JeannieG

Q6. (Revelation 11:15; Psalm 24:7) When people think of spending an eternity in heaven, who do they most look forward to being with? Relatives? Jesus? What does it mean that he will reign forever and ever? In what way is he the King of Glory in your life? My Answer: the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. I most look forward to seeing family, my father, Aunt Teen, my baby. God is with me now and I, of course, look forward to being with Him on a more intense level but I have not had any contact with the ones who died. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, He was, is and will be the King. Jesus is the King of Glory in my life. All roads were created by Him and lead me back to Him. He never leaves me.

Q4. (Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). How does Jesus purify and refine his church? How does he purify and refine us? On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation? My Answer: 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, Jesus holds church leaders to a higher standard and purifies them accordingly. He holds us to a high standard as well and will challenge us to prune us, to remove distractions that keep us from bearing fruit for Him. 3 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Jesus says if the fruit of our labors survives, we will receive a reward. Otherwise we will be saved but only as one escaping a fire.

Q3. (Hebrews 1:2; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 3:22) In what sense is Jesus "Heir of All Things"? My Answer: 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. He is God. Everything belongs to Him. What does it imply that we are co-heirs with him? My Answer: 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Jesus is God, The King of kings. As His children, we are heirs in the glory of God. In what sense do we possess all things? My Answer: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[a] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours. Jesus blesses all who follow Him with the resources they need to successfully accomplish His plans for them. Jesus has no constraints because He owns it all.

Q2. (Revelation 1:17-18; Hebrews 12:2) What do the titles First and Last, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End teach us about Jesus' nature? How does knowing that Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith help build our trust in him? My Answer: 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is sovereign over all. He has always been and always will be. He has defeated death and sits at the right hand of God.

Q1. (Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 17:1-2) In what ways did Jesus show the Father's glory in his ministry? My Answer: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Why do you think Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see his Transfiguration? My Answer: After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. I think Jesus allowed them to see His transfiguration to strengthen their faith in Him, knowing the hardships they had ahead of them when He was crucified. How do you think Jesus will appear in heaven? My Answer: I think Jesus will appear in heaven as He does now on earth. He is always present and never leaves us. The difference may be that I will see Him with my eyes but our closeness will be the same as now.

Q4. (2 Corinthians 11:2) What does it take for us to be presented to Christ as a pure virgin bride? My Answer: "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him." (2 Corinthians 11:2) To be presented to Christ as a pure virgin bride, we must accept His free gift of grace, the cleansing of His blood which erases our sin, making us pure virgin brides. How faithful are we to Christ? My Answer: I can speak only for myself. I'm not consistent in my walk with Him however He continues to pursue me, I am never separated from him. To what degree do we partake with the adulterous and sinful generation that Jesus decried? My Answer: Same as previous answer. What does the marriage relationship say about love, communication, and intimacy with Christ? My Answer: Any good marriage has a foundation built on love, communication and intimacy. These are the same principles that anchor a good relationship with Christ.

Q3. (Colossians 3:2-4) To what degree is Christ the center, the focus of your life? My Answer: "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:2-4) If you had to prove to another person that Christ is the center of your life, what evidence would you muster? My Answer: My words and actions are proof that Christ is the center of my life. What evidence would contradict this? My Answer: Unfortunately my words and actions sometimes contradict that Christ is the center of my life. What kind of repentance is necessary to reprioritize your life? My Answer: What kind of repentance? The only kind of repentance. Turn back to Jesus, making Him the priority in my life.

Q2. (John 6:51; 15:1-5) What do Jesus' teachings on the Living Bread and the True Vine teach us about drawing from his life? My Answer: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:51) "Living bread that came down from heaven" is a comparison with the manna in the Wilderness. Though the title doesn't appear in the Bible, Jesus could be thought of as the Living Manna. Jesus' parable of the Vine and the Branches in John 15:1-17 is also a parable of the life-giving nature of the vine. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." (John 15:1) "I am the vine; you are the branches." (John 15:5) Life flows through the vine to the branches and from them to the fruit. What happens to our vital Life when we rely on ourselves, and stop relying on him? My Answer: As a branch that is separated from the vine withers and dies, we lose our strength when we stop drawing on His power by relying on ourselves. Why is it so hard for us humans to learn the lesson of dependence and trust? My Answer: We are stubborn and believe we are the center of the universe, that everything revolves around us, that we are in control as long as we rely on our own strength. Many of us have also been let down by others that we depended on and trusted so now we have built walls to keep others from being able to cause us pain and heartache.

Q1. (John 1:9; 8:12) In what sense is Jesus the True Light? My Answer: "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." (John 1:9) In what sense is he the Light of the World? My Answer: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) In what sense are you the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)? My Answer: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' disciples are "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14) Why do you think people resist Jesus' light, his truth, his view of the Father, our world, and eternal life? My Answer: I think we inherently resist authority of any type, even as very young children. We don't like discipline and perceive authority as a limitation to our freedom of choice. Jesus is resisted because we don't initially understand His motivation, that being of tremendous love for us, so we resist Him to our own detriment. How does the world's so-called "light" differ from Jesus' light? My Answer: Jesus' light is that of God the Father, a pure light of love, eternal life with God. The world's light is that of Satan, a light of evil and destruction, eternal separation from God. What can obstruct Jesus' light in this world? My Answer: For the unbeliever, everything obstructs Jesus' light in this world because in our own power we do not have the strength to defend ourselves from Satan's deception. What can obstruct our light? My Answer: As believers, nothing can separate us from Jesus.

Q4. (Luke 4:23) How does Jesus as the Great Physician resonate with our broken world? What does it mean to you that Jesus is your Great Physician and Healer? My Answer: For the world to accept Jesus as the Great Physician and Healer would mean to believe He is the Son of God. Unbelievers receive no comfort from this since they deny His Sovereignty. To us, His followers, it is a great comfort to lean on Jesus to heal all areas of our lives, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically.

Q3. (John 14:6; 10:7, 9) In light of all the world's religions, how can Jesus be the Way to God, the exclusive door or gateway? My Answer: The world's religions have no bearing on the truth of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter what worldly opinions exist regarding the path to God. The Authority, God Alone, has declared Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Why does this offend the world? My Answer: None of us likes to be limited in our choices, to be held accountable for all of our actions, to conform to the will of an authority. If Jesus can be rejected as intolerant or inflexible, it may be easier for followers of other religions to believe the teachings of their doctrine. Since it is true, how can we most winsomely declare this truth to our generation? My Answer: The fear of rejection is another tool used by Satan in an effort to prevent the spread of Christianity. Being a witness for Jesus is no more complicated than connecting with Him on a daily basis, going where He leads, speaking His truth when prompted, remaining silent when appropriate, walking the talk in all areas of life. With Jesus as my Source of Power, I cannot fail. In my own strength I have many failures but He is always there to pick me up, to patiently guide me. He never gives up on me and He never stops loving me. Nothing can separate me from His love and protection. I am a victor in Him!

Q2. (1 Peter 2:4-8) In what way are these rock images of Christ attractive to our world? In what way do they repel people? Why? My Answer: As our Spiritual Rock he is our strength, our might, our sustaining fortress in the midst of conflict. As Stumbling Stone Jesus' divinity and absolute authority highlight the reasons people avoid real discipleship; they are too enamored with their own will to surrender to his will. As Crushing Stone, Jesus is the one who will come as conquering King to usher in the Kingdom of God -- and to destroy with violence all the worldly competitors to his supremacy. As Foundation he is the only one on which we can build a life that will endure. As Cornerstone or Capstone, he is the one who holds our lives together and crowns them with glory. In what ways do you see Jesus as a Rock, Stone, and Foundation in your own life? My Answer: One of my poodles recently ruptured a disc in his back. Part of his healing process is to crate him at all times other than to carry him outside to go to the bathroom. My dog is very unhappy with this treatment. He cries most of the time he is constrained in the crate. I see this experience as a parallel to my relationship with Jesus. While the crate time for my dog was motivated by my love for him and what was best for him, my dog perceived it as punishment, causing him to be very dissatisfied. As my Rock, Stone and Foundation, Jesus is the Master, Who causes me to stumble when I am headed down a path that is destructive and outside of His will. He also keeps me anchored when life seems out of control. In this way, Jesus as the Rock is a source of great comfort and refuge. That same Rock loves me too much to allow me to wander off, without "crushing" my disobedience.

Q1. (Colossians 1:18) How should the assertion that Jesus is the "head of the body, the church" affect the way we conceive of the church? My Answer: Jesus is the head of the body, the church and as such is the highest ranking official, worthy of respect and obedience. Is he talking about the universal Church or a local congregation, or both? My Answer: Jesus is talking about the church of His chosen ones, His believers, His followers, the ones whose names are in the Book of Life. If we believe that Jesus is the head of the church, how should that affect the way we conduct our life and ministry as the church? My Answer: We are the hands and feet of Jesus. In obedience to His will and guidance, we serve in His name as He taught us to serve. In what ways does the visible church represent the "head"? My Answer: My answer is the same as my answer to the previous question. How well do we, as the body, follow his leadership? My Answer: I am not qualified to judge the body. I am called to take the actions that Jesus empowers me to take. Each of us is called to serve Him, in the way and at the time that He has prepared for us in advance, before we were born.

Q4. (John 10:11-14) What are the characteristics of the "Good Shepherd"? My Answer: good, lays down his life for the sheep, He owns the sheep, he cares for the sheep, He knows the sheep and the sheep know Him. How do these contrast with the "hired hand"? The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. God calls us to shepherd others as pastors, small group leaders, teachers, mentors, etc. How can we demonstrate that we are "good shepherds" rather than "hired hands"? My Answer: We demonstrate that we are good shepherds through our words and actions, giving glory and honor to God in all circumstances, following His will, caring about Him first, others second and ourselves last.

Q3. (Mark 10:43-45) How does Jesus serve (like Boaz) as a Kinsman-Redeemer to us? My Answer: God sent Jesus to redeem me from my sin, to allow me have eternal life with Him. What does the idea of needing a ransom imply about our condition? My Answer: We are prisoners of sin, unable to escape in our own power. What was the redemption-price that the Father paid for us? My Answer: Jesus' death, His cleansing blood.

Q2. How are we disciples to assist in Jesus' mission to seek and to save the lost? We are called to be His hands and feet, to witness to the love of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to use words other times we are led to witness through our actions and still other times we are led to live our lives consistently with and for Him, demonstrating to those God has given us the privilege to influence that we walk the talk. What is the love-balance between seeking to save our friends and having to back off because they feel we are trying to pressure them? When my actions are motivated by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I move forward boldly. The results are in God's control, not mine.

Q1. (Luke 19:10; Matthew 11:19) Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus is the Friend of Sinners? My Answer: It means Jesus is MY friend, even though He knows I am a sinner in my own power. In His power, I am set free from the punishment of sin, cleaned by His blood. How should it affect your relationships with people who are deep in sin? My Answer: Jesus is the Judge. I am equally guilty of sin and have no right to judge others. My relationship with others should be centered on what Jesus would do with and for them. My relationship with others should be inspired by the Holy Spirit, through my prayers and obedience.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) What is the purpose of the Lord's Supper? My Answer: The Lord's Supper is a reminder that we have no part in the atonement of our sins without accepting Jesus' death, without accepting the sacrifice of His body and blood to cleanse us of our sin. Why should we partake often? My Answer: Jesus commanded, "Do this is remembrance of Me." Why is it so easy to forget what Jesus has done for us on the cross? My Answer: It is as easy to forget as it is to forget how we are able to have meat to eat on a daily basis. We are isolated from the death of the animals that provide the meat we eat. We are also isolated from Jesus' life and death on earth unless we deliberately study His Word and reflect on His life and death. Our society encourages us to depend on ourselves, to seek comfort in any form we choose, to reject God's unchanging values and principles.

Q2. (John 1:29) Why is Jesus referred to as the Lamb of God? My Answer: He is God's perfect atoning sacrifice, a perfect Lamb. To what degree does he take away our sins? My Answer: He takes away ALL our sins. How does he come to represent you -- as your sacrifice for sin? My Answer: He intercedes for me with the Father. His atoning blood covers my sin so that God the Father does not even see my sin. I am cleansed by His blood and made worthy to live in God's presence.

Q1. What does Jesus' holiness and righteousness demand of our lives as his disciples? My Answer: Jesus is righteous in judicial terms; it is he who justifies us, that is, declares us righteous. He thus calls us to be righteous in our dealings -- honesty, truthfulness, fairness, etc. We must also treat the poor, the homeless, and immigrants with righteousness, because we serve a righteous Lord. In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, what was the primary characteristic of the sheep vs. the goats? My Answer: The sheep will be on the Shepherd's right, separated from the goats on the left. The sheep belong to the Shepherd.

Q6. Since Yahweh seems to be formed from "I AM" as God's own name, what is the significance of Jesus' "I am" statements? My Answer: God declares His sovereignty globally as I AM with no qualifiers. I AM is all encompassing and overwhelming in its sheer magnitude and magnificence. Jesus' I AM statements provide specific context and help us to identify with Him on a more personal level. Jesus is God and is I AM but as the Son of God, He is more approachable. Which of these "I am" statements means the most to you personally? My Answer: I tried to choose one or two but I realized that the combined statements are Who Jesus is to me. I cannot isolate one from the other as being more significant to me.

Q5. (Luke 9:59-62; 6:46) Is Jesus our Lord if we don't obey him immediately? Is he our Lord if we don't follow his teachings? What areas of your life do you need to surrender to his Lordship? My Answer: When I think of what my reaction would be to a command from an earthly king (lord), I am ashamed to admit that I don't always treat Jesus as the King (Lord) of my life. Because of His mercy and grace, He is my Lord even when I ignore Him or disobey Him. That is sin and He has already cleansed me of my past, present and future sins. I am constantly in need of surrendering my worries about the future to his Lordship. He walks with me and comforts me when I come to my senses and seek His guidance, His peace, His will.

Q4. Why is the title "Lord Jesus" such an exalted one. What does it tell us about Jesus' divinity? My Answer: to extend the title of "Lord" to Jesus means, at the very least, "master, superior," but is usually intended to refer to Jesus as divine. The characteristic Christian statement of faith is, "Jesus is Lord"

Q3. (John 1:18) How does the title "Only Begotten God" signify Jesus' divinity? My Answer: Jesus is begotten GOD. GOD = divinity. How does the Only Begotten Son differ from you and me as sons and daughters of God? My Answer: Jesus as the only begotten Son has the same DNA as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As believers we are adopted sons and daughters with the privileges of being children of the King of kings however, as adopted children, we do not share the same DNA as the Holy Trinity. Just as humans adopt children who become 100% members of their families, the adopted children do not share the same genetics as the begotten children do. What does "only-begotten" say about Jesus' status with the Father? My Answer: Jesus is the same as the Father, a piece of the Father. About the costliness of the cross? My Answer: The cross cost God His life. A piece of Himself had to suffer and die to atone for our sins, my sins.

Q2. (Mark 1:10-11; Ephesians 1:6) If Jesus is the Father's Beloved, how can the Father send him to die? My Answer: Jesus is the Father's Beloved and as His Beloved He is the Only One whose life can be an exchange for us, also the Father's Beloved. God's laws require a pure and perfect sacrifice in atonement for sin. No one on earth could fulfill that requirement so God sent His precious and only Son to suffer and die to cover our sin with the blood of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus sacrifice, and defeating the power of sin through His resurrection, we are worthy to spend eternity with God. How does that make sense, given what we know of parental love? My Answer: God is our Father too. He loves us so much that He sent a part of Himself to die in our place, so that we would not be separated from Him forever. That is the very definition of parental love...providing the best for our children, even at a cost to ourselves, so that our children can have a bright future. What does that say about God's love for us? My Answer: Wow! God made the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus' death, a time when God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were separated as Jesus descended into hell. As a parent, I know how it feels to be separated from my children and grandchildren. Not only would the Godhead have felt that type of separation but they would also feel the kind of separation one might experience when losing a limb. God knows everything and in spite of His knowing how unworthy I am in my own strength, He loves me enough not only to send His Son to die in my place but to allow my body to be a temple for Him, a place of constant connection with the Almighty God!