Week 48, November 26 - December 2, 2017

Old Testament: Hosea 1 - 14
1:10 says, "In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’"  How and when would this be fulfilled?

Chapter 2 speaks of Israel's unfaithfulness, comparing it to adultery.  The chapter goes on to describe God bringing Israel back to a place of faithfulness.  2:19-20 says, "I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.  I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."  How can you maintain the love relationship with God that He wants to have with us?

What did Hosea's reconciliation with his wife in chapter 3 represent?

In 4:1 God says through Hosea, "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land."  How could this condition be corrected?

What does this statement in 5:4 mean, "Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God"?

6:3 says, "let us press on to acknowledge him."  What can you do to "press on" to know God better?

What is the meaning of the statement in 6:6, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice"?

In chapter 7 God says of Ephraim, "none of them calls on me" (vs. 7), and "he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him" (vs.10).  Verse 11 says, "Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless - now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria."  Why would a person keep looking everywhere but to God for help?

What does it mean to "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind" (8:7)?

9:7 says, "Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac."  Why would a person's sin make them less able to recognize or accept a true prophet?

God, speaking though Hosea, describes lawsuits as a symptom of the spiritual condition of the nation.  "They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field."  What is the root cause of lawsuits?  Why are they like poisonous weeds in a plowed field?

10:12 says, "break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you."  How would you obey the command to break up your unplowed ground?

In chapter 11 God is speaking about Israel and says in verse 3, "but they did not realize it was I who healed them."  How can we avoid taking God's blessings and provisions for granted?

12:6 says, "But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always."  God says in 13:9, "You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper."  Why do people turn away from God?

In chapter 14, what promises does God make to Israel if they repent and turn to God?

Psalms 135 - 137
135:6 says, "The Lord does whatever pleases Him."  Why does the Lord give us the opportunity to turn to Him or turn away from Him?

136:23 says, "He remembered us in our low estate."  Are you able to trust God when you are at a low point in your life?

137:4 says, "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?"  Why wouldn't exiles sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land?

New Testament: 1 Peter 1 - 5, 2 Peter 1 - 3
What does it mean to be "shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5)?

In 1 Peter 1:15-16 we are called to be holy.  How do we obey this?

1 Peter 2:2 tells us to "crave pure spiritual milk."  How do we develop that craving?

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:11 that sinful desires war against our soul?  What do we need to do to keep our soul healthy and strong?

What does it mean for a husband to be considerate of his wife (1 Peter 3:7)?

1 Peter 3:15 commands us to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  Are you prepared?  If not, what do you need to do to be prepared?

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:7 to "be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray."  What do we need to be alert to and what should we be praying about?

1 Peter 4:10 teaches that we are all gifted and that we should use our gift to serve others.  What is your gift?  How are you using it to serve others?

In 1 Peter 5, what three things does Peter tell elders not to do?

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  Do you make a habit of casting your anxiety on the Lord?  What is the result?

Peter says in 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life."  What are the things He has given us that we need to live the way He wants us to?

In 2 Peter 1:10 we are commanded, "make every effort to confirm your calling and election."  How do you do that?

2 Peter, chapter 2, warns of false prophets and false teachers.  How do you avoid being misled by false teachers?

In 2 Peter 3, Peter talks about people who scoff at the return of Christ.  What does he say they are deliberately forgetting?

Why is the second coming of Christ taking so long?

Week 47, November 19 - 25, 2017

Old Testament: Daniel 1 - 12
Was the diet of vegetables and water that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had in chapter 1 actually better for them or did God intervene to make them healthier even while eating an inferior diet?

What was God's purpose in having the dream in chapter 2 interpreted for Nebuchadnezzar?

Why were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) not willing to bow down to the image Nebuchadnezzar had built?

In chapter 4, what needed to change in Nebuchadnezzar before his sanity could be restored?

In 5:22, Daniel reminds Belshazzar that he knew how Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled. "But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this."  Why did Belshazzar fail to learn the importance of being humble before God?

Why wasn't Darius able to repeal his own decree in chapter 6?

Chapter 7 describes a dream that depicts four great kingdoms on the earth.  What is the final outcome in this dream?

What do the ram and the goat in chapter 8 represent?

What was Daniel asking for in his prayer in chapter 9?

In chapter 10, why was the response to Daniel's prayers delayed for 3 weeks?

Some refer to chapter 11 as the most detailed prophecy in the Bible.  Much of it refers to the conflict between the "King of the North" and the "King of the South."  The Jewish people who returned from exile were in the middle of the rivalry between Egypt and Syria, so this conflict impacted them.  Verse 35 says, "Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end."  What are the most important things for a believer to do in times of great conflict?

Daniel didn't fully understand his own book, "because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end." (12:9)  However, he was given this promise, "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (12:13)  What should our attitude be toward things we don't fully understand?

Psalms 132 - 134
How has God fulfilled the promise of 132:11?

In Psalm 133 David says it is good and pleasant when God's people live together in unity.  What is needed for God's people to be in unity?  Do they all have to agree about everything?  Do they have to agree about some things?  How should they settle their differences?

Psalm 134 is written to those who attended the house of the Lord during the night, encouraging them to praise the Lord.  What would your attitude be if you were assigned to work nights in the temple when the crowd was gone and it was mostly quiet?

New Testament: James 1 - 5
Why does James tell us to consider it joy when we face trials?

What is the source of temptation, according to 1:14?

How can you become a person who is "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (1:19)?

Why does James say, in 2:10, that if you stumble in one point you are guilty of breaking the whole Law?

James says that faith without works is dead, but Paul says in Ephesians 2:9 that our salvation is "not by works, so that no one can boast."  How can both of these statements be true?

James says, "Not many of you should become teachers." (3:1)  Paul says in Romans 12:7 "if it [your gift] is teaching, then teach."  How do you know whether you should be teaching?

In 4:2 James says, "You do not have because you do not ask God."  Why would God wait to be asked if there was something He was willing to do for you?

4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God."  What does that mean and how do you do it?

Why does 5:1-6 rebuke the rich?  Is it wrong to be rich?

5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  What do you need to do to have a powerful and effective prayer life?

Week 46, November 12 - 18, 2017

Old Testament: Ezekiel 33 - 48

God told Ezekiel that He had made him a watchman.  What did God say was the watchman's responsibility?  What was not his responsibility?

33:31-32 shows that people liked to listen to Ezekiel, but not to heed what he said.  Why would someone enjoy listening to him, but not want to take his words seriously?

Based on 34:4, what is the job of a shepherd?

God says in 36:26-27, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."  How can a person today get a new heart and a new spirit?

What do the bones in chapter 37 represent?

Chapter 38 describes an invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations.  This will happen "after many days"..."in future years" (vs. 8).  What does God say will happen to this invading army?

In 39:28 God says of Israel, "for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land."  What is the importance of Israel possessing their own land?

In chapter 40, after the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, God gave Ezekiel a vision of a temple.  What was the purpose of this vision?

According to 42:14, the priests had to change clothes before going from the sanctuary to the outer court.  What was the purpose of this requirement?

How does Ezekiel describe the glory of God in 43:2?

In 43:10 God told Ezekiel, "Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins."  Why would the description of the temple make someone ashamed of their sin?

What is the meaning of the statement in 44:28, "I will be their possession"?

What does God accuse the Israel's princes of in 45:9?

What do you think is the purpose of the requirement in 46:9, "No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate"?

What does the water flowing from the sanctuary in chapter 47 represent?

What is the name of the city that Ezekiel concludes his book describing?

Psalms 128 - 131

Psalm 128 promises blessing to those who fear the Lord and walk in obedience to Him.  How can you maintain a life of obedience?

129:2 says, "they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me."  What is the benefit of seeing yourself as a victor, despite oppression, compared to seeing yourself as a victim?

130:6 says, "I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning."  What does it mean to wait for the Lord in this way?

David wrote, "But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother." (131:2)  What is the value of calming and quieting yourself and how do you do it?

New Testament: Hebrews 8 - 13

8:6 says that "the new covenant is established on better promises."  What are these better promises?

According to 9:7, who entered the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle and how often?  How does this contrast with what 9:12 says about Jesus entering the Most Holy Place?

Why does 9:22 say, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"?

If "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (10:4) why did the Old Testament Law require animal sacrifices?

Why does 10:25 urge us not to give up meeting together?

Why is it impossible to please God without faith (11:6)?

12:1 teaches us to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  What do you have to do to obey this?  How will you know what has been marked out for you?

12:7 commands us to "endure hardship as discipline."  Should a person facing hardship pray for God to remove the hardship or should they just accept the hardship as discipline?

How have some "shown hospitality to angels without knowing it"? (13:2)

13:4 says, "Marriage should be honored by all."  How do people honor marriage?

What basis for contentment do we have in 13:5-6?

Week 45, November 5 - 11, 2017

Old Testament: Ezekiel 17 - 32
What is the point of the parable in chapter 17 involving two eagles and a vine?

What is the meaning of the statement in 18:4, "everyone belongs to me"?

In 18:30 God calls the people of Israel to "Repent! Turn away from all your offenses," and in 18:31 to "get a new heart and a new spirit."  Why is God willing to forgive our sins and to change our heart?

Why does God say, "I will not let you inquire of me," in 20:3 and 20:31?

Why did God tell Ezekiel to groan in chapter 21?

In 22:30 God says, "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one."  What does it mean to stand in the gap?

What is the point of the allegory in chapter 23 of the two prostitutes named Oholah and Oholibah?

Why was Ezekiel not to mourn openly when his wife died?

In chapter 25, what did God say was going to happen to Ammon?  Why?

27:12-24 describes the nations that Tyre traded with and what they traded for.  27:33 says, "When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth."  Why did this come to an end?

According to 28:5, what did wealth do to the heart of the king of Tyre?

Chapters 25-28 are prophecies of judgement on four nations (Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia) and two cities (Tyre and Sidon). Based on 28:25-26, what is the reason for God bringing judgement on these neighbors of Israel?

Chapter 29 speaks of Babylon's conquest of Tyre and Egypt.  What does God say, "he and his army did it for me" (29:20)?

Chapter 31 is aimed at Pharaoh king of Egypt, but it speaks mostly of what happened to "Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon" (31:3).  What was the point of speaking to Egypt about what happened to Assyria?

32:10 says that Egypt's destruction will cause "many peoples" to be appalled and fearful.  Why would others outside of Egypt be afraid after hearing of Egypt being conquered?

Psalms 124 - 127
Psalm 124:2-3 says, "if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive."  The psalm goes on to say in 124:7, "We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped."  This shows that God's provision is not always an overwhelming victory, but can be more like a small tear in a net, just enough to allow a bird to escape.  Do you thank God for small, simple victories?

125:1 says, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever."  How do you build a trust in the Lord that will not be shaken?

126:5-6 says, "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them."  What are you sowing that may be challenging and even sorrowful now that will result in joyful reaping later?

How should the principle in 127:1, "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain," impact the way you pursue goals in your life?

New Testament: Hebrews 1 - 7
Based on chapter 1, who is Jesus and what are angels?

2:17 says that Jesus became fully human.  1:3 says, "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."  How can both of these views of Jesus both be true?

2:18 says, "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."  How does Jesus help us when we are being tempted?

3:1 commands, "fix your thoughts on Jesus."  How do you do that?

Why are we told in 3:13 to encourage one another daily?  Do we need encouragement every day?

4:16 teaches us to "approach God’s throne of grace with confidence."  Why are we able to do this?  What do we have to do to maintain that confidence?

5:12-14 contrasts milk and solid food.  What does a person need to do to be ready for solid food?

What is the anchor referred to in 6:19?

Based on chapter 7, what is the most important difference between Old Testament priests and Jesus our High Priest?