Sharing with All

Thursday, September 10, 2015
Isaiah 1:15-18 NIV 

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After rebuking the people of God because of their rebellious ways, what did the Lord say that He would do when they prayed to Him? Why? (v.15)
2) What did the Lord counsel His people to do to restore relationship with Himself? (v.16-17)
3) After repenting of their wicked ways, what would the Lord do concerning the former rebellious ways of His people? (v.18)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you, your church family, and/or this nation repented of rebellion against the Lord? If so, how?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord cannot pardon the evil ways of His wicked and rebellious people until and unless all have repented of their sin and do that which pleases the Lord.
6) The Lord is pleased when we care for the least among us.
7) The greatest evidence of genuine repentance is a heart to share the love of Christ with those who have been marginalized in our lives, our churches, and our nation.

Prayer of Humility

Monday, August 31, 2015
Matthew 6:9-15 NIV

9 "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, what did our Lord teach them? (v.9-13)
2) What did Jesus tell His disciples about forgiving others who sin against them? (v.14)
3) What does Jesus teach about those who do not forgive the sins of others? (v.15)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Are you quick to forgive others that offend you? If not, why not?

LIFE LESSONS
5) Since our Lord forgave us our sins, while we were still sinners, He expects us to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ the same way.

Justice, Righteousness, and Repentance

Monday, August 10, 2015
Isaiah 1:24-28 NIV

24 Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." 27 Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After declaring the wickedness of His people (Judah), what did the Lord declare that He would do to His people? (v.24-25)
2) What did the Lord declare He would do to His penitent people? (v.26-27)
3) What would God do to His rebellious people? (v.28)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What do you generally do when you become aware of sin in your life? Please explain why?

LIFE LESSONS
5) When the people of God commit sins against the Lord, He wants us to repent so that He may restore us. But, if we refuse, He allows trials to correct us.

All Who Believed Were Together

Saturday, November 22, 2014
Act 2:37-47 KJV 

37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) The Apostle Peter had just delivered his first sermon after being filled with the Holy Spirit. How did those who heard it feel and respond? (v.37)
2) What was Peter's answer to the crowd? (v.38-39)
3) What else did Peter tell the crowd (v.40)
4) What did those who received Peter's word do in response? (v.41-47)


APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Have you ever preached a sermon or witnessed to a non-believer? If so, what was the response following one such instance.
6) Have you been water and/or fire baptized since you first believed?
7) How have you continued to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ since your conversion?


LIFE LESSONS
8) The message of the Gospel is foolishness to the world, but it has the power to save the heart that wants peace with God.
9) We are saved after we change our hearts about sin (repent), confess our sins to God, and receive forgiveness for our sins.
10) Baptism through immersion in water symbolizes our death to sin, burial and resurrection to new life in Christ.
11) When believers are initally filled with the Holy Spirit of God, they are empowered, by the Spirit,  to become Christ's witnesses.
12) Worship, communion and fellowship with other believers unifies and further empowers Christ's body.

A Costly Altar and Sacrifice

Wednesday, November 5, 2014
2 Samuel 24:17-25 KJV

17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. 18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what [seemeth] good unto him: behold, [here be] oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and [other] instruments of the oxen for wood. 23 All these [things] did Araunah, [as] a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) King David had sinned by taking a census of his warriors in Israel and Judah. What did David ask of the Lord when he realized that he had sinned? (v.17)
2) What suggestion did Gad make to King David? How did David respond? (v.18-19)
3) What was Araunah's response to David's arrival and offer? (v.20-23)
4) Why did David refuse Araunah's offer? (v.24)
5) How did the Lord respond to King David's offerings? 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Who else in your life has suffered as a result of your sin? Briefly explain one such incident.
7) Who do you turn to when seeking godly counsel?
8) When making an offering at your local church, do you typically give the most you have, or the least?

PRINCIPLES
9) The chastening of the Lord not only affects us, but often affects those closest to us.
10) Our gifts to the Lord include our time, our talent, and our treasure.
11) God so loves us that He gives us His best.
12) As children of God, we owe Him our lives.

Repentance and Forgiveness

Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Scripture Reading: Luke 17:1-6 KJV

1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe [unto him], through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did Jesus tell His disciples about offenses? (v.1)
2) What did our Lord say should happen to those who offend the spiritually immature, weak, or vulnerable? (v.2)
3) What did our Lord say that we should do if a brother or sister in Christ trespasses against (offends) us? (v.3)
4) How many times are we to forgive a brother or sister who repents of their transgression against us? (v.4)
5) What did the apostles ask the Lord to do for them? Why do you think they asked for what they did, when they did? (v.5)
6) How did Jesus respond to their question? Why do you think that Jesus told them what He did in response to their question (v.6)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you ever offended anyone knowingly? What happened?
8) Have you ever caused a brother or sister in the Lord to stumble in their faith, or do you know if someone else who has done that? What happened?
9) Have you ever had to lovingly rebuked a brother or sister who caused you to stumble in your faith? Did the offending person ask your forgiveness?
10) Would you ask forgiveness from anyone who you may have offended (knowingly or unknowingly)?

PRINCIPLES

11) The bait of Satan is the spirit of offense!

12) There can be no restoration without forgiveness!

13) Those most likely to stumble in their faith are the spiritually immature, vulnerable, and weak!