Week 9, February 24 - March 2, 2019

New Testament
Revelation 13

• Revelation 13 describes a time when "the beast" will have authority over the whole earth.  Revelation 13:10 says, "This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people."  What would give you the ability to have patient endurance and faithfulness in a time of extreme trouble?
• What is the purpose of the mark of the beast described in Revelation 13?

Revelation 14

• What does Revelation 14:9-10 say is the punishment for worshiping the beast and receiving his mark?
• Why does Revelation 14:13 say, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on"?

Revelation 15

• Revelation 15 introduces the seven last plagues and says that "with them God’s wrath is completed." (Revelation 15:1)  What does it mean for God's wrath to be completed?
• Why could no one enter the temple in Revelation 15:8?

Revelation 16

• Revelation 16:9 describes people cursing God but refusing to repent and glorify God.  Why would anyone refuse to repent in those circumstances?
• Revelation 16:14 describes demonic spirits that will go out go to gather kings for battle.  How would demons motivate kings to go to war?

Revelation 17

• What does the woman in Revelation 17 represent?
• Revelation 17:14 says that earthly kings and the beast, "will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings."  How will the Lord triumph over His enemies?

Old Testament
Numbers 19-36

• What did Moses do wrong in Numbers 20 that caused God to say that Moses would not enter the Promised Land?
• In Numbers 21:9, the people were provided a remedy for snake bites that required a simple act of faith and obedience.  Why does John 3:14 compare Jesus to the bronze snake in the wilderness?
• What is the meaning of God's statement in Numbers 22:12, "You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed."  What do you need to do to live under God's blessing such that He would protect you from someone trying to harm you?
• In Numbers 22:18 Balaam sounds like an obedient servant of God, but Numbers 22:22 shows that God was angry with him.  In verse 32 the angel told him, "your path is a reckless one before me."  Where did Balaam go wrong?
• Balak's attempts to have a curse put on Israel in Numbers 23 and 24 failed because of God's blessing on them.  However, in chapter 25, harm came to Israel because of their own disobedience.  Had the people of Israel removed themselves from God's protection?
• When Israel was counted in Numbers 26, had they increased or decreased in number since they were counted in Numbers 1?
• Why did Zelophehad's daughters ask for property in Numbers 27?
• Who was appointed to take the place of Moses after his death?
• Numbers 30:2 commands someone who has made a vow to keep his word.  Why does God want us to keep our word?
• In Numbers 32, did the people who wanted to make their home east of the Jordan make a good decision or a bad one?
• What was the purpose of the cities of refuge described in Numbers 35?

Psalms
Psalms 25 - 28

• Psalm 25:14 says, "The Lord confides in those who fear him." To confide means to include someone in personal conversation.  In what ways does the Lord confide in you?
• David wrote in Psalm 26:8, "Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells."  What opportunity do you have to be in a place where God's glory dwells?
• Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  What does it mean to wait for the Lord?  Why do you have to be strong to do it?
• David wrote in Psalm 28:7, "My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."  If you lack joy, can you rekindle it through worship?

Week 8, February 17 - 23, 2019

New Testament
Revelation 8

• Revelation 8:3 describes an angel offering incense with the prayers of God's people.  When the angel hurls his censer to the earth, great punishment begins to be inflicted on the earth.  Why didn't the prayers of God's people prevent these punishments?
• What was the result of the first trumpet in Revelation 8:7?

Revelation 9

• Revelation 9:6 describes people longing to die but unable to die.  What is God's purpose in this time of such suffering?
• Revelation 9:20-21 describes a refusal to repent despite widespread suffering.  What causes a person to stubbornly refuse to repent?

Revelation 10

• Why would God allow John to hear the seven thunders but tell him not to write what he heard?
• Why would the scroll John ate be sweet in his mouth and sour in his stomach?

Revelation 11

• Why will the inhabitants of earth celebrate the death of the two prophets in Revelation 11?
• According to Revelation 11:15 how long will the Lord reign?

Revelation 12

• Who is the great dragon according to Revelation 12:9?
• How is the devil described in Revelation 12:10?
• Revelation 12:12 describes the devil as being filled with fury.  What is the reason for his fury?

Old Testament
Numbers 1 - 18

• Who was not counted in Numbers 1?
• When the Israelites arranged their camp according to the directions in Numbers 2, where was the tabernacle?
• What was the purpose of the blessing in Numbers 6:24-26?
• According to Numbers 9 could a foreigner living among the Israelites celebrate the Passover?
• Numbers 9:22 says, "Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out."  Following the Lord in this way would require a flexible attitude toward timing.  Are you willing to follow the Lord when changes in your life are faster or slower than you expected?
• What was the purpose of the trumpets in Numbers 10?
• In Numbers 11 the people complained about their food.  God said in verse 20, "you have rejected the Lord."  Why would complaining about the food be a rejection of the Lord?
• Why did Miriam become leprous in Numbers 12?
• Of the 12 men that Moses sent to explore the land, what did they all agree on?  On what did Caleb disagree with the others?
• In Numbers 14 who did God say would enter the Promised Land?  Who did He say would not?
• What was the purpose of the budding of Aaron's staff in Numbers 17?

Psalms
Psalms 22 - 24

• Why did Jesus quote from Psalm 22:1 when He was on the cross?
• Psalm 23:5 says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."  Why would God prepare a table in the presence of enemies?
• David states, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it."  (Psalm 24:1)  Are you able to trust God to provide the things you need?

Week 7, February 10 - 16, 2019

New Testament
Revelation 3

• Jesus told the church in Sardis, "you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead."  Why would there be such a difference between their reputation and what God says about them?
• What does Revelation 3:12 say Jesus will write on those who are victorious?
• How would you do the things Jesus told the church in Laodicea to do in Revelation 3:18?

Revelation 4

• Who is the one sitting on the throne in Revelation 4?
• Why do the 24 elders in Revelation 4:10 lay their crowns before the throne?

Revelation 5

• Why was Jesus worthy to open the scroll in Revelation 5 when no one else was?
• According to Revelation 5:9 what did Jesus purchase with His blood?

Revelation 6

• What resulted from the four horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8?
• Why were martyrs told to wait a little longer in Revelation 6:11?
• Why did people want to hide from God in Revelation 6:16?

Revelation 7

• Based on Revelation 7:9-17, how many people will be in God's presence forever?  Where will they come from?
• What things will people not experience in heaven according to this chapter?

Old Testament
Leviticus 15 - 27

• How often was Aaron commanded, in Leviticus 16, to go into the Most Holy Place?  Could he go in at other times?
• What is the meaning of the statement in Leviticus 17:11, "it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life"?
• What reason does God give in Leviticus 18 for forbidding some sexual practices?
• Leviticus 19:18 says, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."  How can you keep from bearing a grudge?
• Why does Leviticus 22:10 only allow a priest and his family to eat sacred offerings?
• Was the Sabbath year in Leviticus 25 for the benefit of the land or the people?
• What was the purpose of the Year of Jubilee?
• What promises did God make to Israel in Leviticus 26:3-12, if they would obey His commands?

Psalms
Psalm 19 - 21

• Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God," but verse 3 says, "they use no words."  How do the heavens declare God's glory?
• Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."  How can you place your full trust in God and not trust in other things?
• What does David say he asked for in Psalm 21:4?

Week 6, February 3 - 9, 2019

New Testament
1 John 5

• According to 1 John 5:11-12, who has eternal life?
• John writes in 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."  Do you know that you have eternal life?

2 John

• What does John say in verse 4 gave him great joy?
• What does John warn against in this book?

3 John

• John points out that Diotrephes was doing wrong.  What was the reason for what he did?
• In 3 John verses 13 and 14 John wrote, "I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink.  I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face."  What advantages does face to face communication have over written communication?

Revelation 1

• According to Revelation 1:7 who will see Jesus when He comes?
• Where was John when he was given the revelation recorded in this book?
• John was very close to Jesus when He was on earth.  Why did John fall down like a dead man in Revelation 1:17?

Revelation 2

• What did Jesus want the church in Ephesus to repent from?
• Jesus told the church in Smyrna that they would face suffering.  What did He want them to do about it?
• What did Jesus say He held against the church in Thyatira?

Old Testament
Leviticus 1 - 14
Leviticus is not the easiest book of the Bible to read.  Some of it tells the priests how they are to do their job of presenting sacrifices and what to do with the blood and parts of the animal sacrifices.  In the New Testament we learn that all this was a "shadow" of what was to come when Jesus died for our sins.  Hebrews 10:1 says, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship."  Leviticus is worth reading to get the big picture of what God has done for us.

• Leviticus 1 explains how offerings of bulls, sheep, goats, and birds are to be made.  Why were these offerings made?
• Why did Old Testament Law forbid eating fat or blood?
• According to Leviticus 6:1-5, if someone cheats their neighbor, how much do they have to add to what they pay back to make it right?
• How did God appear to the people in Leviticus 9?  How did the people react?
• Why was God so harsh with Nadab and Abihu in chapter 10?
• What two things needed to be true of land animals for Israelites to be able to eat them?  What two things did creatures living in the water need for Israelites to be able to eat them?
• Why were skin diseases given so much scrutiny as described in chapter 13?

Psalms
Psalm 18

• In Psalm 18:2 David uses several ways to describe God: my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.  Do you see God in that way, recognizing His strength to protect you?
• Psalm 18:27 says, "You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty."  This is one of several Scriptures that emphasize God's help for the humble.  What does it mean to be humble and how can you maintain humility?