think it means to die in your sins? According to this passage how does a person avoid dieing in their sins? Would you say you are going to die in your sins? If you said no try and think of a sentence that you could say to Jesus Christ and God the Father to thank them for what they have done for you.

(5)    Read John 8:25-30. What question is asked in verse 25? Explain to these people the answer to their question.

(6)    According to verse 29 where was the Father while Jesus was talking to them? Do you think this was meaningful to Him? How might this have been helpful to Him?

(7)    Read Philippians 4:5, Matthew 28:20 and John 14:20. According to these passages where is God as relates to you? Try and explain the significance of this concept.

For The Next Lesson

January 9, 2011

(1) Read John 7:53-8:6. What do you think Jesus was doing when He was up on the Mount of Olives? How would this have related to His teaching in the temple courts the following day? What lesson can we learn from Jesus’ example? In what ways do you practice this concept in your life? Your sharing will help us all grow in our walk, so don’t be shy.

(2) A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. Try to explain how the men who brought her in almost certainly had to be spying on her for this to happen. Considering it was against the Roman law for Jews to sentence someone to death and it was the Mosaic Law that she be sentenced to death, explain the predicament Jesus was in. Verse 6 says they wanted a basis to accuse Him. What would their basis now have been?

(3) How do you think this woman would have felt? It is very possible she wasn’t even dressed. Have you ever been in a situation where you were totally embarrassed because of a sin you have committed that someone else has exposed? If so, what did that feel like? Is there ever a time when as Christians we should expose each others’ sins?

(4) Read John 8:6-8. Down through the years there have been numerous speculations as to what Jesus wrote on the ground. We won’t know until we get to heaven and ask the lady or Jesus Himself. However, what do you think it might have been?

(5) Read John 8:9-11. Why do you think it was the older men who walked away first? What should this tell you?

(6) Since the woman actually did break the Law of Moses, how was Jesus able to let this go like He did? Two points: (1) when everyone else walked away because of their own sin, Jesus didn’t, implying He hadn’t sinned, yet (2) He did not condemn her, and some say this implied He had sinned. What is another reason as to why He didn’t condemn her?

(7) From verse 11 we see Jesus not just forgiving her but commanding her to leave her life of sin. How do grace and living a life of righteousness work themselves out? See the first part of Romans 6 for help.

(8) Read James 5:19-20. Do you think the Pharisees and Scribes understood this concept? In what ways did Jesus live out this concept with the woman? How can we live out the James passage in our own lives?

For The Next Lesson

January 2, 2011

(1) Read John 7:25-31. Why do you think the people were trying to seize Jesus? Do you think the Jews would have been offended by Jesus telling them they did not know God? Do you think people today think they know God but really don’t? Try and think of some illustrations. What should we do when we meet someone who thinks he/she knows God, but in reality, doesn’t? What do you think good evangelism looks like?

(2) Read John 7:32-36, Acts 1:9-11 and Ephesians 1:18-23. Try and describe where Jesus is and what all He is doing at this present time. Do you think this is a cool concept? You can use any other scripture references you like to add to this discussion.

(3) Read John 7:37-39. What do you think the idea of the Spirit flowing from us is all about? In what ways does the Spirit flow from Christians today? In what ways does He flow from you? Since Jesus was already perfect, what do you think the term glorified meant as relates to Him? What do you think glorified means to us today?

(4) What do you think the term sanctified means and what does the phrase being sanctified mean?

(5) Read John 7:40-44. The people were right to ask how the Christ could come from Galilee and to say that the Christ was to come from the line of David and from Bethlehem. Play like you were assigned to explain to them how this all worked itself out. What lessons could we learn from this mistake the people made when it comes to discovering seeming discrepancies in the Bible?

(6) According to verse 43, no one laid a hand on Jesus even though they wanted to. Why do you think they were not able to lay a hand on Him? See verse 30 and Matthew 26:52-54 for possible help.

(7) Read John 7:45-52. According to verse 46, no one ever spoke the way Jesus did. What do you think that means?

(8) This is the second time we are introduced to Nicodemus. What all can we ascertain about his personality and what he was like from what we have seen so far? Do you think he would have been a neat guy to get to know? If you said yes what would have been so neat about him?

(9) What lessons can we learn from today’s study?

For the next Lesson

December 26, 2010

(1) Read John 7:1-5. From this passage it seems Jesus brothers wanted Jesus to go on the campaign trail. In what ways do you think they had Jesus’ mission misconstrued in their own minds? Why do you think Jesus own brothers didn’t believe in Him? Do you think we would have had the same struggles to believe, if we had lived in those days that the people back then did? Explain your answer.

(2) Read John 7:6-13. According to this passage why does the world hate Jesus? Jesus would later say that the world would hate Christians as well because they hated Him first. In what ways should we as Christians testify to the evil in the world and in what ways do you think the Christian community fails in this area? What does Jesus mean by “the right time has not yet come?”

(3) According to verse twelve some people were saying Jesus was a “good man.” Try and think of as many reasons as you can as to why Jesus could not have been a good man based on the things he was claiming about himself.

(4) Read John 7:14-19. Why do you think the people were amazed at Jesus teaching? Try and imagine what a day sitting under the teachings of Jesus would have been like. Do you think people living today with the whole Bible and the Holy Spirit living in them are more or less blessed than someone who actually set under Jesus teachings was?

(5) From these verses list the reasons why Jesus could teach at such a higher level than anyone else.

(6) Try and explain why no one could actually keep the Law of Moses.

(7) Read John 7:21-24. Try and explain Jesus reasoning in this part of the passage.

(8) Try and come up with one word that would describe the Jewish people’s attitudes as regards Jesus healing the invalid on the Sabbath. How does Jesus explain their improper attitude to them? How do people struggle today with this same issue?

(9) Can you remember when circumcision actually began? What was the purpose of circumcision?

(10) In verse 24 Jesus says “stop judging by mere appearances.” Can you think of ways we all judge each other today by appearances? Do you think this is wrong? How could we avoid that?

For The Next Lesson

December 12, 2010

(1) Read John 6:26-29. According to this passage the people were looking for Jesus because he could provide day to day sustenance for them. What they should have desired more was spiritual food. Can you relate to this in your own walk with God? In what ways do you tend to view God more like a Genie than the Lord of your life?

(2) Read John 6:30-33. Try and remember as much as you can about the manna that God gave the Israelites when they were living in the dessert for forty years. Who did they think gave them the bread and who really gave them the bread? In what ways do we get confused today as to who is our real provider? According to this passage what or whom is the real manna from heaven? What do you think this means?

(3) Read John 6:34-40. From this passage try and defend the view that it takes God opening your heart in order to come to Him. If a person comes to Jesus would it be possible to fall away from him according to this passage? Is that a comforting thought to you? According to this passage how do you have eternal life?

(4) Read John 6:41-51. According to verses 41-42 what was the reasoning the Jews used that led them to believe Jesus wasn’t from heaven? According to verses 42-44 what must happen in order for someone to have saving faith? According to verses 45-47 who all has seen the Father? Read John 14:8-11. According to this passage how can we see the Father? Read Hebrews 12:2. What can we learn from the study in this particular question? From verses 48-51 Try and think of some ways that we could eat the bread of life. How is this meaningful to you?

(5) Read John 6:52-59. What is the main difference between the manna the Israelites ate in the dessert and the bread of Christ? All of us die physically so what do you think Jesus means by the concept that we won’t die if we eat Him?

(6) Can you see why this would have been such hard teaching for people to digest? Can you even see how it would take God opening someone’s heart in order for them to believe?

For The Next Lesson

December 5, 2010

1. Read Matthew 14:22-26, Mark 6:45-50 and John 6:16-20. Try and discover all the things you can from each gospel that add additional information to each story. Read John 6:21. Many liberal scholars teach that Jesus was not actually walking on water but walking along the shore line or some such thing. First say how they might come to this from the John passage, and then defend the view that this is not possible from the other two gospels. Why do you think liberals are so intent on dismissing the miracles of Jesus taught in the gospels? Why do you think it is important that we accept them?

2. According to the John passage, where did Jesus go after He sent the disciples away? According to the other gospels, why did He go there? How important do you think it is to spend time alone in prayer with God? Do you find this a difficult task? Try and think of several reasons as to why it can be difficult.

3. According to these passages the disciples were afraid. What did Jesus tell them that would have helped them overcome their fear? Can you think of times in your life when you were afraid and in one way or another Jesus helped you overcome your fear?

4. Read Matthew 14:27-33 and John 6:21-29. What are the striking differences in these two stories? What would you say is the key emphasis of each story? Why do you think the two gospel writers focused on these different aspects? What application do you think we are to get from the Matthew version? What are we to learn from the John version?

5. How hard do you think it is to keep your eyes on Jesus in trying or difficult times? Use a personal illustration if you can.

6. Do you think Peter was braver or less brave than the other disciples? Is there some area in your life in which you think God wants you to step out of the boat in faith and trust Him?

7. According to this story, what would happen if you tried and lost your focus, courage, or faith? Is this a comforting thought to you? What is a biblical term we could place on Jesus helping Peter back into the boat?

8. In what ways have you experienced first hand the grace of God?

9. What did the men do after the storm was calmed? How do you think they did this? What does worshipping God look like in your life?

10. What do you like about this event?

For The next Lesson

November 14, 2010

(1) Read John 5:31, Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15. Explain why Jesus who is the Son of God would have said His testimony was not valid, especially in this setting where He is talking to Jewish leaders who relish the Mosaic Law. Have you ever been offended when someone was not willing to accept your word on some matter? Do you think it is a good idea to validate what someone is saying whenever there seems to be some question as to its veraciousness? What lessons could we learn from Jesus that might help us not to be defensive or angry when someone doesn’t automatically accept what we are saying?

(2) Read John 5:32-40. Try to find four witnesses that Jesus presents concerning Himself. In what ways can you think, where each one of these witnesses testifies about Jesus? Would you say these are powerful witnesses?

(3) Why do you think Jesus does not accept man’s testimony? See John 2:23-25. Can you think of times in your life when your testimony was not very reliable because of your fallen heart? Why do you think John the Baptists testimony would have been more powerful than any other human being? Try to use some other passages to prove your point.

(4) Try to think of some of the works of Jesus Christ that are powerful testimonies today for non-believers.

(5) When did God the Father testify about His son Jesus? How powerful do you think that was? You should be able to think of at least two significant times.

(6) In what ways do the scriptures testify about Jesus? Try to think of several scripture passages that testified about Him, that the Jewish leaders would have had at their disposal. In what ways do the scriptures today testify about Jesus, at an even more potent level?

(7) Read John 5:41-44. What seems to be the main reason that the Jewish leaders were not able to accept these four powerful testimonies? Have you ever struggled with wanting God’s glory or praise in some situation? Do you think it is hard not to want to get some praise some time? In the Bible we are told to encourage one another; that seems a little like praising one another, doesn’t it. How do you think we could balance these two concepts; praise verses encouragement?

(8) Read John 5:45-47. Jesus says that Moses is also one who testifies about Jesus. How did we already cover him as a testifier in the four testimonies we listed?

(9) As Christians today we are told we are to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ. Try to think of several ways that we can be a testifier for Him. Would you care to share some testimony about yourself that could cause someone to believe in Jesus or grow further in their faith?

For The Next Lesson

November 7, 2010

(1) Read John 5:7-12, John 5:16-18, Genesis 1:31-2:3, Exodus 20:8-11, Galatians 3:10-14 and Colossians 1:15-20. From these passages try and develop a statement as to how you think God wants us to live in regards to the Sabbath or specifically a day of rest. Also develop a statement regarding what the Bible means when it says “God rested” keeping in mind that He is continuously holding all things together; see Colossians 1:15-20 and John 5:17. In what ways do you think we can either become too lax in regards to observing a day to rest and worship the Lord or we can become to legalistic.

(2) From this passage in what ways do you see Jesus calling God His own father and making Himself equal with God? Is this neat to you?

(3) Read John 5:19-20. Try and give a short title to this little section. Try and describe the interwoven relationship between God the father and Jesus the Son from these two verses. Does reading this type of scripture help you in regard to things you have always heard about Jesus but didn’t know where to look to find it?

(4) Read John 5:21-23. From these three verses what power do you see coming from Jesus? Can you think of some Biblical examples from the Old Testament where God the Father raised the dead? Can you think of some Biblical examples from the New Testament where Jesus raised the dead? What do you think it means to honor God the Father and God the Son? How are you doing that in your life today?

(5) Try and give a short title to John 5:21-23.

(6) Read John 5:24-27. What two things must a person do to cross over from death to life? What do you think that phrase “cross over from death to life” means? What do you think Jesus means when He says the Father has life in Himself? How might this contrast between mankind and God?

(7) Try and give a short title to John 5:24-27.

(8) Read John 5:28-30. The protestant faith is adamant that a person is saved through faith not works. This passage seems to imply that eternal life comes through doing good, doesn’t it. See John 6:26-29 for help. Try and think of several Bible passages or verses that you know that emphasize salvation is by faith alone.

(9) According to verse thirty what is one of Jesus’ main objectives while he is here on earth? What do you think we should get from this personally?

(10) Try and give a short title to John 5:28-30.

(11) From the titles you came up with try and give a short title to this whole passage.

(12) What would you say is the overriding principle behind this passage?

For The next lesson

October 31, 2010

(1) Read John 4:43-45, Matthew 13:53-58 and Luke 4:14-30. Why do you think a prophet has no honor in his own country? Why do you think Jesus had no honor?

(2) Read John 4:46-50. Jesus says what seems to be a sarcastic statement to the royal official. Do you think this was sarcasm or do you think he was just making a statement of fact?

(3) From this story do you think this man had some type of faith in Jesus before his son was healed?

(4) Read John 4:43-54. According to this story Jesus healed the young man without being in his presence. How do you think he was able to do that? What might that imply as relates to your own life and how Jesus takes care of you?

(5) According to this story what was the result of the miracle? See John 4:48, John 20:30-31 and Matthew 11:1-6. Try and give a definition of a miracle. What can we learn about the purpose of miracles or signs from these verses? Do you think Jesus stills does miracles in our world today?

(6) Read John 5:1-6. What things can you learn about the man at the pool? What question does Jesus ask the man? Do you find that question interesting considering the man was at the pool to get well and had been sick for thirty-eight years? Why do you think Jesus asked this particular question?

(7) Do you think there are times when we like to wallow in our own misery; when the question Jesus asked could be just as easily asked of us? What can you learn from this personally?

(8) Read John 5:7-10. What does Jesus do for this invalid? We are told the man picked up his mat and walked “at once.” Try and think of as many physical things as you can that would have had to take place for this to happen. Read John 4:10-15. Do you find it amazing that the Jews were troubled by the Sabbath healing instead of being amazed at the miracle? What do you think causes this kind of reaction?

(9) What does Jesus tell the man in verse 14? What does this seem to be teaching us?

(10) Some people teach a theology of God’s wrath around every corner. Some totally dismiss the idea of God’s punishment. What do you think might be a good balanced view on this subject? See Romans 8:1-2, 1^st Thessalonians 5:9 and Hebrews 12:4-13.

For The Next Lesson

October 17, 2010

(1) Read John 3:16 and John 1:9-13. What do you think John means when he uses the word world?

(2) Read John 3:16. When this verse speaks of God do you think it means the Trinity or God the father? According to this verse just how much does God love the world? See Romans 5:8-11 for help. Try and say what this whole concept means to you personally?

(3) What do you think the phrase eternal life encompasses? What are the requirements to receive this eternal life? What things do you think we Christians try to add-on to the Biblical requirements for eternal life?

(4) When John says believe on Him what do you think “believe on Him” entails?

(5) Read John 3:17-18. Why did God send His son into the world? Does verse 17 mean that the whole world will be saved? Use all your working knowledge of scripture to address this question.

(6) What does the word condemned mean? Read Romans 8:1. Are Christians condemned? According to our passage why is it not necessary for Jesus to condemn the world?

(7) Read Romans 3:21-31 and try and define the following words; righteousness, justified, redeemed and atonement. How does it make you feel that all these words apply to you and that you are not condemned?

(8) Read John 3:19-21. What does John mean when he says light has come into the world? What does the word verdict mean? Try and explain verse 20 in your own words.

(9) According to verse 21 what is the solution to sin?

(10) Try and personalize verses 19-21.

For the next Lesson

October 10, 2010

(1) Read John 3:1-2. Try and say what you think the Jewish ruling council was, also known as the Sanhedrin.

(2) Try and list all the complimentary things from these two verses that Nicodemus says about Jesus.

(3) In John’s gospel we have only seen one miracle. Yet Nicodemus says Jesus has done numerous miracles. Try and explain how this might have been.

(4) Try and develop a preliminary profile of Nicodemus from what you know so far.

(5) Why do you think he came at night? Is there anyway we could apply his coming at night to the Christian walk today or even to your own walk?

(6) Read John 3:3-8. From this section what two emphatic statements does Jesus make about mankind and his relationship to the kingdom of God?

(7) There are many views on exactly what the Kingdom of God is. What would you say this phrase means?

(8) What is your understanding of what it means to be born again? What do you think Jesus means by the phrase “born of water and of flesh?” What do you think he means by the phrase “flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit?” Why do you think one spirit is capitalized and the other is not?

(9) What do you think verse 8 means?

(10) Try and give a summary statement about what we have studied so far.

(11) Nicodemus was an old man. How hard do you think it is for someone who is old, is grounded in their theology, sees themselves as a knowledgeable person and spiritually mature to take a complete about face and believe something entirely different? Does this help you rethink question # 9?

(12) Read John 3:9-15 and James 3:1-2. Do you think there are people in our churches today who are like these teachers described by Jesus in the John passage and if so how might the James passage apply to them? Should we take this to heart ourselves?

For The Next Lesson

October 3, 2010

(1) Read John 2:1-3, John 1:29, John 1:35 and John 1:43. It is a long way from where John the Baptist is baptizing and Cana. Try and reconcile how Jesus and his delegation could have gotten there in the allotted amount of time.

(2) Read John 2:1-11. According to this story, do you think Mary was expecting Jesus to perform a miracle, or do you think she had something else in mind? Have you ever had a time when you went to God for help and the answer you got was completely different than what you expected, but better than what you expected? Could you share this event?

(3) In verse four, Jesus answer to His mother seems rather abrupt. Why do you think he answered her this way? Now try and explain why he seemingly says I won’t help you then he does help her.

(4) “My time has not yet come,” is a term Jesus uses on several other occasions in this gospel. What do you think this term means?

(5) Do you think Jesus had one specific purpose when he came to earth and became a man, or do you think he had other purposes to fulfill as well?

(6) From verse five and the following, try and explain why obedience to Jesus in this situation, for the servants could have been not only hard but potentially dangerous. How do you think the servants would have felt when the whole story unfolded?

(7) Can you think of things or times in your life when obedience to God seems very difficult and sometimes doesn’t even make sense? Can you share a time when you decided to obey Jesus and it worked out beyond your expectations?

(8) According to this passage, how many gallons of wine did Jesus make for the wedding party? Would you say this was ample?

(9) According to this passage, what was the quality of the wine?

(10) Can you think of times when God has not only provided more than you needed but far better than you would have dreamed of?

(11) What was the final result of this sign/miracle? In what ways has Jesus strengthened your faith in the past few years?

(12) What are several spiritual lessons that we can learn from this first miracle?

For The Next Lesson

September 26, 2010

(1) Read John 1:35-42 and John 3:22-30. In these two passages we see disciples leaving John to follow Jesus and other people being baptized by Jesus instead of John. From a human perspective try and describe some of our fallen emotions that John would have gone through. According to chapter three how does John end up taking the high road?

(2) Have you ever experienced a time in your life when someone became more successful than you either in ministry work or some other situation? How hard was it to take the high road like John did? What lessons do you think we can learn from John’s response to Jesus success in this story?

(3) Read John 1:35-42. Many Bible students believe this is John the apostle’s personal testimony. Try and give several reasons from this passage explaining why they might come to this conclusion. If this is John’s testimony and he wrote this gospel about 60 years after this event how significant do you think this was in his life? Can you think of times in your life when God has done something so significant that you will never forget it?

(4) Read John 1:40-42, Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:14-20. Now try and discover the discrepancies between John’s account and the synoptic accounts. Now try and figure out how these two seemingly contradictory accounts can be true.

(5) Read John 1:40-51. In verse 43-45 the disciples report this is the one Moses wrote about and the prophets told about. Here is a challenge; can you think of several different Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. How does this help you grow in your faith?

(6) In this story two men are brought to Jesus by two other men. Try and say how much these men might have appreciated what their friends did for them years later. How is thinking about this event in this way different than how we usually think about sharing our faith with someone who doesn’t know the Lord? How might that help us to be more courageous?

(7) Can you remember a time when someone told you about Jesus, a good Bible study or a good church and it ended up changing your life? How do you feel towards that person today? What lessons can we learn from this line of thinking?

(8) Read John 1:47-51. In this section Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see greater things than what had happened to him that day. Think back in your life and reflect on some of the great things God has done that has caused your faith to grow. Would you share this with the group?

For The Next Lesson

September 19, 2010

(1) Read John 1:19-28. From this passage, list all the different groups that came to question John. Give your own definition of who each one of these types of people were. Do you think John might have been intimidated by them?

(2) Can you think of a time in your life when you were intimidated by someone who seemed very powerful? Is there someone like this in your life now? From verses 20-23, list all the ways John responded. Do you think John was brave? What are some life lessons we could learn from John’s response and behavior?

(3) Read John 1:19-28. In verse 19 we are told the main emphasis of this story is John’s testimony. A testimony can be about our coming to Christ or it can be about things God is doing in our life after conversion, such as work, grace or blessing. Can you give a testimony of how God is using you or teaching you different things?

(4) Read John 1:24-28. Think about this. The priests, Levites and Pharisees are at the Jordan river questioning John the Baptist while the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ is standing right in their midst. It would seem they are missing a wonderful opportunity. They are majoring on the minors. Can you think of different ways you or other Christians major on the minors and miss the very presence of God in their lives or possibly your life? What are some ways we can alleviate these tendencies?

(5) Read John 1:29-34. John declares Jesus to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Thinking about his audience, primarily Jewish, the sacrificial system they lived under and the Law of Moses, how do you think John’s statement would have been received? What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?

(6) In verse 31 John says he did not know Jesus, but he was his cousin, they were only six months apart in age and it seems the two families were close. We can almost be certain they knew each other, so what do you think John means by this?

(7) Do you think it is possible to know Jesus and still not truly know Him as your Savior? If so, how?

(8) What do you think is the difference between water baptism and Spirit baptism?

(9) What do you like most about John the Baptist?

For The Next Lesson

September 12, 2010

(1) Read John 1:1-5. Try to think of several different beginnings you could go back to. What do you think might be the earliest beginning? List a number of things that would not have been at your earliest beginning.

(2) It is not until verse 17 we discover the “Word” is Jesus Christ. Thinking about your previous answer, what do you think John’s big idea is in these first few verses? What do you think it would have been like before any beginning for Jesus Christ? Do you think this whole concept is cool?

(3) From verses one and two, try and discover everything you can about the Word’s relationship to God. Read Colossians 1:15-20. Now try and describe everything you can about Jesus Christ from these two passages of scripture. Is this meaningful to you?

(4) Read John 1:4-5, John 3:19-21 and 1^st John 1:5-8. Sometimes the Bible uses words, phrases and terms to describe concepts. From these passages, what concept do you think the Bible has in mind when it uses the words light and darkness? What do you think we can learn from these concepts about ourselves and others? How can we grow as we learn to battle the negatives and positives behind these concepts?

(5) Read John 1:6-9. From all you know about John the Baptist try and say who he was, what his purpose in life was and what you can learn from this man. Do you think God has a purpose for you in this life, and if so, what do you think it is?

(6) Read John 1:10-13. According to verse twelve, what happens to someone who receives Jesus and believes in His name? Try and describe all the benefits there are when someone becomes a child of God.

(7) Try and interpret verse 13.

(8) Paul tells the Colossians to “be thankful.” In what ways are you thankful that through your faith in Jesus Christ you are a child of God?

(9) Read John 1:14. Try and describe all the implications behind this verse.

(10) Read John 17:1-5. In this passage Jesus prays to receive His glory back. In John 1:14 John says he has seen His glory. How could these seemingly two contradictory statements fit together? What do you think the glory of God really is?

(11) Read John 1:15-18. What do you think grace is? Have you ever experienced God’s grace first hand?

(12) What do you like the most about the scripture for today?

For the Next Lesson

August 29, 2010

Read I Timothy 4:1-3. Read verse 1 again. Does reading this make you wonder how Paul knew what the Spirit was clearly saying? What could be some possible ways Paul knew the Spirit was saying this? (Hint: See Matthew 24:4-11 & Acts 20:29-31)

Try to remember a time when you sensed the Holy Spirit saying something clearly to you?

3) When you read 4:1, what tense is Paul writing in when he speaks about following the deceiving spirits? What tense does he write in when he speaks about the teachings in 4:2? Do you think there’s anything significant about that?

4) In 4:2 Paul says these teachers have “seared consciences”. How do you think a person’s conscience gets to that point?

5) What are the 2 things these teachers tell their followers to abstain from? Can you think of any modern day examples of either of these types of teachings?

6) Read I Timothy 4:4-5. Paul says everything God created is good. Is that true? Do you have trust in that? What kind of implications does that have for living?

7) What condition does Paul give for people to receive what God has created in 4:4-5? What does that look like in your own life?

8) Read I Timothy 4:6-8. In 4:7 Paul says to have nothing to do with what two things? Keeping in mind that the goal is to become godly, what are some examples of things you would say “have nothing to do with”?

9) Think about a typical week for you. How much time on average would you say you spend on “physical training”? How much time on average would you estimate you spend on “godliness training”? What advice might you have on how to balance these two?

10Read I Timothy 6:11-12. What insight do these verses give in pursuing a godliness training regimen?

11I Timothy 6:12 Paul tells Timothy to “take hold of the eternal life”. What do you think he meant by that?

12Read I Timothy 6:13-16. Paul uses some words to describe God in v.15-16. How do these descriptions of who God is impact you? What impression of reality do they leave you with?

For The Next Lesson

August 22, 2010

(1) Read Psalm 40:1-3. From this passage it seems the Psalmist prayed/cried to God for help throughout a night. Have you ever had a sleepless night where you cried out for God to help you? If so what was that night like for you?

(2) According to these first three verses how did things seem to go for the Psalmist?

(3) Read Psalm 40:4-6. In this section who kept the Psalmist from sleeping? Do you think God ever haunts us to the point of sleepless nights for something that is going on in our life? If so try and give several reasons as to why He might do that.

(4) From verse five and six what did the Psalmist do to try and solve his problem? Do you think that was a good idea?

(5) Read Psalm 40:6-9. What seems to happen next during this fitful night? Have you ever wondered about God in this same type of way? Do you think this type of thinking bothers God?

(6) From verses 8-9 answer these questions (1) Can unfailing love vanish (2) Can one of God’s promises fail (3) Can God forget (4) Does God withhold compassion from His children? Explain your thinking for each one of your answers.

(7) Read Psalm 40:10-20. From these verses what does the Psalmist appeal to? Do you think this was a good idea?

(8) Try and remember at least ten magnificent works that God has done in your life and tell them to the group.

(9) If you were going thru a rough time where it seemed like God had deserted you, do you think it would be helpful to remember the things God has already done in your life?

(10) Looking at verses 10-20 try and come up with as many of God’s attributes as you can.

(11) Is this Psalm meaningful to you?

For The Next Lesson

August 8, 2010

(1) Read Colossians 3:12-14. Try and describe what it means and how significant it is to be chosen by God, holy and dearly loved by God. Try and deal with each term separately.

(2) Try and define each of the terms Paul says we are to cloth ourselves with in verse 12. What would it be like if someone actually was clothed each day with these qualities? Can you think of other passages where Paul encourages us to put on certain types of clothing?

(3) Why would we want to cloth ourselves with these things just because we are chosen by God, holy and dearly loved?

(4) From verse 13 we are instructed to “bear with each other.” Try and think about what that might look like practically in your life and in your current relationships.

(5) According to this verse exactly what things and how many things are we to forgive each other for? Without embarrassing anyone can you think of things that have been done to you that make this command by Paul especially difficult?

(6) Try and think of at least ten different ways in which the “Lord forgave you.” Ex: God remembers my sins no more. Is this meaningful to you? Now relate the Lord’s forgiveness to the forgiveness you are to extend others.

(7) Read Colossians 3:15-17. Paul says we are to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” What does that mean to you?

(8) What do you think it means to “be thankful?”

(9) In verse 16 we are told to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Rephrase this command into your own words. Is this meaningful to you?

(10) Try and think of at least ten things you should have gratitude to God for.

(11) What does verse 17 mean to you?

For The Next Lesson

August 1, 2010

(1) Read Hebrews 10:19-22. In this passage the author of Hebrews uses Old Testament illusions to help us see our accessibility to God. Try and explain all you know about the “Most Holy Place” in the O.T.

(2) The author of Hebrews says that the curtain, that is the body of Christ, is how we enter the Most Holy place. What is this illusion to the curtain all about? Once we understand the significance of Jesus Christ being the curtain by which we enter the presence of God Almighty, how do you think that should influence us towards God and Jesus both emotionally and spiritually?

(3) What does it mean to you personally that Jesus Christ is our great high priest? What did a priest do for the people in the O.T.?

(4) From verse 22 what does it actually mean that your heart has been sprinkled and your body has been purified?

(5) Have you ever had a guilty conscience and if so can you describe what it is like?

(6) What does it mean to you that you can draw near to God? Try and relate this concept in keeping with the theme of the O.T. temple and the Most Holy Place.

(7) What does “full assurance of faith” look like in your life? Can you say that you actually have “full assurance of faith?”

(8) Read Hebrews 10:23-25. Just exactly how faithful do you think God is? How should this affect our lives?

(9) Try and think of several different ways you could spur someone else on to love and good deeds. Is this a sweet verse to you?

(10) How important do you think meeting together as Christians actually is? Try and think of several different reasons as to why this is so important.

(11) Why do you think some give up meeting together?

(12) What do you like the most about this passage?

For the Next Lesson

July 25, 2010

(1) Read Hebrews 10:1-4. One way to divide the Old Testament Law is to use the phrases moral, civil, and ceremonial. If that is a good way to divide the law then this section would be speaking of the ceremonial or sacrificial laws. From these verses try and say what you think the sacrificial laws in the Old Testament did and were to the believer before the cross. What do you think was the purpose of the whole law?

(2) According to verse four, did the sacrifices actually save anyone? If they did not, what were their purposes?

(3) From verses two and three, would you say that the law actually increased shame and guilt for sin to the Old Testament believer, and if so, why would God design the law this way?

(4) In what ways do we struggle with guilt over sin as Christians today? Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?

(5) Read Hebrews 10:5-10. What do you think is the “big idea” of this particular section?

(6) Why do you think God did not desire sacrifices and yet still required them thru the law, His law?

(7) In what ways do you see Jesus Christ surrendering and submitting to the Father through this passage? How can this be an example for us to follow today? Can you personalize this?

(8) From verses 9-10 we are made holy by His will. Whose will is making us holy here? Is that significant to you in any way?

(9) What do you think it really means to be made Holy? Do you feel holy? Can you actually internalize this concept that you are holy before the Lord God Almighty?

(10) Read Hebrews 10:11-14. In what ways can you see the superiority of Jesus Christ our high priest over the Old Testament priest? How might this be really cool and w