Monday, November 9, 2015
Jeremiah 26:1-6 KJV
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: 3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. 4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, 5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending [them], but ye have not hearkened; 6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What was the word of the Lord to the Prophet Jeremiah? (v.1-6)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
2) How diligent are you to obey God's word in every area of your life?
LIFE LESSONS
3) Obedience to God's word (will) leads to blessing, but rebelliion against the Lord leads to destruction.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Galatians 3:6-14 KJV
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Why was Abraham considered righteous and who are his "children"? (v.6-7)
2) What did the word of God word foretell concerning Abraham? (v.8)
3) Who is blessed and who is cursed as a result of God's promise to Abraham? Why? (v.9-10)
4) How are the "just" to live? Why? (v.11-12)
5) How did Christ redeem us from the curse of the law? Why? (v.13-14)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Are you a recepient of the "blessing" of Abraham? If so, why?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The blessing of Abraham is not only temporal but eternal wealth through Christ Jesus!
8) The blessing of Abraham extends to all the people of the world who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Malachi 3:1-10 NIV
1 "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 "So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. 6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' 8 "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse--your whole nation--because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What will the "messenger" do for the Lord and where will the Lord go to? (v.1)
2) What questions are asked of the readers? (v.2a)
3) How is the Lord described in this passage and what will He do for those who serve Him? Why? (v.2b-4)
4) Why will the Lord appear on earth? (v.5)
5) What does the Lord say about Himself and His relationship with His people? (v.6)
6) How have the people of God transgressed against the Lord, how can they be restored to Him and what will He do when they are obedient to His will? (v.7-10)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Do you tithe your time, talent and/or treasure? If not, why not.
LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord blesses His people to be a blessing to all people, but espectially to those in the household of faith.
9) The Lord prospers those who bless His people with His overflowing goodness, mercy, and love.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Psalm 7:9-17 KJV
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. 10 My defence [is] of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch [which] he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist ask the Lord to do to the wicked and to the righteous? Why? (v.9)
2) Who defends the psalmist? (10a)
3) How does the psalmist describe the Lord? (v.10b-13)
4) How does the psalmist describe the wicked? (v.14-16)
5) What will the psalmist do for the Lord? (v.17)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Are you more like the psalmist, or the wicked?
7) Do you know of anyone who has acted wickedly and received the chastening of the Lord? If so, describe one such individual.
LIFE LESSONS
8) The way of the righteous will be blessed, but the way of the wicked will be difficult.
Friday, January 30, 2015
2 Chronicles 34:24-33 KJV
24Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, [even] all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel [concerning] the words which thou hast heard; 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard [thee] also, saith the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again. 29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. 31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. 32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, [even] to serve the LORD their God. [And] all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) During King Josiah's reign, the people began to repair the house of the Lord. At the same time, Hilkiah (the high priest) found the Book of the Law. The king was grieved and commanded Hilkiah to seek the word of the Lord through Huldah the prophetess. What did the Lord proclaim to His people and to their king? Why? (v.24-28)
2) What did the king do? (v.29-33)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3) Have you ever read a passage of Scripture that convicted your heart of the error of your ways? If so, please describe one such time?
4) What did you do to repent of (turn from) your sins?
LIFE LESSONS
5) Ignorance of God's word does not exempt us from the penalty for not doing what the word says.
6) God has given us His word so that we may, humble ourselves before Him, ackowledge our sins, repent of them, and be forgiven.
7) We receive the blessings of the Lord when we are obedient and humbly submit to His word (will) for our lives.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
1 Kings 8:54-62 KJV
54 And it was [so], that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 Blessed [be] the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. 57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: 58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD [is] God, [and that there is] none else. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. 62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did King Solomon do after praying to the Lord? (v.54-55)
2) Why did King Solomon bless the Lord? (v.56)
3) What did Solomon desire from the Lord? Why? (v.57-58)
4) Why did the king want his words to ever be with the Lord? (v.59-60)
5) What did King Solomon expect of God's people? Why? (v.61)
6) How did the king and all Israel respond King Solomon's declarations? (v.62)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) How has the Lord blessed you recently?
8) Have you ever asked the Lord to incline your heart to fear Him and to walk in obedience to His ways? Why, or why not.
9) Why do you think that you are obedient to God's commands?
LIFE LESSONS
10) The blessing and favor of the Lord is upon those who are obedient to His word.
11) Those whose hearts are perfect before the Lord are those with a heart to obey His commands.
12) Worship is the only acceptable response to a petition after it has been offered to the Lord.
13) We are obedient to the Lord, not because of our own personal goodness, but because of the Lord's goodness to us.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Psalm 38:9-15
9 Lord, all my desire [is] before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares [for me]: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. 13 But I, as a deaf [man], heard not; and [I was] as a dumb man [that] openeth not his mouth. 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth [are] no reproofs. 15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist declare is not hidden from the Lord? (v.9)
2) What is gone from the psalmist? (v.10)
3) Who stands afar off from the psalmist? (v.11)
4) What do the psalmists enemies do? (v.12)
5) What does the psalmist do and why? (v.13-14)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What do you typically do when you're in trouble and the Lord seems to be distant?
7) How likely are you to worship the Lord during such times?
8) How likely are you to cave in to your carnal desires when you are being tested?
PRINCIPLES
9) The Lord often distances Himself to test our faith in Him.
10) When we wait upon the Lord, before acting, God is glorified.
11) The blessings that come with waiting on the Lord outweigh our seasons of trial.
