Robomom3

Q60. (Matthew 13:51-52) What is the “old” that the householder brings out of his treasure box? The correct teaching of all the OT Scriptures, but mainly the Torah which had been grossly misinterpreted in Jesus' day. What is the “new.”? The new is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! In what way must we disciples be “cross-trained” as scribes of the Kingdom? For many years I did not see the significance of the OT. I studied the NT intently and passionately but avoided the OT as just history that no longer applied to my life. But in 2017 God called me into an indepth study of the OT that lasted 6 years. What I learned through my chronological walk through the OT is that every single book takes you deeper in your understanding of Jesus. I have come to call the Bible the "Biography of Jesus Christ". He truly is the Word of God and the entire Bible is the story of His mission to redeem a broken creation back to Himself. I feel I am now a much better teacher and witness for God's Kingdom because there is so much treasure I had missed out on by skipping the OT and only focusing on the beautiful new Covenant we have in Christ. I also have found that much of the NT has been made clearer because of my knowledge of OT laws and customs and history. We cannot skip the old and just accept the new. The treasure is in the entire story... the perseverance and patience of our God... His boundless Mercy and Grace... His Love for His creation is fully understood when we understand the entire story from beginning to end.

Q59. (Matthew 5:13-14) Why is a sharp and tasty witness so important? Our witness is our story and when we tell our personal story, it resonates with others in a way that is interesting, intimate and real to them. When we tell our own story, what Jesus has done for us, the Spirit uses that testimony to penetrate the hearts of those who are hearing. An important note, our story should include our flaws... our weaknesses and all short comings. What better way to show the Power of God than to clearly testify of who we were and who we are now! God's Glory is seen through our weaknesses! What is a bland witness to Jesus? How do we stay “salty”? A bland witness is one who says they are a child of God but fit perfectly into the world. If you have to tell someone you are a child of God for them to know you are a child of God, then you have probably lost your saltiness and are leading a life that would be labeled as bland in God's Kingdom. Why are people tempted to hide their “light” or witness? For fear of rejection. When we build our identity on self instead of Christ, we are more worried about what people think of us than what God thinks of us. One of the surest tests of the heart is fear. Fear of what others think of us shows who sits on the throne of our heart. Fear of man = Self-worship. Fear of God = Christ-worship What does Jesus say about that? We are clearly told to let our light shine for all to see... this does not mean we are looking for others to lift us up because of our good deeds... no... this means everything we do is done to bring Glory to God and God alone. If we are living our lives in submission to Him, people will never be confused as to where our light comes from. A child of God does not steal His Glory. Our light is there to point people to the saving Grace of Jesus.

Q58. (Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:35-38) Where in your region does the harvest seem most ripe, that is, where people are most receptive to the gospel? I am thinking that any answer I give would prove my misunderstanding of God's Word. "Look around, the Harvest is ripe"... that means everywhere I look the harvest is ripe! If I pick and choose where I witness based on my perception of their receptiveness, then I am deeming some unworthy of God's great Gift. We have to step out of our misconceptions and preconceived ideas of who people are and what their hearts are like. When Jesus sent the disciples out, He sent them into "every" town. If the town did not accept them then, and only then, were they to shake the dirt off their sandals and move on. But... EVERYONE should be given the same chance to hear the gospel. EVERY GROUP... EVERY CREED... EVERY SINGLE PERSON... Do you see yourself mainly as a sower or a reaper? God has called me primarily to sow... I have been called to teach, encourage and mentor... I have been used to escort several souls into the Kingdom of Heaven and that has to be the most awesome privilege given to us on the face of this earth. But, my main "job" seems to be as sower. Why is there such a shortage of reapers? I think the church fails to train it's congregation in this field. My class has asked me to train them and I am so excited to see what God does as a result. People are so afraid of "doing it wrong". It is so sad that we have complicated the simplicity of the Gospel to the point that people feel that only pastors can escort someone into God's Kingdom. It is much like we have gone back to OT culture where only the priests could do certain jobs. We all have the EXACT SAME SPIRIT OF GOD LIVING WITHIN EACH OF US if we are, in fact, His children. My husband was saved right here in our living room... just the two of us and the Spirit of God... and if we had a swimming pool or a pond out back... I would have baptized him also... this too has been distorted as only something a pastor can do... we are clearly told to baptize each other in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit... we are, each one of us, priests in God's Kingdom... Would you be willing to be a reaper, if Jesus helps you? Yes Yes and YES!!! And it is only with God's help that we can reap His harvest...

Q57. (Matthew 9:36) Why is Jesus' heartbroken over lost sheep? Because they are helpless to the attacks of the enemy. Just as we are heartbroken every time we see an innocent victim, either human or animal, being harassed and abused... this is how Jesus views the lost of this world. This is how we, also, should view the lost of this world. With the same compassion we would give a stranded animal that needs help... how much more should we have compassion on a human soul who is being tortured currently and whose final destination is eternal torture... Who are the lost sheep: of your community? All who are out there on their own without Jesus as their Shepherd. Of the mission fields that you know about? All who are still blind to the gospel of Christ. What is your attitude toward them? My passion lies within the walls of the church. This is where God has called me to do His Work at this time. There are so many who believe they are saved but are just wearing a Christian mask while killing themselves trying, through self-effort, to produce imitation fruit for all to see. The church has bought into so many false teachings or teachings that take verses out of context (which are still false teachings) that we have caused many to stumble and miss finding Christ at all. I know there is a lost and dying world outside of our congregation, but I also know we will not have an impact on that world until we are all united in Christ moving in the same mind and Spirit. And that will not happen until the "church" meets and falls in love with Jesus and submits their will to His. Until they realize... He desires Mercy.... not outward sacrifice... until they realize knowing about Him is not the same as knowing Him... until they realize it's not head knowledge that makes us great in God's Kingdom, it is servanthood and mercy and compassion and obedience and submission. God's Kingdom is the upside right Kingdom... it is the original plan... this world is Satan's upside-down version of the perfection God created. It is his mission to destroy and distort everything God has made. We must hold fast to His Word and be sensitive to His Voice and move when He says move... speak when He says speak... and remain still when He says be still... Jesus did NOTHING without His Father's direction... that's a high bar to live up too... I may never reach it but I will live out the rest of my days striving to be a good obedient servant of the Most High God.

Q56. (Matthew 9:13; Hosea 6:6) What does Jesus mean when he tells his disciples, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”? Jesus is not looking at what we do outwardly... He is looking for the motives that drive us inwardly. He came to transform our hearts, not change our appearance. What attitude did the Pharisees have towards sinners? Judgment... they saw sinners as "others" and all sinners as beneath them. What attitude did Jesus have toward sinners? Mercy and Love... Compassion and a true desire to help them. What attitude do you have toward sinners? What is the role of a spiritual doctor? Honestly... it depends on the sin... I have much more compassion for some than others. Those who are stuck in addictions or struggling with self-control I find much easier to feel compassion for than those who are filled with hate and are doing things that destroy the lives of others. I know I am not to feel this way, but it is something God is still working on within me. What is the role of a spiritual doctor? To recognize that sin is a sickness and the only hope for healing is the Blood of Jesus.

Q55. (Luke 10:30-37) Why does Jesus contrast a Jewish priest and Levite with a hated Samaritan? Because the former would be easily accepted as a neighbor and easy to love in the eyes of the listeners and they, of course, thought of themselves as fulfilling this command of being a good neighbor. Whereas the latter would have never been considered as a neighbor or one they needed to love and certainly would not have been seen as one that would fulfill the requirements of being a good neighbor himself. Jesus was essentially saying, your rank and position nor your heritage matter in the Kingdom of God, it is your heart and your willingness to do what God calls you to do. He constantly reprimanded the Pharisees of His day for their lack of mercy and compassion. We are called to be compassionate and kind. We are called to give of ourselves openly to help others. I like how He turned this parable around. He was asked, "who's my neighbor" and instead of telling him who his neighbor was, He showed what a true neighbor does. He wasn't telling him the Samaritan was his neighbor (although this is certainly implied) but instead was showing him what a neighbor looks like and used the least likely subject to accomplish this. According to the parable, how do you think Jesus would define “neighbor,” that is, someone we have a responsibility toward? I think a neighbor is anyone who is in need that we are able to help. How much does compassion move you to go out of your way and comfort zone to care for those in need? I find I am more compassionate in some situations than others. I do not know why this is. I don't know if God calls each of us to help certain people or if we are to get involved with everything we see. I feel the latter would be overwhelming. When I feel the Spirit move me, I follow His lead. There are times my heart says move, but the Spirit tells me to not move. I trust Him and obey in those circumstances as well knowing there is a reason to not get involved. I have worked in food banks and have seen those who take advantage of the generosity of others at the expense of those who really need the help. I believe we are to use discernment as the Spirit guides us because we can easily fall into a situation where we are enabling others or a situation where our generosity is abused. Having said all that... this parable includes someone who is clearly in need of help and in that context... if someone is truly in need of help and I'm able to help them... I do what I can with what God has given me.

Q54. (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27) Why did Jesus give his disciples the Parables of the Talents and Minas? They, and we, need to understand that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God gives us and we will be held accountable to what we do with the gifts He has given us. How are you using the “talents” Jesus has given you? I teach God's Word and I absolutely get such a joy out of using this gift from my Father. God has also called me give honest Godly counsel and I see Him working that through me as I allow myself to be open to those who are struggling in different areas of their lives. I have found that as I have used my gifts He has given me more... I have recently received the gift of hospitality (which I never thought I would have) and praying over others. I have been given the gift of music and I used to use this greatly for His Kingdom, but for the last decade I have hidden this talent. I have been asked to use it once again in our Christmas play this year and the thought of it gives me a great deal of fear and anxiety. I am extremely out of practice but, this lesson today has greatly convicted me. I do think I will accept this opportunity and allow God to show me that's it's Him, not me, that will give me the talent I need to succeed and bring Him Glory. What causes people to “bury” the talents they once used for the Lord? I can only speak for myself... I buried my talent because I left the narrow road for a time and joined the world. God found me and brought me back to His path several years ago but, I just didn't want to take the time to hone my gift and put in the practice necessary to be useful to Him again. I have selfishly kept one of my talents buried because I have a fear of playing my instrument in front of others. This is leftover residue of the perfectionism God has removed from my heart and spirit. It's time to step over the line of fear and watch what God and God alone can do with my obedience once again. If it is not salvation itself, what is the reward for faithfulness? For me, I just want to please my Father... if I can hear, "well done", oh what a wonderful day that will be!!! Why does God expect more of greatly gifted people? Because it is God who gives out the gifts. He knows exactly what our DNA + our environmental upbringing + His Spirit can produce. He knit us together for a specific purpose and for specific gifts... He placed us in the family and culture we grew up in to hone the characteristics needed to fulfill our purpose. We have no excuse to not fulfill our intended purpose except laziness and rebellion.

Q53. (John 13:4-17) In what way is Jesus washing the disciples’ feet a parable? It is a demonstration of how we are to treat others and a demonstration of the need to wash off daily sins. Why did this act of washing their feet feel so shocking to the disciples? Because Jesus, as the Son of God, should not take on the role of the most menial servant of their day. There was a culture in place and in their culture the students served the teacher... not the other way around. Today, this might be equivalent to your Pastor coming to your house and cleaning your toilets. I would not only be shocked but greatly humbled and uncomfortable. In what sense is this a parable of cleansing? Many believe that repentance is a one-time event and once saved there is no need to repent any longer because Jesus paid it all already for us. But, the Bible is clear that we are to walk with a repentant spirit daily... the meek, the poor in spirit... these are those who will receive the blessings in the end. We must realize who we are without Jesus working through us and how often we squelch His Work in our lives to do what we want to do instead. This is sin and we are to be aware of it and repent of it each day. This keeps the line of communion open with our Heavenly Father. Often we are unaware of the foot washing we are in need of. But, as we immerse ourselves in God's Word... the Holy Spirit reveals our hidden unknown sin to us so that we may continually be made clean. In what way is it a rebuke of pride and competition? We are not to strive to be the best and stand out amongst our Christian brothers and sisters. That is what the enemy would like for us to focus on but we are told we are to serve our family... nothing about competition fits into a servant's role. This is the number one thing God has broken in me... my competitive spirit... I always had to be the best at everything I did... how exhausting that life was... and how prideful it is to think there can never be anyone who can do anything better than you can... I no longer have this drive in me... I still put forth my best effort at everything I do but I no longer feel defeated if someone else gets the prize. This is nothing more than the Holy Spirit cleaning house within me. In what way is it a parable of humble service? If we are constantly focused on others and what we can do to serve and help... we do not have time to think about our position or rank. Jesus is clearly showing it isn't about us and what we can get for ourselves... even putting that in writing sounds just awful "what we can get for ourselves/what's in it for me"... sadly, this is often what our actions reveal about us... But we are to be about our Father's business and our Father's business never calls us to worry about ourselves. In what areas of your life do you need to implement its teaching? There was a time, not long ago, that serving sounded like a dirty word to me... I hated the thought of it and used the excuse, "that's just not my gift". As I learned more and more about my identity in Christ and how we are to live in Him and in so doing, allow Him to live through us, service became something that feels very natural to me. I enjoy doing things to help others and I enjoy the mundane tasks that I avoided like the plague when I was trying to do this Christian life under my own strength. We cannot be this kind of servant on our own... it is not possible... it is Jesus, living through us, that renews our heart and mind to Kingdom character... It is Him and Him alone who serves through my broken vessel. My only role is to continuously seek Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and EVERYTHING else that comes from that immersing is Him taking control and doing His Will through me.

Q52. (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8) What is the similarity between Jesus' Parables of the Friend at Midnight and the Unjust Judge? Both were moved into action by the persistence of the requester. What does this persistence look like in your life? I have been praying for my adult children to return to God and make Jesus Lord of their lives for years. I will not give up. I know God will reach them and break down the walls they have built around the kingdom of this world. They once loved Him in their youth and I know those seeds are still there waiting to sprout back into life. I will pray for them until the day I go home to meet Jesus. What will persistence in prayer do to develop you as a disciple? It increases my faith. Especially when I journal my prayers... sometimes we forget what we prayed fervently for years ago until we go back and read our requests to God and then recognize the answers we see in the lives of those we prayed for. If I built alters to remind me of answered prayers as they did in the Old Testament, I would have an entire yard filled with rocks!

Q51. (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13) Why did Jesus give his disciples the Parable of Asking a Father for Bread? He wanted them to trust Him to always do what is best for them. We have a good Father who Loves us and wants to bestow His blessings upon our lives. What misconception was he seeking to correct? We are not to be afraid to ask God for anything. He desires to give us good things. Keep in mind though that He is a Perfect Father and will not bless a rebellious disobedient child.

Q50. (Matthew 6:25-34) How does the Parable of the Birds and the Lilies teach us not to worry? We are part of God's Creation... all other created things were created with us in mind. They were all seen as "good"... but when He created us, we were seen as "very good". So... if God takes care of that which is lesser in value than us, why on earth wouldn't He take care of us? We must first understand God's Love for us to even begin to understand why we should never worry. I thank God for the time in my life that I struggled to even feed my family. We lived basically on a 50lb bag of rice and beans for a year. My kids never knew we were poor... and their favorite meal is still rice and beans to this day... but during that time, God showed me His Faithfulness in a way that I would have never experienced it had I had the means to fully support myself and my family. My faith is strong because my personal testimony tells of God's provision in my life. Trials are meant to strengthen our faith and bring Glory to God. What does Jesus teach about worrying about the future? We are not to spend our time worrying about something we have no control over. We are to trust the One Who holds us in His Hands and walk in the day He has given us. We are to take joy in each moment and not allow what "might or might not" happen in the future steal the Joy He has for us today. Rather than worrying, what does Jesus instruct his disciples to do? Our only purpose is to seek God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. If we do this each day... everything else falls into place. We cannot do anything on our own... we cannot force ourselves to be humble... we cannot force ourselves to give joyfully... we cannot produce the Fruit of God's Spirit on our own... but... if we devote ourselves to seeking Him and knowing Him more... We are transformed into a vessel that does all these things naturally... nothing is forced... we become new beings... but we must commit ourselves to seeking Him above everything else in this life. What does obeying verse 33 look like in your life? This verse has been my life verse for several years now. When I finally understood that none of it is about me or what I am able to do... but instead about Him and what He wanted to do through me... I was truly set free! To seek Jesus with everything I have is to die to myself daily. To walk in obedience to Him and to allow HIS POWER to work through my broken abused vessel, this is my purpose... Seeking Him daily allows my spirit to be fully seated in His and as the old hymn says, "the things of this world become strangely dim... in the Light of His Glory and Grace."

Q49. (Luke 16:13) What are the very subtle ways that we can begin to serve Money rather than God? Worrying about our financial future to the point that it causes anxiety instead of knowing it is God who takes care of us, not our portfolio. Becoming a workaholic to the point of neglecting God, your family and your friends because you feel the need to acquire more and more wealth. Taking a job that compromises your beliefs because the pay is better. Taking a job that requires you to work on days you had set apart for God because it pays more. Taking on extra jobs so you can buy more and better stuff but, by so doing, your family is left alone most of the time. Getting depressed because you cannot afford some material thing that you desire. Going into debt to get instant material gratification. Meditating on what you don't have instead of meditating on God's Word. How can we detect these temptations in our hearts? At the end of the day, take a self-assessment... what did you spend most of your time doing? What thoughts captivated your mind throughout the day? What does your credit card show you did with your time that day? How many people did you reach out to? How did God measure up to the world based on your assessment? Why did Jesus tell his disciples the Parable of the Two Masters? Because money is a real threat to our relationship with God. Money can quickly and quietly corrupt our hearts and destroy our testimony. We have to be fully devoted to God... we have to give Him more of our time than we give this world. That is very hard to do when you are raising a family and working a full-time job... but... it is still possible to put Him first in everything you do. Pray together with your family before you go off to work and they go off to school. Have a family devotion time set every evening before the TV is turned on... give God credit for your accomplishments at work so that your bosses and coworkers know where your wisdom comes from... visit a nursing home with your family on the weekend instead of attending the ballgame... We are Jesus' current disciples... we must heed His warning and adjust our lives accordingly.

Q48. (Luke 12:16-21) Is being wealthy a sin for a Christian? No being wealthy is not a sin for many patriarchs in the Old Testament were wealthy. Even David, when rebuked, God basically told him, I have given you everything you could ever want and would've given you more if you had only asked, but you chose to take what belonged to another and which was all he had... what was not yours. Money is not evil... it is the love and dependence on money that turns our focus from eternal to temporal, that removes Christ from the throne and places worthless paper in his place. What was the rich man's actual sin or sinful attitude? He was selfish, thinking only of himself. He saw his abundance as a blessing all for him. He did not understand that every good thing comes from God and He gives freely so that we, also, can learn to give freely. How do you sometimes see greed in the people in your neighborhood or social circle? I think America has become a country of self-indulgent greedy people. Bigger is better... more is never enough... new phones that cost thousands of dollars seen as a necessity yearly... multiple cars that cost more than houses parked in every driveway... We see someone as poor if their car is more than 10 years old... we have lost the understanding of true need... we are a nation of bigger barns... just look at the self-storage industry! They are on just about every corner and every unit is full of "stuff"! We only see greed as those who are millionaires buying yachts. We fail to look at our own homes where we have more TVs and cars than occupants living there. We fail to look at our own closets that are overflowing with clothes as we say, "I have nothing to wear". Looking for greed in my neighborhood and social circles is like trying to remove a speck from my neighbor's eye when I have a timber in my own. Christians aren't immune. In what ways might greed influence a Christian's behaviors and values? Spiritually: Greed causes us to hold on tightly to what is temporal. Greed causes us to serve money and possessions instead of the Most High God. Greed causes us to make idols out of things created by men. Greed steals our purpose as a child of God. Secularly: Greed causes us to give away that which is worn out and no longer of use and call it charity. Greed causes us to give without sacrificing a thing but feel, in our hearts, as if we sacrificed greatly. Greed causes us to judge the poor and needy before, after and while we are helping them.

Q47. (Luke 16:1-13) In what way is the dishonest steward supposed to be a positive example to disciples? The steward recognized his future and prepared for it accordingly. Look around you. The people who are living secular lives, depending on their wealth to get them through their future, are constantly in the books and stock market. Constantly watching and preparing. They are focused on their goal. Christians? Not so much. We, as disciples, need to think about our future and prepare for it accordingly as well. What are we doing with our time now? Are we assuring we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings? Are we preparing for eternity or living for today? We need to be about the business of our Father in Heaven... some think, "as long as I'm saved I don't have to worry about anything or do anything... I've got my ticket, that's all that matters." If this is your attitude towards the sacrifice Jesus made for your soul, I'd have to argue that you have never met Your Savior. For, if you had, you would be so filled with gratitude and thankfulness that you would never ever think to refer to your salvation as your "ticket" into Heaven. My goal is to hear, "well done, my good and faithful servant". Not because I want or need a pat on the back for my efforts but because I love my Savior and want nothing more than for Him to be pleased with my life. How does one “lay up treasures in heaven”? We lay up treasures in heaven by earning jewels for our crowns. These jewels are earned when we step aside and allow Jesus to continue His ministry through our lives doing good in the world around us. Ironically, it's not our work, but His that earns these treasures. For nothing good comes from us. If any good is coming from me, it is only because I have allowed my own will to die that His Will may live through me. As I have mentioned before, this is why we will lay these jeweled filled crowns at the feet of Jesus... because, it was His Work, not ours, that earned those jewels. My biggest fear is to come face to face with my Savior with an empty crown in my hands showing I chose to live my life for me instead of for Him. Why is the quality of our work of very small things so important to God? Because we show our faithfulness and our love through obedience and works. They do not earn our salvation, but they prove our love for Him. We would never entrust our future estate to someone who couldn't handle their own bills... why would God entrust the future of His Kingdom to one that cannot control their own tongue, or their own impulses? He tests our faithfulness continually. With each test we pass, we are given more. What is he waiting to see in us? Obedience, loyalty, and an understanding that it's not about this life that we are currently living in. We have been given a higher purpose. We should live with our eternal dwelling as our constant goal and reminder of what we are living for. He is waiting to see His Fruit in our lives... He is waiting for us to lay down our wills so that His Will can be Lord over our lives... He is waiting to see us put Him and others first and ourselves last. What happens to people in the church who are promoted beyond their spiritual growth? For one, they are overwhelmed and frustrated. They are unable to keep up with the ministry they are given. Others are disillusioned and turned off by the chaos of the ministry. We need to be careful to never volunteer just to "fill a spot" in ministry. As Christians, we are specifically gifted and called into certain facets of ministry. When we step into a ministry that we are not called to serve in, at the very least we steal that position from the one who God is calling, and in the worst case, we cause that ministry to struggle or even fail because we have stepped into disobedience to do something we thought was good but was against His Will.

Q46. (Matthew 7:15-20; Luke 6:43-45) From Jesus' images of wolves in sheep's clothing, good and bad fruit, and the treasure chest of the heart, how does he teach us to discern false leaders? The Holy Spirit grows His Fruit through our branches. We are clearly told in Scripture what this Fruit looks like, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. False prophets will not produce these fruits in their lives. They may produce a cheap imitation of this fruit for a short time, but they will be easily angered by those who disagree with them, they will be harsh towards those who do produce the Spirit's Fruit, they will be self-serving and will not have the churches best interest at heart. They often will not be open to any other view accept theirs, unwilling to compromise. And their words divide, divide, divide. Their objective is to cause strife within a congregation. Why is this so important in our churches? We must be able to recognize those who are placed by the enemy in our churches so that the church will not be destroyed from the inside out and the weaker sheep are not led astray. We are given a spirit of discernment through the Holy Spirit within us. He lets us know when we are in the presence of a wolf. We feel it in our spirit... never dismiss this uneasiness regardless of how harmless, attractive or forth coming the person may seem to us. Trust the Holy Spirit's discernment within you and be cautious when He warns you of someone's true character. Why must we distinguish flawed Christian leaders from dangerous false prophets? Flawed Christian leaders will be open to Truth spoke to them in love. False prophets will not be open to Truth at all. We cannot automatically assume someone who has misinterpreted God's Word is a false prophet. This would mean we are not producing the Spirit's Fruit in our own lives. We need to first, recognize false doctrine when we hear it, and then counsel with the one who is teaching false doctrine to determine if they have misinterpreted the Scripture or if they are purposely distorting the Scripture to cause tensions and disillusions within the church. We are all flawed Christians... we all get it wrong at times... even passionately wrong... I think of myself when I was a new believer and how passionate I was for every new revelation God brought to me. Some of those revelations were received out of context and thank God He had surrounded me with wise Christians who patiently and lovingly encouraged my passion while at the same time steering me towards complete Truth and understanding. We must be patient with each other, slow to judge and quick to encourage and strengthen. We are called to mentor, encourage and discipline each other... not judge, breakdown and punish.

Q45. (John 6:53-58) What does the metaphor of “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,” mean in practical terms? We are to feast on the Word of God and walk by His Spirit daily. It is our sustenance for our Spiritual Life. Without His Spirit (Living Water) and His Word (Daily Bread) our spirits will be malnourished and desecrated. To extend the same metaphor, what do you think might be the difference between nibbling the Bread of Life rather than actually making a meal of it? To nibble the bread of life is to read the daily verse sent to your phone or email and decide that is enough to nourish your soul for the day. Or to pray before meals and no other time and feel that is enough to keep you abiding with the Father through the day. Nibbling is lazy and it entails that there isn't much thought put into it. When I feel hungry but do not feel like making a meal or do not have the time to make a meal, I grab whatever is closest to me and eat enough of it to make my stomach stop rumbling. What I choose is usually worthless to my body. Meals take time to prepare and usually cover a much broader spectrum of the foods necessary to keep us healthy. The same is true of God's Word... we cannot take a verse here and there and expect that to sustain our souls. We must take that same verse and look it up and read the context by which it was written and take in the complete meaning of it for our lives. We must go to God continually in prayer throughout our days, not just at allotted times where we pretty much repeat the same thing to Him at each setting, as with praying over our food. Abiding in God takes a great amount of time and effort that we must choose to put forth. How does “eating his flesh” relate to abiding in Jesus? When we study God's Word, we take Him in, much the same way we take food into our body's. "You are what you eat" is a saying for a reason. We can take this same concept and apply it to a Christian's life choices. We are what we choose to see, hear, feel, taste, experience. We must choose Jesus. Why do you think Jesus uses this offensive analogy that resulted in many disciples leaving him? Jesus had a lot of people following Him for what He could do for them. His miracles and unique teaching style drew many crowds. Jesus is not looking for disillusioned star struck followers He wants solid like-minded followers who are willing to take in and walk in the hard teachings along with the blessings that come from following Him. Those that follow Him for the wrong reasons are stumbling blocks to a world that needs Him. We cannot misinterpret the Words of Jesus. The Pharisees and Sadducees did this and look where that got them? We must understand that living a Christian life is not an easy road here on this earth... in fact, it is the hardest road. If you are following Him because you think your life will suddenly be roses and unicorns, you will quickly be disillusioned with your misinterpretation of the Kingdom of God. I love Peter's response to Jesus when He asked His disciples if they were going to leave too, "Lord, where shall we go?". This is how I feel about my walk with God. Even when it gets tough, I draw closer to Him in my sorrow and fear, my anger and pain, because "Where else can I go?" there is only One Who is the Son of God. There is only One Who offers Salvation and Eternal Life for my soul... He never promised an easy life... but He has promised us He will never leave us or forsake us... He is right here by my side, weeping with me, rejoicing with me, comforting me and guiding me. I cannot imagine trying to navigate this life without Him.

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean “to abide”? I like to think of this as a good oil and vinegar dressing. Vinegar, by itself is very bitter and not many would want to put this on a salad by itself. But, when vinegar is mixed with oil, it no longer tastes bitter, it has a pleasing taste that goes well on a salad or bread or many other things. When this mixture is constantly used and shaken, it remains well mixed and cannot be easily separated. But, when this mixture sits stagnant, even for a short time, the oil will separate from the vinegar and the vinegar will once again be bitter. We are bitter vinegar without the Oil of Christ working in us and through us. When our relationship with Him becomes stagnant, our fruit becomes bitter and undesirable. But, when we continually mix and stir and cultivate our relationship with Christ, when we merge our lives into His and let His sweet Oil change the substance of our heart, our Fruit becomes His Fruit instead of being our imitation of what we think His Fruit should look like. The Fruit naturally flows from us. We respond graciously to others and serve others as a first response, not a forced response. His Fruit feels natural, because it is. When we are abiding with Him, it is His Love that begins to flow through us. I know exactly who I am without Him... I know the bitter fruit that my flesh produces... and I know the sweet Fruit of the Spirit that flows through me when I choose to abide in Him, obeying His Voice and following His lead. What does abiding have to do with: “mutual indwelling”? We are told that when we choose to abide in Christ, He will, in return, abide in us. We become one with Him just as He and His Father are One. The concept blows my mind. We have been invited into the same intimate relationship with God and His Son as they have always had with each other. What an amazing privilege it is to be a child of God! a “personal relationship”? You cannot abide with someone you do not know intimately. Jesus did not only come to save us... He came to restore our relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is ALL about relationship. One of the saddest things I encounter in teaching others is those who are filled with head knowledge about our Lord and King but have no idea what His Voice sounds like. My heart breaks because, these are the hardest to reach. They are convinced their knowledge makes them enlightened and it is those who do not have their skill for knowledge who are lacking. It is a sad deception of the enemy that will keep many from ever entering the Kingdom of God. "Depart for I know you not" is not something I ever want to hear from my Lord and King. What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? Anything Good that comes from my life only comes as a result of me stepping completely aside and allowing God's Spirit to do His Work through me. My greatest fear is to stand before my King with an empty crown because everything I did for "Him", I actually did for myself. I don't want earthly rewards for MY efforts... I want Heavenly rewards for my humble submission and admission that I am nothing without Him. Because those Heavenly rewards will be all I have to give my Savior when I meet Him Face to face. Holding an empty crown will be devasting to my soul. How could I stand before the One Who gave His Life for me with an empty crown that shows I gave none of my life for Him. What is the value of things done without Christ? There is NO ETERNAL VALUE in ANYTHING we do outside of Christ. This took me 50 years to begin to understand. Oh, how I wish I would have truly understood this concept when I was in my 20s and 30s and even my 40s. So much wasted time and effort spent on protecting and building my own reputation. Forgive me Lord for wasting years of my life on myself. Thank You for Your Faithfulness and Love and Patience with me... You never gave up on me... Thank You for opening my eyes to this concept of "Abiding"... I still have a long way to go but, at least I recognize the goal I'm heading towards. What is the final end of things done without Christ? Best case scenario is we enter Heaven as one escaping from fire, with nothing but the shame of an empty fruitless crown... worst case scenario is we hear, "depart from me, I know you not." I want nothing to do with either of these scenarios. We must understand that God's plan is for Christ and Christ alone to continue His ministry through each one of us. It is never about us... it is ALWAYS about Him. Others will only see the Glory of God and be drawn to His Kingdom if it is JESUS Who is touching their lives THROUGH us.

Q43. (John 15:1-3) How does skillful pruning increase the fruitfulness of a grapevine? By pruning off the pieces of the vine that have withered or died, it allows the vine to put all of its energy into the good branches. By pruning out the overgrowth it keeps the fruit from being shaded too much or too crowded which would produce less than desirable fruit. Pruning is a necessary and tedious job. How are we pruned or cleansed by exposure and obedience to Jesus' words? The closer I get to Jesus and the more I read His Word, the more I am aware of sin around me. There are so many things I used to see as benign that I have now removed from my life because I recognize them as thorns and weeds in my life. We are told to be careful what we listen to, what we allow our eyes to see, what we expose ourselves to. I only listen to Christian music, we have removed any access to live TV from our house, I only read God's Word and studies based on His Word. These are things I have implemented into my life because I feel it's what God has asked me to do. At first, these things were a sacrifice for me. I loved my HGTV, and I loved my country music. But now, when I do see a modern TV show or hear a modern country song, I am shocked at what I see and hear. What seemed benign to me is not benign at all. What we expose ourselves to shapes us. I have chosen to expose myself to God and His Word and I have seen it shape my life in a way He wasn't able to shape me before. He had to prune the world out of my life so He could flow through me without resistance. According to John 8:31-32, how does obeying Jesus' teaching bring cleansing and freedom from sin? We are His true disciples when we abide in His Word. God's love language is obedience. When we abide in His Word and obey what it says, we are proclaiming our love for Him... our allegiance to Him... we show ourselves to be His disciples when we follow Him in submissive obedience. We are washed by His Word... His Word cleanses our hearts and makes them new. His Word transforms us from the inside out. When we follow Jesus' teachings, we find freedom from our sin and eternal life through His perfect Life which He allowed to be a sacrificial offering for us.

Q42. (Luke 12:1; Matthew 16:11-12) Why is hypocrisy easy to detect in others, but difficult to detect in ourselves? Nobody likes to look into their own heart. We are brought right back around to pride again. We do not like to see our flaws and we certainly do not want anyone else to see them. We work very hard to cover them up, especially at church. I have found that the Holy Spirit works through me best when I am open about my flaws and short comings. When I admit my struggles, it's like chains falling off of me. The enemy convinces us that our flaws will push others away but, I have found, that admitting my flaws actually draws others closer to me. I got tired of wearing my churchy Facebook mask all the time. It was exhausting. God laid on my heart the Scripture where He says He is made strong in my weakness, and I chose to believe Him. I understood that as long as I kept my weaknesses hidden, the enemy had power over me. He used my weaknesses to instill fear in me. Fear of others finding out where my struggles were, where I fall into temptation. But, bringing them into the Light, removed the enemies hold on me... it set me free and not one of his lies manifested. I have found that a good measuring line for hypocrisy and pride is this, when I find myself judging those around me, I know I have taken my eyes off of Jesus and am no longer examining my own heart. It's a wakeup call for repentance and self-examination. Why is hypocrisy so deadly: to spiritual growth? Because hypocrisy is kin to the flesh and you can't grow spiritually if you are feeding your flesh. to witness? Because we cannot show the world Jesus when our actions look like the world. In fact, we hinder them finding Jesus if we are proclaiming to be His and acting like this. Who would want to be a part of a Kingdom that looks to be built on hypocrites? to obedience? How can we be obedient if all we are worried about is looking good ourselves? When we are self-absorbed there is no time for God's Will in our lives... our will takes precedence over everything else. to being a disciple? A disciple is one who follows Jesus. We cannot follow Jesus if we are more interested in following our own agenda. We cannot point others to Jesus if we are too busy pointing them to us instead. When others are focusing on us, we have stolen what is God's. I do not want to ever be guilty of stealing God's Glory for myself. What is the antidote for hypocrisy? Honesty, vulnerability and obedience. When we stop worrying about what others think about us, we will no longer be in danger of being a hypocrite. When we understand who we are in Christ, we will not worry about who others think we are. We will walk in confidence, we will repent quickly and openly, knowing our Savior loves us no less or no more based on our mistakes and that He forgives us when we come to him in repentance, we will obey without question, and we will shine like the stars in the sky as we bring Glory to our Father in Heaven. The antidote for hypocrisy is to seek Jesus with all our hearts... abide in the One Who died to set you free.

Q41. (Luke 14:7-11) Why do people push themselves forward? Because we have bought into the lie that to come in 2nd is to be the 1st loser, that bigger is always better, and that to not take care of yourself is essentially telling the world you are a doormat. We want to look like we have it all together, like superheroes in the game of life. Best job, best husband, best kids, best home, etc. etc. Because... then... others will envy us and stroke our egos. Pride is the root of all evil. According to verse 11, what will happen to them? We will be humbled every single time we exalt ourselves! Why is humility so important a lesson for Jesus' disciples? Because pride is the enemy of God. How are we going to reach a lost world if all we are worried about is serving and exalting ourselves? All that will accomplish is division and chaos, which is evident all around us in this world. Without humility, we are not only useless in the Kingdom, but we are actually stumbling blocks for others who are looking for Jesus. What is the danger to us, if we don't learn and internalize this lesson? There is no room in God's Kingdom for a prideful heart. Satan's sin was pride... He was God's most beautiful angel, in charge of worship, part of God's inner heavenly circle... and pride cost him his inheritance for eternity. If Satan was cast out of heaven due to pride, that is a clear warning sign to all that pride has to be removed from our hearts... it is essential that we understand the danger of having a prideful self-serving heart. It is much easier to choose to humble ourselves than to have God step in and do the humbling for us.

Q40. (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). According to Mark 10:13-16, what characteristic of children is necessary for salvation? Humility... not having any pretense when we come to God. Jesus has done it all for us... we only need to humbly submit to His Lordship and accept His sacrifice. Children understand this... they have simple faith... we have a hard time understanding that Jesus actually did do it all... there is nothing He needs our help with... no fine print... no extra clauses written in... "it is finished"... He fulfilled every condition necessary to reconnect us to Himself and His Father. What characteristic were the disciples showing: in rebuking the parents? Arrogance... they had decided who was important enough to see Jesus. And, in so doing, they had demoted children as unworthy of Jesus. when arguing about who was greatest? Again... arrogance and pride... we have been deceived in this world. It has convinced us that power = position and position = power. Because this world has convinced us that we are our own god... we should serve ourselves and look out for ourselves and make sure we get the best we can get for ourselves. Because, "if you don't look out for yourself, who will?" The enemy loves turning his lies into catchy little slogans. Just google "slogans about self" and click on the images tab to see how clever our enemy is. All of this leads to anxiety and depression and self-comparison and self-destruction. But we now belong to a different Kingdom... the original Kingdom... the upside right Kingdom... and we are told not to worry about our position... we are told to serve and love others, not ourselves. This is the key to true joy and contentment. Why is humility essential to: repentance? Because only a humble heart will recognize how sinful it is and how much in need of a Savior we are. learning? Because a prideful heart cannot receive instruction. Pride says, "I know more than the one teaching me", even if the One teaching you is God. obedience? Because a prideful heart does not like to be told what to do. It will rebel. Only a humble heart understands that obedience is a sign of strength, not weakness. Only a humble heart is able to recognize the authority of God and bows in submission to His Will. Why did Jesus give his disciples the saying of becoming like little children? He needed them, and us, to understand that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is a free gift, and we need to not complicate it... our faith should be like a child's. If God said it, we just need to accept it, not expand on it or try to "improve" it. We also need to be on constant watch of any pride that wells up within us. We must not categorize others. We are all equal, young or old, rich or poor, well or sick, no matter our position in this world, we are all equal and in need of a Savior.

Q39. (Luke 18:9-14) Why do you think the Pharisee is so convinced of his righteousness? Because he has interpreted Scripture incorrectly. He believes he has a birthright into the Kingdom of Heaven. He does not understand that we are all born into sin and nothing we can do can change that. Only God can transform us from a state of sin to a state of righteousness. But he put himself on the same level with God. After all... he was praying to HIMSELF!!! What do you think are his actual sins? He follows the law outwardly while having no compassion or love within. God's people are to look like Him and He tells us over and over again that He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, bounding in love and faithfulness. (Exodus 34:6). He also tells us in Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished". This Pharisee saw his checklist of laws as his ticket to righteousness before God. He failed to recognize his pride as the one thing that would keep him from ever knowing God. He failed to understand that every soul is a creation of God and he was choosing to look upon God's creation with disdain and disgust instead of compassion and love. When we see ourselves as better than anyone else... ANYONE... we are no better than this Pharisee. We may not say it out loud but... God sees our heart... This is why He tells us to serve others... there is no greater difference in hierarchy than the Creator of the universe and the men He formed from dust... yet He has chosen to serve His creation...We serve a Servant King... so who am I to think there is anyone who is beneath me?!? Forgive me Lord I pray. What is so remarkable about the tax collector's prayer? The tax collector recognized himself as a sinner in need of a Savior... He saw himself through the eyes of God instead of through the eyes of men. Why is it easier to promote ourselves in front of others rather than humble ourselves? This is something God is rooting out of me... I hate the pride within me... it camouflages itself in so many different ways... every time I think I'm making progress God reveals another tentacle of the monster within me. There is only one reason we do not humble ourselves... it is because being humble hurts our pride. I pray earnestly for God to humble my heart, knowing it's going to hurt every time it happens but, I also know when I reach the point that I no longer feel pain when humbled... this will be victory for it means God has pulled the last of the rotten root called pride from my heart. Why did Jesus tell this parable for his disciples? The disciples were set up to become the Pharisees of the new covenant. How easy it would've been for them to feel superior to everyone else. After all... they were original followers of Jesus... Especially the original gang of 12... Jesus needed them to understand that being a part of His Kingdom meant being humble and serving those who the world tells you should be serving you. Real authority doesn't have a need to prove who they are. When we understand who we are in Christ, we will be able to live in the freedom of serving others without any thought of how that looks to those around us.

Q38. (Matthew 13:44-46). If you were to objectively assess your life, career, family, values, and possessions, is there anything more important, anything of greater value to you than your relationship with Jesus? I can honestly say, at this point in my life, my relationship with Jesus is at the top of my priority list. There are certainly no possessions that take greater value than Him in my life. My family is extremely dear to me, but if He saw it in His Will to take them from me, I would be devastated but I would not love Him any less. I know His Ways are best and I trust Him completely with the circumstances in my life. I have a daughter, a father and a brother waiting for me in Heaven... it isn't about this life... it's about the eternal life that is to come. My only hesitation to losing my family now is that I have 2 children that are not walking with Jesus. I need Him to reach their hearts before they leave this life. How would you objectively prove to a friend that Jesus is first in your life? I feel confident that my friends know Jesus is first in my life because they come to me for Biblically based advice and prayer often. I love my brothers and sisters in Christ as if they were my birth family. We support and encourage each other in our walk with Christ and we hold each other accountable to His commands. We serve and do ministry together. God has given me a wonderful circle of Christian friends to journey through this life with. I know, if they saw me veering off the narrow road, they would do everything in their power to steer me back to Jesus and I would do the same for any one of them. I couldn't have given this as my testimony 3 years ago. God is so very very good1

Q37. (Luke 9:23-24, etc.) What does it mean to take up your cross daily? I have always understood this as the death of our flesh... our earthly desires... our own will... our flesh died the day our spirit was made alive in Christ. The cross we carry reminds us that our flesh is dead... This is a very heavy cross to carry because denying flesh goes against everything that comes natural to us. The flesh is a persistent foe... we have to remind ourselves daily that we do not live for our own desires but we have chosen to put our flesh to death so our spirit can be alive to follow our Lord and King and His desires... What does this have to do with “losing your life for me.” What are the consequences in one's Christian walk if a disciple wants to take this step of commitment? We choose to give up the life this world offers (worship self, take care of self, glorify self, increase your self-wealth, self-knowledge, self-reputation, self-elevation) in order to live for Christ and Christ alone. This may mean we lose the promotion; we move to a place we never would have chosen; we hang out with people we don't necessarily like or enjoy; we give up a favorite hobby or dream... it means we understand that at any time God can call us to give up anything we have in our possession including our home and family. How does this contrast with trying to save one's life? When we save our own life, we are focused on ourselves and what is best for us, disregarding anyone else's needs, wants, feelings or desires. We save our life when we put ourselves first... we lose our lives when we put ourselves last and Christ first.

Q36. (Luke 14:25-32) Are Jesus' demands of his disciples too uncompromising? Nothing Jesus did or does is too anything so... the answer to this question has to be "no". Jesus didn't compromise anything for us... He gave everything He had including His Life on a cross... He NEVER asks us to do anything that He did not do Himself... It is for us to decide if we are willing to sacrifice everything this world offers us for everything Jesus offers us... there is no fence to sit on in the Kingdom of God... We must hate this world to enter His Kingdom... Are we too compromising with the world's demands? Yes... Yes... and again YES!!! We have a fleshly desire to fit in and be liked by everyone. This causes us to compromise, or sometimes hide our true identity in certain groups or situations. This is no different from Peter denying Christ to the crowds... We deny Christ every time we compromise with the world. Forgive me Lord I pray. What do you need to completely surrender so Jesus has all of you? My time... I am selfish with my time and covet my alone time... However, God is working on me and I know He won't give up on me until I have an open hand with my time. Not only an open hand but a joyful heart when asked to give up and share my coveted time (this is where I fail the worst).