Saturday, November 14, 2015
Acts 16:25-40 KJV
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast [us] into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39 And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city. 40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did Paul and Silas do at midnight and what phenomenal things happened afterward? (v.25-26)
2) How did the keeper of the prison respond when he discovered that Paul and Silas were gone and what did the Apostle Paul say to him? (v.27-28)
3) What did the jailer do and ask the two servants of the Lord? What was their response to him? (v.29-32)
4) What did the jailer do next? (v.33-34)
5) What happened the next day? (v.35-40)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever been miraculously delivered from an addiction, spiritual bondage, etc.? If so, briefly described what happened.
7) How do you typically respond when facing trials?
LIFE LESSONS8) After the Lord has delivered us from our sins, it is His will that we share our testimonies of deliverance with others who need to know Him.9) The people of the world have no hope during times of trouble. But, the people of God can place their hope in the Lord Jesus to deliver us during trying times.10) Praising God during a test or trial will often secure our deliverance from that which concerns us.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Acts 16:16-24 KJV
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew [them] into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat [them]. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast [them] into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who did Paul and Silas happen upon when they went to prayer, what was the person doing, and for how long? (v.16-18a)
2) How did the Apostle Paul respond to the person, why, and what happened to them afterward? (v.18b-21)
3) What did the multitude and the magistrates do to the Lord's servants? (v.22-24)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you, or anyone you know, ever been falsely accused of doing anything because of your belief in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, briefly describe what happened.
LIFE LESSONS
5) All who minister, to the people of this world, in the name of our Lord will suffer persecution.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Exodus 6:2-8 KJV
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I [am] the LORD.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After Moses' first encounter with Pharaoh, God's people were oppressed even more by the Egyptians. What did the Lord God tell Moses about Himself after he returned to the Lord? (v.2-4)
2) What had the Lord hear concerning His people and what did He remember? (v.5)
3) What did the Lord promise to do for His oppressed people? (v.5-8)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you ever prayed for an unsaved family member, or friend, only to find that their situation got worse, rather than better? If so, did you doubt whether the Lord would save them? If not, why not?
LIFE LESSONS
5) There will always be spiritual battles when we pray on behalf of those afflicted (tormented) by the enemy. But God is greater than the enemy and will deliver the unsaved, and/or spiritually oppressed, from the evil one.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Psalm 31:1-8 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. 2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. 3 For thou [art] my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. 4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou [art] my strength. 5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does David ask of the Lord and why? (v.1-4)
2) What does the psalmist do and why? (v.5-8)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3) What have you trusted the Lord with and why?
LIFE LESSONS
4) The Lord is our strength and deliverer. We can trust Him to help us in every situation that we face in life.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Psalm 56:8-13
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: [are they] not in thy book? 9 When I cry [unto thee], then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God [is] for me. 10 In God will I praise [his] word: in the LORD will I praise [his] word. 11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12 Thy vows [are] upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: [wilt] not [thou deliver] my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist ask the Lord? (v.8)
2) Why did the psalmist expect to happen when he cried out to the Lord? Why? (v.9)
3) What would the psalmist do in response? (v.10)
4) What was the psalmist's attitude toward the Lord? (v.11)
5) What else would the psalmist do unto the Lord? Why? (v.12-13)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) How sincere (truthful) is your relationship with the Lord?
7) What is more important to you, your relationship with the Lord, or your relationship with other people? Why?
8) What do you typically praise the Lord for?
PRINCIPLES
9) When we cry out to God, He will deliver us from the hand of our enemies.
10) We can trust the Lord with our fears and our tears.
11) God is merciful and full of compassion.
12) You enemies cannot do anything to you, unless the Lord allows them to.
