Week 31, July 28 - August 3, 2019

New Testament
Galatians 4

• Galatians 4:6 says, "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts."  What does it mean to have Jesus in your heart?
• Why does Paul say in Galatians 4:25 that the present city of Jerusalem is in slavery?

Galatians 5

• In Galatians 5:4 Paul says, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ."  He is speaking to people who had been told that they had to be circumcised to be saved.  Are there ways in which you are trying to be justified by works rather than trusting in Jesus who paid for your sins?
• Paul tells us to walk by the Spirit and says, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." (Galatians 5:17)  What do you need to do to walk by the Spirit and not be controlled by the flesh?
• What examples of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) do you see in your life or the lives of others?

Galatians 6

• What attitude are we to take in restoring someone caught in a sin?  (Galatians 6:1)
• Why does Paul tell us in Galatians 6:9 to "not become weary in doing good."  Why should doing good make us weary?

Ephesians 1

• According to Ephesians 1:13-14, what happened when you heard the gospel and believed?
• What does Paul say he is praying for the Ephesians?

Ephesians 2

• Why does Ephesians 2:1 say we were dead in transgressions and sins?  What does this mean?
• According to Ephesians 2:2-3, what three things controlled us when we were dead in sin?
• Why does Ephesians 2:9-10 say that we were not saved by works, but we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works?

Old Testament
Job 1 - 21

• What was Satan's objective when he attacked Job in chapter 1?
• Job asked his wife in Job 2:10, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"  What is your attitude when you face trouble?
• Why did Job's friends sit silently with him for 7 days?
• In Job 3:11 Job said, "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?"  If you could answer Job, what would you tell him?
• In Job 4 Eliphaz assumes that bad things only happen to people who have been bad.  He says, "Who, being innocent, has ever perished?"  What do you think of his reasoning?
• Eliphaz, in Job 5:8 tells Job he should pray about his situation, "But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him."  Do you think this advice was helpful to Job?
• In Job 6:8-9 what does Job say he has prayed for?
• Job describes life as "like a slave longing for the evening shadows." (Job 7:2)  What allows a person to enjoy life and not look at it only as a struggle to get through?
• Bildad told Job that if he would pray God would restore him, "But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state." (Job 8:5-6)  What was wrong with Bildad's advice?
• In Job 9:33, Job says he needs a mediator but does not have one.  Who is our mediator?
• In Job 10:13-14, Job speaks as though God is looking for an opportunity to condemn and punish him.  Why did Job think this?
• Zophar, like Eliphaz and Bildad, assumed that Job was suffering because of his sin.  If you read chapter 1 and 2, you know this isn't true.  Zophar said, "God has even forgotten some of your sin." (Job 11:6)  This is a true statement, but what was wrong with what Zophar was saying?
• Job said in Job 12:5, "Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune."  If you are at ease, how can you avoid having contempt for others in misfortune?
• Job said to his friends, "If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom." (Job 13:5)  His friends had been silent for the first week they were with him,  (Job 2:13)  Why do you think they started speaking the things they did?
• In his suffering Job expressed a desire to just be left alone, "So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired laborer." (Job 14:6)  Why wasn't he finding comfort from his friends, his wife, or even from God?
• Eliphaz accuses Job, "But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God." (Job 15:4)  His reasoning must have been that if Job claimed to have been devoted to God, but was still suffering greatly, it would discourage others from wanting to be devoted to God.  How would you answer his argument?
• Job calls his friends "miserable comforters" (Job 16:2) and says that if their situations were reversed, "my mouth would encourage you." (Job 16:5)  If you had been with Job what could you say with your mouth that could encourage him?
• Job 17:1 says, "My spirit is broken."  What does this mean?  Is it possible to have an unbroken spirit in spite of great suffering?
• What is Bildad's purpose in describing what happens to the wicked man in Job 18:5-21?
• Job describes his hope in a redeemer in Job 19:25-27.  This seems to contrast with his earlier statements that he wants to die and be no more.  Where does he get this hope?
• Zophar says in Job 20:3, "I hear a rebuke that dishonors me."  Job's friends had originally come to comfort him, but continued to argue with him in ways that were of no comfort.  Zophar seems to be interested in defending himself.  How can we show people compassion without worrying about ourselves?
• Job points out that sometimes the wicked seem to have an easy life, "Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?" (Job 21:7)  His friends assumed that bad things happen to bad people and therefore Job must have been bad.  Why don't bad things always happen to bad people?

Psalms
Psalms 86 - 88

• In Psalm 86:11 David prays for an undivided heart.  To what extent has God given you an undivided heart? 
• What is the meaning in Psalm 87 of saying, "This one was born in Zion," of people  from other nations?
• Psalm 88 has been called the saddest Psalm because it is a prayer offered in suffering.  Can you find an expression of hope and faith in this psalm?

Week 30, July 21 - 27, 2019

New Testament
2 Corinthians 12

• Why does Paul say he was given a thorn in the flesh?  Why wasn't it taken away?
• What does Paul mean when he says, "For when I am weak, then I am strong"?

2 Corinthians 13

• Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves."  How do you do this?
• Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:9 that he is praying for the Christians in Corinth.  What he asks for is translated "that you may be fully restored" in the NIV, "that you will become mature" in the NLT, "that you be made complete" in the NASB, and "perfection" in the KJV.  What would it mean for you to become fully restored or complete?

Galatians 1

• Paul says he is astonished to learn that the Galatians are "turning to a different gospel."  How can you maintain your understanding of the true gospel and not be turned aside?
• Where does Paul say he learned the gospel?

Galatians 2

• How does Paul describe his meeting with the apostles in Jerusalem in Galatians 2?
• Why did Paul confront Cephas in Antioch?
• In Galatians 2:20 Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  How will it change the way you live to have the same attitude Paul describes?

Galatians 3

• Why does Paul say in Galatians 3:10, "all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse"?
• Paul says in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  How should this direct the way we relate to each other?

Old Testament
Esther 1 - 10

• Why did Vashti lose her position as queen in chapter 1 of Esther?
• Why did Esther keep her nationality secret when she became queen?
• Why did Haman want to kill all the Jews?
• Why did Esther want to fast and have others fast before trying to speak to the king?
• In Esther 5 Haman boasted to his wife and friends of his wealth and prestige, but said in verse 13, "But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate."  Why did one man who didn't show Haman respect outweigh and the things he could have been thankful for?
• In Esther 6:13 Haman's advisers told him that since Mordecai was Jewish, "you cannot stand against him."  Did these advisers understand that God's favor was on the Jews?  How would they have come to that conclusion?
• How did Haman die in Esther 7?
• What did the new edict in Esther 8 say?  Who wrote it?
• How did Purim become a two-day celebration?
• According to Esther 10:3 what was Mordecai's position under king Xerxes?
• The Jews had been scattered during captivity and were forced to live in a foreign land.  Yet they maintained an identity as a people so that Haman knew who they were and wanted to kill them.  How did they maintain their identity as a people?

Psalms
Psalms 82 - 85

• Psalm 82:3 is speaking to judges and says, "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."  How can you be of help to the weak, fatherless, poor, or oppressed?
• Psalm 83:1 says, "O God, do not remain silent."  Why would it ever seem like God is silent?  What should you do if you feel like God is being silent in response to your prayer?
• Psalm 84:10 says, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere."  What value do you place on being close to God?  What do you do to draw near to Him?
• Psalm 85:1-3 describes God restoring the nation by forgiving their sins.  Verse 4 says, "Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us."  Why is it possible to ask a holy God to forgive our sin?

Week 29, July 14 - 20, 2019

New Testament
2 Corinthians 7

• Paul urges us in 2 Corinthians 7:1 to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit."  What do you need to do this?
• What does Paul say is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?

2 Corinthians 8

• In 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 how does Paul explain the purpose of collecting money to help other Christians?
• Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:21, "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man."  Why would Paul be concerned, in this case, about the eyes of man?

2 Corinthians 9

• 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  How can you develop a heart that allows you to give to others generously and cheerfully?
• 2 Corinthians 9:8 goes on to say, "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."  How have you seen God bless you in ways that make you able to give to others?

2 Corinthians 10

• Paul says, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world." (2 Corinthians 10:4)  What weapons is he speaking of and how are they used?
• 2 Corinthians 10:18 says, "it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."  What do you need to do to live for God and not try to impress yourself?

2 Corinthians 11

• Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan masquerades as an angel of light and in verse 15 he says that Satan's servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.  How can you tell the truth from a masquerade?
• How many times does Paul say he was given 39 lashes ("forty lashes minus one")?

Old Testament
Nehemiah 1 - 13

• Nehemiah was 1000 miles from Jerusalem in what is now Iran.  How did he react when he heard about the conditions in Jerusalem?  What did he ask for in Nehemiah 1:11?
• In Nehemiah 2:4, how could Nehemiah pray between being asked a question and answering it?
• In Nehemiah 2:19, how did Nehemiah's enemies first respond to the building of the wall?
• Chapter 3 of Nehemiah describes all the people involved in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.  This included people normally not involved in physical labor, such as perfume-makers and goldsmiths.  Why were so many people willing to get involved in this project?
• How did Nehemiah respond to the opposition from his enemies in chapter 4?
• What changes did Nehemiah make in chapter 5 to keep the work on the wall going?
• How long did it take to complete the rebuilding of the wall?
• In Nehemiah 8, Ezra and others read from the Law and explained its meaning.  The people were weeping when they heard the Law, but Nehemiah and Ezra told them not to mourn or weep.  What did they mean in verse 10, "the joy of the Lord is your strength"?
• Nehemiah 9:28 summarizes much of the history of Israel, "But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight."  Can you be at rest and remain faithful to God?
• The people agreed in Nehemiah 10:39, "We will not neglect the house of our God."  What was required of them to not neglect the house of God?
• What was done in Nehemiah 11 to populate the city of Jerusalem?
• In Nehemiah 12 two choirs stood on the wall to sing and celebrate.  While the wall was being built, the builders had been ridiculed, "What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!" (Nehemiah 4:3)  What is the value of celebrating what God has done?  Are there things you need to celebrate?
• In chapter 13, why did Nehemiah stop people from bringing goods into the city on the Sabbath?

Psalms
Psalms 79 - 81

• What is Psalm 79 asking for?
• Psalm 80 says, "revive us," (verse 18) and "restore us." (verse 19)  Are you praying for God to revive and restore America?
• Psalm 81:1 urges us to sing and shout.  What benefit is there to praising God out loud with enthusiasm?

Week 28, July 7 - 13, 2019

New Testament
2 Corinthians 2

• In 2 Corinthians 2:6 Paul refers to someone who had been punished by the church in Corinth.  What did Paul tell them in verse 7 they should do now?
• What does Paul mean in 2 Corinthians 2:15, "we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ"?

2 Corinthians 3

• What does 2 Corinthians 3:16 mean, "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away"?
• How does the transformation that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 3:18 happen?

2 Corinthians 4

• 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 shows that while we may have trouble, God will prevent it from being overwhelming, "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."  How has God worked in your life to keep you from being destroyed even though you may have been struck down?
• Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  What do you need to do to fix your eyes on things that are unseen but eternal?

2 Corinthians 5

• Why does Paul say he would "prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord"?
• 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."  Are you living for the one who died for you?
• "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)  What does it mean that Jesus was made to be sin for us?

2 Corinthians 6

• Paul refers to having "weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left."  (2 Corinthians 6:7.  What does this mean?  Do you have the weapons he is talking about?
• What does the command in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers" apply to?

Old Testament
Ezra 1 - 10

• Ezra 1:1 says, "the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation."  How does God move the heart of a king?
• How many people returned from captivity to Israel in Ezra, chapter 2?
• Why were there two different reactions to the laying of the foundation of the temple in Ezra 3:12?
• Why did work on the temple stop in Ezra, chapter 4?
• How did work on the temple start again in chapter 5?
• Ezra 6:22 says, "For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel."  King Darius had made it possible for the temple to be completed, but the people recognized that it was God who changed his heart.  Do you recognize God's hand when people show you favor?
• What was Ezra commissioned to do in chapter 7?
• In Ezra 8:21-23, Ezra and those with him fasted and prayed for a safe journey.  Why didn't he ask for soldiers and horsemen to protect them?
• Why was Ezra so troubled in chapter 9 at the fact that Israelites had intermarried with neighboring people?
• Chapter 10 names more than 100 men who had married foreign wives.  Verses 16 and 17 shows that the leaders spent 2 months determining what to do in each case.  Why would it take this long?

Psalms
Psalm 78

• Psalm 78:5-8 describes the importance of telling the next generation God's Word.  What opportunities do you have to pass faith on the next generation?
• Psalm 78:38 says, "Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath."  Why is God slow to anger?