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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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 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?
No comments:
Post a Comment