LESSON #8 (Week ending 02/07/10)

LUKE 9:51 – 11.36

9:51-56: Headed To Jerusalem

Ø This marks a turning point in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Why does He “resolutely set out for Jerusalem”?

Ø From what did the Samaritan resistance come?

Ø Notice the different responses to the Samaritan rejection (the disciples and Jesus). Explain each response.

9:57-62: There Is a Cost Involved

Ø Recorded here are three different interactions that Jesus had concerning following Him.

Ø How did the individual responses differ?

Ø What were Jesus’ answers trying to teach?

Ø What application is there for us today?

10:1-24: Jesus Expands His Ministry

Ø In Luke 9 Jesus sent out the twelve. Here He sends our 72 of His followers.

Ø Why is He increasing His outreach now?

Ø What are some general principals with which Jesus instructed these “missionaries”?

Ø How do you explain the tone of judgment Jesus used against some of the towns mentioned?

Ø As Christ’s ambassadors, what can we expect?

10:25-37: Who Is My Neighbor?

Ø How are the Ten Commandments summarized in this passage?

Ø Who is my neighbor?

Ø Do my actions demonstrate that I really understand that?

10:38-42: Choose What is Better

Ø How would you describe Mary? Martha?

Ø Which one is you most like?

Ø Were either’s reactions to Jesus wrong?

Ø Which, according to Jesus, is the better of the two?

Ø How can you apply that to your life?

11:1-13: An Example Prayer

Ø This is often called the Lord’s Prayer. John 17 would better fit that title.

Ø Was Jesus giving a specific prayer to His disciples or an example on how to pray?

Ø What are the major components of Jesus’ prayer?

Ø Is this how you pray?

11:14-28: Can a Divided Kingdom Stand?

Ø What was the “logic” of the crowd when Jesus cast our demons?

Ø Notice the response Jesus gave them. Does this truth apply in more areas then exorcism?

Ø When Jesus delivers a person from the control of Satan, what must follow in order for the individual to remain clean?

Ø What is the significance of Jesus’ response to his mother?

11:29-36: Faith Not Miracles

Ø What was Jesus’ response to the demand for more sign miracles?

Ø Did Nineveh repent because of sign miracles performed by Jonah?

Ø Is there application for us today in this teaching? What?

Ø What is the “sign miracle” that Jesus wants His followers to use? (vs. 33-36)

Ø How is your light shining?

LESSON #7 (Week ending 01/31/10)

Gen. 20:1 – 26:35

Week ending 01/31/10

Chap. 20: Yet Another Detour

Ø Why did Abraham again “sacrifice” his wife?

Ø As before, God came to Sarah’s rescue. Isn’t God’s grace wonderful even when we do dumb things?

Ø Did God answer Abraham’s prayer because of Abraham’s righteousness?

Ø How does this apply to us?

21:1-7: Prayer Request Answered

Ø God answered Abraham’s prayer probably 14-17 years after He had promised him a son. What can we learn from that?

Ø Notice that God was gracious toward barren Sarah, is there anything too difficult for God?

21:8-34: Two Great Nations Go Their Separate Ways

Ø What two nations do Isaac and Ishmael represent?

Ø God chose to bless both nations with multitudes of people but He chose only one of them to be His people. Why?

Ø Are there any ramifications today resulting from these two sons of Abraham?

Chap. 22: Abraham, do You Love Me?

Ø Why did God test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only son?

Ø Where is the “region of Moriah”?

Ø In light of Abraham’s earlier lapses of faith, isn’t it amazing that he believed God enough to do as He requested? God has also asked us to forsake all for Him, how are we doing?

Ø This passage gives us examples (types) of future events. To whom could you compare Abraham and Isaac? To whom could you compare the ram caught in the fence?

Chap. 23: The Death of Sarah

Ø What is significant about how the pagan Hittites treated Abraham at Sarah’s death?

Ø If Jesus is living in us, can the lost world see that?

Ø Our “walking” testimony speaks louder than our “talking” testimony!

Chap. 24: Finding a Daughter-In-Law

Ø After offering his wife twice to heathen kings, Abraham had learned that God did not want His people to inter marry or have sexual relations with the heathen peoples around them.

Ø Thus the search for a wife for Isaac from among Abraham’s relatives 450 miles away.

Ø Notice Abraham’s adamant stand that Isaac should not return to the old country. Why?

Ø How did the servant prepare himself to find the right woman for Isaac?

Ø Why did Laban allow this stranger to take his daughter to be the wife of a man he had never met?

Ø Do you think Isaac’s responded to seeing Rebekah the same way Adam responded when seeing Eve?

25:1-18: The Death of Abraham

Ø Even though Abraham had many more sons, to whom did he leave his inheritance?

Ø Did that inheritance include more than physical possessions? If so, what?

Ø What happened to Isaac after his father’s death?

25:19-34: Sibling Rivalry

Ø As his father had done before him, Isaac prayed for his barren wife. Did God answer Isaac’s prayer the same way He answered Abraham’s prayer? What does this tell us?

Ø What was unusual about God choosing the older brother to serve the younger brother?

Ø Did Esau selling his birthright to Jacob influence God’s setting the younger over the older?

Ø What two nations came from Jacob and Esau?

Chap. 26: The Sins of the Father

Ø History repeats itself – a famine, seeking help from pagans, lying about his wife! The ramifications of sin can cause problems for generations!

Ø For what purpose did God appear to Isaac in Beersheba?

Ø What did the treaty demonstrate?

LESSON #6 (Week ending 01/24/10)

Gen. 11:10 – 19:38

11:10-32: Abram’s Genealogy

Ø Why is this genealogy important?

Ø From the last lesson, what “family group” did Shem father?

Ø What modern day country is Ur of the Chaldeans?

12:1-9: God called Abram

Ø What was Abram’s religious background?

Ø Do you see anything remarkable in Abram’s response to God telling him to leave his homeland and go to a place God would show him?

Ø Do you think the promise that God made Abram in verses 2 and 3 still applies today? If so, how?

12:10-20: A Detour into Egypt

Ø Did God instruct Abram to go to Egypt?

Ø In the Bible, Egypt frequently references what?

Ø What emotion, demonstrated by Abram’s lie, indicated that he was not walking in the will of the Lord?

Ø By sacrificing Sarai, what else was Abram sacrificing that God had promised?

Ø What can we learn from this detour?

Chap. 13: Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

Ø How did Lot make his decision to choose the plain of Jordan?

Ø Was Lot’s choice a wise one?

Ø In verses 14-17 God promised Abram a land and an offspring. Were those promises based on Abram’s righteousness? How does that apply to us today?

Chap. 14: Caught Up in the World

Ø How did Lot’s choice of wanting the best the world had to offer affect him?

Ø Is it ever right to get involved with the skirmishes of the world? If so, when? See Gal. 6:1

Ø Who is Melchizedek?

Ø Think about the blessing Melchizedek gave to Abram. Is their any application for us today?

Ø What was Abram’s response to Melchizedek? Any application for us?

Ø What was Abram’s response to the king of Sodom? Any application for us?

Chap. 15: Cutting a Covenant

Ø Notice in verse 6 Abram’s response to the answered prayer. Did God’s answer come immediately?

Ø How did God confirm the covenant He made with Abram?

Ø Define what a covenant is?

Ø When the Lord makes a covenant does He keep His side?

Ø Has this covenant been fulfilled?

Chap. 16: Another Detour

Ø If Abram believed that God had answered his prayer, why did he sleep with Hagar?

Ø What were the ramifications of this lack of faith?

Ø Does sin have a “ripple” effect? How does this apply to us?

Chap. 17: The Abrahamic Covenant Confirmed

Ø Why did God change Abram’s name?

Ø What did circumcision represent?

Ø What was the difference in Abraham’s response to the Lord in verses 17-18 as compared to verse 15:6? Why was there a difference?

18:1-15: Three Special Visitors

Ø Who were the three visitors?

Ø Notice the Lord’s response to Sarah in verse 14a. Do you believe that?

18:16-33: God’s Great Grace

Ø Who chose Abraham? Why?

Ø There is a word that describes the grace the Lord demonstrated in His discussion with Abraham. Think about how AMAZING His grace is!!!

Ø Does there ever come a time when God’s long suffering ceases? How does that apply to us today?

Chap. 19: God’s Judgment Demonstrated

Ø What was the prevailing sin in Sodom?

Ø Notice Lot’s response to the men of Sodom. Is that an indication of how much living in the world had influenced Lot’s life?

Ø Notice in verse 16 how attached to the world Lot had become. What can we learn from that?

Ø Why did Mrs. Lot perish?

Ø Did Lot’s decision to live “in the world” have any affect of his daughters?

Ø What does this tell us about flirting with the world and sin?

LESSON #5 (Week ending 01/17/10)

In this lesson our readings take us to the Old Testament (we will return to Luke later). The next three lessons will be readings from Genesis.

Gen. 1:1 – 11:9

1:1-2:2: In the beginning

Ø What method did God use to create everything that was created?

Ø How did God describe each day of creation?

Ø How did the creation of man differ from the creation of everything else?

Ø Examine and think about these other passages about creation. Psalm 33:6-11; Job 38-41; Colossians 1:15-20.

Ø What does it mean that God made man “in our image”?

2:3-25: A suitable helper

Ø Why did God create Eve?

Ø Adam had named all of the creatures that God had created yet when he saw Eve his response was different. What was it and why was it different?

Ø What is God’s perfect plan for man and woman?

Ø At this point in time, how come there was no shame in their nakedness?

3:1-24: The Fall of man

Ø Did the serpent correctly quote God in his discussion with Eve?

Ø Whenever we are tempted Satan still uses that same tactic: “Did God really say?”

Ø What happened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit?

Ø What were the ramifications of that original sin?

Ø Did Adam and Eve die?

4:1-26: Sibling rivalry

Ø Why did the Lord prefer Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s sacrifice?

Ø Notice what God said to Cain after rejecting his sacrifice. Whose responsibility is it to choose against sin?

Ø What was the basis for Cain’s sin against Abel? Has anything changed over the years?

5:1-32: A short history from Adam to Noah

Ø Why were people so long lived during this period?

Ø Notice that with everyone except Enoch it is said that they died. What happened to Enoch?

Ø Why did Lamech name his son Noah?

6:1-8:22: The Great Flood

Ø Who were the “sons of God” who married the “daughter of men”?

Ø Why did God bring the flood on the earth and was it a literal flood over all the earth?

Ø In spite of man’s sinfulness and wickedness, God has always had a remnant of those who believe and follow Him. Noah and his family are the first remnant of God who would re-populate the world.

Ø What was the first thing Noah did after leaving the Ark? How did God respond to that?

9:1-17: God’s Covenant with Noah

Ø What did God command Noah to do?

Ø What did He command Noah not to do?

Ø What did God say He would never do again? Did He give a sign to confirm His covenant?

9:18-29: The sinfulness of sin

Ø God gave Noah a new start yet he brought the sinfulness of the past with him including drunkenness and lewdness. Fathers have a great responsibility to set the example; Noah did not do a very good job of it and his son’s descendents paid the price!

Ø Ham’s sin was two fold, what were those sins?

Ø Notice, that Ham was not cursed but his son Canaan. Significance?

10:1-32: The repopulation of the earth

Ø It is generally accepted that Japheth originated the Gentile nations in northern Asia. Ham became the land of Canaan (those God told Moses to destroy). Shem became the father of the Hebrews.

11:1-9: A common language

Ø As the population grew and prospered, man began to think more highly of himself than he ought to think – AGAIN!

Ø What was the underlying sin that caused God to confuse the language and thus thwart man’s attempts at the tower?

Ø Do men today still want to place themselves “in the place of God”?

LESSON #4 (Week ending 01/10/10)

LUKE 8:40 – 9:50

Did you notice the "twelves" in this week's readings? Do you think there is any significance to that?

ü A twelve year old daughter (8:41)

ü A disease lasting twelve years (8:43)

ü Jesus sends out the twelve (9:1)

ü Twelve baskets of food left (9:17)

8:40-56: Dominion over death and sickness (physical and spiritual)

Ø Notice the differences between Jarius and the centurion?

Ø Did the woman who was ill ask Jesus for healing? Why not? Why was she healed?

Ø When she was healed physically what else happened to her?

Ø Why did Jesus tell the parents of the girl raised for the dead not to tell anyone what had happened? Wouldn't it have been obvious?

9:1-9: Authority given

Ø With what did Jesus empower the Twelve? Why?

Ø What is the difference between "preaching the kingdom" and "preaching the gospel"?

"The grand truth is, the kingdom of God is the reign of God, the sovereignty of God. The apostles were to preach the kingdom of God and its nearness to all. They were to tell men and women that they were under it and could come into it. They were to tell them that its benefits were available if they turned to God. They preached that God reigns.

Notice in verse 6 that it is called "preaching the gospel"—"So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel [i.e., the good news of the kingdom of God] and healing people everywhere." Though their preaching surely had a prophetic edge and called for repentance, as Mark's account emphasizes (6:12), it was largely positive preaching—good news.  And for any Jew, the arrival of the kingdom was surely good news. "Good news! The kingdom has come. Good news! It is yours if you accept it." (Marshall, The Gospel of Luke)

Ø Did Herod ever see Jesus? Luke 23:8

9:10-17: Twelve baskets full

Ø Notice that the feeding of the 5000 took place when the Twelve had returned from their mission trip and were excited and exhausted.

Ø How often do we "send people away" because we are tired or the timing is bad for us?

Ø Is ministry about us or about Jesus using our meager offerings (5 loaves and 2 fish) to accomplish His will, in His power, through us?

9:18-27: THE most important question in the Bible

Ø Who do you say that I am?

Ø Why did Jesus tell the Twelve not to tell anyone His true identity?

Ø What is the cost of true discipleship?

Ø Did any of the Twelve "see the Kingdom of God" before they died?

9:28-36: The transfiguration (metamorphis)

Ø Did Peter, John, and James understand what they were witnessing?

Ø Read 2 Peter 1:16-18 for Peter's later account of the Transfiguration.

Ø What does it mean that Jesus' "appearance" changed?

Ø What is the significance of Moses and Elijah being with Jesus?

Ø How did Peter know that it was Elijah and Moses? Nametags?

9:37-45: Slow learners

Ø Why couldn't the disciples exorcize the demon possessed child?

Ø Why did Jesus' rebuke seem so harsh?

Ø Did spiritual warfare disappear when Christ was resurrected?

9:46-50: I am the greatest!

Ø At this point in time did the disciples understand Jesus' teaching on servanthood?

Ø Before we get too judgmental, how are we doing with servanthood?

Ø What application can we get from Jesus saying: "whoever is not against you is for you"?