Day of Atonement

Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Leviticus 16:29-34 KJV 

29 And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the seventh month, on the tenth [day] of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, [whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It [shall be] a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, [even] the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What two things were the people of God to refrain from doing during on the Day of Atonement? Why? (v.29-31)
2) What were God's ordainined priests to do on that day? (v.32-33)
3) How often was the Day of Atonement to be observed according to the Law of Moses? (v.34)  

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) How frequently do you confess your sins to God during this age of grace? 

LIFE LESSONS
5) As children of God we are to confess and repent of our sins as soon as we are convincted/aware of them.

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!

The Power of Truth

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Luke 4:14-19 KJV 

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What happened after Jesus returned from His temptation in the wilderness? (v.14-19) 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
2) What temptations have you faced in recent months?
3) Were you victorious over your temptations, or did you yield to any of them?

LIFE LESSONS
4) Because we are followers of Christ, we can expect to be tempted to sin throughout our earthly lives.
5) Overcoming sin does not depend entirely upon us, but on the grace of God and the power of His word to endure each temptation.

God's Everlasting Love

Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Isaiah 54:1-8 NIV 

1 "Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. 4 "Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the Lord tell the "barren" and those who were "never in labor to do"? Why? (v.1)
2) What else does the Lord tell His formerly forsaken people to do? Why? (v.2-3)
3) What does the Lord tell His peoople to refrain from doing? Why? (v.4-6)
4) How had the Lord formerly treated His wayward children and how would He treat them after they had been punished? (v.7-8)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Have you ever felt forsaken of (distant from) the Lord? If so, what if anything did you do to restore right relations with Him?

LIFE LESSONS
6) Many of the Lord's children have, and will, feel that the Lord is distant from us during certain seasons of our lives. 
7) Often, the Lord distances Himself from us when we have unconfessed and/or unrepented sin in our lives.
8) There are times when the Lord distances Himself from us to create a greater longing for His presence within our souls.
9) The Lord loves us and desires to be gracious to us, but unconfessed sin and/or lack of desire for His presence will hinder (disrupt) His presence in our lives.

Our Sins Testify Against Us

Monday, July 27, 2015
Isaiah 59:1-14 NIV 

1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 5 They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. 6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. 7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. 8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace. 9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. 11 We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. 12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14 So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the Prophet Isaiah say about the Lord and those who have rebelled against (turned away from) Him? (v.1-3)
2) What else does the prophet accuse transgressors of doing? (v.4-8)
3) What becomes of those who behave wickedly against the Lord? Why? (v.9-14)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Do you know of any believer who has openly rebelled against the Lord? If so, what has become of them?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord is good to the upright in heart, but allows calamity to befall those who rebel against Him. 

God Protects Those Born of God

Saturday, April 25, 2015
1 John 5:16-21 KJV

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 [And] we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) The Apostle John mentions two types of sin, what are they and which sin should we pray for? (v.16)
2) What does the apostle write concerning all unrighteousness and sin that leads to death? (v.17)
3) Why do those believers, born of God, refrain from practicing sin? (v.18)
4) What do we know about the children of God and the children of the world? (v.19)
5) What do we know about Jesus? (v.20)
6) What is John's warning to the children of God? (v.21)  

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Do you willfully practice sin? If so, will you confess and repent of your sins to the Father to avoid spiritual death?

LIFE LESSONS
8) Those who willfully practice sin are not born of God.
9) Willful disobedience (rebellion) against God, leads to spiritual death.

Those Who do not Love

Friday, April 10, 2015
1 John 3:6-10 KJV 

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the Apostle John say about those who continually practice sin? (v.6,8a)
2) What does he say about those whose acts are righteous? (v.7)
3) What does John write about the devil? (v.8b)
4) Why did our Lord Jesus manifest on earth the first time that He lived among humans? (v.8c)
5) What can one born of God not do and why not? (v.9)
6) How are the children of God and the children of the devil manifested? (v.10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Do you willfully and continually sin? If so, will you confess your sins to the Father, repent of your sin, and ask the Lord to forgive you?

LIFE LESSONS
8) Our Lord died on the cross and rose again so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.
9) Those who willfully practice sin have not been born of God.

No One to Comfort Me

Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Lamentations 1:17-21 KJV 

17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, [and there is] none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, [that] his adversaries [should be] round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. 18 The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 19 I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls. 20 Behold, O LORD; for I [am] in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home [there is] as death. 21 They have heard that I sigh: [there is] none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done [it]: thou wilt bring the day [that] thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the Prophet Jeremiah proclaim about Zion (Jerusalem; the habitation of God's people)? (v.17)
2) What does the prophet declare about the Lord? (v.18a)
3) Why were the people of God in sorrow? (v.18b)
4) Who did the people of God call upon in their time of sorrow (during their exile and Jerusalem's devastation)? Did they find anyone to help? (v.19-20)
5) What did their enemies observe about the people of God and how did they treat them? (v.21)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever experienced the chastening of the Lord because of willful disobedience or rebellion? If so, briefly explain what happened?
7) Do you know of a community, church body or nation that has, or is, suffering as a result of willful rebellion against the Lord? If so, briefly explain how they have rebelled against God.

LIFE LESSONS
8) There are always consequences for willful and deliberate rebellion against the Lord.
9) While the Lord allows people to experience the ramifications of their rebellion against Him, in His mercy, God always delivers or restores those who turn from their sins and turn to Him.

Ready with the Word

Monday, February 16, 2015
Luke 4:1-12 KJV 

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who infilled the Lord Jesus and led Him into the wilderness? (v.1)
2) What was Jesus physical state when the devil tempted Him? (v.2)
3) What three (3) things did the devil tempt Jesus with and how did our Lord respond to him each time? (v.3-12)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) When are you tempted to sin against (disobey) God?
5) What do you do when you are tempted to sin?
6) Have you hidden the Scripture in your heart to keep from stumbling into sin?

LIFE LESSONS
6) We are tempted to disobey God by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
7) God has provided the way of escape from temptation through His Word.
8) The Holy Spirit uses the Scripture, that we have hidden in our hearts, to keep us from sinning against God?

An Advocate with God

Tuesday, January 13, 2015
1 John 2:1-6 KJV 

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

OBSDRVATION QUESTIONS
1) The Apostle John previously wrote about fellowship with Jesus and fellowship with one another. Why did the apostle write about these things to his spiritual children? (v.1a)
2) What hope do we have when we sin? Why? (v.1b-2) 
3) What proves that we know God? (v.3)
4) How does John describe those who say they know God, but continue to sin? (v.4)
5) How does John describe those who know God? (v.5-6)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What typically happens in your relationship with God, and with other believers, when you have unconfessed sin in your life?
7) How do you know whether you have genuine relationship with God, or not?

LIFE LESSONS
8) When we sin our fellowship with God, and with other believers, is hindered until we confess our sins to God.
9) Those who have genuine relationship with the Lord, obey His word and follow Him.
10) The love of God is perfected in every believer as we become increasingly obedient to His word.

O Lord, Hear and Forgive

Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Daniel 9:11-19 KJV 

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As [it is] written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God [is] righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people [are become] a reproach to all [that are] about us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Why had Israel been deported to a foreign land? (v.11)
2) How were God's words confirmed to His people? (v.12)
3) Though Israel had disobeyed God's laws, what had they failed to do so that the Lord would relent in allowing the curse from coming upon them? (v.13)
4) Why was the Lord right in allowing calamity to befall Israel? (v.14)
5) What was Daniel's prayer to the Lord on behalf of God's people? (v.15-19)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever committed a sin that you did not confess to the Lord immediately? If so, please describe what happened following one such instance.
7) What should be the response of your spiritual leaders when your family, church, or nation have transgressed God's laws?
8) Why should the Lord hear the prayers of those who intercede for His people? 

LIFE LESSONS
9) God expects His commands (words) to be believed.
10) Corporate prayer is the only acceptable appeal when a group of people have transgressed God's commands.
11) The Lord will hear the prayers of His intercessors when they pray on behalf of their people, because of who He is, not because of who they are. 

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 New and Right Spirit

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Psalm 51:1-13 KJV

1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.]] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit. 13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What inspired the writing of this psalm by King David? (v.1a)
2) What  fourteen  things did the psalmist ask the Lord to do for him? (v.1b-2,7-12)
3) Why did David expect the Lord to do this for him? (v.1b,3)
4) Why did King David write that the Lord would be justified and clear? (v.4)
5) What two things did the psalmist attribute his behavior to? (v.5)
6) What did the Lord desire of the man? (v.6a)
7) Through what would David receive wisdom? (v.6b)
8) What did the king promise the Lord that He would do after the Lord granted his petitions? (v.13)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
9) Have you ever committed a sin that you did not immediately confess to the Lord? If so, what happened as a result?
10) If you answered affirmatively to the previous question, who or what convicted you of your sin?
11) What does it feel like to know that your sins are forgiven?

PRINCIPLES
12) Because the human heart is deceitful, there are times when we fail to immediately confess our sins to God.
13) Confession is the only means by which we may be cleansed of our sins.
14) There is always an expiration date for sin.