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Q5. (1:8-9) According to 1 Peter 1:8-9, what is the basis of Christian joy that is "inexpressible and glorious"? How does this joy interplay with human emotions? Is it essentially emotional? How does it differ from what is generally regarded as the pursuit of "happiness"? Extra Credit: How can you tell the genuine article of joy from the counterfeit? I think that the joy we experience as Christians goes way beyond the type of joy or happiness that one may feel in the secular world .Firstly there is the feeling of security of knowing our future destiny,and the constant feeling of companionship we have in Christ. I believe that all things that incur feelings of happiness and joy as children of God we view as blessings and this dimension adds to the joy that we feel.When all else seems to be falling apart around us we have the assurance that our King Jesus Christ will be there to comfort us and carry us through these times.It is the assurance of our salvation in Christ that wells up from with inside us to bring forth the"inexpressible and glorious"joy that we have. We don't have to be in search of new ways and means to bring about the brief moments of joy that those of the world are constantly seeking. Our hearts are spirit filled and we are overflowing with real joy from the Lord.Thank you Jesus.

Q4. (1:6-7) Can you remember any instances in which God used difficult circumstances to refine and purify your faith? What did God accomplish in your life? How, exactly, does genuine, tested faith bring glory to Jesus? There was a time in my life in 1991 when I became ill with cancer.The doctors gave up hope and said I could expect six months in my condition.My daughters were nine and six respectively and I had recently taken over a business which was financially unstable and needed my constant input.These circumstances started me of in a new and perhaps unusual relationship with my Lord.It is difficult to explain but went something like this. God please let me live long enough to see my girls through junior school and I will be faithful to You.(I must just add at this point I liquidated the business and also sequestrated both myself and my wife due to what I will now call a lack of faith.)When my first daughter reached what we call standard five in South Africa the end of junior school it was,God please just until they finish high school.As you can all see I am still around (Praise my God King of my life)After school it was university then marriage(one is married)and now its the rest of my life. God has molded me cleansed me through the hottest of fires and only now 18 years on am I starting to rely on my faith that the Lord has strengthened and refined.I give God all the glory praise be to the one and only living God.

Q3. (1:5) According to 1 Peter 1:5, what is God's part in securing your salvation? What is your part? God sent His only Son our Lord to die for us through his blood our sins were washed away and through his resurrection we are born again.This gift of God is for everyone all you need do is accept His gift. Once we are saved God shields us from the enemy until our lord returns for us. We need to have faith in God , this faith grows as we get to know Him better through the study of His word and constant prayer.When God planted His seed He meant for us to nourish it in order to bare fruit that His name may be glorified.

Q2. (1:2) Why do forgiveness (sprinkling) and obedience come together as a package? Why is it deceptive to think you can have one without the other? Extra credit: If true faith requires obedience, how can we say that we are saved by grace rather than works? (Ephesians 2:8-10) Our salvation requires us to live in obedience to the word of our Lord.It was through the cleansing of His blood that washed away our sins and His resurrection the we are reborn.Without obedience we have a false hope and belief ,no fruits will be borne.This being the case we will be pruded back like a branch of vine that bears no fruit. I think that many in our faith could do well to have a in depth study as to the true meaning of the word "WORKS" when it comes to our salvation because it seems to have bean blown out of proportion.Jesus did all the "Work" when it comes to salvation and through His Grace we are saved their is no other way. Our works as Christians are simply a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives without which we are like an empty barrel hollow and dry.

Q1. (1:1) How would you describe the behavior of a Christian who identifies more with his present homeland than his heavenly one? Have you ever caught yourself doing this? What has to happen to get our spiritual priorities straight? I think many Christians get caught up in this earthly life and often tend to forget where there hearts should be and where they should store their treasures. I believe we all travel this road without thinking to often as to the consequences of our deeds,we get side tracked in worldly issues. We need to focus on the cross and the reason for our salvation and rebirth through the death and resurrection of Jesus our Lord.We are born again into Christ and become co heirs with Him in all that the father has . The things of this Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace (Amen)

Q7. (Luke 23:46) What does Jesus mean when he says,

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus "finished"? What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: "It is finished"? Jesus had finished what He came to earth to do He had done the Fathers bidding to the letter. Our Lord was now satisfied that all he was commissioned to do was complete. He lived His human life in complete obedience to the Father knowing all along the fate which He would have to face. He never deviated from the plan or tried to make things easier for Himself. My hope is that one day I will be able to say these same words

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? What does this tell us about Jesus? What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? Here we get to realise that the Jesus hanging on the cross was human like us and all the emotions he showed we can identify with. He is close to death but still needed to say a few more words and fulfill a prophesy. We can sense the urgency, the need to complete His task. We often tend to forget that Our Lord became flesh, that He could experience life like us. The difference between us was only sin, all the other emotions and feelings he endured. On the cross and all the persecution He suffered leading up to that point was experienced like we would and not like an immortal being. The fact that the world needs to see is that He came to earth as flesh and took it upon Himself to bear the burden of sin for all mankind. Thank you father for sending your Son to spare us all the pain and suffering he endured for my sins. Thank you Jesus my King for taking my place on that cross and dying for me, shedding your blood that I could be saved. Thank you Father for raising Him from the dead, that I may have eternal life. Thank you Lord, your suffering for my salvation. Praise you Jesus Amen

Q4. (Mark 15:34) What does Jesus' Fourth Word from the cross teach us about faith? About commitment? About love? What effect should this understanding have on our lives? At this stage in the story of the cross, the ultimate sacrifice becomes clear to the point of one being able to sense that total separation from God that is being experienced. It is in these moments of separation that Jesus displayed His total and unwavering love for us all and His absolute faith in the Father. It is in this moment that he took on the sins of all mankind with total commitment and suffered separation from His Father. In this moment Christ suffered more pain than all the other physical pain added together up to this point. It is these moments that magnify the purpose for our Lords death on that cross. We need to understand that it is this total separation from God that is the ultimate sacrifice Christ made on that cross, not just His physical death. In that very moment of separation our saviour paid the price for our sins. When we fully come to grips with this, we will start to understand the enormity, the sheer magnitude of the sacrifice made for us Thank you Jesus for enduring the separation from our Father, taking it upon yourself that feeling of absolute loss. This that we may never be separated from our God I praise you Jesus Amen

Q3. (John 19:26-27) Why does Jesus make St. John responsible for his mother Mary? What does this tell us about Jesus? How should we apply this in our own lives? As the eldest son He was responsible for the wellbeing of his widowed mother and even under these horrendous conditions He was thinking of this. St John was very close to Him, and Mary was probably his aunt as well as the fact that he was loyal right to the end. I believe this in itself made him very dependable. Christ shows us here the importance attached to family and responsibilities toward them. In His dying moments he finds the strength to make arrangements for his mother

Q2. (Luke 23:39-43) Why is the thief

Q1. (Luke 23:34) Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? What responsibility do you and I bear in this? In what sense was Jesus praying for us? Jesus in making that ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross took responsibility for all our sins,and God by giving his only begotten Son also took the same responsibility. Now who do we hold responsible for Christ's death?.It is always easy to pass the blame on to others But do we ever stop to think that we might be as responsible.Often in our daily lives we take the cross and it's consequences fore granted and I believe it's these times that the Lords prayer on the cross was meant for us.(Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.) The truth of the matter is that we as sinners are all equally to blame,for without sin their would be no need for salvation. Thank you Father for taking responsibility for our sins and forgive us for the part we had in Your Sons death we ask this in the name Of our only Saviour Jesus. Amen.

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:21a) Why is it important to Paul for Timothy to come before winter? What happens if Timothy delays? Do you think Timothy dropped everything and came to Paul's side? Would you, if you were Timothy? It is important that Timothy travel before winter mainly because weather conditions in the area did not permit traveling at that time of year.I think Paul was also concerned that his death was imminent and he really wanted to see Timothy again.I think there was a father son relationship here and Paul was also his mentor.He also wanted his coat and paper work which I think he might want to hand over to Timothy in person. I believe that Timothy would have dropped everything at the time knowing that it could be his last chance to see Paul.Also for the same reasons Paul had the parental thing . I most definitely would if I were in timothy's place I think he also needed that final face to face inspiration that he knew Paul would offer.

Q3. (2 Timothy 4:9-12) Why is it so difficult when trusted friends desert us? Why is it so difficult when they move away or die? Is it better to trust no one? Who remains with Paul besides Luke? (Hint: see verse 17a). I think of someone running away when I read the word desertion or being left in the lurch. Under these circumstances I would feel great sorrow and possibly even feelings of disrespect to these so called friends. In the case of real friends that move away or die my feelings would be of mourning or and sadness .I think as humans we were made to build up relationships and at times you can feel very lonesome when friends depart from your company. Trusting in ones friends builds up and nurtures the relationship and often helps to distribute the load. I think that by trusting others it helps to affirm ones trust in the Lord. Just as with Paul the Lord is always there for us and we can lay all our burdens at his feet.

Q2. (2 Timothy 4:8) What does the "crown of righteousness" represent? To whom is it given? On what basis is it awarded? I believe this to be the reward that all those in Christ will receive, it is the ultimate reward that we can get, and it was paid for with the blood of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the promise that all in His body (the church of Christ) look foreword to and in faith carry out the great commission with gladness in our hearts. Knowing at the end of all our persecutions we have much to look forward to.

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"? All of these terms relate to the manner in which we have conducted ourselves in the work of the Lord.Throughout our walk with Him we will come across opposition from Satan , How do we handle this do we back down and admit defeat or do we stand up and defend the faith?In running the race often the hurdles seem too high or too close together what do we do,stop running or train harder?Then just when the finish-line is in sight more stumbling blocks occur,now what do we do stump our toes and continue the race or throw in the towel? Lets take Paul's example, he faced all of these challenges and came out tops by keeping the faith. The morale of the story is don't take a stick to a gun fight (When taking on Satan always wear the full amour of God,know your enemies and your allies in other words know your scriptures)When running the race make sure you don't neglect your training and make sure God is in your training camp.And when that finishing line is in sight turning back is not an option. Our faith is not blind and we entrust it to a living and most awesome God (Amen)

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:5) Why does Paul command Timothy to "discharge all the duties of your ministry"? What is the work of an evangelist that Timothy is to do? What does the command in verse 5mean to you personally? I think Timothy like many of us became complacent and sometimes even negative toward his calling. This more often than not is bought about by Satan

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:5) Why does Paul command Timothy to "discharge all the duties of your ministry"? What is the work of an evangelist that Timothy is to do? What does the command in verse 5mean to you personally? I think Timothy like many of us became complacent and sometimes even negative toward his calling. This more often than not is bought about by Satan

Q3. (2 Timothy 4:1-2) Why do you think Paul has to resort to the command in verses 1-2? Why does he have to talk about being ready when it's inconvenient and when it is convenient? What problem is Paul trying to overcome here? How do these verses speak to you in particular? I think that that Paul is saying that there is never a better time than right now, so we should make sure that we are prepared. We need to be ready at all times to teach, answer and correct others in the way of the Lord. Remembering always that tomorrow might be too late. so be ready. It is for the above reasons that we should be constantly praying and studying the scriptures that if the occasion arises we will be ready to fulfil the Lords work. I would like to share the following E Mail that I got and hope everyone finds it as encouraging as I did Influence is "the act or power of producing an effect without any apparent exertion. " It's not control; it's affect. It's what happens to people just for being around you. As a Believer, it is absolutely your job to be influential. We have to use so much wisdom when we speak to people on the streets especially to our families. What we say to them whether good or bad will influence their whole life. Colossians 4:5-6 says

Q2. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) In what ways does Scripture equip a Christian for ministry? In what different ways can the Scriptures function, according to verse 16? In order to teach any subject we need material to study in order to pass on information that others might gather knowledge. Likewise Christians needs to equip themselves to minister to others through constant study of the scriptures. We must never forget it is these very scriptures when expounded lead people to salvation. The scriptures are from God and give us a complete guide for teaching as well as rebuking from a point of wisdom and authority when needed. It is our way to correct and train one another in righteousness in order to live our lives in accordance with Gods will.

Q1. (2 Timothy 3:16) What does inspiration of Scripture mean? What does the term "God-breathed" tell us about the source and authority of Scripture? Why is the doctrine of inspiration of Scripture important? My understanding of the word inspired when looking at the scriptures, goes beyond even what the dictionaries say. What do I mean? Well in this case to simply say the word means one of the following doesn

Q4. (2 Timothy 3:10-12) How does a failure to accept the inevitability of persecution hinder our witness? Just what does it mean to "take up his cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and to "carry his cross" (Luke 14:27)? Is Jesus talking about persecution -- or something else? I believe that as Christians we often modify our daily walk with the Lord to suit our circumstances, in other words we just go with the flow. We adapt our beliefs to fit in with the surrounding chaos and pleasures of life. There always seems to be some verse in scripture that can back up our actions and definitely a multitude of agreeing fans. Why do we do this? To gain acceptance in society and to show others that little if no change is needed when becoming a Christian. How far from the truth is this? When repentance itself stands for change. I believe that today Christians may feel that persecution is a thing of the past, but when you look around in our first world societies it is rife, but in a more psychological manner. We are afraid of what others may say if they see a big change and don

Q3. (2 Timothy 3:5) Why is it so easy to become a hypocrite? How can we prevent our faith from degenerating into "a form of religion" without the power? I believe sometimes we fall into the trap of Satan by getting caught up in the things of this world and before we know it we are doing things that our lord doesn

Q2. (2 Timothy 2:24-25) In your own words, explain the various characteristics that enable a Christian teacher to correct opponents. How does the lack of any of these hinder the task? When correcting an opponent one needs to be in control of ones emotions both verbal and physical as well as being learned in the subject at hand. Always listen to your opponents arguments completely without interruption, keeping cool and level headed no matter what the argument. Be patient quietly spoken but firm and to the point, remembering always your authority comes from the Lord. Always make sure that you fully understand what is being discussed if not, clarify by asking, it is sometimes better to ask than to tell. Remember the truth can defend itself as can our Lord and often just listening can solve the problem at hand. When lacking one of the above attributes it is easy to loose ones temper and allow the questions at hand to get out of control. This can lead to lack of respect as well as possible loss of trust in the teacher. As Christian teachers we should be filled with the Spirit as well as the true love of our Lord. This combined with a thorough knowledge of the scriptures will allow one to portray the confidence and love that is required of a good teacher.

Q1. (2 Timothy 2:20-22). When do you put your good plates and silverware on the table? When do you use your everyday tableware? What point is Paul making with this example? In practical terms, how do we "cleanse ourselves" so that we might be useful and ready for the Lord's use? When we are having special guests around we will take out the good plates and silverware, this is not done to impress or brag but rather out of respect. We should always be trying give the best we have in our daily walk with our Lord. The point that Paul is trying to get across is that as believers our bodies are the Lords vessels and as such should be cleansed and presented as the silverware mentioned. This cleansing was done for us through the blood of Jesus, but as we walk and grow with him we need to strive to become more like him the perfect vessel. We achieve this through prayer and constant reading and studying of His word.