Welcome to 2020

For the previous three years we have posted questions each week based on a schedule of reading through the Bible each year.  The purpose of the questions is to encourage readers to think about what they were reading.  The purpose of personal Bible study is to hear what God is saying to you.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  If you want to be thoroughly equipped you need a habit of personal Bible study.  We will not be posting questions weekly in 2020, but we welcome you to use any of the questions from the three previous years to help you in your personal Bible study.

Study questions for 2019 start here: http://prayerwatchbiblestudies.blogspot.com/2018/12/week-1-december-30-2018-january-5-2019.html  These questions were based on weekly readings that included 5 New Testament chapters each week and some chapters from the Old Testament and Psalms.

2018 starts here: http://prayerwatchbiblestudies.blogspot.com/2017/12/happy-new-year-week-1-december-31.html  These questions were based on daily readings that each included some Old Testament and either Psalms or New Testament.

2017 starts here: http://prayerwatchbiblestudies.blogspot.com/2016/12/  These questions were based on weekly readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament.

Week 52, December 22 - 28, 2019

New Testament
Matthew 25

• In the parable of Matthew 25:1-13, five virgins were prepared with oil.  Jesus calls them wise.  He calls the other five foolish for not having oil with them.  He concludes the parable saying, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."  What is He telling us to do?
• What was wrong with the thinking of the man who hid his bag of gold in Matthew 25:24-25?
• In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."  What opportunities do you have to do something for the "least of these"?

Matthew 26

• Why did the disciples think it was a "waste" when the woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus?
• Was Peter sincere in Matthew 26:35 when he said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you"?
• Jesus told His disciples, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."  (Matthew 26:41)  Why couldn't they stay awake?

Matthew 27

• Why did Judas hang himself?
• How did Pilate's wife know that Jesus was innocent?
• Why did the curtain in the temple tear in Matthew 27:51?

Matthew 28

• What did the angel tell the women in Matthew 28:5-7?
• What were the guards paid to say to explain the disappearance of Jesus' body?
• What did Jesus tell His disciples to do in Matthew 28:19-20?  What responsibility do you have for making disciples?

Jude

• In verse 3, Jude urges believers to "contend for the faith."  What does this mean and how do you do it?
• In verse 4 what two things is Jude warning about that were brought by people who had "slipped in among" Christians?
• Jude says in verses 20 and 21, "by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love."  How do you build yourself up in the faith?

Old Testament
Zechariah 1 - 14, Malachi 1 - 4

• In Zechariah 1:3 what did God say He would do if the people would return to Him?
• In Zechariah 2:4 why did the angel say that Jerusalem would be a city without walls?
• God said, "I will remove the sin of this land in a single day." (Zechariah 3:9)  How would He do that?
• God told Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."  Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah (see Haggai 1:1).  How would this instruction affect the way Zerubbabel governed the people?
• What was the purpose of the scroll Zechariah saw in chapter 5?
• Kings of Judah had always been descendants of David from the tribe of Judah.  Priests were descendants of Aaron from the tribe of Levi.  What is the significance in Zechariah 6 of a crown being placed on the high priest and the statement in verse 13, "And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two"?
• The people of Judah had been fasting for many years to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem.  Since it was being rebuilt, the people asked Zechariah whether they should continue to fast in the fifth month (Zechariah 7:3).  God's answer is in chapters 7 and 8.  What is more important than fasting?
• In what way did Zechariah 9:9 say a king would enter Jerusalem?
• What promises are made in Zechariah 10:9 to the scattered people of Israel?
• Who was paid 30 pieces of silver in Zechariah 11?  What did they do with it?
• In Zechariah 12 God promises to make Jerusalem strong.  What reason is given in verse 5 for this strength?
• What is the fountain described in Zechariah 13:1?
• Zechariah 14:9 says, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name."  When will this be fulfilled?
• In Malachi chapter 1, why was God opposed to people offering blemished animals in sacrifice?
• In Malachi 2:15 and again in 2:16 God says "be on your guard."  Who is He speaking to and how would a person obey the command?
• Why did God accuse Israel of robbing Him in Malachi 3?
• What does Malachi 4:5-6 say Elijah will do?

Psalms
Psalms 148 - 150

• Who is urged to praise the Lord in Psalm 148?
• Psalm 149:5 says, "Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds."  Why would a person sing for joy on their bed?
• Who is urged to praise the Lord in Psalm 150?

Week 51, December 15 - 21, 2019

New Testament
Matthew 20

• What is the point of Jesus' parable in Matthew 20:1-16 where people are hired at various times during the day but paid the same at the end of the day?
• In Matthew 20:25-27 how is Christian leadership meant to be different from the "rulers of the Gentiles"?
• When the two blind men were shouting for mercy, why did the crowd want them to be quiet (Matthew 20:31)?

Matthew 21

• Why did Jesus choose to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey?
• Why would Jesus cause a fig tree to wither?
• In Matthew 21:31 Jesus told the chief priests and elders, "the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."  Why were tax collectors and prostitutes more open to Jesus than the chief priests and elders?

Matthew 22

• In the parable Jesus told in Matthew 22:1-14, why did some who were invited not come to the banquet?
• In Matthew 22:21 Jesus said, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s."  What are we supposed to give to God?
• What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment?

Matthew 23

• In Matthew 23:5 Jesus described the teachers of the law and the Pharisees and said, "Everything they do is done for people to see."  How can you set your heart on pleasing God and not worry what people say or think?
• Why did Jesus tell us not to use titles like "rabbi" and "father"?
• In Matthew 23:23 what did Jesus say was in the law that was more important than tithing?

Matthew 24

• As Jesus begins to answer the disciples' question about when things will happen, He gives them two commands in Matthew 24:4-6.  What are they?
• In Matthew 24:14 what did Jesus say would happen before the end?
• In Matthew 24:42 Jesus told us to keep watch.  What does that mean?  Are you doing it?

Old Testament
Nahum 1 - 3, Habakkuk 1 - 3, Zephaniah 1 - 3, Haggai 1 - 2

• Nahum's prophecy concerns Nineveh.  God had shown Nineveh mercy when they heard Jonah and they repented.  But more than 100 years had passed since Jonah was there.  Nahum 1:3 says, "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished."  And in Nahum 1:8, "he will make an end of Nineveh."  Why would God show Nineveh mercy in the time of Jonah if they were eventually going to be destroyed for their sins?
• Based on Nahum 1:15, what significance did the destruction of Nineveh have for Judah?
• Nahum 3:1 says, "Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!"  Why was God bringing judgement on Nineveh?
• In Habakkuk 1:2 why did Habakkuk feel like God hadn't listened when he cried for help?  What did Habakkuk want God to do?
• In Habakkuk, chapter 2, God told Habakkuk to write down the revelation that God gave him.  God says in verse 3, "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."  How can God say the fulfillment of this revelation may "linger" but "will not delay"?  (This question is even more challenging if you're reading the KJV which says "though it tarry" and "it will not tarry.")
• 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."  Are you able to rejoice in the Lord even when times are difficult?
• Zephaniah, chapter 1 foretells God bringing judgement on the whole earth.  Verse 18 says God, "will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth."  Why will this happen?
• What hope is offered in Zephaniah 2:3 to those who seek the Lord?
• Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."  What causes God to take great delight in His people?
• According to Haggai 1:9 why were the people having a hard time making ends meet?
• In Haggai 2:19 God said, "From this day on I will bless you."  What had happened to cause God to say this?

Psalms
Psalms 145 - 147

• Psalm 145:18 says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."  When and how do you call on the Lord?
• Psalm 146:8 says, "the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down."  How does God lift people up?
• According to Psalm 147:11 who does the Lord delight in?

Week 50, December 8 - 14, 2019

New Testament
Matthew 15

• Why is having a clean heart more important than having clean hands?
• What caused Jesus to tell the woman in Matthew 15:28, "you have great faith!"?
• Why did the disciples ask the question they did in Matthew 15:33 when they had seen the feeding of the 5000 in Matthew 14?

Matthew 16

• Why did Jesus call the Pharisees and Sadducees a "wicked and adulterous generation" (Matthew 16:4) for asking for a sign from heaven?
• Who did Jesus say had revealed to Simon Peter that Jesus was the "Messiah, the Son of the living God"?
• Why did Jesus say, "Get behind me, Satan!" to Peter?

Matthew 17

• Why do you think Jesus told Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone about the transfiguration until after He rose from the dead?
• What was causing the boy in Matthew 17:15 to fall into fire or water?
• Jesus told Peter where to find a four-drachma coin.  Do you trust Him to provide you with what you need?

Matthew 18

• Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  In what ways should we be like little children?
• What does Jesus promise for two or three who gather in His name?
• In Matthew 18:23-35 Jesus told a parable to show what our unwillingness to forgive others looks like to God.  Is there anyone you need to forgive?

Matthew 19

• What definition of marriage does Jesus give in Matthew 19:4-6?
• In Matthew 19:13 why did the disciples rebuke those who brought little children to Jesus?
• Why did Jesus tell the man in Matthew 19:21 that he needed to sell his possessions?

Old Testament
Obadiah, Jonah 1 - 4, Micah 1 - 7

• What did Obadiah say would happen to Edom?  Why?
• Why did Jonah think the storm was his fault in Jonah 1:12?
• Jonah's prayer in chapter 2 was from "inside the fish."  How then could he pray in 2:9, "But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you"?
• How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah's warning in Jonah, chapter 3?
• Why was Jonah angry in chapter 4?  Why was he unhappy that God had shown mercy to Nineveh?
• Micah, chapter 1, speaks of God bringing judgement.  According to verse 5, what was the reason for this judgement?
• Micah 2:1 says, "Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds!"  Why would someone plan to do wrong?
• Micah 3:5 describes the motives of false prophets, "they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them."  How can we be pure in our motives to serve the Lord and speak the truth?
• Micah 4:1-5 describes a time to come when people will seek and obey the Lord and there will be peace and prosperity.  When will this be fulfilled?
• What city is mentioned in Micah 5 as a place where a "ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old" would come from?
• What three things does Micah 6:8 say God requires of people?
• Micah 7:1 says, "What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard."  What conditions in Israel were like gathering summer fruit?

Psalms
Psalm 141 - 144

• David prayed in Psalm 141:3, "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."  How would God guard your mouth and how would this change your life?
• In Psalm 142:5 David says, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."  What does he mean by a refuge?  What does he mean by his portion?
• Psalm 143:10 says, "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God."  How can we become teachable?
• Why does David say in Psalm 144:1 that God trains his hands for war?

Week 49, December 1 - 7, 2019

New Testament
Matthew 10

• As Jesus sent out his disciples to preach and heal, He said in verse 8, "Freely you have received; freely give."  What have you received that you can freely give others?
• What did Jesus tell His disciples to do when they were brought before governors and kings?
• In verses 26, 28, and 31 Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid.  What is the key to being fearless in the face of those who oppose your faith?

Matthew 11

• If John was sent to point people to Jesus, why did he have his followers ask Jesus in Matthew 11:3, "Are you the one who is to come?"
• Jesus prayed in John 11:25, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."  Why would something that could be understood by children be hidden from the wise and learned?
• Matthew 11:28-30 is an invitation to those who are weary and burdened.  Have you experienced the rest Jesus speaks of?

Matthew 12

• When the Pharisees criticized the disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath, Jesus said in Matthew 12:8, "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."  As long as the disciples were following Jesus they could count on Him to show them what is right and to correct them when they were wrong.  How can we find the simplicity of just following Jesus?
• Why would the Pharisees think it would be wrong for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath?

Matthew 13

• In the parable of the sower what does the rocky ground represent?
• How can you become like the good soil in Jesus' parable of the sower?
• Matthew 13:57 says that people in Jesus' home town took offense at Him.  Why did Jesus say that a prophet is without honor in his own town?

Matthew 14

• John the Baptist was called by God to point people to Jesus. Why would God allow him to be beheaded?
• When was Peter able to walk on water?  When did he begin to sink?

Old Testament
Joel 1 - 3, Amos 1 - 9

• Joel 1:14 says, "Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly."  What was the purpose of the fast Joel was calling for?
• In Joel 2:28-29, who did God say He would pour His Spirit on?
• Joel 3:17 says, "Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her."  When will this be fulfilled?
• According to Amos 1:6 why was God going to bring judgement on Gaza?
• In Amos 1:3 through 2:3, God judges Israel's neighbors for their violence.  In 2:4-5, for what sins is He bringing judgement on Judah?
• Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."  Why is it in God's nature to reveal what He is going to do?
• Five times in Amos 4 God says, "yet you have not returned to me."  Verses 4 and 5 show that the people were still bringing sacrifices and freewill offerings.  What had they not done that would cause God to say they had not returned to Him?
• Why would God say in Amos 5:21, "I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me"?
• In Amos 6:1-7, what is wrong with those who are "complacent in Zion"?  What should have replaced their complacency?
• What is the meaning of the plumb line in Amos 7:7-8?
• God confronts Israel for dishonest practices, "skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales," (Amos 8:5) and "selling even the sweepings with the wheat." (Amos 8:6)  In what ways do you have to choose between honesty and cheating?
• Amos, chapter 9, begins by prophesying harsh judgement on Israel, but closes in verses 11-15 with a promise of restoration.  Why would God bring destruction if He also planned to bring restoration?

Psalms
Psalms 138 - 140

• Psalm 138:6 says, "Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly."  Why does God care about the lowly?
• Psalm 139 shows that God knows all about us and there is nowhere we can go that He isn't already there.  How can you take comfort in knowing that God knows everything about you?
• David prayed in Psalm 140:4, "Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet."  How does God protect us from the violent?

Week 48, November 24 - 30, 2019

New Testament
Matthew 5

• What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? (Matthew 5:3)
• In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus calls his followers salt and light.  What do you need to do to be salt and light in your generation?
• In Matthew 5:21-22, why does Jesus speak of anger and insults toward others as such a serious matter?
• In Matthew 5:44 Jesus taught us to love our enemies.  How do you do that?

Matthew 6

• Why did Jesus instruct us to give to the needy in secret?
• In Matthew 6:7 Jesus said, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans."  What would cause someone to "keep on babbling" in prayer?
• Jesus told us in Matthew 6:20 to store up treasures in heaven.  How do you do that?

Matthew 7

• Jesus warns us against being the type of person who tries to show someone their small fault while having a larger fault of our own.  He describes someone pointing out a speck of sawdust in someone else's eye while having a plank in their own.  What do you need to do to heed Jesus' warning?
• Matthew 7:12 is sometimes called the "golden rule."  How can you consistently treat others the way you'd like to be treated?
• How did Jesus say we could recognize false prophets in Matthew 7:15-20?

Matthew 8

• Why was Jesus willing to touch a man who had leprosy?
• In Matthew 8:8 why didn't the centurion want Jesus to come to his home?

Matthew 9

• How would you answer the question Jesus asked in Matthew 9:5, "Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?"
• What does Matthew 9:15 show you about the purpose of fasting?
• Jesus said in Matthew 9:38, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  Are you praying for workers?

Old Testament
Hosea 1 - 14

• Why did God tell Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman in chapter 1?
• Hosea 2:16 says, "In that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.'"  In what ways should our relationship with God be like the devoted relationship between and husband and wife?
• Why did Hosea have to buy back his own wife in chapter 3?
• What does Hosea 4:6 mean saying that the priests had rejected knowledge?
• Scripture teaches us that if we seek the Lord with our whole heart we will find Him.  Why does Hosea 5:6 say, "When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them"?
• Hosea 6:1-2 promises healing, revival, and restoration if the people would return to the Lord.  What does it mean to return to the Lord?
• Hosea chapter 7 describes sins of Israel that were causing them to suffer.  The chapter also shows the root cause was an unwillingness to turn to God.  Verse 14 says, "They do not cry out to me from their hearts"?  What keeps people from turning to God with their whole heart?
• What does it mean in Hosea 8:7 to "reap the whirlwind"?
• Hosea 9 describes punishment coming upon Israel for their sins.  Verse 10 describes a turning point in their history, "But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved."  This refers to what happened about 700 years earlier in Numbers 25:1-3, where sexual immorality was combined with idol worship.  What would have prevented this great sin?
• Hosea 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."  What was Hosea calling the people to do?
• In Hosea 11:3 God says, "they did not realize it was I who healed them."  How can we keep from taking for granted things God does on our behalf?
• Hosea 12:6 says, "But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always."  What does it mean to wait for God?
• Hosea 13:4 says, "You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me."  Why does God insist that we acknowledge Him as the only God and Savior?
• Hosea 14:2 says, "Take words with you and return to the Lord."  Why should words be part of repentance?

Psalms
Psalms 135 - 137

• Psalm 135:6 says, "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."  What does this say about God's power?
• Psalm 136:16 says, "to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever."  When have you been led by God in times that felt like you were in the wilderness?
• Psalm 137:4 says, "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?"  Why would someone in captivity be reluctant to sing the songs of the Lord?

Week 47, November 17 - 23, 2019

New Testament
Hebrews 13

• Hebrews 13:1 says, "some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."  What does this show us about angels?
• Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage should be honored by all."  How do you do this? 
• What basis for contentment do we have in Hebrews 13:5?

Matthew 1

• Why would Joseph consider divorcing Mary in Matthew 1:19 when he was only "pledged to be married"?
• What kept Joseph from divorcing Mary?

Matthew 2

• How did the chief priests and teachers of the law know that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem?
• Why did Joseph and his family settle in Nazareth after returning from Egypt?

Matthew 3

• Why did John the Baptist call the Pharisees and Sadducees vipers in Matthew 3:7?
• Why did John try to deter Jesus from being baptized? 

Matthew 4

• What would have been wrong with Jesus turning a stone into bread?
• Why do you think Simon and Andrew were willing to leave their nets and follow Jesus in Matthew 4:20?

Old Testament
Daniel 1 - 12

• Why didn't Daniel want to eat the king's food and drink the king's wine in chapter 1?
• What did the rock that struck the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2:34 represent?
• Why did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to bow down with others in Daniel 3?
• What advice did Daniel give Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:27?  Specifically what did Nebuchadnezzar need to repent from?
• In Daniel 5:20-21 why did Daniel remind Belshazzar how Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled until he acknowledged that God is sovereign?
• When Daniel learned, in Daniel chapter 6, of the decree against praying to anyone but Darius for 30 days, did he pray more, less, or the same as he had been in the habit of doing?
• What did the four beasts in Daniel's dream in chapter 7 represent?
• What do the ram and the goat in Daniel 8 represent?
• In chapter 9 Daniel asks God to show mercy toward the people of Israel.  He says in verse 18, "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy."  When you pray are you expecting God to answer because of what you have done or because of who He is?
• According to Daniel 10:12-14 what delayed the answer to Daniel's prayer?
• Daniel 11 is a prophecy that has much specific detail.  What is the purpose of revealing all this detail to Daniel and to us through him?
• Daniel lived through times of great kingdoms rising and falling and he prophesied of future times of even greater turmoil.  What does Daniel 12:2 show will ultimately happen?

Psalms
Psalms 132 - 134

• Psalm 132:9 says, "may your faithful people sing for joy."  Why should God's people sing for joy?
• Why is it "good and pleasant" for God's people to dwell together in unity? (Psalm 133:1)
• Psalm 134 urges those who "minister by night in the house of the Lord" to praise the Lord and to lift up their hands in the sanctuary.  What was the purpose of having people praising the Lord at night in the sanctuary?

Week 46, November 10 - 16, 2019

New Testament
Hebrews 8

• Hebrews 8:6 says, "the new covenant is established on better promises."  What are the promises of the new covenant that are better than those of the old covenant?
• Hebrews 8 quotes from Jeremiah where God describes the new covenant, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people."  How has God written His laws on your heart?

Hebrews 9

• Hebrews 9:9 says that Old Testament animal sacrifices were "not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper."  But verse 14 says, "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"  What does it mean to have our consciences cleansed?
• What is the meaning of the statement in Hebrews 9:22, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"?

Hebrews 10

• Hebrews 10:4 says, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."  According to verse 3 what was the purpose of the sacrifice of bulls and goats?
• Hebrews 10:22 says, "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings."  How and when do you draw near to God?
• We are instructed in Hebrews 10:24, "let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."  Who are you spurring on?  Who is spurring you on?

Hebrews 11

• Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Why is faith essential to our relationship with God?
• Hebrews 11:24-27 describes Moses' choice to lead the people of Israel rather than live as royalty in Egypt.  What does this passage say influenced this choice?
• Why does this chapter refer to great victories ("shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword") and apparent defeats ("faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment") both as acts of faith?

Hebrews 12

• Hebrews 12:1 tells us to"run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  This compares our life to a long-distance run.  What do you need to do to keep following the Lord over the long term?
• Hebrews 12:7 commands us to "endure hardship as discipline."  If we are in a difficult situation and are praying for God's intervention, what is the right attitude toward hardship?
• What is the similarity between sexual immorality and Esau trading his inheritance rights for a single meal?  (Hebrews 12:16)

Old Testament
Ezekiel 33 - 48

• What did God tell Ezekiel in chapter 33 his job was as a watchman?  What was not his responsibility?
• In Ezekiel 34:4, what are the responsibilities of a shepherd?
• What reason is given in Ezekiel 35:5 for the prophecy against Mount Seir?
• In Ezekiel 36 God describes the restoration of Israel.  Why does He say in verse 32, "I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake"?
• What do the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 represent?
• Ezekiel 38 describes an invasion of Israel led by "Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal," and including "many nations."  What will happen to this invading army?
• In chapter 39 how long will Israel be cleansing the land from the dead of Gog and all his hordes?
• What was Ezekiel looking at in chapter 40 where he says in verse 2, "In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel"?
• Why did the glory of the Lord fill the temple in Ezekiel 43:5?
• In Ezekiel 44:2 why was the gate facing east to remain shut?
• What did God rebuke the princes of Israel for in Ezekiel 45:9?
• What do you think was the purpose of the requirement in Ezekiel 46:9 for people to go out the gate opposite of the one they entered?
• What does the river that Ezekiel saw in chapter 47 represent?
• In chapter 48 Ezekiel prophetically describes a city with 12 gates.  What does he say the name of the city will be?

Psalms
Psalms 128 - 131

• Psalm 128:2 says, "You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours."  Why is eating the fruit of your own labor a blessing?
• Psalm 129:2 says, "they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me."  How can a person be greatly oppressed without losing the victory?
• Psalm 130:6 says, "I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning."  A watchman knows that morning will come.  It always does.  But it can seem like it's taking a long time.  How do you watch for the Lord?  How do you combine faith and patience?
• In Psalm 131:2 David says, "I have calmed and quieted myself."  He describes himself as a weaned child with its mother.  How do you calm and quiet yourself?  Why is this valuable?

Week 45, November 3 - 9, 2019

New Testament
Hebrews 3

• Hebrews 3:1 tells us to fix our thoughts on Jesus.  How do you do that?
• Hebrews 3:13 tells us to encourage one another daily.  Who are you encouraging?  Who encourages you?

Hebrews 4

• Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest."  What rest is being spoken of?  How do we enter it?
• Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as alive and active.  How do we allow God's Word to have a powerful effect on us?
• Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  What is our confidence based on?

Hebrews 5

• Why does Hebrews 5:8 say that Jesus "learned obedience"?
• According to Hebrews 5:14, how do we become mature?

Hebrews 6

• Hebrews 6:1 says "let us... be taken forward to maturity."  What do you need to do to become more mature in your faith?
• Hebrews 6:18 speaks of it being "impossible for God to lie."  Why is it impossible?
• Hebrews 6:19 calls our hope, "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  How do you keep your soul anchored?

Hebrews 7

• Why is Jesus referred to as being "in the order of Melchizedek"?
• Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."  What do you need to do to have Jesus interceding for you?

Old Testament
Ezekiel 17 - 32

• According to Ezekiel 17:15-17, what would the result be of the king in Jerusalem trying to get help from Egypt?
• What does Ezekiel 18 say will happen to the person who repents from sin?
• Why did God say to the elders of Israel in Ezekiel 20:3 and again in 20:31, "I will not let you inquire of me"?
• Why would God say in Ezekiel 21:4, "I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked"?
• What sins does God accuse the princes of Israel of in Ezekiel 22:6-12?
• What does the phrase, "stand before me in the gap" in Ezekiel 22:30 mean?
• Why did God tell Ezekiel in chapter 24 not to lament or weep when his wife died?
• According to Ezekiel 25:6 why was God going to bring judgement on Ammon?
• In Ezekiel 26:4-5 what did God say would happen to Tyre?
• How does Ezekiel 27 describe what Tyre once was?
• In Ezekiel 28 God has Ezekiel prophesy to the ruler of Tyre.  Verse 2 says, "you are a mere mortal."  But verses 12-19 speak to one who was "anointed as a guardian cherub," who had been "on the holy mount of God."  In verse 17 what is the reason for this "guardian cherub" being cast down to earth?
• In Ezekiel 29, how long did God say Egyptians would be scattered before returning to their own land?
• According to Ezekiel 30:24-26, who would defeat the Egyptians resulting in them being dispersed among the nations?
• God says in Ezekiel 32:15, "When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the Lord."  How would the destruction of Egypt make people recognize God?

Psalms
Psalms 124 - 127

• Psalm 124 recognizes how different things would have been without God's help.  How has God's intervention in your life changed things?
• How does trusting in the Lord make you like Mt. Zion? (Psalm 125:1)
• Psalm 126:5-6 speaks of sowing with tears and reaping with joy.  When do people sow with tears and reap with joy?
• Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain."  How can you avoid laboring in vain?

Week 44, October 27 - November 2, 2019

New Testament
2 Peter 1

• What does it mean to "participate in the divine nature"? (2 Peter 1:4)
• According to 2 Peter 1:20-21, how was Scripture given?

2 Peter 2

• What examples does Peter give to show that "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment"? (2 Peter 2:9)
• Why does Peter say in 2 Peter 2:21, "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them"?

2 Peter 3

• How does Peter describe the last days?
• What does it mean to say, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day"?
• Based on 2 Peter 3:9, why hasn't Jesus returned yet?
• Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:14, "make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."  How do you make this effort?

Hebrews 1

• According to Hebrews 1, how is Jesus different from prophets?
• How is Jesus different from angels?
• What does Hebrews 1:14 say angels are?

Hebrews 2

• Hebrews 2:3 asks, "how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?"  What causes people to ignore this great salvation?
• What significance is there in Jesus being "fully human"? (Hebrews 2:17)

Old Testament
Ezekiel 1 - 16

• Where was Ezekiel when he had the visions he begins to describe in chapter 1?
• What did God call Ezekiel to do in chapter 2?
• In Ezekiel 3:8-9 God said He would make Ezekiel hard headed.  Why did Ezekiel need to be?
• What was the purpose of the unusual things God had Ezekiel do in chapter 4?
• What did the hair that Ezekiel shaved off in chapter 5 represent?
• What does Ezekiel 6:8-10 say will happen to those that escape the disasters coming on Israel?
• God says in Ezekiel 7:9, "Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you."  What purpose did God have in striking Israel?
• In Ezekiel 8 God shows Ezekiel things that God calls detestable.  He refers to them in verse 6 as "things that will drive me far from my sanctuary."  If God is everywhere what does it mean for Him to be driven far from His sanctuary?
• What was the purpose of the mark in Ezekiel 9?
• Why did the glory of the Lord depart from the temple in Ezekiel 10?
• In Ezekiel 11 God promised that the exiles would return and that He would give them "an undivided heart" and "a new spirit."  How does God change a person's heart?
• Why did Ezekiel pack his belongings in chapter 12?
• God rebukes false prophets in Ezekiel 13.  In verse 2 and again in verse 17 He says that false prophets, "prophesy out of their own imagination."  How can you discern between what God is saying to you and what is your own imagination?
• In Ezekiel 14:3 God says of the elders of Israel, "these men have set up idols in their hearts."  What does it mean for a person to set up idols in their heart?
• What does God illustrate in Ezekiel 15 with the wood from a vine?  If the wood from a vine is not very useful for making things, what is the vine's purpose?
• Why does God call Jerusalem an "adulterous wife" in Ezekiel 16:32?

Psalms
Psalms 120 - 123

• Psalm 120:7 says, "I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war."  What should you do if you want to live at peace with others but are unable to?
• According to Psalm 121:3-4, when does God sleep?
• Psalm 122:6 says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem."  What is the purpose of that peace?
• Psalm 123:2 compares our dependence on God to a slave's dependence on their master.  Since God calls us His children, why would a slave's relationship to their master be a useful comparison?

Week 43, October 20 - 26, 2019

New Testament
1 Peter 1

• What does Peter mean in 1 Peter 1:2 by the phrase "sprinkled with his blood"?
• 1 Peter 1:5 says that we are "shielded by God's power."  How have you seen God shield you by His power?
• 1 Peter 1:15 commands us, "be holy in all you do."  What does it mean to be holy?  What do you have to do to obey this command?

1 Peter 2

• 1 Peter 2:1 says, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."  How do you rid yourself of these things?
• Peter refers to believers as "God’s special possession" in 1 Peter 2:9.  Do you view yourself as a special possession of God? 
• 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness."  What does it mean to die to sin?

1 Peter 3

• How does a woman develop what Peter calls "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit"?  (1 Peter 3:4)
• In 1 Peter 3:7 Peter teaches men to treat their wives with respect.  Why does he add, "so that nothing will hinder your prayers"?
• 1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."  Are you prepared to give the answer Peter is speaking about?

1 Peter 4

• Peter tells us to "be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." (1 Peter 4:7)  What do you need to do on a daily basis to obey this instruction?
• 1 Peter 4:10 says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."  What gift are you using to serve others?  How does a person discover what their gifts are?

1 Peter 5

• What responsibilities do elders have in 1 Peter 5:1-4?
• 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  How do you cast your anxiety on God?
• What does 1 Peter 5:10 say God will do after you have suffered for a little while?

Old Testament
Jeremiah 43 - 52, Lamentations 1 - 5

• After asking for the Lord's direction in Jeremiah 42, Johanan and those with him disobeyed in Jeremiah 43.  Why would they ask for God's direction and then do the opposite of what He said?
• In Jeremiah 44 what did God say would happen to the people of Judah who had moved to Egypt?
• What change in attitude did God want to see in Baruch in Jeremiah 45?
• What promise did God make to Israel in Jeremiah 46:27?
• What did Jeremiah prophesy concerning the Philistines in Jeremiah 47:4?
• Jeremiah 48 describes coming judgement on Moab.  What reason for Moab's destruction is given in verse 42?
• Jeremiah 49 foretells destruction of several of Israel's neighbors.  In some cases God promises to bring restoration after the destruction.  What is the purpose of these prophecies?
• Jeremiah 50 prophesies that Babylon will be overthrown.  Verse 3 says, "A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land."  According to verses 4 and 5, what will happen to Israel after the destruction of Babylon?
• What reason does Jeremiah 51:49 give for Babylon's destruction?
• What did the Babylonians do with the bronze, gold, and silver articles in the temple?
• Lamentations expresses sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem.  1:6 says, "All the splendor has departed from Daughter Zion."  Why did God allow Jerusalem to be destroyed?
• What is the meaning of the statement in Lamentations 2:9, "the law is no more"?
• In the midst of the sorrow described in Lamentations, there is a basis for hope.  Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  In what way have you seen God's compassion in the midst of difficult times?
• Lamentations 4:12 describes the invasion of Jerusalem as something that was once unthinkable.  According to verse 13, why did it happen?
• Lamentations 5:21 asks God to restore the nation.  When and how did He answer this prayer?

Psalms
Psalm 119

• Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."  How do you hide God's Word in your heart?  How does that help you avoid sin?
• Psalm 119:37 says, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things."  Why would worthless things catch people's eyes?
• Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."  How can affliction cause a person to learn?
• There are times when we have inner turmoil because our desires are not in harmony with God's will.  Psalm 119:165 says, "Great peace have those who love your law."  How can you strengthen your love for God's law.  How will this bring you peace?

Week 42, October 13 - 19, 2019

New Testament
James 1

• What attitude toward trials does James tell us to take in James 1:2?
• James 1:6 teaches us that when we ask God for something we must believe and not doubt.  How can you believe and overcome doubt?
• James 1:22 urges us to be doers, not just listeners.  Are there things that God has shown you that you need to do that you haven't?

James 2

• Why does James say it is wrong to treat a rich person differently than a poor person?
• What does James mean in 2:13 when he says, "Mercy triumphs over judgment"?
• Why does James say that faith without action is dead?

James 3

• James 3:1-12 warns of the power of the tongue and says in verse 8, "no human being can tame the tongue."  How can our tongue be tamed?
• What is the difference between earthly and heavenly wisdom?

James 4

• Based on James 4:1-3, what should we do instead of quarreling?
• James 4:7 tells us to submit to God and resist the devil.  How do you do this?
• James 4:8 says, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."  What do you have to do to come near to God?

James 5

• James 5:8 says, "You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near."  How does knowing that the Lord's coming is near give you patience?
• What does James say the sick should do?

Old Testament
Jeremiah 29 - 42

• In his letter in Jeremiah 29, what did Jeremiah tell the exiles in Babylon they should do?
• Jeremiah 30:22 is one of many places in the Bible where God says, "you will be my people, and I will be your God."  What does it mean for you to be one of God's people?
• In Jeremiah 31:31-34 God promises to make a new covenant with His people.  What are the main features of that covenant?
• In Jeremiah 32 Jerusalem was under siege and Jeremiah was in prison.  Why, under these circumstances, did Jeremiah buy a field?
• God told Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)  How and when do you call to God?
• Jeremiah 34:8-11 describes the people of Jerusalem freeing their slaves and then changing their minds, taking their slaves back again.  Why would someone choose to do right and then change their mind and do wrong?
• What example did the Rekabite family provide in Jeremiah 35?
• In Jeremiah 36 Baruch read from a scroll that Jeremiah had dictated to him.  He first read it to the people and again to a group of officials.  How did the king react when Jehudi read it to him?
• Why was Jeremiah beaten and imprisoned in chapter 37?
• In Jeremiah 38 Zedekiah turned Jeremiah over to those who wanted to kill him, sent men to rescue Jeremiah, and then wanted to listen to what Jeremiah had to say.  What was Zedekiah so unstable?
• What happened to Jeremiah in chapters 39 and 40 when the people of Jerusalem were taken captive?  
• In Jeremiah 41 Ishmael and others killed Gedaliah and took people from Jerusalem captive.  Johanan and others rescued those who had been captured and together they were fleeing to Egypt.  What were they afraid of?
• What did Jeremiah tell Johanan and the people to do in chapter 42?  What did he tell them not to fear?

Psalms
Psalms 115 - 118

• Psalm 115:1 says, "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."  How can your life bring glory to God?
• How does Psalm 116 answer the question in verse 12, "What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?"  How would you answer that question for yourself?
• Psalm 118:8 says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."  Have you taken refuge in the Lord?

Week 41, October 6 - 12, 2019

New Testament
Mark 12

• Why is Jesus called "The stone the builders rejected"?
• What was Jesus' answer to the question, "whose wife will she be?" in Mark 12:23?
• Jesus said in Mark 12:30 that the most important commandment is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  What do you need to do to obey this command?

Mark 13

• What did Jesus tell His disciples not to do when they are arrested?
• Jesus said in Mark 13:13, "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."  What does it mean to stand firm?
• What does Jesus' command in Mark 13:37 to "watch" mean?

Mark 14

• In Mark 14 a woman poured perfume on Jesus' head.  Verse 5 says "they rebuked her harshly."  If you had been the woman how would you have responded to the rebuke?
• What did Jesus mean in Mark 14:22 when He said, "this is my body"?
• Jesus said in Mark 14:38, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  How should the disciples have been praying?

Mark 15

• Why did the crowd ask for Barabbas to be released?
• Why was the curtain torn in Mark 15:38?
• Who asked Pilate for Jesus' body to bury?

Mark 16

• What did the women find in Mark 16 when they went to the tomb?
• What command did Jesus give His disciples in Mark 16:15?
• What signs did Jesus say would follow believers?

Old Testament
Jeremiah 15 - 28

• God says in Jeremiah 15:1 that even the intercession of Moses and Samuel wouldn't help the nation.  What would help?
• Why did God tell Jeremiah not to marry and have children in Jeremiah 16?
• Jeremiah 17:5 says, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man."  Jeremiah 17:7 says, "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord."  How do you make sure that your trust is in the Lord?
• According to Jeremiah 18:7-8 how can repentance change the destiny of a nation?
• What did the broken jar in Jeremiah 19 represent?
• Jeremiah was persecuted for the things he prophesied.  How does he describe, in Jeremiah 20:9, what it is like to decide to quit speaking?
• In Jeremiah 21:9 why was Jeremiah telling the people to surrender to the Babylonians?
• According to Jeremiah 22:3, what did God expect kings to do?
• Where does false prophecy come from, according to Jeremiah 23:16?  Where does true prophecy come from according to verse 22?
• According to Jeremiah 23:23-24, where is God?
• In Jeremiah 24, what did the good figs represent?  What did the bad figs represent?
• What could Judah have done to avoid being taken captive by the Babylonians, based on Jeremiah 25:4-9?
• Why did people want to kill Jeremiah in Jeremiah 26?  Why wasn't he killed?
• Zedekiah was told by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 27:12, "Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live."  But he had false prophets tell him, "You will not serve the king of Babylon."  (Jeremiah 27:9)  How was he to know who to listen to?
• Why did Hananiah die in Jeremiah 28?

Psalms
Psalms 111 - 114

• Psalm 111:5 says, "He provides food for those who fear him."  Jesus taught us not to worry about what we will eat.  How have you seen God provide for you?
• Psalm 112:1 says, "Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands."  What do you need to do to find delight in the Lord's commands?
• Psalm 113:7 describes God raising the poor from the dust.  Verse 9 describes Him showing mercy to the childless woman.  How have you seen God show compassion to those in need?
• How would you answer the questions in Psalm 114:5?

Week 40, September 29 - October 5, 2019

New Testament
Mark 7

• The Pharisees were consistent in washing their hands before eating and considered that part of their obedience to God.  Why did Jesus say that they "have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions"? (Mark 7:8)
• In Mark 7:21-23 Jesus said that evil comes from out of our hearts.  How can we have a clean heart?
• Why did Jesus tell the Greek woman in Mark 7:27, "it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs"?

Mark 8

• In Mark 8:4 the disciples asked, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"  Why did they ask that after seeing Jesus feed a large crowd in Mark, Chapter 6?
• Jesus touched a blind man and in Mark 8:24 he said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."  Jesus touched him a second time and his sight was fully restored.  If you have prayed for something and you have seen a partial answer, what should you do?
• Why did Jesus say, "Get behind me, Satan!" to Peter?

Mark 9

• Why were Peter, James, and John allowed to see Moses and Elijah?
• Why weren't the disciples able to cast out the evil spirit in Mark 9:14-29?
• Jesus told His disciples in Mark 9:35, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."  How does this statement impact how you live?

Mark 10

• When Jesus was asked about divorce, what did He base His answer on?
• Mark 10:15 shows that we need to "receive the kingdom of God like a little child."  What does this mean?
• When Jesus was asked in Mark 10:26, "Who then can be saved?" He said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."  What makes being saved impossible with man?
• Why did people want Bartimaeus to be quiet?

Mark 11

• How do you put into practice what Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"?
• Jesus said in Mark 11:25, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them."  Is there anyone you need to forgive?

Old Testament
Jeremiah 1 - 14

• When did God say He had appointed Jeremiah as a prophet? (Jeremiah 1:5)
• God says in Jeremiah 2:13, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."  Why would anyone turn from living water to a broken cistern?
• In Jeremiah 3 God accuses Israel and Judah of unfaithfulness, considering their worship of idols to be like adultery.  In verse 14 He says, "Return, faithless people, for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion."  Why is God willing to forgive and restore people who have been unfaithful to Him?
• In Jeremiah 4 God is calling people to repentance.  In verse 4 He says, "circumcise your hearts"?  What does this mean?
• God says in Jeremiah 5:31, "The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way."  Why would people love lying prophets and priests who are not obedient to God?
• What is the meaning of the command in Jeremiah 6:16, "ask for the ancient paths"?
• In Jeremiah 7:1-11 God says that the people thought having a temple of the Lord kept them safe even though they were sinning.  What actions did God want them to change?
• In Jeremiah 8:4 God asks, "When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return?"  But in 8:5 God says of the people of Israel, "they refuse to return."  Why would someone refuse to return when they know they have turned away from what is right?
• God says in Jeremiah 9:24, "but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me."  What value do you place on knowing God?
• God speaks about idolatry in Jeremiah 10:5, "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."  Why would anyone worship an idol which can neither talk nor walk?
• What threat were the people of Anathoth bringing in Jeremiah 11:21?
• What is the answer to Jeremiah's question in 12:1, "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?"
• What does the linen belt in Jeremiah 13 represent?
• In Jeremiah 14:12 God says of Judah, "Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them."  What did God want from the people so He would listen to their prayers?

Psalms
Psalms 108 - 110

• David wrote in Psalm 108:11, "Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?"  When would David have felt that God no longer went out with Israel's army?
• In Psalm 109:6-15 David prays for harsh punishment for his enemy.  Jesus taught us to love our enemies.  Why would David ask for punishment for his enemy?
• Psalm 110 is referenced in the New Testament more than any other psalm.  Verse 1 was quoted by Jesus (Matthew 22:44, for example).  Verse 4 is quoted several times in Hebrews (Hebrews 5:6, for example).  Based on those quotations, who is Psalm 110 speaking about?

Week 39, September 22 - 28, 2019

New Testament
Mark 2

• When a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof in front of Jesus, why did Jesus tell the man his sins were forgiven before he healed him?
• What reason did Jesus give in Mark 2:17 for eating with tax collectors and sinners?
• What is the meaning of Jesus' statement in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"?

Mark 3

• Mark 3 describes Jesus in the synagogue and verse 5 says He was "deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts."  What causes a person to be stubborn in a way that would distress Jesus?
• What purpose did Jesus have in appointing the twelve in Mark 3:13-18?

Mark 4

• In the parable of the sower Jesus describes four different responses to the Word.  He says that seed on rocky soil represents those who hear the Word and receive it with joy, but wither because "they have no root."  What do you need to do to develop healthy roots?
• In Mark 4:38 the disciples asked, "Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?"  Why would they question whether Jesus cared?

Mark 5

• Why did Jesus allow the demons to go into the pigs in Mark, chapter 5?
• How could a woman who had been to many doctors without success still have faith to believe that she would be healed if she touched Jesus' cloak?

Mark 6

• Mark 6:5-6 says, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  He was amazed at their lack of faith."  Why would a lack of faith keep Jesus from doing miracles?
• Why did Jesus send out the 12 and tell them to take nothing for the trip, "no bread, no bag, no money in your belts"?
• Mark 6:52 says, "they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."  What were the disciples failing to understand about Jesus?  What do we need to understand about Him?

Old Testament
Isaiah 51 - 66

• God says in Isaiah 51:12, "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals?"  How does God's comfort overshadow our fears?
• Isaiah 52:2 says, "Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive."  How was Jerusalem to shake off their dust and free themselves from chains?
• Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities."  How has the punishment that Jesus took freed us from sin?
• In Isaiah 54:17 God promised Israel, "no weapon forged against you will prevail."  Are you able to ignore the fear of others and trust God to keep and protect you?
• God says in Isaiah 55:9, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Are there things you need to trust God for that you don't fully understand?
• Isaiah 56:7 says, "my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."  What does this show you about God's heart toward people of other nations?
• In Isaiah 57:15 God says, "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."  How does God revive our spirits and hearts?
• How does Isaiah 58 define true fasting?
• What does Isaiah 59:2 say separates people from God?
• God tells Israel in Isaiah 60:1, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."  The commands to "arise" and "shine" mean to stand up and let your light shine.  What would you need to do to obey these commands?
• Isaiah 61 makes great promises of restoration and concludes in verse 11 saying, "the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations."  How and when will these promises be fulfilled?
• Isaiah 62:6-7 says, "You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth."  What does it mean to give yourself no rest and to give God no rest?
• Isaiah 64 asks for God to intervene, "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down." (Isaiah 64:1)  But verse 6 acknowledges, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."  What basis does Isaiah have for asking God to intervene on Israel's behalf when they had been unrighteous?
• Why does God promise new heavens and a new earth in Isaiah 65:17?
• God gives the reason for coming judgement in Isaiah 66:4, "when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened."  How can you listen to God and answer when He calls?

Psalms
Psalm 107

• Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story."  What opportunities do you have to tell your story?

Week 38, September 15 - 21, 2019

New Testament
Titus 1

• Why did Paul say he left Titus in Crete?
• Why did Paul want Titus to rebuke the people of Crete?

Titus 2

• In Titus 2:7-8 what qualities did Paul want Titus to have in his teaching?
• What does Paul refer to as the "blessed hope" in Titus 2:13?

Titus 3

• According to Titus 3:5 why did God save us?
• In Titus 3:9 Paul said to avoid foolish controversies.  How do you avoid them?

Philemon

• Why did Paul say he could order Philemon what to do, but he preferred to appeal to him?
• What was Paul asking Philemon to do?

Mark 1

• Whose prophecy did John the Baptist fulfill?
• What was the main point of John the Baptist's message?
• Jesus said to Simon and Andrew in Mark 1:17, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”  Why would they leave their nets to follow Jesus in response to such a simple invitation?
• In Mark 1:24 a demon possessed man said to Jesus, "I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:34 says, "he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was."  If what the demon said was true, why didn't Jesus allow him to speak?
• Jesus healed a leper and told him in Mark 1:44 not to tell anyone.  Why didn't Jesus want the man to tell anyone?

Old Testament
Isaiah 34 - 50

• Isaiah 34 describes Edom being destroyed and turned over to desert creatures to "dwell there from generation to generation."  (Isaiah 34:17)  What is the purpose of this destruction?
• Isaiah 35:4 says, "say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.'" How can you obey a command to not fear?
• In how many different ways did the Assyrian field commander attack the faith of Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem in Isaiah 36?
• How did God end the threat from Assyria on Jerusalem in Isaiah 37?
• If you were Hezekiah, how would you have responded to what Isaiah told him in Isaiah 38:1?
• What was wrong with Hezekiah showing everything in his palace to the Babylonians in Isaiah 39?
• Why does Isaiah 40:6-8 compare people to grass?
• What do you need to do to gain the strength that Isaiah 40:31 talks about?
• God told Israel in Isaiah 41:12, "Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all."  Do you have a fearlessness from knowing that God alone has all power?
• God says in Isaiah 42:8, "I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols."  Do you give all glory to God?
• According to Isaiah 43:10 and 44:6 how many gods are there?
• Isaiah 45:22 says, "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other."  What opportunity did other nations have to turn to God?
• God says in Isaiah 46:4, "I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."  Do you recognize God's hand in sustaining you?
• Why does God say in Isaiah 48:22 that there is no peace for the wicked?
• Who is the "light for the Gentiles" mentioned in Isaiah 49:6?
• God says to Israel in Isaiah 50:2, "When I called, why was there no one to answer?"  How open are you to God's call?

Psalms
Psalm 106

• Psalm 106:13 is speaking of Israel and says, "But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold."  What situations have you been in when you needed to wait for God's plan to unfold?

Week 37, September 8 - 14, 2019

New Testament
1 Timothy 6

• Why would Paul teach slaves to respect their masters?
• In 1 Timothy 6:8 Paul teaches us to be content if we have food and clothing.  Are you able to be content when your basic needs are met?
• What commands did Paul tell Timothy to give to rich people in 1 Timothy 6:17-19?

2 Timothy 1

• In 2 Timothy 1:5, whose influence on Timothy did Paul recognize?
• 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." In what ways has God given you power, love, and self-discipline?

2 Timothy 2

• In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul instructed Timothy to teach others who would be capable of teaching others.  What part do you have in this process of passing on truth to others who will be able to pass it on to others?
• Paul told Timothy to warn people "against quarreling about words."  (2 Timothy 2:14)  How would you recognize when a conversation has become a quarrel about words?
• 2 Timothy 2:24 teaches us not to be quarrelsome.  What causes a person to be quarrelsome?  How can you avoid it?

2 Timothy 3

• What will make the last days "terrible times"?
• What does it mean to be "always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth"? (2 Timothy 3:7)
• What does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teach us about Scripture?

2 Timothy 4

• What is the meaning of Paul's instruction in 2 Timothy 4:2, "be prepared in season and out of season"?
• Why does Paul compare himself to a drink offering in 2 Timothy 4:6?

Old Testament
Isaiah 18 - 33

• What does the Lord say in Isaiah 18 that will happen to Cush?  What will the result be?
• Isaiah 19:21 says that "the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians."  When and how will that happen?
• In Isaiah 20, how did God show Israel not to trust in Cush or Egypt?
• In Isaiah 22:10-11, Isaiah describes Jerusalem making plans for their defense, but failing to rely on God, "You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall. You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago."  Are there ways in which you are relying on your own plans but not on God?
• God refers to the economy of Tyre as "lucrative prostitution." (Isaiah 23:17)  But He says in verse 18, "Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord," and "Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord."  How could God use profits gained in an ungodly way to help those who are following the Lord?
• Isaiah 24:3 says, "The earth will be completely laid waste."  Why will this happen?
• Isaiah 25:8 says that God, "will swallow up death forever," and "will wipe away the tears    from all faces."  How will God accomplish this?
• Isaiah 26:12 says, "all that we have accomplished you have done for us."  Do you have this attitude toward whatever you have accomplished?
• Isaiah 27:2-3 says, "Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually.  I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it." Jesus said that he is the vine and we are the branches.  In what ways have you seen God watch over, water, and guard you?
• What is the cornerstone Isaiah speaks of in Isaiah 28:16?
• God says in Isaiah 29:13,"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  How can you draw near to God with your whole heart?
• Isaiah 30:1 rebukes "those who carry out plans that are not mine."  How likely are you to seek God's direction when you make plans?
• Isaiah 31:6 says, "Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against."  What would Israel need to do to return to God?
• Isaiah 32:17 says, "The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever."  Why does righteousness bring peace, quietness, and confidence?
• Isaiah 33:24 says, "No one living in Zion will say, 'I am ill'; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven."  When will this be fulfilled?

Psalms
Psalms 104 - 105

• Psalm 104:33 says, "I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."  Do you sing to God?
• Psalm 105:5 says, "Remember the wonders he has done."  What benefit do you get from remembering what God has done for you?

Week 36, September 1 - 7, 2019

New Testament
1 Timothy 1

• What did Paul have Timothy stay in Ephesus to do?
• According to 1 Timothy 1:15, why did Christ Jesus come into the world?

1 Timothy 2

• According to 1 Timothy 2:2 what is the point of praying for those in authority?
• 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God wants all people to be saved.  Why aren't they?

1 Timothy 3

• Are the qualifications for an overseer mostly character qualities or talents?
• Why are overseers and deacons expected to manage their own households well?

1 Timothy 4

• What does 1 Timothy 4:1 say will happen in later times?
• Why does Paul say that godliness is more valuable than physical training?
• Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young."  How can you keep someone from looking down on you?

1 Timothy 5

• Why did Paul have specific limits on the church supporting widows?
• Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:21, "keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism."  What is wrong with favoritism?

Old Testament
Isaiah 1 - 17

• In Isaiah 1:18 God offers to cleanse the people from sin, "'Come now, let us settle the matter,'  says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"  What did they need to do to be cleansed from sin?
• Isaiah 2 describes a time when all human pride will be brought low and "the Lord alone will be exalted in that day." (verse 11 and again in verse 17)  Verse 22 then commands us, "Stop trusting in mere humans."  How can you put your trust in God alone?
• Isaiah 3:2-3 speaks of God removing good leaders from Jerusalem and Judah and says in verse 4, "children will rule over them,"  The result in verse 5 is that "People will oppress each other."  How should we be praying for leaders in our country now?
• What does God promise to do for Jerusalem in Isaiah 4:2-6?
• What does the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7 represent?
• What did Isaiah volunteer for in chapter 6?
• God had Isaiah command Ahaz, "keep calm and don’t be afraid." (Isaiah 7:4)  What can you do to keep calm when your circumstances make you afraid?
• Isaiah also told Ahaz, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."  (Isaiah 7:9)  What does this mean?
• What does God say in Isaiah 8:19 about consulting the dead through mediums or spiritists?
• What promise was made in Isaiah 9:6-7?  How has Jesus fulfilled this?
• Why does God say in Isaiah, chapter 10, that He would punish Assyria?
• Who is the Branch described in Isaiah 11:1-5?
• Isaiah 12:6 says, "Shout aloud and sing for joy."  In what circumstances do you praise God with exuberance?
• Who does God say, in Isaiah 13:17, He will stir up to oppose Babylon?
• Isaiah 14:1 promises that Israel, after being taken into captivity, would be restored to the land, "The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land."  Why was being restored to the land an important promise?
• Isaiah, chapters 15 and 16 prophesied of the destruction of Moab.  How long would it be until this was fulfilled, according to Isaiah 16:14?
• Isaiah 17:10 says, "You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress."  Why would anyone forget God?

Psalms
Psalm 102 - 103

• Psalm 102 is the prayer of an afflicted person.  What reason for hope is given in this psalm?
• Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."  What does it mean to have our transgressions removed?

Week 35, August 25 - 31, 2019

New Testament
1 Thessalonians 4

• What reasons does Paul give in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 for avoiding sexual immorality?
• According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, what will happen to Christians who have died?

1 Thessalonians 5

• 1 Thessalonians 5:1 says, "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."  What does this mean?  How should you prepare for it?
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray continually.  How do you do this?

2 Thessalonians 1

• What does Paul say, in 2 Thessalonians 1:3, is growing and increasing among the Thessalonians?
• According to 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, how will God punish those "who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus"?

2 Thessalonians 2

• What does Paul say must happen before the coming of the Lord Jesus?
• In 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Paul speaks about those who will be deceived, "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved."  What would cause someone to refuse to love the truth?
• Paul encourages the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, "stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you."  What do you need to do to stand firm?

2 Thessalonians 3

• What does Paul ask the Thessalonians to pray for in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2?
• What rule does Paul give for the person who is unwilling to work?

Old Testament
Ecclesiastes 1 - 12, Song of Solomon 1 - 8

• Why does the writer of Ecclesiastes declare that everything is meaningless in chapter 1?  What gives our lives meaning?
• What did the writer try in chapter 2 that he found meaningless?
• What does Ecclesiastes 3:11 mean saying that God has, "set eternity in the human heart"?
• According to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, why are two better than one?
• Why does Ecclesiastes 5:5 say it is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it?
• Ecclesiastes 6:2 says that some people have great wealth but lack the ability to enjoy it.  Why would a person lack this ability?
• Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, "Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."  How can you avoid being a person who is easily angered?
• Why would the author say, in Ecclesiastes 8:15, "there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad"?
• Ecclesiastes 9:17 says, "The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools."  How can you hear the quiet words of the wise?
• Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, "As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor."  Can you think of examples of people whose little folly outweighed their wisdom and honor?
• Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap."  This shows we can be too reluctant to act while waiting for perfect conditions.  How can you know when it is time to act and when you should wait?
• What is the conclusion of Ecclesiastes?

• Song of Solomon or Song of Songs is a love poem.  Some parts are spoken by a man, some by a woman, and some by others.  The woman has experienced rejection, "My mother’s sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards," (Song of Solomon 1:6) but is the object of delight in this book.  Can the love God has for you overshadow whatever rejection and pain you may have experienced in life?
• What is the meaning of the statement in Song of Solomon 2:4, "let his banner over me be love"?
• What is the meaning of the statement in Song of Solomon 3:5, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires"?
• The man says to the woman in Song of Solomon 4:7, "there is no flaw in you."  Is the woman flawless or has the man chosen to view her as flawless?
• The woman says in Song of Solomon 5:2, "I slept but my heart was awake."  Do you have a devotion to God that is strong whether you are sleeping or awake?
• Song of Solomon 6:3 says, "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine."  What is the value of  a stable, committed, relationship between a man and a woman?  What is the value of a stable, committed, relationship between you and God?
• Song of Solomon 8:7 says, "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.  If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned."  Do you have an unquenchable love for God?

Psalms
Psalms 98 - 101

• Psalm 98:4 says to "burst into jubilant song."  What should you do if you aren't feeling jubilant?
• Psalm 99:4 says, "The King is mighty, he loves justice."  Since each of us is a unique creation, what is justice?
• Psalm 100:1-2 says, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness;  come before him with joyful songs."  What helps you worship with joy and gladness?  What hinders you?
• David wrote in Psalm 101:3, "I will not look with approval on anything that is vile."  What should your attitude be toward people whose behavior could be called vile?

Week 34, August 18 - 24, 2019

New Testament
Colossians 3

• In Colossians 3 Paul tells us in verse 1, "set your hearts on things above," and in verse 2, "Set your minds on things above."  How can you do this?
• What reasons does Paul give us in Colossians 3:9-10 to not lie?
• We are commanded in Colossians 3:14, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Is there anyone you need to forgive?

Colossians 4

• Colossians 4:2 says, "Devote yourselves to prayer."  What do you need to do to be devoted to prayer?
• Colossians 4:6 says that our conversation should be "full of grace, seasoned with salt."  How can you learn to say the right thing, neither saying too much or too little?

1 Thessalonians 1

• Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 that the gospel came to the Thessalonians, "with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction."  What does this mean?
• What does Paul say the Thessalonians turned to God from?

1 Thessalonians 2

• Paul describes his motives for preaching the gospel, "We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts." (1 Thessalonians 2:4)  What motivates you?
• Paul describes his ministry among the Thessalonians as "encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God." (1 Thessalonians 2:12)  Who has encouraged, comforted, and urged you to live for God?

1 Thessalonians 3

• Paul says he told the Thessalonians that they would be persecuted.  (1 Thessalonians 3:4)  Why would God allow believers to be persecuted?
• What report did Timothy bring Paul that was so encouraging to him?

Old Testament
Proverbs 17 - 31

• Proverbs 17:5 says, "Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker."  Why would someone want to mock the poor?  What attitude should you have toward the poor?
• Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."  How do you run to the name of the Lord?
• Proverbs 19:3 says, "A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord."  Why would someone be mad at God for the consequences of their own folly?
• Proverbs 20:10 says the Lord hates differing weights and measures.  Why would He?
• Proverbs 21:30 says, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."  How does this truth impact the way you face trouble and opposition?
• We are encouraged to be generous in Proverbs 22:9.  "The generous will themselves be blessed for they share their food with the poor."  What opportunities do you have to be generous toward the poor?
• What warnings do you find about drinking in Proverbs 23:29-35?
• What reason does Proverbs 24:19-20 give for not envying the wicked?
• Why does Proverbs 25:21 tell us to give food and drink to our enemy?
• Why do verses 4 and 5 of Proverbs 26 seem to point in opposite directions?
• Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."  What opportunities do you have to be sharpened by others and to sharpen others?
• Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."  Why would being righteous make a person bold?
• "Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end." (Proverbs 29:11)  Are you more likely to give vent to your rage to bring calm?
• Why does Proverbs 30:8 ask God for neither poverty nor riches?
• Why does Proverbs 31:4 say it is not for kings to drink beer and wine?

Psalms
Psalms 94 - 97

• Psalm 94:19 says, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."  When and how has God turned your anxiety into joy for you?
• Psalm 95 is a call to worship with others.  The phrase "let us" is used five times.  "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation." (verse 1)  "Let us come before him with thanksgiving." (verse 2)  "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."  What is the value of worshiping with others?
• "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth." (Psalm 96:1)  Why does this verse specify a new song?
• "Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name."  (Psalm 97:12)  Why are we commanded to rejoice?  Why is it important?

Week 33, August 11 - 17, 2019

New Testament
Philippians 2

• Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."  How can you develop an attitude of valuing others?
• Philippians 2:13 says, "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."  How has God worked in you to fulfill His purpose?

Philippians 3

• Paul says in Philippians 3:8 that it is worth giving up everything else for the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."  Do you put that value on knowing the Lord?  What can you do to know Him better?
• In Philippians 3 verses 12 and 14, Paul twice uses the phrase, "I press on."  What does this mean?  What is he pressing on toward?

Philippians 4

• We are commanded in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always."  How can a person rejoice when they are having trouble?  Are you able to rejoice when you are having trouble?
• What does Philippians 4:6 tell us to do instead of being anxious?  What are we promised if we pray with thanksgiving?

Colossians 1

• What does Paul mean in Colossians 1:6 when he says, "the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world"?
• What does Paul say, in Colossians 1:9-12, that he is praying for the Colossians?
• Paul says in Colossians 1:21 that we were once alienated from God.  He says in verse 22 that we have been reconciled.  What does this mean?

Colossians 2

• Colossians 2:7 urges us to be "rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith."  What do you need to do to have this happen in your life?
• Paul tells us in Colossians 2:16 "do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day."  How do you keep someone else from judging you?

Old Testament
Proverbs 1 - 16

• Proverbs 1:20-33 pictures wisdom speaking.  Verse 24 says, "no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand."  Why would anyone fail to pay attention to wisdom?
• What benefits of having wisdom are described in chapter 2?
• Proverbs 3:3 says, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."  What do you need to do to keep love and faithfulness?
• Proverbs 3:11 says to not despise the Lord's discipline.  How would you know when you are being disciplined by the Lord?
• Proverbs 4:16 says that the wicked, "cannot rest until they do evil."  What would cause a person to be so inclined to evil?
• "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)  How do you guard your heart?
• Proverbs 5 warns of the consequences of adultery.  What strategies do you find in the chapter for avoiding adultery?
• In Proverbs 6:6-8, what are we supposed to learn from ants?
• Chapter 7 has further warnings against adultery.  Why does verse 23 say that adultery will cost the adulterer his life?
• Proverbs 8:11 says, "wisdom is more precious than rubies."  Do you place a high value on wisdom?
• In chapter 9, both wisdom and folly are pictured calling out from the highest point in the city, inviting people saying, "Let all who are simple come to my house!" (verse 4, wisdom; verse 16, folly)  Why do the invitations of wisdom and folly look so similar?
• Proverbs 10:22 says, "The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it."  How do you obtain that blessing?
• According to Proverbs 11:2, what does pride bring?  What does humility bring?
• Proverbs 12:11 says, "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense."  This shows the contrast between steady labor and get-rich-quick schemes.  For you, what would be the equivalent of working your land?
• Proverbs 13:10 says, "Where there is strife, there is pride."  Why does pride bring strife?
• Proverbs 14:1 says a foolish woman tears her house down with her own hands.  What is an example of a foolish woman tearing her own house down?
• Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."  How can you avoid ways that appear to be right but aren't?
• Proverbs 15:8 says, "The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked."  Since a sacrifice is an act of worship, why would the Lord detest it?
• "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." (Proverbs 16:3)  What do you have to do to commit whatever you do to the Lord?

Psalms
Psalms 91 - 93

• Psalm 91 promises protection and long life to the one who dwells in the "shelter of the Most High."  How does a person dwell in God's shelter?
• Psalm 92:4 says, "I sing for joy at what your hands have done."  What has God done that brings you joy?
• According to Psalm 93:2 when was God's throne established?

Week 32, August 4 - 10, 2019

New Testament
Ephesians 3

• In Ephesians 3:6 what mystery does Paul say has been revealed?
• Ephesians 3:12 says, "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."  Do you approach God with freedom and confidence?  What is that freedom based on?
• What does Paul say in Ephesians 3:16-19 he is praying for the Ephesian Christians?

Ephesians 4

• Paul says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."  (Ephesians 4:3)  What kind of effort is needed to keep unity?
• According to Ephesians 4:13-16, what does God want us to become?
• In Ephesians 4:22-23, Paul tells us to put off the old self and put on the new self.  How do we do this?
• What does Ephesians 4:29 say we should do with our ability to speak?

Ephesians 5

• Ephesians 5:10 says, "and find out what pleases the Lord."  How do you find out what pleases the Lord?
• Ephesians 5:18 tells us not to get drunk on wine.  What are we told to do instead?
• In what way are husbands told to love their wives?

Ephesians 6

• What are children taught to do in Ephesians 6:1?
• Ephesians 6:11-17 teaches us to put on the full armor of God.  How do you do this?

Philippians 1

• Paul says he is praying for the Philippians and says, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  How does confidence that God will continue to work in you impact your desire to know and obey the Lord?
• Why does Paul say to die is gain?

Old Testament
Job 22 - 42

• Eliphaz and his friends assumed that bad things happened to Job because he had been bad.  In Job 22:5-9 Eliphaz starts naming specific sins that he assumes Job has committed.  Why did Eliphaz feel a need to condemn Job?
• Job says in Job 23:10, "when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."  What did he base this confidence on?
• In Job 24:1 Job wonders, "Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment?"  He then describes many injustices that take place in the world that seem to go without punishment.  How would you answer Job's question in verse 1?
• Bildad asks in Job 25:4, "How then can a mortal be righteous before God?"  What is the answer to his question?
• Job said, "I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it." (Job 27:6)  He was disagreeing with his friends who thought his problems were the result of his sin.  Was Job right in saying this?
• In chapter 28 Job describes wisdom as harder to find than precious metals that are mined far below ground.  This seems to contrast with Proverbs 9:1-6 which depicts wisdom calling out from the highest point of the city, inviting everyone to come.  Which view of wisdom is most accurate?
• In chapter 29 Job remembers the days when he was deeply respected and in chapter 30 he describes being mocked now that he is suffering.  How can you keep a consistent love for God and understanding of His purpose when people's opinions of you may change?
• "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. (Job 31:1)  What does it mean to make a covenant with your eyes?
• In Job 31:15 Job gives the reason he must treat his servants with justice.  "Did not he who made me in the womb make them?"  Do you look at others with this understanding and treat others the way you would like to be treated?
• In chapter 32 Elihu speaks up after Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar because, "not one of you has proved Job wrong." (Job 32:12)  Why did he want to prove Job wrong?
• It troubled Elihu for Job to claim to be innocent and like the three men before him, Elihu assumed that Job's problems were the result of his sin.  "Is there anyone like Job, who drinks scorn like water? He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with the wicked." (Job 34:7-8)  Why were these men unable to believe Job's claim to being innocent?
• Elihu thought that Job merely needed to repent to be set free from his suffering, "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food." (Job 36:16)  Elihu didn't understand what was really happening.  What should we do when we want to encourage someone whose situation we don't fully understand?
• In chapter 38 God begins to speak.  He says in verse 4, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?"  He then begins to describe some of the complexity of creation.  What value is there in remembering that God knows infinitely more than we do and that He created everything we see?
• How did Job answer God in Job 40:3-5?
• God says in Job 41:11, "Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me."  Why is it important for us to recognize that God owns everything?
• Job said to Eliphaz in Job 42:7, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has."  At times Job complained and wanted to die.  Some of the things that Eliphaz and his two friends said are true.  Why does God summarize by saying that Eliphaz and his friends did not speak the truth and Job did?
• What happened after Job prayed for his friends?

Psalms
Psalms 89 - 90

• Psalm 89 has these themes 
• verses 1-18, God is great and mighty
• verses 19- 37, God made great promises to David
• verses 38-45, We are defeated and in trouble
• verses 46-52, a prayer for God's intervention, Why does this psalm begin by declaring God's greatness and remembering His promises, when it was written in a time of great trouble?
• Psalm 90 shows that God is eternal, "from everlasting to everlasting you are God," (Psalm 90:2).  It also shows that our lives are short by comparison, "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures." (Psalm 90:10).  Moses prayed, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  (Psalm 90:12)  What does it mean to number your days?  What is the benefit?