Week 13, March 25 - 31, 2018

The book of Joshua describes Israel possessing the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership after the death of Moses.  God commanded that the inhabitants of the land were to be driven out because of their great wickedness (Deuteronomy 9:4-5).

Sunday, March 25, Joshua 1 - 2, Mark 9

• In Joshua 1:6, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous.  He said it again in verse 7 and again in verse 9.  In verse 18 the people told him to be strong and courageous.  How do you choose to be strong and courageous?
• What was the purpose of the scarlet cord Rahab tied in her window in Joshua, chapter 2?
• Why were Peter, James, and John allowed to see the transfiguration but not allowed to tell people about it?
• In Mark 9:18, why were the other disciples not able to drive the spirit out of the boy?
• In Mark 9:38, why did the disciples want to stop someone who was driving out demons in Jesus's name?

Monday, March 26, Joshua 3 - 4, Psalm 38

• In Joshua 3, who was first to set foot in the Jordan River?  Who was the last to cross?
• What was the purpose of taking twelve stones from the Jordan River bed?
• Psalm 38 is called "a petition."  What does David ask for in this psalm?

Tuesday, March 27, Joshua 5 - 6, Mark 10

• In Joshua 5 why did the "commander of the army of the Lord" say "neither" when he was asked whether he was for Israel or their enemies?
• Why do you think God gave Joshua the plan he did in Joshua 6, having them march around the city for six days and seven times on the seventh day?
• In Mark 10:15 Jesus said, "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God like a little child?
• What did Jesus say was impossible with man in Mark 10:27?
• According to Mark 10:43-44, how should Christian leadership be different from leadership in the world?

Wednesday, March 28, Joshua 7 - 8, Psalm 39

• In Joshua 7 Achan thought his sin was secret and insignificant, but it became public and impacted the whole nation.  How can you avoid deceiving yourself in the way Achan did?
• Why did God allow the people to keep plunder from Ai when He had forbidden keeping plunder from Jericho?
• David prayed in Psalm 39:4, "let me know how fleeting my life is."  What benefit is there in knowing your life if fleeting?

Thursday, March 29, Joshua 9, Mark 11

• In Joshua 9 the Gibeonites lied to Israel, telling them they lived in a distant country.  The Israelites "did not inquire of the Lord."  Since the treaty Israel made with the Gibeonites was based on deception and lack of prayer, do you think God would expect Israel to honor the treaty?  If you want to check your answer, read 2 Samuel 21:1-2, which occurred hundreds of years later.
• In Mark 11 Jesus drove out people who were buying and selling in the temple courts.  Deuteronomy 14:24-26 allowed people to bring money to Jerusalem and buy the things they would offer in sacrifice.  Why did Jesus drive out people who were buying and selling to worshipers?
• In Mark 11:25 Jesus said, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  Is there anyone you need to forgive?
• Why didn't Jesus answer the question in Mark 11:28?

Friday, March 30, Joshua 10 - 11, Psalm 40

• In Joshua 10, why did five kings decide to attack Gibeon?  Why did God help Israel defend them?
• According to Joshua 11, did other cities, besides Gibeon, make treaties with Israel?
• David wrote in Psalm 40:3, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him."  How can your new song result in others putting their trust in God?

Saturday, March 31, Joshua 12, Mark 12

• How many kings west of the Jordan did Joshua and the Israelites defeat?
• In Jesus's parable of Mark 12:1-12, who do the tenants represent?
• Jesus said in Mark 12:24, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?"  How do you get to know the Scriptures?  How do you get to know the power of God?  Why would not knowing the power of God lead to error in your thinking?

Week 12, March 18 - 24, 2018

Sunday, March 18, Deuteronomy 25 - 26, Mark 5

• Deuteronomy 25:15 says, "You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."  Why would honest weights and measures lead to long life?
• Why did God command in Deuteronomy 26 that some of the firstfruits of the land be offered to the Lord?
• Why did the demons in Mark 5 want to be sent into the pigs?
• Why did the people in Mark 5:17 want Jesus to leave their region?

Monday, March 19, Deuteronomy 27, Psalm 35

• In Deuteronomy 27 why would God have the people pronounce a curse on those who broke the Law?
• In Psalm 35:12-16 David speaks of people he had been good to who had become his enemy.  What should your attitude be toward someone who acts like your enemy without cause?

Tuesday, March 20, Deuteronomy 28, Mark 6

• Were the promises in Deuteronomy 28:1-13 made to people individually or to the nation as a whole?
• In Deuteronomy 28, describing the curses that will follow disobedience, God mentions a root cause of disobedience, "Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly" (vs. 47).  Why is serving God joyfully essential to obedience?
• Why would a prophet be without honor is his own town (Mark 6:4)?
• Why did Herod think that Jesus was John the Baptist in Mark 6?
• In Mark 6:31 Jesus called His disciples away from the crowds to get some rest.  However, in Mark 6:34 He saw the crowd that followed them and had compassion on them.  Why didn't He send the crowd away since they had been trying to get away and get some rest?

Wednesday, March 21, Deuteronomy 29 - 30, Psalm 36

• Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."  What is the benefit of walking in the things that God has revealed while trusting Him with the things He has kept secret?
• What is the significance of Deuteronomy 30:14 saying the word, "is in your mouth and in your heart"?
• David wrote in Psalm 36:8, "you give them drink from your river of delights."  How do you drink from God's river?

Thursday, March 22, Deuteronomy 31, Mark 7

• Moses told the people in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them."  This is one of many commands in the Bible not to be afraid.  How do you obey a commandment to not be afraid if you are afraid?
• According to Deuteronomy 31:19-22, why did God give Moses a song to teach Israel?
• In Mark 7 the Pharisees and teachers of the Law criticized the disciples for eating without washing their hands.  Why did Jesus tell them there were more important issues they should have been concerned about?
• In Mark 7:27, why did Jesus tell the woman with the demon possessed daughter, "it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs"?

Friday, March 23, Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 37

• What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 32:9, "For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance"?
• Moses said in Deuteronomy 32:47, speaking of the commandments he had given, "They are not just idle words for you—they are your life."  Do you view God's Word in this way, seeing it as your life?
• Psalm 37:4 commands us to take delight in the Lord.  How do you do that?

Saturday, March 24, Deuteronomy 33 - 34, Mark 8

• Deuteronomy 33 includes blessings for the tribes of Israel, but in Deuteronomy 31:16-17 God had said that the people would forsake Him and that He would forsake them.  Why is Moses pronouncing blessing on people who he knew would turn away from God?
• Why did God bury Moses such that no one knew where his grave was?
• When Jesus asked in Mark 8:17, "Are your hearts hardened?" what was He wanting to see in His disciples?
• In Mark 8:22-26 Jesus touched a blind man.  At first the man could only see partially.  Jesus touched him a second time and he could see clearly.  What should we do if we pray and it seems like our prayer is only partly answered?
• Why did Jesus rebuke Peter in Mark 8:33?

Week 11, March 11 - 17, 2018

Sunday, March 11, Deuteronomy 13 - 14, Mark 1

• In Deuteronomy 13, the penalty for encouraging others to worship other gods was death.  Why was the punishment so severe?  Some people say that all religions are good.  Is this true?
• In Deuteronomy 14:1, the rules for what could be eaten were more strict for Israel than for foreigners living in Israel.  Why did God put stricter limits on Israel?
• What was Jesus's message in Mark 1:15?
• Mark 1:22 says that people were amazed at Jesus "because he taught them as one who had authority."  What does this mean?  How was His teaching different?
• Jesus healed a leper and in Mark 1:44 He told him not to tell anyone.  Why wouldn't Jesus want the man to tell anyone?

Monday, March 12, Deuteronomy 15 - 16, Psalm 32

• Deuteronomy 15:4 says, "there need be no poor people among you."  But, Deuteronomy 15:11 says, "There will always be poor people in the land."  How can these both be true?
• What attitude does Deuteronomy 15 teach us to have toward the poor?
• According to Deuteronomy 16:16 all men were to appear before the Lord three times each year.  None were to appear empty handed.  If you were a man living in Israel, what challenges would you face in obeying this command?
• Psalm 32:9 says, "Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle."  How does God want to lead us?

Tuesday, March 13, Deuteronomy 17 - 18, Mark 2

• Deuteronomy 17:18-19 taught that any future king was to have his own copy of the law and was to "read it all the days of his life."  Is it equally important for you to have a practice of daily Bible reading?
• Deuteronomy 18:19 says, "I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name," but also warns of prophets who speak things God didn't give them to say.  How can a person discern between a false prophet and a true prophet?
• In Mark 2 the teachers of the law accused Jesus of blasphemy because he told a man his sins were forgiven because only God has the authority to forgive sins.  How did Jesus demonstrate his authority to forgive sins?
• In Mark 2:17 why did Jesus say he ate with tax collectors and sinners?

Wednesday, March 14, Deuteronomy 19 - 20, Psalm 33

• Why did God say in Deuteronomy 19:15, "One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed"?
• Deuteronomy 20:1 says, "When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you."  What opportunities do you have to trust God rather than being intimidated by what you see?
• Psalm 33:18-19 say, "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."  Are you aware of God's eye being on you?  How does that change the way you face challenges?

Thursday, March 15, Deuteronomy 21, Mark 3

• Why was the nearest town required to make atonement for someone found murdered if they didn't know who was responsible?
• In Mark 3:9 why did Jesus want to have a small boat ready?
• Why was Judas Iscariot among the 12 who Jesus appointed in Mark 3?

Friday, March 16, Deuteronomy 22 - 23, Psalm 34

• Deuteronomy 22:4 says, "If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet."  What opportunities do you have for showing concern for your neighbor in a similar way?
• According to Deuteronomy 23:15-16, what were people to do with a fugitive slave?
• Why was it allowable in Deuteronomy 23:24 to eat grapes from your neighbor's vineyard?
• David wrote in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."  Taste is something each person has to experience for themselves.  What do you need to do to taste what David is talking about?

Saturday, March 17, Deuteronomy 24, Mark 4

• Deuteronomy 24:5 stated that a newlywed man could not be sent to war for one year so he would be free to stay at home and bring happiness to his wife.  Why would God place this much importance on happy marriages?
• There are several commands in Deuteronomy concerning things taken in pledge for a debt.  Verse 6 says not to take millstones because they are a person's livelihood.  Verse 10 says not to go into a person's house for something offered in pledge, but to wait for them to bring it out.  Verse 13 teaches not to keep a cloak in pledge overnight.  Verse 17 commands not to take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.  What do these commands have in common?
• According to Mark 4:17 what does the sun represent in the parable of the sower and the seed?  What do the thorns represent (4:19)?
• Why did Jesus question the disciples' faith in Mark 4:40?

Week 10, March 4 - 10, 2018

Deuteronomy means "second law."  After 40 years in the wilderness a new generation was ready to enter the Promised Land.  Moses reminds them how they got here and what God expects of them.  The last chapters of Romans provide some very important guidance for Christian living.

Sunday, March 4, Deuteronomy 1 - 2, Romans 11

• What is the meaning of the statement in Deuteronomy 1:17, "Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God"?
• God said in Deuteronomy 1:8, "See, I have given you this land."  But He also said about the descendants of Esau, "I will not give you any of their land." (Deuteronomy 2:5).  God says the same about the Moabites (2:9) and the Ammonites (2:19).  Why were there some nations that God would not allow Israel to invade and others that He did?
• According to Romans 11:22 what condition must we meet as believers to not be cut off?

Monday, March 5, Deuteronomy 3 - 4, Psalm 29

• In Deuteronomy 3:26 God not only told Moses that he couldn't enter the Promised Land, but He told Moses to quit asking.  Jesus told us to be persistent in prayer.  Should Moses have continued to be persistent?
• Why does Deuteronomy 4:24 call God a jealous God?
• Deuteronomy 4:29 says, "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."  How do you seek God with all your heart and soul?
• Psalm 29:11 says, "the Lord blesses his people with peace."  How has He blessed you with peace?

Tuesday, March 6, Deuteronomy 5 - 6, Romans 12

• Deuteronomy 5:16 says, "Honor your father and your mother."  How should a person obey this if their father or mother has been dishonorable or abusive?
• According to Deuteronomy 6:6-7, how are parents to impress God's commands on their children?
• Romans 12:2 teaches us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  How do we do that?
• What does Romans 12:7 say to do if your gift is serving?
• Romans 12:11 says to never be lacking in zeal.  What should you do if you find yourself lacking zeal?

Wednesday, March 7, Deuteronomy 7 - 8, Psalm 30

• In Deuteronomy 7, why did God tell Israel not to intermarry with the nations they were to drive out of the land?
• Deuteronomy 8:3 says, "man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."  What does it mean for you to live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord?
• Psalm 30:5 says, "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."  What opportunities do you have to recognize this truth in the midst of trouble or sorrow?

Thursday, March 8, Deuteronomy 9, Romans 13 - 14

• According to Deuteronomy 9:4 why were the inhabitants of the Promised Land going to be driven out?
• Romans 13 teaches us to be subject to governing authorities.  There are examples in the Bible of people who refused to obey governing authorities.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the apostles all refused to obey.  Were they right or wrong?
• Romans 13:11 says, "The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber."  What does this mean and how do you do it?
• Romans 14 teaches us not to judge each other over disputable matters, but not to cause others to stumble because of them.  The examples Paul gives are eating meat and observing special days as holy.  What other issues today would these same principles apply to?

Friday, March 9, Deuteronomy 10 - 11, Psalm 31

• Deuteronomy 10:4 says that God wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets that replaced the ones Moses broke.  There are many commandments in the Law.  Why were only those ten written in stone?
• How does Moses summarize God's requirements in Deuteronomy 10:12-13?
• God commanded in Deuteronomy 11:18, "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds."  What do you need to do to fix God's Word in your heart and mind?
• David says in Psalm 31:1 that he has taken refuge in the Lord.  How do you take refuge in Him?

Saturday, March 10, Deuteronomy 12, Romans 15 - 16

• Why did God command Israel to only offer sacrifices in one place (Deuteronomy 12:5-6)?
• Romans 15:1 tells the strong to "bear with the failings of the weak."  What does it mean to bear with someone's failings?
• Why did Paul say it was his ambition to "preach the gospel where Christ was not known"?
• In Romans 16:20 Paul says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet."  What does this mean?