Loisb
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Posts posted by Loisb
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Q4. (Colossians 1:12-13) What are the three or four action verbs in verses 12 and 13 that paint a picture of salvation? Who performs the action? Who is it performed on? In what way were we
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Q3. (Colossians 1:12-13) Why does Paul use the terms darkness and light to portray his readers past and future? Why does he remind them where they came from? What is
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Q2. (Colossians 1:9-12a) What are the elements of Paul
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Q1. (Colossians 1:5-6) Paul glorifies the gospel, the good news. What words does he use to describe the action of the gospel in verses 5 and 6? Given the temptation the recipients have to adopt another religious philosophy, why do you think he reminds them of the world scope of the gospel
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Q2. (1 John 2:12-14) John encourages "children," "young men," and "fathers." Why do you think he takes time to encourage them? In what ways does he encourage them?
1. John realizes that we all need encouragement. Especially new members (the children).
2. He encourages each group by letting them know that no matter who or what age you are, that if you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you. He lets them know what their status in God is.
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Q1. (1 John 2:7-11) How does hate and unforgiveness blind us spiritually? If we have been darkened by hurt and hate, how do we come into the light?
1. Hate and unforgiveness blinds us and keeps us in the dark, which separates us from God. Hate and unforgiveness effects us in all ways.
2. We come into the light, if we pray and ask for forgiveness.
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Q5. (1 John 2:3-6) How can we be serious about obeying Christ without become legalistic and judgmental, with a self-righteous attitude like the Pharisees had? How do love and legalism differ? How can we be serious about obedience and make love our center?
1. We can pray, study God's Word and obey His commandments with the right attitude.
2. If we love God, love our neighbors and obey His Commandments, we will not become legalistic or self-centered.
3. To obey His Commandments and walk as Jesus walked, we can prove how serious we are about obedience.
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Q4. (1 John 2:1-2) What assurance does John give us if we do sin? How does this comfort us? How does it make us want to avoid sin?
1. John assures us that if we do sin, Jesus stands in the gap for us by going to the father for us.
2. We know that if we do sin, there is a chance that we may be forgiven and that we won't be separated from God.
3. We want to avoid sin because we want to please God. We love Him and He has been so very good to us. We should strive daily to live by God's Word.
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Q3. (1 John 1:9) How would you define "confession"? Why is confessing our sins so important? What happens to us if we stop confessing our sins? What are the promises given to us if we do confess our sins? How is forgiveness of sins different from cleansing?
1. Confession is the sincere and honest admission of our sins.
2. We should confess our sins so that they will be open before God and ourselves, even though He knows them already.
3. If we stop confessing our sins, we are consumed with guilt and our conscience beats us up. We don't feel free to go before God in prayer.
4. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins.
5. Forgiveness is to pardon you from sin and cleasing is to make you clean or purify you from sin.
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Q2. (1 John 1:5-7) What is the result when a Christian walks in darkness, that is, continues willfully to do what he or she knows to be wrong? How does this involve self-deception? What is the result, according to verse 7, when we walk in the light? How do we get back into the light if we sin?
1. They are lying to themselves and disregarding the Bible.
2. If you have read the truth in the Word and continue to commit the same sin, then you are only deceiving yourself, because God sees all.
3. When we walk in the light, we are washed in the blood and cleansed of our sins.
4. We can get back into the light if we sin, if we stop sinning,and ask for forgiveness and then contiunue to walk in the light.
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Q1. (1 John 1:3-4, 6-7) Why is our fellowship with fellow Christians so often just on a surface level? How can we have fellowship at a deeper level in Christ? What would it take in your Christian group or your relationships with other believers to deepen your level of fellowship so it is authentically Christian?
1. We are usually looking at our fellow Christians in a worldly way and it is hard to relate in a Christian way.
2. We should begin by reading and studying the Word of God and work on reaching a deeper level in Christ ourselves.
3. We should get together and pray for understanding of each other and proceed to study the Word.
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Q5. (Judges 8:18-21) Why does Gideon slay Zebah and Zalmunna? Is he unjust or fulfilling his just obligation? (Numbers 35:16) Why does Romans 12:19 prohibit Christians from taking vengeance?
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Q4. (Judges 8:4-17) Why do the cities of Succoth and Peniel refuse aid to Gideon's army?Why does Gideon punish these cities later? What is their sin? Is Gideon just? Can you think of a circumstance when a Christian might be guilty of the sin of Succoth and Peniel?
1. The cities of Succoth and Peniel did not want to get involved or take sides. They didn't believe that Gideon could complete the task.
2. Gideon punished these men because his men were tired and far away from hom and needed food, which was selfish of these cities when they refused.
3. These people were not showing love for their brothers.
4. Yes, Gideon was just, because these two cities were also benefiting from what Gideon and his army had done and they should have been hospitable to these men.
5. Seeing people begging for help and just passing them by and not helping in some way.
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Q3. (Judges 8:10-12) Why must Gideon vanquish the Midianite force of 15,000 men in Karkor? What danger do we face when we deal with problems only half-way?
1. Gideon knows that if he doesn't vanquish the 15,000 men they will return later and attack them later.
2. Gideon had to be sure that he followed God's plan to the end. Whenever you don't complete a difficult task, sometimes it returns and is worst than it was in the beginning.
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Q2. (Judges 7:24-8:3) What does Gideon ask the Ephraimites to do? Why are they so angry? What do you learn from Gideon's approach to the Ephraimites' arrogance?
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Q1. (Judges 7:16-22) Why does Gideon divide his army into three companies? What is the strategy with the trumpets, the empty jars, and the torches? Why did this strategy work?
1. Gideon did this so that it would look like the enemy was surrounded by a larger army.
2. The strategy with the trumpets, the empty jars and the torches was a great idea becasue it confused the enemy and made them think that there was a larger army and made them so afraid that they started fighting each other.
3. When God is in the plan, any plan will work no matter how impossible things look.
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Q6. (Judges 7:13-14) What does the rolling barley loaf mean in the Midianite's dream? Why does the Lord show Gideon this dream?
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Q5. (Judges 7:5-6) What significance, if any, do you see in selecting the "lappers" from the "kneelers"?
The lappers were alert of any danger or attacks, while the kneelers seemed to be comfortable that they were safe instead of in a battle.
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Q4. Why do we demand that God's directions make sense to us before we'll follow them? What's the spiritual danger here? We're afraid of being -- or being perceived as -- religious kooks. How can we balance blind obedience with getting confirmation through spiritual people whose discernment we trust?
1. We demand that God's direction make sense to us because sometimes we don't understand his reasons. God knows far away what the results will be and we don't. We are afraid that we will fail.
2. If we are directed by our own understanding, we are in danger of making mistakes that we may not be able to resolve.
3. We must read our Bibles, pray and trust that God will direct our steps
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Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?
1. God didn't want people to say that the only reason they won the battle was because they had so many men.
2. Fighting with a few men showed that God was the one that gave them the power to win the battle.
3. If he lost the battle and got the men killed, it would seem that it was his fault and he also didn't want God to think that he didn't have faith
4. Gideon was able to fully obey God when he was obedient and let God lead him in reducing the number of men.
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Q2. (Judges 6:36-39) Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? This is a "testing" of God? How does it differ from the sinful testings of God the scripture warns against? When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? What is the danger of demanding a sign?
1. He wanted to make sure that God was telling him what to do.
2. Belief, he just wanted to make sure that he understood what he was to do.
3. No, but he was just so overwhelmed and needed assurance.
4. Gideon was asking humbly and trying to establish his faith.
5. If we aren't sure that a direction is really from God.
6. If we have faith and trust in God, we should believe and not ask for a sign. It shows that we doubt him.
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Q1. (Judges 6:33-35) What inspires Gideon to blow the battle horn and summon an army against the Midianites. What does Gideon have in common with other judges and leaders of his era? (Hint: see Deuteronomy 34:9; Judges 3:10; 11:9; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 11:6.)
1. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon to blow the battle horn and he knew it was from God.
2. This is what other judges and leaders proclaim when the "Holy Spirit" comes upon them. This is the same spirit today that people felt then.
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Q5. (Judges 6:25-31) What kind of leader has Gideon's father Joash been up to this point? How does Gideon's action affect his father? Shouldn't Gideon have considered the impact on his father? How should this have affected Gideon's action? (See Matthew 10:34-38) In what sense is Joash a follower of Yahweh now?
1. It seems like his father was "straddling the fence". He didn't want to upset anyone and worshipped both.
2. His father was probably afraid that the people would turn against him or kill Gideon.
3. No, because he was being obedient to God and had faith that God would protect them.
4. Gideon did what he was supposed to do.
5. Joash must have believed in Yahweh, because he said that Baal should have defended himself if he was god.
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Q4. (Judges 6:25-27) What is the strategic significance of God's command for Gideon to tear down the Baal altar and Asherah pole? What positive thing is he to erect in their place? What risks are involved in this action. Why does Gideon do this at night? Is this night mission a sign of weakness or of faith?
1. Gideon tearing down Baal and Asherah pole to show that they were not gods and could be destroyed.
2. He used the wood and killed a bull to make a burnt offering to God.
3. His family and the community would be upset with Gideon and might kill him.
4. Gideon took his men and did what God had told him at night so that no one would see him destroying their gods and attack him.
5. Gideon might have been afraid, but he put his faith in God to protect him.
Q5. Redemption and Forgiveness
in 1. A Prayer for the Colossian Believers (Colossians 1:1-14)
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