[Q7. Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit (Luke 23:46)]

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

[Q6. It Is Finished (John 19:30)]

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus

[Q5. I Thirst (John 19:28)]

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus

[Q4. My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? (Mark 15:34)]

Q4. (Mark 15:34) What does Jesus

[Q3. Woman, Behold Your Son (John 19:26-27)]

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?

i'm not so sure that john is this mysterious disciple whom jesus loved. all the disciples ran for their lives when all this started. but what i do see is family there at the cross. and who i believe this disciple to be is his half brother james, who according to jewish ways and customs, was the next in line for kinsman redeemer. thus jesus is passing the responsibility over to james, and jesus continues to honor his mother as his word says too. mary was a widow by now, the family is all grown up, and about their own buisness, and he is making sure she will be taken care of. sometimes it is difficult to love the ones closest to you, but we must continue in his love or we can easily be snared and try to justify our wrongs. people know the difference of gods love and our own, his love is genuine-comforting warm and bold,while ours is shallow, empty, and reserved. love is an action choice, it is either growing or dying, it can never remain the same.and for me. i know i need to let go of the disappointments and just let gods love pour through me for others.

[Q2. This Day You Will Be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23:43)]

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

[Q1. Father, Forgive Them (Luke 23:34)]

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?

it was God's divine plan of forgiveness that put to death his son,Jesus. acts 2:23-24. jesus also said no man could take his life but he would gladly lay it down. Gods will allowed Jesus to be delivered into the hands of men. on this side of the cross we see the bloodied and beaten Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. yet directly on the other side is the throne room of God. our responsibility is are we going to place all of our trust into who he is, and receive forgiveness or are we just gonna be a face without a name within the crowd, hurling insults in non belief. Jesus knows how weak we are. He understands our vulnerbility, He wants to be our shepherd. His love is at the center of his desire and we are that object of His desire. but we don't always see this in our lives when overwhelmed with tragic circumstances or hear him speak as we slowly grow cold and tired, and feel empty and alone. so we are constantly tempted to stray, yet we hear these words, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. and they are tremendously comforting to me.

[Q1. Parable of the Birds and of the Flowers]

Q1. (Matthew 6:26-30) What point does Jesus make with his twin Parables of the Birds of the Air and of the Flowers of the Field? Is the point trivial or is it valid?

he basically says have you ever seen a stressed out bird or a over worked tired flower? no because they are free to enjoy life as they simply trust the father.

[Q5. If the Light within You Is Darkness]

Q5. (Matthew 6:21, 24) The love of money can be a pretty subtle thing. Both the rich and the poor can love money. Can you describe a time in your life when you were deceived about this, and when the light in you was really darkness? According to Jesus, could desire for money **** a person (Luke 12:15-21)?

oh yeah. i had seen a guitar at my friends shop with two autographs on it. it turned out that the two who signed this guitar was the lead singer and lead guitarist from my favorite band at the time. now i can't play a lick but i needed that guitar. i even bought a case for it as well. a couple of weeks went by and i started to think, why in the world did i do that for? it just so happened that a local church had their music ministry broke into and some things were taken. i was able to finally get rid of this guitar that controlled me, and its use went to the praise band. so what i thought would make me happy, actually made me heavy, and i was able to finally able to unload that heaviness with giving back to god with praise.

[Q4. Serving God or Money]

Q4. (Matthew 6:24) Jesus seems to make it sound like you can't seek wealth and God simultaneously. Does he really mean this? Is this hyperbole? Figurative? Literal? Can wealthy people serve God in actual fact?

no, not at all. jesus never separates the two. he is warning us that whatever gets your attention will eventually get you. it takes us away from heavenly things and drowns us with earthly matters. rich people will have a harder time serving. they have much to give up. look at the rich man in luke 12, that jesus calls a fool. what was his dilemma? it was being so rich he didn't know what to do with it all. sadly, he never asks god what to do with it, or even offers it back to god, and in the end it controlled him. he used it for himself.

[Q3. Rewards in Heaven]

Q3. (Matthew 6:19-21) According to the Bible, how does one "store up treasures in heaven"? What advantage does this have over accumulating earthly possessions? Why are we uncomfortable with the concept of rewards in heaven?

it means to use all that we have for the glory of god. you see, its not wrong to possess things,but it is wrong for things to possess us. look at the following verses v.22 they try to get your eyes, v.23 they get your eyes than sooner or later they get your heart, then in v.24 they get your will. its been said outlook determines outcome, and that is certain in this case.all blessings must be given back to god immediately for his glory or they will soon control us. heres a challenge to all saints, just go through your home and see what you cant give up to god immediately, then you will know what controls you.

[Q2. Storing Up Treasures on Heaven or Earth]

Q2. (Matthew 6:19) Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...." Is he speaking figuratively? Hyperbolically? Generally? Specifically? Is this a new teaching, or an old one?

he is hitting the bullseye of our hearts and mind. we are very selfish and insecure people.we try to do everything ourselves,for ourselves, with the mindset of lifting ourselves above everyone else. and jesus cracks our empty dry hearts with these loving words. it brings to mind jeremiah 2:13. we have to decide which cistern we are.

[Q1. Greed and the Rich Fool]

Q1. (Luke 12:15-21) Read the Parable of the Rich Fool. What did Jesus condemn him for? Storing his harvest? What is the key verse in this passage? What is the context of this parable? How does this relate to the Sermon on the Mount?

he was motivated by selfishness. it was all me, myself and i, leaving everyone else, especially god, out of the quotation. love is a choice and it is obvious this guy was in it for himself. so we have to be on gaurd against all covetness.whether it be people, places or things." not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."-captian jack sparrow in the curse of the black pearl.

[Q1. Greed and the Rich Fool]

Q1. (Luke 12:15-21) Read the Parable of the Rich Fool. What did Jesus condemn him for? Storing his harvest? What is the key verse in this passage? What is the context of this parable? How does this relate to the Sermon on the Mount?

there is a whole lot of " i wills" in this passage much like isaiah 14:13-14. selfishness is so hard to overcome, thats why jesus said it would be so much easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle. we all have it, sometimes its subtle, other times it shows itself before the person actually shows up.it could just show itself with a name, anybody have a person like this in their life besides me? you bet. if it is hard for us to give up our possesions, then they have become our god. we must quickly give them back to god for his glory, or they will eventually take over our lives.

[Q4. Forgiving and Forgiveness]

Q4. (Matthew 6:12, 14-15) Why should we continually ask forgiveness? How can unforgiveness on our part block God's blessing? How can unforgiveness block God's forgiveness?

thats our spiritual draino, it keeps the pipes clean from all the blockage.but we must also be free to forgive quickly, as he freely forgave us. if we choose not to forgive, we end up dry and bitter, critical and very sharp, pointing our fingers at others, telling the world it is their fault for their lot in life, and we want see justice on them, but sympathy for us.we are warped people for sure. thats why we need to understand grace and mercy

[Q3. Prayer for Daily Bread vs. Independence]

Q3. (Matthew 6:11) Why do we seek to be independent of asking anyone for help? Why do we seek to be independent of God? Why should we ask God to "give" us daily bread so long as we can earn a living for ourselves?

god said it is not good that man be alone, so inside us we dont want to be by ourselves. but on the contrary, we cry out" why can't you just leave me alone" because we don't want to be bothered by anyone. so their is a struggle on the inside to which voice is shouting loudest. we must choose who we will serve. if it is for us, then we will probably slam some doors and stomp our feet to let others know they better back off. now if it is unto the lord, then we will submit to the word of god and let the spirit of god come teach us and refresh us.

[Q2. May Your Kingdom Come]

Q2. (Matthew 6:10) In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? How should this prayer affect our living?

we are praying for peace. both inside us and then around us.that no weapon formed against us shall prosper...no matter the consequences, our peace surpasses all understanding, for it is from the lord.now that we are at rest in the lord, we have eternity to bring others to the knowledge of christ and his redemptive power, and truely love as he has loved us.

[Q1. Hallowed Be Your Name]

Q1. (Matthew 6:9) What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? What desecrates and besmirches it? How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray?

i believe it is having the single mind..when it is one on one before the father.and what throws it all out the door is when we let our minds wonder and hurry through our religious duty with empty talk. like he said, they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me..we must make every effort to get close to him with all our mind, heart and strength. the enemy hates this so the attacks to draw us away are gonna get more intense and more crafty, for they know the power in prayer....

[Q4. Why Pray?]

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?

well he is not gonna twist our arms so we will come back. he doesnt use intimidation to get our attention. he draws us with his love and his kindness. and even though he knows all about our needs and wants, and secret sins, he is willing to wait on us to talk about them. i believe at first prayer is for our own encouragement and edification, for we dont really know if we can actually trust him. and once we find that we can, we open up more and more, by bringing all things and all people around us to him.

[Q3. Secret and Public Prayer]

Q3. (Matthew 6:5-7) Why does Jesus tell us to pray in secret? 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? How do flowery prayers hinder the development of disciples?

because we have a tendency to cover up and hide. we wont truely open up to him in front of a crowd of people. that would feel as though we were being exposed. and then we would only let the surface be messed with. but jesus wants the root of it all, and he deserves it, rightly so.as for public prayer in gatherings, i believe we must first be in agreement with him personally before we can be in agreement publically, with his gathered church.

[Q2. Giving to the Poor]

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? What keeps us from giving more to the poor? Is that a good enough reason?

its not so much as giving to the poor as it is giving back to the Lord. if i am holding on to a blessing from God, i must hurry and give it back to him before it turns to leftover manna. this way it will glorify him and not puff me up. i am blessed to be in his care and this frees me to share his grace with others still struggling to make ends meet. besides, i am not here to build store houses for myself, nor a mansion, i am just passing through, until i am called home.

[Q1. Performing for 'the Audience of One']

Q1. (Matthew 6:1-18) How do the commands in this section relate to "performing for the audience of One"? What is the antidote for the chief sin that is addressed here? In what ways do churches and non-profit organizations use this sin to motivate people to give?

we could never know love, until we surrender too it. all is amiss in our own power. we struggle to love, we try our best to relate to others as they hurt deeply, yet our compassion usually fades as we walk out the door in another direction. but HIS love refreshes and embraces,restores us in deeper relations with Himself and with others, as we yield to His spirit. you know its been said, see a need, fill a need. but what good is this without first being in line with His spirit? we must be in right relationship with God and His spirit will come through us. and giving will become so much easier without thinking about it.

[Q6. Perfection and the Christian]

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?

i think its maturing in love. not that we are going to master this, but practice it alot.we will be given plenty of opportunities to do this, its just a matter of will we choose to do so.

[Q5. Defense against Evil?]

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?

evil is always on the attack.it never sleeps or takes a break. and not everyone respects gods word or way. so yes there will be times that we have to make a stand.

[Q4. Don't Retaliate]

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?

love as i have loved you.