Week 1, December 30, 2018 - January 5, 2019

This week marks the beginning of a New Year.  For 2019, we are going to put more emphasis on the New Testament, writing questions for every chapter.  It only takes 5 chapters per week to read the New Testament in a year. We will also encourage everyone to read through the entire Bible during the year and include questions each week for the Old Testament.

New Testament
John 1

• Who is "the Word" that John speaks about in this chapter?
• According to verse 12, what does a person have to do to become a child of God?
• What does verse 41 say was the first thing Andrew did when he began to follow Jesus?  Is telling someone else that you've found Jesus a natural thing for you to do?

John 2

• Verse 11 says that by turning water into wine Jesus, "revealed his glory."  Who was His glory revealed to?
• Why did Jesus drive out those who were selling animals and exchanging money?

John 3

• According to verse 18, who is not condemned?  Who is condemned?
• Why did John the Baptist say in verse 20 that he must become less?

John 4

• In John 4:10 what were the only two things that stood between the Samaritan woman and living water?
• Who did Jesus claim to be in verse 26?
• What food was Jesus talking about in verse 32?

John 5

• Why did the Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus in verse 18?
• In verse 24 who does Jesus say has eternal life?

Old Testament
Genesis 1-18

• Why did Adam and Eve disobey God in Genesis chapter 3?
• Genesis 4:5 says that God did not look with favor on Cain's offering, but does not explain why.  What should Cain have done?  Why did he kill his brother?
• In chapter 6 why did God say He regretted making man?
• How did Noah gather all the animals in chapter 7?
• According to Genesis 9:12-14, what is the significance of the rainbow?
• What did God command Abram in Genesis 12?  What promises did He make to Abram?
• Of the things that Abram recovered in Genesis 14, what did he give Melchizedek?  What did he give the king of Sodom?  What did he keep for himself?
• In Genesis 16 Abram and Sarai conspired to have a son through Hagar.  They were not expecting Sarai to ever give birth.  Are there ways in which you have tried to fulfill God's will for your life by making your own plans that weren't based on faith in God?
• Why did God change Abram's name to Abraham?

Psalms
Psalm 1 - 4

• What do you need to do to have the blessing spoken of in Psalm 1?
• Who is the son spoken of in Psalm 2:7 and 2:12?
• Can you sleep in peace the way David describes in Psalm 3:5 and Psalm 4:8?

Week 52, December 23 - 29, 2018

Sunday, December 23, Zechariah 1 - 3, Revelation 16

• Zechariah 1:3 says, "‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you.’"  Why does God wait for us to return to Him?
• Who or what does God refer to as the apple of His eye in Zechariah 2:8?
• Why was Satan ready to accuse the high priest in Zechariah 3?  Who rebuked Satan?
• In Zechariah 3:10 God promises, "I will remove the sin of this land in a single day."  How was that fulfilled?
• Twice in Revelation 16, in verses 9 and 11, people are described as cursing God, but refusing to repent.  What causes such stubborn refusal to repent?

Monday, December 24, Zechariah 4 - 6, Psalm 148

• Zechariah 4:6 says, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty."  Why did Zerubbabel need this encouragement?
• What does the woman in the basket in Zechariah 5 represent?
• What did God promise in Zechariah 6:15 if Joshua son of Jozadak would "diligently obey the Lord”?
• Psalm 148 instructs inanimate objects to praise the Lord, including sun and moon (verse 3), lightning, hail, snow, and clouds (verse 8), and mountains and hills (verse 9).  How can they praise the Lord?

Tuesday, December 25, Zechariah 7 - 8, Revelation 17 - 18

• The people asked a question in Zechariah 7:3 about the fasts that commemorated the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity.  Now that they had returned and the temple was being rebuilt, they wondered whether those fasts served a purpose.  Chapters 7 and 8 answer the question, but why was such a long answer needed?
• Why does God speak about justice, mercy, and compassion in Zechariah 7:9 when the people were asking whether to fast or not?
• What does the prostitute in Revelation 17 represent?
• Revelation 18:4 commands, "Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins."  How does this command apply to you today?

Wednesday, December 26, Zechariah 9 - 11, Psalm 149

• How does Zechariah 9:9 say a king will enter Jerusalem?
• Zechariah 10:1 says, "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime."  Rain in the springtime is something some people might take for granted.  What should you be praying for that you might tend to take for granted?
• What is the significance of the thirty pieces of silver in Zechariah 11:12?
• Psalm 149:4 says, "For the Lord takes delight in his people."  How should knowing this impact the way you live?

Thursday, December 27, Zechariah 12 - 14, Psalm 150

• Zechariah prophesied in 12:10, "They will look on me, the one they have pierced."  Is this describing something that has already happened or is yet to happen?
• Why will prophets be ashamed as foretold in Zechariah 13:4-6?
• What will result in the Mount of Olives splitting, according to Zechariah 14:4?
• Psalm 150:6 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."  When and how do you praise the Lord?

Friday, December 28, Malachi 1 - 2, Revelation 19 - 20

• In Malachi 1:8 God accuses the people of offering animals in sacrifice that they wouldn't offer to their governor.  Why would people think of giving God second best?
• In Malachi 2:2 God urges the priests to "resolve to honor my name."  What would this mean to you to resolve to honor God's name?
• In Malachi 2 God speaks against men who are unfaithful to their wives and says, "So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful."  Why does God care about people honoring their marriage vows?
• Why did the angel tell John not to worship him in Revelation 19:10?
• Who is the rider on the white horse in Revelation 19:11?
• What happens to the beast and the false prophet in Revelation 19?
• At the end of Revelation 20, who is thrown into the lake of fire?  What are they being judged for?

Saturday, December 29, Malachi 3 - 4, Revelation 21 - 22

• Why does God, in Malachi 3, accuse people of robbing Him in tithes and offerings?
• Malachi 3:16 says, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard."  What does the Lord hear when He listens to your conversations?
• What does Malachi say God will do "before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes"?
• What four things does Revelation 21:4 say there will be no more of in the New Jerusalem?
• Why is there no temple in the New Jerusalem?
• What warning does the book of Revelation close with?

Week 51, December 16 - 22, 2018

Most weeks we spread the Old Testament reading over all 7 days.  However, this week we are reading 4 short books of the prophets.  We have scheduled this week to read each of those books in a day apiece.  We will read from Revelation and Psalms on the other three days.

Sunday, December 16, Nahum 1 - 3

• Jonah had preached to Nineveh and they had repented.  However, decades later they had returned to wickedness and Nahum prophesied of their destruction, which took place in 612 BC.  Why does Nahum 1:7 say, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble" before saying in verse 8 that God is going to make an end of Nineveh?
• Based on Nahum 1:15, why was the destruction of Nineveh good news for Judah?
• What reason does Nahum 3:19 give for Nineveh's destruction?

Monday, December 17, Revelation 9 - 10, Psalm 145

• Revelation 9 describes a third of mankind being killed by fire, smoke, and sulfur.  Verse 20 says, "The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands."  Why would people be unwilling to repent in the face of judgment?
• Revelation 10:4 describes something John heard that God told him not to write down.  Why would God reveal so much in this book through John, but tell him not to write what he heard from the seven thunders?
• Psalm 145:18 says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."  Are you experiencing God's nearness?

Tuesday, December 18, Habakkuk 1 - 3

• In Habakkuk 1:6 God says He is raising up the Babylonians.  For what purpose was He raising them up?
• Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."  When will this be fulfilled?
• Habakkuk wrote in 3:17-18, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."  What basis did Habakkuk have for rejoicing when times were hard?

Wednesday, December 19, Revelation 11 - 12, Psalm 146

• What purpose will the two prophets in Revelation 11 fulfill?
• According to Revelation 12 was it good or bad that Satan was cast out of heaven and down to the earth?
• Why does Psalm 146:3 tell us not to trust in human beings?

Thursday, December 20, Zephaniah 1 - 3

• What does Zephaniah chapter 1 say will happen to the earth?
• For what purpose does Zephaniah urge the people to gather together in chapter 2?
• Zephaniah 3:14 calls for rejoicing.  What is the reason for rejoicing?

Friday, December 21, Revelation 13 - 14, Psalm 147

• Revelation 3 describes the mark of the beast.  What are the consequences of not taking the mark?
• According to Revelation 14:9-11 what are the consequences of taking the mark of the beast?
• Psalm 147:3 says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  How does God bring healing to a broken heart?

Saturday, December 22, Haggai 1 - 2, Revelation 15

• What was God commanding the people in Jerusalem to do through Haggai in chapter 1?
• What did God say was the reason that the people expected much and it turned out to be little?
• What promises did God make concerning the temple in Haggai 2:7-9?
• What caused God to say in Haggai 2:19, "From this day on I will bless you"?
• Revelation 15:1 speaks of the seven last plagues and says, "with them God’s wrath is completed."  What does it mean for God's wrath to be completed?

Week 50, December 9 - 15, 2018

Sunday, December 9, Obadiah, Revelation 1 - 2

• The book of Obadiah is just 21 verses long.  It refers to Edom and Esau.  Genesis 25:30 shows us that Edom was another name for Esau.  The kingdom of Edom was from the descendants of Esau.  What does Obadiah say will happen to Edom?
• According to Revelation 1:7 who will see Jesus when He comes again?
• What do the 7 lampstands in Revelation 1 represent?
• Jesus tells the church in Ephesus that they need to repent.  What did they need to repent from?

Monday, December 10, Jonah 1 - 2, Psalm 141 - 142

• Why did Jonah pay to sail for Tarshish?
• Why were the sailors reluctant to throw Jonah overboard?
• How could Jonah pray in Jonah 2:6, "But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit" when he was still inside the fish?
• In Psalm 141:3 David prays, "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord."  What is the benefit of such a prayer?
• Why would David say, "I have no refuge," in Psalm 142:4, and "You are my refuge," in Psalm 142:5?

Tuesday, December 11, Jonah 3, - 4, Revelation 3 - 4

• Why did the people of Nineveh repent in Jonah chapter 3?
• Why was Jonah angry when God forgave the people of Nineveh?
• What did God want Jonah to learn from the plant that grew up quickly and died quickly?
• In Revelation 3:1 Jesus says to the church in Sardis, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead."  Why would the Lord's view of the church be so different from their reputation?
• Revelation 3:7 says of Jesus, "What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."  However, in Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, "I stand at the door and knock."  Why would He knock at a door He has power to open?
• Who did John see in Revelation 4 seated on a throne?

Wednesday, December 12, Micah 1 - 2, Psalm 143

• How does the time period that Micah prophesied compare to the time period that Isaiah prophesied?
• What does God promise Israel in Micah 2:12?
• David wrote in Psalm 143:6, "I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land."  What does it mean to thirst for God?  Are you thirsty and what are you doing about it?

Thursday, December 13, Micah 3 - 4, Revelation 5 - 6

• Micah 3:11 rebukes judges, priests, and prophets for working for money.  What should they be motivated by?
• What does Micah 4:7 mean saying, "I will make the lame my remnant"?
• Why does Revelation 5 refer to Jesus both as a lion and as a lamb?
• Why was Jesus worthy to open the scroll with the seven seals in Revelation 5 and no one else was?
• Revelation 6:9 describes those "who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained."  Why were they told to wait when they asked how long it would be until their blood was avenged?

Friday, December 14, Micah 5 - 6, Psalm 144

• The teachers of the Law quoted from Micah 5 when Herod asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  (Matthew 2:4-6)  What did they conclude from this passage?
• Based on Micah 6:8 what three things does the Lord require of us?
• Psalm 144 concludes with the statement, "blessed is the people whose God is the Lord."  What must you do to have the blessing David is speaking of?

Saturday, December 15, Micah 7, Revelation 7 - 8

• Micah 7:18 says, "You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy."  Why would God delight in showing mercy?
• Who were the multitude in white robes in Revelation 7 and where did they come from?
• In Revelation 8:6-13, the judgments are to one-third of things (earth, trees, sea, creatures in the sea, ships, rivers, sun, and moon) destroying one-third and leaving two-thirds intact.  Why would God who delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18) destroy a third of something?

Week 49, December 2 - 8, 2018

Sunday, December 2, Joel 1 - 2, 1 John 1

• Joel chapter 1 describes an invasion of locusts.  Verse 14 says, "Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.  Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord."  What circumstances should cause people to fast and gather together to cry out to God?
• God says in Joel 2:25, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."  Why would the damage that the locusts caused be measured in years?  How would God repay that?
• In Joel 2:28-29 God promises to pour out His Spirit on all people, young and old, male and female, and on servants.  What do you need to do to receive this outpouring?
• In 1 John 1:3, what purpose does John say he has for proclaiming what he has seen and heard?
• What are we promised if we confess our sins?

Monday, December 3, Joel 3, Psalm 138 - 139

• Joel 3:16 says, "But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel."  What does the Lord do to act as a refuge and a stronghold?
• David says in Psalm 138:3, "When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me."  How does calling on God give you boldness?
• David wrote, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." (Psalm 139:13)  What attitude should we have toward someone with a birth defect?
• David prayed, "Search me, God, and know my heart." (Psalm 139:23)  Are you willing to invite God to search your heart?

Tuesday, December 4, Amos 1 - 2, 1 John 2 - 3

• What does Amos say his occupation was when he had the vision described in his book?
• In pronouncing judgment on Israel in Amos, chapter 2, God says in verse 12 that Israel, "commanded the prophets not to prophesy."  What would motivate someone to want to silence prophets?
• What does 1 John 2:1-2 say happens if someone sins?
• What does 1 John 2:9-11 say about someone who hates his brother?
• Why are we commanded not to love the world?
• 1 John 3 says now we are the children of God, but the world doesn't know us.  Who are the children of God and who is the world?
• 1 John 3:16 says, "we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."  How will you obey this?

Wednesday, December 5, Amos 3 - 4, Psalm 140

• Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."  Why would God choose to reveal his plans before doing something?
• Five times in Amos 4 God says, "yet you have not returned to me."  Why would people stubbornly refuse to turn to God?
• David wrote in Psalm 140:12, "I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."  What then should your attitude toward the poor and needy be?

Thursday, December 6, Amos 5 - 6, 1 John 4 - 5

• Why would God say in Amos 5:21, "I hate, I despise your religious festivals"?  What did He want to see in Israel that He wasn't seeing?
• Why does God rebuke the complacent in Amos 6:1-7?
• How does love drive out fear? (1 John 4:18)
• 1 John 4:20 says, "For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."  Why would this be true if God is more lovable than people?
• According to 1 John 5:11-12 who has eternal life?

Friday, December 7, Amos 7 -  8, 2 John

• In Amos 7 how does Amos say he became a prophet?  Why couldn't he just go prophesy somewhere else when Amaziah told him to?
• Why did God say there would be a "famine of hearing the words of the Lord"? (Amos 8:11)
• What is the command that John says "we have had from the beginning" in 2 John, verse 5?

Saturday, December 8, Amos 9, 3 John, Jude

• What does God promise to Israel in Amos 9:15?
• 3 John, verse 6, tells Gaius, "Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God."  How does the way we treat others honor God?
• Jude urges believers to "contend for the faith."  How do you do that?
• Jude speaks of "building yourselves up in your most holy faith."  How do you build yourself up in faith?