A Day of Mourning and Lamentation

Sunday, June 28, 2015
Amos 8:1-6, 9-10 KJV

1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. 2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. 3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: [there shall be] many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast [them] forth with silence. 4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? 6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; [yea], and sell the refuse of the wheat? ... 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: 10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only [son], and the end thereof as a bitter day.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did the Lord show the Prophet Amos? (v.1)
2) What did the Lord ask the prophet and how did Amos respond? (v.2a)
3) What did the Lord tell Amos? (v.2b-3)
4) What did the Lord know about those who oppressed the needy? (v.4-6)
5) What were the Lord's warnings to those who rebelled against Him? (v.9-10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What, if any, wickedness is prevalent within you, your church, and/or this nation?
7) Have you, or anyone you know, acted wickedly toward the less fortunate? 
8) If so, what if anything, did you (they) do to right your wrong?
9) Do you believe that the end of the age is soon to come? If not, why not?

LIFE LESSONS
10) The end of this age will happen when wickedness in the earth is greatest.

Confession and Forgiveness

Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-10 KJV

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How does the Apostle John describe God? (v.5)
2) What does the Apostle say about anyone who says they have fellowship with God and yet walk in darkness? (v.6)
3) What happens if we walk in the light? (v.7)
4) What does John say about those who claim to have no sin? (v.8)
5) What happens if we confess our sins? (v.9)
6) What does John say about those who say they have not sinned? (v.10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) What do you think “light” and “darkness” represent? Why?
8) Have you ever sinned, after confessing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
9) What do you do when you commit sins against our Lord Jesus?

PRINCIPLES

10) Being a Christian doesn't make one perfect, but it does make us forgiven!

11) The only perfect Person is JESUS!

12) Confession is necessary for forgiveness and spiritual cleansing!