Thursday, November 5, 2015
Hebrews 4:12-16 KJV
12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the write of Hebrews liken the word of God to and what does it do? (v.12)
2) What else is naked before the Lord? (v.13)
3) In what office does our Lord function, why, and how does that help believers? (v.14-16)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What do you do to demonstrate your faith in God's promises during the trials of your life?
LIFE LESSONS
5) Our faith is manifested when we believe God's promises (His word) and trust that our Lord Jesus is also interceding for us when we face various trials.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Romans 16:25-27 NLT
25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What is God able to do for the believer and what confirms it? (v.25a)
2) What has been revealed to the Gentiles, kept secret from the beginning of time, and foretold by the prophets? Why? (v.25b-26)
3) How does the apostle conclude his benediction? (v.27)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Who was God's plan of salvation created for and why?
LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord God has always purposed to make His plan of salvation available to all people so that we might all believe and obey Him.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Nehemiah 9:6-21 KJV
6 Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. 7 Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous: 9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; 10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as [it is] this day. 11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. 12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: 14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: 15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. 16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. 18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; 19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. 20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. 21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After returning from their captivity in Babylon, the book of the law was read to the people of God and they repented of their sins. After all had assembled for the reading of the word, what did the Levites pray to the Lord, to exalt Him as the One True God? (v.6)
2) What did the Levites pray to the Lord concerning His faithfulness to His people and to His servants Abraham and Moses? (v.7-15)
3) What confession did the Levites offer to the Lord concerning the deeds of God's people? (v.16-17a)
4) What did the Levites declare about the Lord's mercy upon His people, despite their rebellion? (v.17b-21)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Have you ever learned of a sin that you unknowingly committed against God through the reading of God's word? If so, briefly describe what happened and what, if anything, you did to repent?
LIFE LESSONS
6) God is a loving and merciful Father to His children.
7) Like any father, the Lord chastens those who He loves to brings us back into alignment with His word, His will, and Himself.
November 2, 2015
Romans 1:8-15 KJV
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the Apostle Paul thank God for? Why? (v.8)
2) What does the apostle petition God for? Why? (v.9-13)
3) Who was Paul a "debtor" to and what was he ready to do, as a result? (v.14-15)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Has the Lord led you to pray for and/or share Christ with a particular individual or group of people? If so, have you completed your assignment?
LIFE LESSONS
5) The Lord gives divine assignments, to every member of His body, for the edification of of all members.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Acts 12:1-11 KJV
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth [his] hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put [him] in prison, and delivered [him] to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from [his] hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and [from] all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What things did King Herod purpose to do and succeed in doing? What motivated his actions? (v.1-4)
2) What did the other disciples do while the Apostle Peter was in prison? (v.5)
3) Who, and what, kept Peter bound? (v.6)
4) Who, or what, visited Peter during the night and what was done and said to the apostle? (v.7-10)
5) What did Peter think was happening to him and what did he think after he came to himself? (v.9c,11)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever been miraculously delivered from an impossible situation? If so, briefly describe what happened.
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord will allow us to go through difficulties to reveal Himself as our deliverer after He enables us to overcome the situation.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Acts 12:12-18 KJV
12 And when he had considered [the thing], he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened [the door], and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After the Apostle Peter had been awakened in prison and escorted out by an angel, what did he do and what were the other disciples doing, at that time? (v.12)
2) Who did Peter encounter after he knocked at the door of the gate and how did that person respond? (v.13-14)
3) How did the other disciples respond to the young girl's report? (v.15)
4) What did Peter continue doing and what did the disciples find after opening the door? (v.16)
5) What was Peter's response to the other disciples and and what how did the soldiers respond the following morning? (v.17-18)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever been miraculously delivered from a seemingly impossible situation? If so, briefly describe what happened?
LIFE LESSONS
7) Nothing can abort the plan of God for the lives of those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
October 30, 2015
Acts 27:14-25 KJV
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let [her] drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next [day] they lightened the ship; 19 And the third [day] we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. 21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of [any man's] life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What happened to the ship that carried the Apostle Paul to Rome and what did those aboard the vessel do to make their journey smoother? (v.14-20)
2) Of what did the Apostle Paul remind those aboard the ship? (v.21)
3) What happened to the apostle, during the voyage, that gave him hope and caused him to encourage the other men on the ship? (v.22-25)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) How do you encourage yourself during difficulties and trials that would otherwise discourage, or even frighten you?
LIFE LESSONS
5) During seasons of tumult, the greatest source of encouragement that believers have are the promises of God.
