Lottie

Q18. (Romans 3:24; John 1:29; Mark 10:45; Isaiah 53) In what sense is Jesus a sacrifice for our sins? Why is he punished for our sins instead of us? Why is he called the Lamb of God? Jesus is a sacrifice because He was the only one who could die for us because He was sinless and pure. Only a perfect sacrifice would be accepted by God and Jesus was that sacrifice. He was tempted but never sinned. He died in our place so that we could be freed and live forever with Him. He was punished for our sins because God had to lay our sins on Him because God cannot stand to be around sin. He had to lay all our sins on Jesus for it was the only way. He is the only way to get to heaven. God did not want to punish us by sending us to hell because of our sins so He had Jesus die in our place. Because He loved us and wanted us to be saved and live with Him. He is called the Lamb of God because He was the one who would take away our sins. He would be the sacrifice God would require for us. Like a lamb He would be led to the cross to die for our sins. He would willingly give up His authority and power and die for us. He would be dumb and not speak just like a lamb who is killed. Like a spotless lamb He would die for us so we could be free.

Q17. (Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:17-19) In what sense have we been redeemed from slavery? What slavery have we been freed from? What was the price of our manumission or freedom? In what sense are we free? In what sense are we still slaves? Jesus paid the price for our freedom from slavery. We have been freed from the slavery to sin. The price was the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son. We are free from the penalty and power of sin and eventually we will be freed from its presence. We are now slaves to our Savior because He paid the ransom for us with His own blood. But even more than slaves we are His friends and part of the family of God. We should willingly live for Him because of what He has done for us. We should forsake all sin and live godly lives because of what He has done. Even though we might fail, we still can get up again with His help and give ourselves to Him.

Q16. (Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12-14; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9) Is humankind basically "good" because of the image of God in us? Or basically evil because of deceitful hearts and our corrupt nature ("flesh") that is "bent to sinning"? I believe we are a mix of both good and evil, Good that is still in us from our creator and evil from the fall itself. We may be able to do good deeds but deep inside we still have bad thoughts and are capable of doing bad things like hurting others we love. We are capable of sinning due to our sinful nature in us and we need the Holy Spirit to help us defeat that desire. Without being saved and having God's Spirit within we are utterly unable to overcome the sinful nature. Sinful man may do good deeds but they are not really altruisitc. Sometimes they are done out of pride so others will say how good he is. But we can overcome this by turning it over to God. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

1.What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? He means it literally because those who are poor tend to put their trust in God more to provide than the rich do. The rich feel like they don't need God because they have all they need or want. Their wealth insulates them and keeps them from going to God for any help.Whereas the poor do not have as much and go to Him for all they need. 2.Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice: (1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification. (2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience. (3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. (4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did? Number three because here we have blessings from God and gifts, he has given us to use to build His kingdom. And when we get to heaven, we will have eternal ife and glorified new bodies and there will be no more pain, sickness, disease, tears, disparity, or death or evil. There we will finally see Jesus and our departed loved ones. 3.What is wrong with being rich? With desiring to be rich? Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? How are you getting this in balance in your life?It is wrong because it takes you away from God and all you think about is getting rich and it becomes an idol. Because some of us see the other people in the world and how easy they have it and we want it. We get tired of being poor and without stuff. It destroys our witness for Him when we are consumed with getting ahead. I am struggling right now because I am so poor, I am having a hard time paying bills. I just want enough to pay my bills and fix the house. Now I am in fear of being kicked out because of taxes. 4.Why do we seek to please people? Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? Is there anything good about trying to please people? Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? I think we all want people to like us. We don't want to be ignored. It's a trap because it can cause us to turn away from God in order to please others. Only if your goal is to bless someone by doing something good for them that makes them happy. But if it is sinful then it is not good at all. It will only hurt us in the end. If we don't get it balanced, we will always put people before pleasing God. And we will be very unhappy then.

1.What kinds of situations face us today where all night prayer is appropriate? (6:12) I think one where a person's life is in danger, or they are their life is hanging in the balance. From either an accident or illness or tragedy. Other times we might pray for young people who have left the home or are missing. Or maybe for times when tragedy hits a town either weather wise or through people. 2.If there are full-fledged apostles today (and let's assume this for the sake of this question), who would be some of your nominees? Why would you nominate them? I think of Mother Teresa in India. She spent her life helping others. 3.Why do you think most of the apostles were martyred? I think because the people did not want to hear about Jesus. They were evil and wanted to rule their own lives and hated God as well. Can you think of any Christians in the twentieth century who were martyred? (Incidentally, they say that there were more Christian martyrs in the twentieth century than in all the other centuries combined.) I can think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King and Jim Elliot. When is martyrdom glorious? When one is doing it for the glory of God and not self. When is it inglorious? It is inglorious when other members of cults and religions blow themselves up or kill themselves for the sake of their beliefs and also end up killing others as well. 4.Why do we tend to assume that miracles won't happen today? Because we think that it is past the age for miracles. That they happened years ago and we'd rather rely on doctors for a cure for our ailments and diseases. We no longer have faith in miracles anymore. 5.What would happen in your own local church if people began to get physically healed on a regular basis? Who would it upset? What would result? How could we get our faith ready for such a happy event? I think people would be shocked. It might upset some who don't believe God heals anymore or thinks it is fake. It might bring unbelievers to God and bond families together more. It might make the church stronger and help us reach out to others. I think we would need to pray more and listen to what God wants us to do. We would have to cast aside our preconceived notions about healing and follow Him. We would have to learn to get along better with other members in order for it to happen. And invite all people in not just the rich or good looking but the poor, destitute, downtrodden ones and the homeless.

1.List some of the traditions that are taken for granted in your church but are not directly mentioned in the Bible. Which seem to aid Christian mission? Which seem to impede the work of Christ? Having quarterly business meetings. Having concerts in the summer and Christmas time. Having potlucks every few months. Setting up a table for canned and packaged goods for people who need extra help. Baptisms and communions and adopting or having people join the church and give their testimony. The business meetings help determine which missionaries to pay and determine pastor's salary and how effective he has been. Concerts don't always work because we don't get that many people or get them to come back. Potlucks are okay but a lot of people don't stick around for them. The table for food helps people in the church who need it and we also gave to the food pantry or Salvation Army. Baptisms and communion help believers identify with Christ and bond with others and new memberships help churches grow. 2.Teaching that God's rules can sometimes be set aside for the sake of human need, can be dangerous. How can we observe this truth without abusing it? We can look where someone needs help like Jesus did. Like we can choose to serve others on a Sunday by going to visit people in a nursing home. We can help out in soup kitchens in bigger cities or in homeless shelters or shelters for unwed mothers or those abused. 3.Are there any people who you are "looking for a reason to accuse"? (6:7) Why is this attitude dangerous? How can it blind you? Not as far as I know. Because it stops the Lord from working in the church and blocks people from getting help. It can keep me from seeing people in need of Him. Instead, I look on their outward appearance.

1.Does Jesus speak against fasting in this passage? What does he teach about fasting, if anything, in this passage? No He is not against fasting but fasting the wrong way. He teaches that one cannot fast as long as the bridegroom is still around, or His disciples cannot fast as long as He is still with Him. That there will come a time when He is no longer there and then they will fast. 2.What are the structures in our lives and society that are incompatible with the Life of the Spirit in our lives? Some of the structures are shopping on the Lord's Day or going to games. Gambling and getting drunk, being promiscuous and going to bars like other people do. Or trying to stay away from meat or eating only food the Jews were allowed to eat. 3.Please share a struggle you had with trying to contain the Life of Christ in an "old wineskin"? Some of your brothers and sisters may understand the concept better if you'll share personally in your discussion group. I had to come to the understanding that I was an addict. I spent too much time playing games on the computer. Too much time trying to win money from different sites. I was also an alcoholic and had problems with sex and fantasies and eating too much. All this took the place of God in my life before. When I entered Christian Overeaters Anonymous things started changing. He showed me what I needed to do; that these had to go. I am still a work in progress yet, with rough edges.

1.Who in our society would correspond to the rich outcasts like tax collectors were in Jesus' day?Probably the rich politicians or business men like Trump who cannot keep his mouth shut. Maybe the IRA people who do taxes. 2.Why do we Christians feel so uncomfortable around blatant sinners? Why did Jesus succeed in making himself so at home in their presence? I think we feel uncomfortable because of how they talk and act. It is offensive to us when they swear or tell dirty jokes. Because of His love for them; He deeply cared about their well being and where they would spend eternity. He wanted to befriend them and offer them the gift of eternal life as well. He knew that deep down inside they were miserable and unhappy. He wanted them to know real joy and peace through Him. 3.Have you ever had a time when you felt like an outcast? What did it feel like to you, when Jesus' voice broke through all the static and let you know that he had chosen you and really wanted you? Please share your experience with the others in your group.Yes, plenty of times in high school I felt left out. I ate alone for lunch sometimes and I was teased by others. I even felt like an outcast in my church years ago; when me and my daughter were waiting for a couple to take us home. And some of the more popular women members were at a table talking and we were by ourselves. I felt loved and that someone really cared about me. That someone cared enough to listen to all my problems and hurts. That I would not be ignored anymore. 4.In light of the lessons of this passage, what kinds of people around us should we be reaching out to? The poor, the homeless, the mentally ill, unwed mothers, drug addicts, drunks, and anyone else who is on the fringe of society.

Q15. (Luke 18:18-27) How does the story of the rich young ruler show the impossibility of salvation without a miracle of God? Why does Jesus use a rich and outwardly righteous man to ma Q15. (Luke 18:18-27) How does the story of the rich young ruler show the impossibility of salvation without a miracle of God? Why does Jesus use a rich and outwardly righteous man to make this point? Where does grace show through? Because the rich young ruler cannot get into heaven on his own. He cares too much about his money and possesions. It would take Him realizing that He needs Jesus in order to be saved, He cannot do it on works alone. He has to come to the realization that nothing he can do will earn his way into heaven. That he must accept salvation as a gift and admit that he is a sinner. Because he is putting his money in place of God. Jesus uses him because he wants to show us that no one not even a good person can get into heaven on their own. Because all our good works are nothing but filthy rags to God. Grace shows through in that Jesus came to die on the cross for us so that we could get into heaven. He did what we could not do; because he was sinless. ke this point? Where does grace show through?

Q14. (Luke 23:39-43) How does the story of the thief on the cross illustrate salvation by faith? How does it show the triumph of grace over sin to those who don't deserve it? It shows the abundant grace of Jesus towards the thief in telling him that he will be with him in paradise. That even though the thief did not deserve it Jesus forgave him and pardoned him. That the thief believed that He was the Son of God and could save him. It shows how grace overlooks sin and forgives no matter what a person has done. We only have to believe, and we will be saved. Even though we did not earn it He did it out of love.

Q13. (Luke 15:11-31) What does the Parable of the Prodigal Son teach us about God? About repentance? About grace? That He forgives us totally and fully and doesn't hold anything against us. He loves us and wants us to have full pardon and be with Him. He is gracious and merciful and loving. He accepts us when we ask Jesus into our hearts. That all we have to do is ask forgiveness and turn from what we were doing and God will forgive us. That is what repentance means turning your life around. That God is willing to overlook all our sins and bring us into His family even though we do not deserve it and we did not earn it. His heart is wide open to us as His children, once we accept Jesus.

Q12. (Matthew 18:21-35) In what way does the king show grace in this parable. How does the forgiven servant withhold grace? Can we call ourselves Jesus' disciples if we withhold grace according to Matthew 18:35 and Matthew 6:12-15? The king shows grace in that he forgives the debt of the servant and does not send him to jail, The forgiven servant withholds grace from another person who owes him less than he owed the king. He grabs him and throws him in prison instead. No we cannot call ourselves His disciples if we withhold grace or choose not to forgive others their debts to us. Because then He will not forgive us our debts either and we will have no peace or joy until we do it. We will be most miserable. Because this is what agape love is all about; forgiving those who hurt us just like Jesus did. Showing them grace even though they might not deserve it.

Q11. (Luke 10:25-37) Why do you think Jesus sets up the hero of the parable as a Samaritan? How does the Samaritan show undeserved favor? In your community, who are the "neighbors" that are resented? In what ways can you and/or your Christian community show God's grace to them? Jesus sets up the hero to be a Samaritan because He wanted to make a point. That we are to show greace and love to our enemies. And the Jews and Samaritans hated each other and through the parabpe He made His point. The Samaritan shows favor by bringing the man to an inn and taking care of him. Then he goes further and pays the innkeeper for any unexpected costs. In my community one woman is resented because she is a busybody and a gossip. She also is quite self-centered as well and no one really likes her that much. I can show grace by being nice to her and helping her out when I can or inviting her to church functions. I can give a listening ear when she needs one.

Q10. (John 3:16) How does John 3:16 display "favor that is neither earned nor deserved" without using the word 'grace'? What is the relationship between grace and giving? What motivates the gift in this verse? How does this relate to grace? In the way that God shows love to us by giving up most precious to Him and that is His Son. It shows that He will go to any lenghts to save us and bring us into a restored relationship with Him. That grace extends beyond His goodwill to the gifts that He freely gives us that are not earned either. The gift is motivated by His great love for us and that He does not want us to be eternally seperated from Him. It is related to grace in that there is nothing we can do to earn it and it is undeserved on our part. We deserve to go to hell for what we have done yet in His great mercy and grace He is giving us a way out.

1.Why do you think Jesus spoke the extremely controversial words, "Your sins are forgiven?" He could have been less offensive to the visiting guests. Why did he choose not to be? He wanted to prove to them that He alone had the power to forgive sins no one else could. He wanted to confront them with their hypocrisy of not believing in it anymore and show them that God would honor his request because of who He is. He was not in the buisness of trying to please people. 2. What is the connection between sin and sickness in this passage? That if someone sins that they can become sick and that they need to repent and have someone pray over them for healing. 3. Which of the two phrases IS easier to say? "Your sins are forgiven!" OR "Get up, take your mat, and go home!"? What point did Jesus want us to draw from this incident? It is easier to say the first one. Harder to say the second one because no one has the power to heal except Jesus. That if you have faith you can be healed and forgiven of your sins. 4. Why did Jesus use the term "Son of Man" rather than "Son of God" or "Messiah"? He did not want people to focus on His divinity then but on His humanity and His mission to save people. It was not time to show them who He was. 5. Whom do you feel most like at present? The paralyzed man or one of the four friends? Why? The paralyzed man because of my many addictions and my weakness.

Who in our society are treated like lepers were treated in Jesus' day? Who sometimes feels like a leper in the presence of Jesus? The homeless and the people in poverty are often ignored and overlooked. People think they should be hidden from sight instead of helping them. I think the people who have sinned the worst sometimes feel like that. The thieves and murderers and prostitutes don't feel they should be in His presence. While the more religious think they do not need Him. 2.Describe the kind of faith it takes to act and speak as this leper did. What level of belief was required of him? It took boldness to cry out to Him and come near Him. It took grest courage to come out of hiding in front of all the people. Especially knowing that he might be beaten for it. 3. What is the difference between believing God can do something for us and believing that he wants to do something for us? Would you call the difference faith? or knowledge? or both? I would call it faith. Faith to believe that not only can Jesus do something but that He is willing to help us. Knowledge is knowing that God can do something but not stepping out and asking Him to do it. Where faith says I know He can and that He will do it for me. 4."I will. Be clean!" is pretty strong. Can you think of any place where Jesus indicates that he isn't willing to heal those who are sick? Yes, in Mark 7:26-29 Jesus refuses to heal a Greek woman's daughter at first. Saying that the children should be fed first and then the woman says that even dogs eat the crumbs under the table that fall. Then he says because of what she said that her daughter is healed. He wants to see if she has enough faith to believe. 5. A few weeks ago we studied Luke 4:42 about Jesus going to a solitary place. Since then, have you made progress toward establishing a Quiet Time of your own? If not, what steps are you making to establish this Jesus-trait in your life? I have a quiet time in the morning in my kitchen. I have my Bible, my journal and devotionals that I read.

1.What things does Jesus asks Peter to do and in what order? Why the progression, do you think? He first asks Peter to put out a little from shore. Then Jesus tells him to put down in deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Because Jesus knew that the fish would be found only in deep water and He wanted Peter to trust Him. 2. Why do you think Jesus asked Peter to attempt the seemingly impossible task of catching fish during the day, after he's tried all night and failed? He wanted to see if Peter would obey even though he was a seasoned fisherman. This was a test for him to see how willing he was to do what he was asked. 3. How does Jesus respond to Peter's plea for him to leave, due to Peter's sinfulness? Jesus tells him not to be afraid. That from now on he will catch men . Why doesn't Jesus address Peter's sinfulness at this point? Because Peter already admitted that he was a sinner. Peter knew that Jesus was not like him and He was humbled before Him. What does Jesus talk about instead? Jesus talks about becoming a fisher of men and following Him. 4. Does Jesus require all his disciples to leave everything? If not, why not? If so, in what sense? No, not everyone but some who become missionaries or pastors. Others are to follow Him in other ways. They are to put Him first and their families and possessions second. They have to choose to give up something that holds them back from fully following Jesus. 5. What does it mean to you personally to "follow" Jesus? Share a bit of your personal journeying with your brothers and sisters and they'll share a bit of theirs with you. Mutual encouragement and reinforcement. It means giving up my selfish desires and serving Him. It means choosing to follow Him wherever He leads me. Now I have followed Him into Christian Over Eaters Anonymous. A Christian group that helps people who have eating disorders. Through using the 12 Steps from AA we learn how to recover from our eating disorders and become people who go out and help others overcome it.He has led me to become a moderator or leader for group meetings and sponsor others. He has led me to write poetry and read it in church and in my group. He also gave me the great joy years ago of serving others in a camp by cooking meals. He has helped me to communicate better to others through the program.

Q9. According to Bonhoeffer, what attitudes cheapen the understanding of grace in Christians? Does "costly grace" mean we have to work for it? What is costly about grace? The idea that we can sin because we are saved by grace and cannot lose our salvation. That one preaches forgiveness without having to repent. It is baptism without discipline. Just sprinkle or immerse them and they are fine; without teaching them what God wants them to do and how to act. It is letting them live in the same old way without any change. It is going to communion but not confessing any sins. That one just sweeps them under the rug instead. It is grace without discipleship at all. Taking it for granted and not following the Lord. It is grace without the cross and without Jesus Christ. Grace that means utterly nothing to the one who receives it. It is grace without wholehearted devotion to the Lord. It is grace that is not held dear and cherished because of the person is not grateful or thankful. He or she has not been told how dear a price was paid for their grace. What's costly is that we have to keep looking into the gospel. We have to keep asking, knocking and seeking. We have to follow Jesus wherever he wants us to go. It is costly because we have to give up everything for Him. It is costly because it condemns sin and justifies the sinner. It is costly because it cost Jesus His life.

1.What does Jesus' ministry of laying on of hands for healing teach us about him? That He cared about the people. That he wanted to impart blessings to them. He wanted them to know He thought of them more than just a number but a person in need of healing. 2. How did Jesus treat the sick people he encountered that afternoon and evening in Capernaum? What kind of example does that set for us to follow? He touched each one personally and spoke words over them. We are to do the same with people we know. We are to take the time to get to know them and touch them personally. We are to go one on one with people in order to bring them to Him. 3. Which was the more important motivator for Jesus: compassion or duty? Did they ever conflict? They both were important to Him. He knew that in order to bring people to the kingdom He had to take care of their illnesses and infirmities. He had to show compassion for them. Then when they were fed and healed, he could preach to them, and they would willingly listen to Him. The two-go hand in hand. You must take care of people's needs before you can give them the word of God. 4. Why is it so hard to maintain a Quiet Time? What have you found that enables you to set aside this time? Any tips to share with the rest of us? It is hard because distractions can occur. Like kids or spouses interrupting. Or phone calls or someone coming over or household chores to do. I sometimes have trouble staying awake to spend time with God. I usually have to get up early and sit in the kitchen and read my Bible. I do scripture writing from an online site. I also read devotionals and spend time praying about things and people I know. It helps to have a journal or notebook to write down your thoughts or prayer requests.

2.Jesus' words were spoken with conviction and authority, compared to the scribes who often spoke in the synagogue. What was the source of Jesus' conviction and authority? His divinity? Or something else? Should we expect conviction and authority to attend our own teaching? Whor why not? The source of Jesus' conviction and authority was that He was the Son of God. He spoke with authority because He was one with God the Father and had the same power and omniscience. When He spoke, he quoted God the Father and sounded more like a prophet than a rabbi. Yes, we can have the same conviction and authority if we speak the truth from the word of God. 3.Why do you think the demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus? The demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus because the demon inside of Him recognized who Jesus was. The demon knew that he was dealing with another powerful spirit and wanted to stop Him by causing a scene. After you've read Dr. Wilson's essay on "Demonization and Deliverance in Jesus' Ministry" (in Appendix 4.Do you think he proves his assertion that demonization describes a range of demon influence, rather than complete possession? Why or why not? Yes, I believe he does because it starts with temptations and how we deal with them. If we allow sin to take over and not refute it then we are prone to being influenced by demons ourselves. If we do not fill our minds and spirits with Godly things the spirits or demons will come back to us. We cannot let Satan get a foothold through sin in our lives. 5. Why isn't recovery from demonic deception always instantaneous? What is the process of deliverance that a person must go through to come to full freedom? It is not instantaneous. It takes time because the people had to learn different coping mechanisms when they were possessed. And they need counseling from pastors, Christian counselors and others to change. They need to her the truth and repent of their sins in order to be free of them. 6. Give examples from your own life or experience on how deceptive and innocent involvement in sin can appear, and how terrible the consequences. When I was younger I used to drink and buy alcohol for my underage friends. One time a boy I knew, and his friend took advantage of me when I was drunk. It was only by the grace of God that I was not raped because they were too drunk. 7. (Ephesians 2:1-3) What do these verses teach us about humankind's fallen nature? It teaches us that we were dead in our transgressions and sins. That we had committed gross violations against God, and we had missed the mark entirely. That we had no interest in Him and were empty and without purpose. That we followed the prince of this world and went along with whatever the culture dictated. We went craving after every sinful thing we could think of and satisfied our lusts and passions. That because of this we were children of wrath. We were doomed and deserving of judgement and punishment. That we were a sinful and ungrateful people and God had every right to send us to hell. That we chose of our own free will to sin against God and He could have chosen not to save us, but He did.

Q8. (Jeremiah 17:9) Is there good in humankind? Are humans basically good or basically bad? Or both? What are some of the ways a "deceitful heart" shows up in our lives and motivations? If the heart is the innermost person, how does a "deceitful heart" corrupt us in a pervasive way? Man is a mixture of both. He is basically good because he was created by God and has His nature but he is also bad because his heart is deceitful and corrupt due to sin. A deceitful heart shows up in the evil thoughts that come out of a man. Things like adultery, murder, sexual immorality, false testimony and slander. He is conniving, devious and wanting his own way. He pushes to have his own way and often hurts others. He is thoughtless, cruel and even vindictive. Man is utterly selfish and self-seeking. It corrupts us in the way that we speak and how we treat other people. Because at our very heart we are corrupt because of the fall. In what we think and how we act out; it shows how depraved we really are.

Q7. (Ephesians 2:1-3) What do these verses teach us about humankind's fallen nature? It teaches us that we were dead in our transgressions and sins. That we had committed gross violations against God and we had missed the mark entirely. That we had no interest in Him and were empty and without purpose. That we followed the prince of this world and went along with whatever the culture dictated. We went craving after every sinful thing we could think of and satisfied our lusts and passions. That because of this we were children of wrath. We were doomed and deserving of judgement and punishment. That we were a sinful and ungrateful people and God had every right to send us to hell. That we chose of our own free will to sin against God and He could have chosen not to save us, but He did. What motivates our actions before we come to Christ? Our own sinful nature motivates our actions. Which of these motivations might be conscious? Which might be unconscious? The conscious ones are your desires, lusts, envy, jealousy and the rest. The unconscious ones are your thoughts that come unbidden and your feelings or emotions.

Q6. (Romans 5:6-8) What do verses 6-8 say about humankind's situation? It says that when we were powerless that Christ dies for us. When we were ungodly and sinful He died on our behalf. That people will not die for a righteous person but for someone who is good they dare to do it. That God showed His love to ius while we were still sinners. He sent Christ to die for us even though we did not deserve it. There was nothing good in us that caused Him to do it only His great love and mercy and grace. For all our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags in God's sight. What is so remarkable about Christ's death for us? What motivates that sacrifice? That Christ did it even though He knew we were His enemies. He died for us because He loved us.

What is the relationship between Jesus' commission in Luke 4:18-19 and his ministry acts in Capernaum? In Capernaum He cast out demons from people and teaching about the word of God with authority so that even the demons recognized Him. Just as He said He would set the captives free and preach to the poor. 2.Jesus' words were spoken with conviction and authority, compared to the scribes who oft en spoke in the synagogue. What was the source of Jesus' conviction and authority? His divinity? Or something else? Should we expect conviction and authority to attend our own teaching? Wh or why not? The source of Jesus' conviction and authority was that He was the Son of God. He spoke with authority because He was one with God the Father and had the same power and omniscience. When He spoke he quoted God the Father and sounded more like a prophet thn a rabbi. Yes we can have the same conviction and authority if we speak the truth from the word of God. 3.Why do you think the demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus? The demon oppressed man interrupted Jesus because the demon inside of Him recognized who Jesus was. The demon knew that he was dealing with another powerful spirit and wanted to stop Him by causing a scene. After you've read Dr. Wilson's essay on "Demonization and Deliverance in Jesus' Ministry" (in Appendix 4.Do you think he proves his assertion that demonization describes a range of demon influence, rather than complete possession? Why or why not? Yes, I believe he does because it starts with temptations and how we deal with them. If we allow sin to take over and not refute it then we are prone to being influenced by demons ourselves. If we do not fill our minds and spirits with Godly things the spirits or demons will come back to us. We cannot let Satan get a foothold through sin in our lives. 5. Why isn't recovery from demonic deception always instantaneous? What is the process of deliverance that a person must go through to come to full freedom? It is not instantaneous. It takes time because the people had to learn different coping mechanisms when they were possessed. And they need counseling from pastors, Christian counselors and others to change. They need to her the truth and repent of their sins in order to be free of them. 6. Give examples from your own life or experience on how deceptive and innocent involvement in sin can appear, and how terrible the consequences. When I was younger, I used to drink and buy alcohol for my underage friends. One time a boy I knew, and his friend took advantage of me when I was drunk. It was only by the grace of God that I was not raped because they were too drunk. 7. What will happen in your life if you toy with or nurture the temptations you have to sin? What happens when sin and Satan get a foothold in your life? Then I will have let Satan get a foothold in my life. When sin and the devil get a foothold then they can influence us. It weakens our ability to say no. Then we are oppressed and find it even harder to stop sinning. We compulsively sin over and over. From there we get obsessed, and it is all we can think about. It becomes an addiction, and we have to have it. There is no clear line anymore between sin and being holy. Lastly when we are possessed, we have no will of our own anymore. We have given ourselves over to our desires or addictions.

Q5. (Romans 5:1-2) What does it mean to be in a state of grace? According to the text, what is the role of faith in this? What is the opposite of "peace with God"? It means that we are at peace with God. We are in His favor and no longer enemies because of what Christ has sone on the cross. The role of faith is that once we put our faith in Jesus we went from enemies to being a part of God's family. Once we accepted the free gift of salvation we were justified and pardoned. We were adopted into the family. The opposite of peace with God is being His enemies. It is resisting and fighting against Him and wanting our own way. It is rejecting God's free gift of salvation and choosing death instread of life and peace.