Very Good

Monday, November 30, 2015
Genesis 1:28-2:3 KJV 

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After creating man (male and female) in His image, what did the Lord God do and say to His creation? (v.28)
2) What did the Lord God give the man (male and female)? Why? (v.29-30)
3) What did the Lord God think after beholding all that He had created? (v.31)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Can you think of anything on this planet that the Lord God did not create? If so, what didn't God create?

LIFE LESSONS
5) God did not create anything that was evil (sinful) because there is no darkness (evil or sin) within Him, at all!

A Day of Bitter Lamentation

Sunday, July 5, 2015
Micah 2:4-11 KJV 

4 In that day shall [one] take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed [it] from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. 5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD. 6 Prophesy ye not, [say they to them that] prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, [that] they shall not take shame. 7 O [thou that art] named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? [are] these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? 8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. 9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. 10 Arise ye, and depart; for this [is] not [your] rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a sore destruction. 11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After warning the wicked (evil) of pending disaster, how will others react to His wicked people and what will become of their land? (v.4-5)
2) How do the people respond to the words of the Lord through His prophet(s)? (v.6)
3) What does the Lord ask, and tell, His people? (v.7)
4) How do the people of God respond to the Lord's judgments against them? (v.8-9)
5) Why does the Lord allow His people to be taken from their land (homes)? (v.10)
6) What kind of prophet would God's people prefer according to the Lord? (v.11)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) How do you respond when a prophet of God foretells of disaster within your life, within your church, and/or within your nation?

LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord sends His servants (the prophets) to convict His people of their sins with the hope of their collective confession, repentance, and restoration.

Judge Me, O Lord

Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Psalm 7:1-8 KJV

1 [[Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.]] O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending [it] in pieces, while [there is] none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity [that is] in me.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did King David ask the Lord to do for him and why? Why did the kexpect the Lord to help him? (v.1-2)
2) What did David want the Lord to do to him and under what conditions? (v.3-5)
3) What did the king implore the Lord to do for him according to his righteousness? Why? (v.6-8 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you ever acted wickedly toward another brother, or sister in the Lord, without cause? If so, what was the result?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord expects His people to live peacefully with all people and blesses those who do.

God so Loved the World

Monday, April 6, 2015
John 3:16-21 KJV 

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Why did God allow Jesus to be crucified? (v.16-17)
2) What does the Apostle John say about those who believe, and do not believe, on Jesus? (v.18)
3) Why are those who do not believe on Jesus condemned? (v.19)
4) What does the apostle reveal about those whose deeds are evil and those whose deeds are of the truth? (v.20-21)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) How loving are you toward those who are different from you (e.g., the homeless, the poor, those of different ethnicities and cultures)?
6) What, if anything, is the Lord calling you to do to share the love of Christ with those who are not members of your family, or church?

LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord died to save every human being. Christians are His hands and feet.