Lisa Rupert

Q6. (Matthew 5:48) In the context, what do you think verse 48 means for the Christian? Is perfection taught here? Does maturity express the idea best? How about the doctrine of "sinless perfection"? How does verse 48 relate to verse 45? What I get out of this is that Christ wants us to live as an example of him. We are to live a Christ-like life, even though we are sinners we are to try to avoid sin as much as we can and when we sin we are to repent.

Q5. (Matthew 5:39-44) If the principle that underlies verses 39-42 is found in verse 44 and 22:39, are there times we must defend ourselves physically against evil men in order to fulfill the principle? What might be some examples? "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Q4. (Matthew 5:38-42) If we were to assume that Jesus is teaching on retaliation and revenge rather than pacifism in verses 38-42, how would you sum up his teaching in a single sentence? Pacifism 1: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes; specifically : refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds 2: an attitude or policy of nonresistance If I understood the question correctly it is saying that Jesus is teaching me to retaliate and take revenge against those who have harmed me and that I would be justified in protecting myself against evil such as the Pharisee's taught through what they believed their interrputation of the scriptures. But we know that Jesus did not teach this instead he teaches us, To love one another as he has loved us.

Q3. (Matthew 5:39-42) What do Jesus' examples or tiny cameos in verses 39-42 have in common? Someone has said that if we were to carry out verses 39-42 literally, we would aid and abet evil. Do you agree? How should we take these examples: As case law? As hyperbole? As a series of aphorisms or adages? In another way? These examples or tiny cameos mean that we are not the judge over anything, God is the judge over all. We are to in every situation walk away, not harden our hearts against our neighbor, family, friend, or enemy, but pray for them. We are to release them over to God and to follow his will. Living in a Christ-like Life is what we are required to do. Vengence is not ours, God is our vendicator.

Q4. (Matthew 6:8) If God knows what you need before you ask him, why should you ask him at all? What sense does prayer really make? Are we mainly to talk for our own edification and encouragement? Why or why not? Why do I pray? I pray for a constant communications with God, My Father, My Creator. I pray so that God and I can become a family and we can keep the lines of communications open and he can share in the decisions that I make in my life. I pray so that my Father and I can become close and develop a relationship. I pray so that I can praise my Father in Heaven. I pray because I am a sinner and I want to do what is right and show my Father who is in heaven that I want to be a part of him. I pray for many many reasons, my life couldn't exist if I didn't pray. I have always prayed to my Father from being as little as I can rememeber. I pray in my car, I pray at home, I pray at work, I pray before meals, I pray when I'm happy, I pray when I'm sad. I just want to have God in my life. I just can't imagine a life without God being in it. I pray for this world we live in, I pray for every creature that exist on this earth. I like talking to God and sharing my life with him. These are the reasons that I pray.

Q2. (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:15-21) What was the purpose of the "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" regulation? Is this law designed to be administered by a court or judge, or by an individual? Is it designed to govern judicial action or personal action? The purpose of the "Eye for Eye, and Tooth for Tooth" regulation was to prevent crime. To let everyone know that if you commit a crime against another you would face that same crime against you. It was to be used in the judicial system to deter crime it was not designed for personal action but to vendicate the victim through the judicial process of the law.

Q3. (Matthew 6:5-7) Why does Jesus tell us to pray in secret? Jesus tells us to pray in secret so that we are praying directly to the Father and not to everyone else for show. We are to pray in secret so that the Father will hear in secret and he will reward us in public. Though public prayer in church gatherings is commanded in scripture (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1), in which circumstances might public prayer in a church service be contrary to the spirit of Jesus' instructions in these verses? Public prayer should not be done to draw attention to the speaker instead it should draw attention to God and not to the eloquence of the speaker giving the prayer. How do flowery prayers hinder the development of disciples? I had this problem wondering how to pray because so many others showed eloquence and used words that were grand when they prayed and my little old prayer was just simple. But through study I've learned that God wants me to communicate with him just as if he was sitting right in front of me, just like I would speak to any member of the family. He just wants to hear from me. It doesn't have to be eloquent or extradinary, he just wants to hear from me plain and simple just a message from my heart that is true.

Q2. (Matthew 5:42 and 6:1-4) How does Jesus' teaching here and in 5:42 on giving to the needy influence you and your attitudes towards the poor? What will you do differently as a result? The teaching of Jesus in 5:42 on giving to the needy influences me and my attitude towards giving to the poor more than I do. I will donate to charities more, instead of waiting for a tragedy (like hurricane Katrina) instead I will donate before the need comes about. I will reach out more and I won't be judgmental about it. What keeps us from giving more to the poor? Is that a good enough reason? In my state of Florida it has been placed into law that the poor can't panhandle (on the streets) for money or work anymore making it against the law for this type of activity. I am totally against this because Jesus says we are to take care of the poor and they need only to ask. I am sometimes reluntent to giving money to the poor because I wonder if the person will buy drugs or alcohol or will they really buy food with it. But this is not a good enough reason for me not giving to the poor, instead once I release it I won't wonder about where it will go. My job is to help the poor not judge the poor this is what I've learned from this lesson. To give it and don't look back on it, I don't need to rationize my reasoning anymore because Jesus has made it clear we are to take care of the poor.

Q1. (Matthew 5:33-37) What does it mean: Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no? We should be profiecient in our answers of Yes or No, not wavering but answering in truth. If we obeyed this command, what would be the result in our speaking? In our credibility? When we obey this command we are speaking in truth rendering our words as credible. This way we don't damage our credibility because others see we are of a pure heart. We are not followers of the ways of satan the liar, but followers and doers of the ways of Christ who is theTruth.

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? The "Audience of One" is to make God the chief audience of our giving, of our love towards one another, without selfishness, without pride, without the desire to receive a single acknowledgement from man, but being humble in all we do through the goodness of Christ. That God is the primary beneficiary in all we do for Him and for His Glory. What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? The antidote for this sin is to Love each other like God love us, with all our hearts and with all of our soul. We are to give like we are giving through him and for him, we are to do all we do through goodness as our Father gives us out of his love for us so we too should give the same way that he gives. We are to give out of love not out of desire for our own gratification. But as God love his children we should mimic this love for each other. In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give? Churches and non-profit organizations do use this type of sin to motivate people and they make you believe that by being seen giving a donation you are showing others that you believe in God and know that he will bless you for this by being open with your donation. They also use this type of sin to lift people into positions in the church. When you give you buy yourself a place in the house of God, like God would even condune such behavior. You don't want to look like you're not doing your part so you play along with the donation process. People even believe that by giving donations above and beyond in the church that God sees their dedication to Him and his house, but that is not what God is looking at, he is looking at the heart of the giver and many people just don't get that because we live in a world that believes that the more you have, the more you have to give, the better status you can have in life and it's not about this at all. Remember the parable Jesus told about Lazarus and the poor man, where the rich man was in torment and the poor man was in the bosum of Abraham.

Q5. (Matthew 19:9) Does a person who has remarried after a divorce that wasn't caused by marital unfaithfulness, live in a perpetual state of adultery? Should that person divorce or separate in order to get back into God's will? How can he or she get back into God's will, or is that no longer possible? I am not a judge over what God will do or not do, and the answer to this question, like with any sin, is clear from Jesus on the intentions of God on Marriage, but He (God) is a Loving and Forgiving God and we must remember that: Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Through Repentance it is possible for a sin to be forgiven and it allows you, who have a sinful nature, who owe thanks to Jesus, the ability to get back into God's grace and to continue in his will.

Q4. (Matthew 19:10) Why do you think Jesus' disciples reacted so negatively to his teaching on marriage and divorce? Did they misunderstand it? The disciples were a clear example of why Moses had to bring about the certificate of divorce in the first place, their hearts were hardened and they liked the law because it benefited their cause. The right thing doesn't come easy and God's intention is that a man and woman unite and become one forever allowing no one to undo this union. But their hearts were hardened. Instead of understanding what God's intentions were on marriage from the beginning they wanted a exit from whatever they desired or didn't desire in a marriage. Their hearts were hardened with self-centeredness, selfishness, or self absorption, etc..... The only misunderstanding was why was Jesus being so strict and Moses was so lenient to their cause of divorce. They didn't understand what God's intentions were from the beginning .

Q3. (Matthew 19:7-8) According to Jesus, does the Mosaic law command divorce? The Mosaic law allowed divorce but did not command divorce, for the law of Moses only allowed it because of the hardened heart of the people. Does it allow or regulate it? Why does it allow divorce at all? It allows divorce only as a correction to man's way with dealing with wanting out of the marriage for they were just throwing the woman out and remarrying leaving her unable to remarry and without financial support and destitute. Instead it allows divorce only with the commentment that the woman would receive financial support and would be allowed to remarry. This is what the certificate of divorce was for and only as a correction to a wrong. God did not condone divorce in any way or fashion this was a way to make right the wrong's of man's sinful nature. What was God's original intention ("from the beginning") for marriage and divorce, according to Jesus? God's orginal plan is that marriage bonds two people man/woman together forever as one flesh where no one could separate the two for they were one. "Jesus says that divorce is an accommodation to the sinfulness of man's heart -- not part of God's original plan".

Q2. (Matthew 19:4-6 quoting Genesis 2:24) Do people need to be Christians to be joined as one flesh? Is this making into "one flesh" accomplished by a religious ceremony or by natural law? Of those who have entered into a first marriage, what percentage do you think have been "joined together" by God, according to Jesus' statement in Matthew 19:6? Every man or woman will be united as "one flesh" in marriage and it does not have to be a religious ceremony because it is the natural law of God. According to Matthew 19:6 everyone joined together by God has been united as one flesh in marriage.

Q1. (Matthew 5:27-32; 19:1-12) With whom did Jesus side: Rabbi Hillel or Rabbi Shammai? What exception does Jesus give to his prohibition of divorce? How does this exception relate to Deuteronomy 24:1-4? I don't believe he sided with either of the Rabbi's instead he told what God intended marriage to be: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) The two shall become one so no man can separate. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 states that: "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house...." (Deuteronomy 24:1) This was given as law because the hearts of the people were hard, but God never intended it to remain that way.

Q5. (Matthew 5:27-30) The spirit of our age is very accepting and approving of lus+ According to Jesus' words, how seriously are we to take lus+? How does agape love help us combat lus+? According to Jesus' words we are to take seriously the crime of ****. He did not mix words when he said we should love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christ has loved us we are to love one another and obey the Greatest Commandment of all: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40). We are to train the inner man to filter out all the "trash". Agape love can help us in cleaning the inner man putting on the new skin so that we can build a better relationship with God. We must look at each other through rose colored glasses and use the lens filters to filter out all the unclean, anything that threatens to corrupt us.

Q4. (Matthew 5:28) Sex is very closely tied to our core sense of person. This means that as we are healed in our view towards sex, it goes a long way toward making us whole inside. How would you counsel a brother who shared with you that he had trouble with pornogr*phy? How can you protect yourself against temptation over the Internet? At the beach or poolside? With your TV? How I would teach a brother who has trouble with *********** is by helping him to understand the value of a person's worth is not found in sexuality. I would direct him into scripture that will help him deal with his inner man and I would try to seek counsel for him from a clergyman, pastor, priest, etc.... But I would be supportive of his effort and try to be a friend. I being a female would have to direct him to someone who would understand his position dealing with this issue because women aren't stimulated sexually from viewing *********** the same way men are, so I believe this would put me in a disadvantage. But I would do what I try to introduce him to counsel and guidance from a male who would understand his situation better than I would. I would protect myself by first realizing the vaule of a human life, that a person isn't a sexual creature, instead try to view this person as a human with many qualities that aren't sexual qualities. I protect myself from *********** on the internet by not viewing mail that I receive from these sources and trying to block them from my world as much as I possibly can, even though they slip through the filters from time to time, I delete them and get rid of them. At the beach or the poolside, I view people as works of art, a picture that God created in it's beauty, not in a sexual way, which will devalue that person, but in an artistic way, the way I believe God created all his children for their beauty, because in his eyes we are all beautiful and that is the way we should each view each other. For the TV I just don't watch what disgust me, and *********** disgust me so I just change the channel. But women aren't stimulated sexually from viewing *********** in the same way that men are so I guess this puts me at an advantage.

Q3. (Matthew 5:28) What is wrong with pornogr*phy? What is wrong with going to prostitutes? Who are the victims of this "victimless" activity? *********** is a tool used by satan to target a sinful nature. It is used against God through his people. It is morally wrong and it corrupts the soul. It is wrong even with a prostitute because it steals from ones moral value. It demoralizes women/wives, men/husbands, children, society, because it allows crime, divorce, disorder, rape, shame and addiction into the community. It affects everyone. The victims of this demoralization are the children of Christ, because it lows the view of women as sexual objects only, it lowers the moral values of all, it arrives at unrealistic expectations at home, and it isolates fulfilment between a husband and a wife.

Q2. God purposely created us with a good and natural sexual desire. How do we distinguish between that God-given sexual desire and forbidden lus+? We can distinguish between the God-given sexual desire, which is between a man or a woman that are husband and wife in marriage versus a forbidden **** that feeds (the desire to feel, touch, want what does not legally belong to us) leading to the sin against the flesh which is forbidden in the Law of God because it is a crime of the heart and a crime against the flesh when it is not sealed with the bond of marriage between a man and a woman.

Q1. (Matthew 5:27-30; Exodus 20:17) What is the point of similarity between adultery and lus+? What is the difference? How does lus+ break the Tenth Commandment? The similarity between adultery and **** are that you can't have one without the other. We begin with ******* after the flesh(the desire of the flesh), then we end in the act of adultery (the acting out that desire toward the flesh). **** breaks the Tenth Commandment because it is a crime of the heart.

Q5. (Matthew 5:21-26) Verses 21-22 are about murder, anger, and insult. Verses 23-24 discuss some fault against one's brother. Verses 25- 26 discuss settling a civil suit before going to court. What is the overarching theme of Jesus' teaching in our entire passage, verses 21-26? The theme for these teachings is Love, Peace... for Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).

Q4. (Matthew 5:25-26) What is the point of Jesus' parable of settling out of court? Who are we supposed to settle with, according to this parable? What does "settling" entail? What are the reasons that we should settle? What this parable from Jesus is telling us is that we should settle our debts with our accuser, be it something we owe to someone or the debt of sin with repentence so we are not taken into court and found blameless for our crimes. This way it makes it right before our accuser and before God resulting in peace.

Q3. (Matthew 5:23-24) What's wrong with worshipping while a brother has something against us (or us against a brother, Mark 11:25)? We are to approach God with worship only with a Pure Heart. If we have an issue that needs to be resolved we should resolve that issue so it does not lay heavy and produce a burden upon our heart. What is the appropriate action for us to take? The action needed to resolve this matter can be found in the olive branch of peace approach to those we have offended or to those who have offended us. How can God forgive you if you cannot forgive those who have sinned against you? Ones heart sure be pure, clean and free from trouble when approaching the Lord. How far should we go to bring about reconciliation with someone whom we have offended? We should do everything in our power toward resolving the issues at hand. We are told to humble ourselves, swallow our pride, get out of ego, and go and forgive thy brother/sister or seek forgiveness from them, even if they are not willing to forgive us we are to continue trying to offer that olive branch of peace between us. Are there any situations that we shouldn't try to resolve? Or that we can't resolve? There will be situations when we will be dealing with a hardened heart and reconcililation isn't received but we should at least try at reconciliation above all other things so that Our Father will see that our heart is in the right place we're just dealing with a harden heart that doesn't desire reconciliation, a heart that doesn't seek peace.

Q2. (Matthew 5:21-22) Why does Jesus treat calling someone a fool in the same classification as murder? To have evil intent in one's heart will bring about a judgement upon you. The word "fool" renders us guilty before God, for this type of behavior where we use anger,or vile only hurts and it can kill the spirit. Does this mean that murder is no worse than an angry insult in God's eyes? The intent of murder and anger are the result of wanting to kill either the flesh or the spirit rending it lifeless which will result in a guilty judgement from God. For it is said that we are to love our neighbor..... How would we act differently if we actually believed that angry attitudes towards others are viewed by God as murder? I know that from now on, I will look for the good inside everyone instead of carrying or haboring an angry spirit which will bring about a judgement upon me. We take this lightly because I don't believe (like the Pharisees) we fully understood the extent of this in God's eyes, not until today, I know my behavior is going to change. I will try to carry a loving spirit towards my fellow man from this day forward haboring no ill-will against any of God's children and the word fool will be totally void from my vocabulary.

Q1. (Matthew 5:17-20) Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the Old Testament from our Christian faith? I have seen tendencies in the church today that want to believe that we are "Under Grace" now and that we should not follow what the Old Testament teaches. I believe that in order to understand God you have to start with his Laws because he established them for us to know him. How can one skip this important part? What does a "Christian" legalism look like in a church? I believe that legalism in the church today looks a little like how the Pharisees taught Israel the Law of God. We respect people, we seek people for fellowship and to add to the number of Christians in the church but we don't teach on the level of the people's understand as how Christ taught. The church puts an emphasis on man's laws and rules because they are suppose to mimic the Law of God, but the quality and understanding of The Law of God is missing from the equation of man's law's. What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? A group of people gathering together where chaos is present. No guidance or follow thru, no real understanding of how God expects his children to behave and no real understanding of The Old Testament or New Testament. A place where there is definitely a need for Respect of People versus The Love for God. A world that believes that God is an understanding God so he goes along with what we bring to the table.