Thursday, October 8, 2015
Luke 11:30-37 KJV
30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth [it] in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when [thine eye] is evil, thy body also [is] full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore [be] full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. 37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did our Lord say to the multitude concerning signs? (v.30)
2) Who did our Lord say would "rise up in judgment against this generation and condemn them"? Why? (v.31-32)
3) What did our Lord have to say about "light"? (v.33-36)
4) Who did Jesus dine with after He talked with the multitude? (v.37)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) How do you allow the "light" to shine through you?
6) Who has come to the Lord as a result of your ministry to unbelievers?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord has commissioned His followers to be bearers of His light through our ministry to those He died to save.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Exodus 4:10-17 NIV
10 Moses said to the LORD, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else." 14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it."
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After the Lord God had called Moses to deliver His people from oppression (bondage), what excuses did Moses make for why he could not serve the Lord? (v.10)
2) What were the Lord's responses to Moses? (v.11-12)
3) What did Moses tell the Lord to do and how did the Lord respond? (v.13-17)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Has the Lord called you to do a seemingly impossible task? If so, briefly explain the Lord's call on your life and your reason(s) for not doing what He asks of you.
LIFE LESSONS
5) When the Lord God calls an individual believer to serve His people, the call is not based upon our qualifications for the ministry, but upon His power to enable us to lead His people.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
John 13:1-15 KJV
[Jhn 13:1-15 KJV] 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe [them] with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also [my] hands and [my] head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash [his] feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. 14 If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did our Lord know and do before the feast of passover? (v.1)
2) What manifested in Judas heart during and/or after supper was ended? (v.2)
3) What did Jesus do for His disciples and why? (v.3-5)
4) What was Simon Peter's response to what the Lord did for him? (v.6, 8a,9)
5) What did the Lord say to Peter? Why? (v.7, 8b, 10-11)
6) What happened after Jesus finished ministering to His disciples? (v.12-15)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you ever had to serve someone in church, or at home, that had been unkind to you? What was your attitude of heart as you ministered to them?
LIFE LESSONS
8) The best response to offense is forgiveness because our Lord forgave us.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Luke 10:25-34 KJV
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him], 34 And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What question did the lawyer ask our Lord? Why? (v.25)
2) How did Jesus respond to Him? (v.26)
3) What was the lawyer's response to our Lord? (v.27)
4) What did Jesus say in response to the lawyer's answer? (v.28)
5) What did the lawyer say next? Why? (v.29)
6) What lesson did Jesus impart to the Lawyer through the telling of the parable? (v.30-34)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) How do you typically respond to a brother or sister in need?
LIFE LESSONS
8) When God's children provide for the needs of others, we are ministering to Him.
Thurday, January 1, 2015
Luke 10:1-11 KJV
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house. 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. 8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After calling the first twelve disciples and giving them power and authority on earth, how many other disciples did the Lord appoint and send? (v.1)
2) What twelve things did the Lord tell His disciples to do? (v.2-11)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3) What instruction(s) has the Lord given you as His disciple?
4) What, if anything, do you expect to receive from those the Lord sends you to minister to?
5) What do you do when your message is not well received in a place where the Lord has sent you?
LIFE LESSONS
6) The Lord sends His disciples to minister the Gospel of peace to the lost, the least, and the broken.
7) The greatest reward that we can receive, as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is our Lord's "well done!"
8) As Christ's followers, the Gospel message will not be well received by everyone the Lord sends us to minister to.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
2 Chronicles 5:2-14 KJV
2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion. 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which [was] in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, these did the priests [and] the Levites bring up. 6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims: 8 For the cherubims spread forth [their] wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9 And they drew out the staves [of the ark], that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10 [There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put [therein] at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy [place]: (for all the priests [that were] present were sanctified, [and] did not [then] wait by course: 12 Also the Levites [which were] the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, [being] arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, [saying], For [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: that [then] the house was filled with a cloud, [even] the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) King Solomon completed the building of the temple that would house the ark of the covenant. Who did Solomon assemble to bring the ark to Jerusalem? (v.1-5)
2) What did the king and the congregation do before the ark? (v.6)
3) What did the priest do? (v.7-9)
4) What was in the ark? (v.10)
5) When the priests came out of the holy place who assembed with them? Why? (v.11-13)
6) What happened to the priests? Why? (v.14)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Have you experienced the Presence of God during corporate worship? If so, briefly describe what happened during one such time.
8) During corporate worship, have you ever experienced God's Presence so strongly that your spiritual leaders were unable to minister to the people of God? If so, briefly describe one such instance.
LIFE LESSONS
9) The Presence of the Lord most often manifests when the people of God are assembled as one to worship the Lord.
10) The Presence of God is strongest when the people of God are united in thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him.
11) When the Presence of the Lord is strongest, the ministers of the Lord are too overwhelmed to minister to the people of God.
Monday, December 15, 2014
1 Chronicles 16:35-41 KJV
35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, [and] glory in thy praise. 36 Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD. 37 So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: 38 And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah [to be] porters: 39 And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that [was] at Gibeon, 40 To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and [to do] according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; 41 And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy [endureth] for ever;
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After the ark was placed in its rightful place in Jerusalem, King David penned a psalm and regular worship resumed. What does David implore the people of God to say to the Lord? (v.35)
2) How do the people respond to the king's benediction? (v.36)
3) Who did David leave to minister before the ark continually? (v.37)
4) Who were designated to be porters? (v.38)
5) What were Zadok, the other priests, and others chosen to do? (v.39-41)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What role, if any, do you have in ministering to God's people at your local church?
7) How do you prepare yourself for the work that you've been assigned in the household of faith?
LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord has a role for every believer in building up a habitation for His presence.
9) Personal devotion precedes corporate worship in the household of faith.
