paulcrf

Love among church members is the most evident in our church. Members are compassionate with each other and are ready to lend a helping hand when someone needs it. We find it easy to help anybody even sometime beyond our means. Members are generous as evidenced by the fact that our church, even if we are an independent church, is the biggest in the city. I think we need more prayer to be more humble. I know this can only be acquired by the power of the Holy Spirit. But, as we mature as Christians, and actively allow God to use us, He will change us to be more like Christ. We are actively implementing the Encounter God Retreat as part of the G12 system of discipleship. Lives have been change and are continuously changing because of the encounter with God. Most members are spirit filled and actively handling cell groups. As for me, my relationship with God has improved so much after the Encounter God Retreat and most specially when I handled a cell group.

Ans: Israel enjoyed peace during Gideon's lifetime. No invaders came to create trouble with them possibly because they were afraid of the reputation of Gideon.

A snare is a trap. I the case of the Gideons ephod, Gideon's family was trapped into worshiping the ephod made by Gideon instead of the living God who brought them free from the Medianites. The have disregarded the miraculous victory that was made possible by God. Anything which turns our attention away from God is a sin. Money is not a sin, but the love of it makes it a sin. The ephod was not a sin but when the Israelites came to worship it instead of God, then it become an instrument to sin. The Israelites have rejected God. Gideon sinned by allowing the people to pray to the ephod. He knows how God had given the victory to him, but he rejected God. He did not glorify God for there freedom from the Medianites.

Q? What kinds of perils were the early Roman Christians likely exposed to? Ans: Death and persecutions Q?What kinds of perils are Christians exposed to today? Ans: death and persecutions. Q? How does this passage reassure us? Ans: God love us so much that nothing can separate us from His love. We can conquer anything in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q? In what sense do we Christians "overwhelmingly conquer" (NASB) despite the obstacles we face? Ans: This world is covered with sin that walking with Chirst means we have to face obstacles through persecutions and even death. But God love us so much that through Jesus Christ, we can conquer anything that blocks our way. Christ have conquered sin and death on the cross. We have conquered sin and death through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Q? What is the significance of the statement: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Ans: This means to me that God is on my side. He will protect me from the evil one. The power of the Holy Spirit which is in me will enable me to conquer all my weaknesses so that I may be able to do His will for me. Q? Who might our enemies be? Ans: Our enemy is satan who continue to pour negative thoughts on my mind. He continue to sow the seed on doubt that my trust in God will die down. Q? What is the evidence presented that God is for us? Ans: Abraham's love for God was evidenced by his offering of his son to God. God in His love for mankind did not spare His one and only son, but offered Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins. He could have accepted the burnt offerings of lambs and goats, but God wants to show us more. He wants to show us His love, his fathomable love. Q? How does this statement make you feel? Ans: This statement makes feel secure in my worship with God. He loved me so much that I need to pay Him with my life by following Jesus. Q?How does it affect hope? Ans: I have now the confidence that I will spend my eternity with God in heaven. Q? How does it allow you to act? Ans: My actions are in conformity with the will of God. Q?What might: "...graciously give us all things" refer to? Ans: God in His abounding grace gives us all things freely out of love and not as a gift. It comes along with Christ being His co-heir of God.

Q? What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? Ans: "to be conformed to the likeness of his son is to possess the character of his son. Q? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Ans: This involves total transformation of heart and mind from being slave to sin to slave to righteousness. It involves following the ways that Jesus has shown us and completely living our sinful selves. It involves total submission to the will of God and not to our own selfish desires. Q? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Ans: Being followers of Christ means imitating the ways of Christ. We follow his character and in the end possess his character. We need the character of Christ to win the race. That is destiny we hope to achieve. We can do it by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us. Q? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus? Ans: To become a member of the family of God is to be brother with Jesus. To be brother with Jesus if to possess the same spirit that He has. This is spirit will enable us to communicate with our father, with Jesus Christ and with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Gideon ask each one to give him a earing taken from the share of the plunder. There was nothing wrong with Gideon asking a share of the lot. It was the custom of the ancient times to pay the soldiers from the lot of the plunder stripped from the corpses of the opposing army. The sin begin when the people gave the share of the lot to Gideon as a sign of thanks for Gideon. They were thanking Gideon for the victory and not God.

Q? What is the actual promise contained in verse 28? Ans: God will give the best for us if we love Him. God will turn misery into abundance. He will turn our weakness into strength. Q? What does this promise mean? Ans: The promise means that God will use us beyond our imagination if we love Him and if we answer His call. He can turn evil into good and our weakness into strength. Q? Put it in your own words. What are the two qualifications to the recipients of this promise? Ans: We must love God and we must obey his call. Q?How does verse 28 give you hope? Ans: All I need is to love God and to put my trust in Him. I will not rely on my knowledge but rather let the God's wisdom guide me. I know that God will bless me according to the purpose He set for me.

Ans: God does not answer to the prayer of sinners. God want us to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that He can pour out His blessing to us. Husbands and wives should be model of love and respect to their children.

Q? Why should a husband relate to his wife with knowledge and wisdom? Ans: Wives are weaker partner and they are equal to husbands spiritually. Husbands should be aware of female vulnerability and physical needs. Q? In what way does this demonstrate love? Ans: By showing respect and honor as equal in terms of their standing before God. Q? In what way does this demonstrate self-interest? Ans: Husbands want their prayers to be answered by God. Hence, they should treat their wives with respect. Q? Why do wives sometimes try to dominate their husbands? Ans: When husbands does not perform his role as a provider, protector, priest, or leader of the family, the wife has a tendency to take over the role assigned to the husband. Q? How is domination of another person contrary to God's nature? Ans: Men were created first by God. Women were created from men. Hence, women are supposed to be supporter to the leadership of the husbands. But some husbands are confused of their role as provider, protector, leader, and priest of the family. In effect wives carry the role of the husbands to take the lead in family affairs.

Why do the cities of Succoth and Peniel refuse aid to Gideon's army? Ans. The cities of Succoth and Peniel wanted the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna before the can give bread to the hungry soldiers of Gideon. Why does Gideon punish these cities later? What is their sin? Is Gideon just? Ans: Because he has promised them to punish them once he capture Zebah and Zalmunna. They committed treachery to their fellow Israelites whom they had covenant to protect from a common enemy. I think Gideon is just because traitors in times of war are treated as enemies. And they are even more dangerous than enemies because they can conceal their identity. Can you think of a circumstance when a Christian might be guilty of the sin of Succoth and Peniel? Ans: Christians are sometimes guilty of the sin fo Succoth and Peniel by not joining his brothers in faith in the fight against a common enemy, Satan, such as helping in the works of the ministry. Examples are winning souls and helping church activities.

Why must Gideon vanquish the Midianite force of 15,000 men in Karkor? Ans: In order to protect them from future aggression. What danger do we face when we deal with problems only half-way? Ans: When problems are not fully solved, they remain a threat to us. They will pile up and is ready to blow up in our nose at any time. We should solve problems as they arise or they will grow and become complicated and difficult to handle.

When Christ comes, creation will be restored. There will be no more violence, no death, and peace will reign. We will reclaim our physical bodies as resurrected bodies and the creation will reclaim Eden. There will be no more tears and pain for the suffering creation when God's glory is revealed. There will be no more death for our mortal bodies when God's glory is revealed Our spirit will join the physical body in the resurrection.

In what ways was suffering Jesus' lot in life? Ans: Jesus suffering was because He took our sins as His sins. We should have been punished for our sins, But He took the terrible price for our sins by dying on the cross. Why do we suffer? We suffer because of our sins. Why does all creation seem to be suffering? Because we continue to sin. What will signal the end of that downward cycle of suffering, decay, and death? When Christ returns. When the life of Jesus may be revealed on our body. Is there anything good to look forward to in this present life? The hope that we will be liberated from the bondage of decay and brought into the glorious freedom as children of God.

A person cultivates inner beauty by yielding regularly to the Spirit of God and letting the Spirit reign in your life. From the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit comes his fruits- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. One gains character by imitating the character of Christ. True character is the Character of Christ. Jesus Christ is God's beloved son so is His character. A heart,no matter how "hard" will be caused to "melt" when pored out with faith, obedience, righteousness, and love. The character of Christ will win any heart.

A person who has lost hope is not excited to face the day. He has no enthusiasm in his heart. He is bored. He is dying. The life of a hopeless person is a life without joy. He has surrendered his chances and has settled to complacency. He has lost his vision and opted to concede defeat. A person who holds an eager expectation of a better future is a person who is vibrant. He is happy with his life and excited with his work and his plans. Christian hope is that the glory of God will be revealed when Christ returns. We hope that sinfulness of this earth will be gone. Sickness and death, poverty and sorrow will vanish. Righteousness will reign.

The Holy Spirit helps us bring our cause to the Father. When we don't know what to say, he searches our hearts and tell it to the Father. He speaks on our behalf to the Father. When Jesus resurrected to heaven, he sent us the Holy Spirit to continue His ministry when He was still on earth. The difference is that, the Holy Spirit is able to do the ministry personally to everyone of us. While Jesus, did His ministry to limited number of people- His apostles and the people eager to hear and receive the gospel message. We take the Holy Spirit for granted because of our ignorance of the Truth. The Holy Spirit is not in us. We have not buried our sinful nature on the grave with Jesus yet. We still live on our sinful nature. We are still slaves to sin.

Women should try to look their best because it reflects not only you, but on your husband and your God. Women, while they try to look beautiful from the outside should not neglect the inner beauty. While God is concerned with the inner beauty which lasts, the outer beauty fades. The balance is to give more focus on the inner beauty without neglecting the outer beauty. Outer beauty projects self-respect while inner beauty projects character.

The idea of being sons and daughter are alluded six times. The promises to these sons and daughter are they are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ. Our future is that our full inheritance as sons and daughters and co-heirs of Christs will be revealed. The sufferings that we experience are but essential part for us to appreciate the glory that we will share with Christ.

To confuse the enemy that they were surrounded by a considerable number of attackers, the sound that Gideon and his men creates should come from different groups in different locations. The bible does not tell why Gideon divide his men into three groups. I would like to believe it was the guidance of God because God planned it all. The strategy of the trumphets was to confuse the enemy that 300 groups of invading armies was charging towards them. The strategy of the empty jars was to hide the torches and create a great deal of noise upon shattering it. The strategy of the torches suddenly appearing around the Medianite camp was to create impression of being surrounded and induce panic. God's strategy always work because God is perfect . The strategy worked because it was God's plan which was followed to the letter by Gideon and his army.

We are inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray "Abba, Father because the spirit himself testifies that we receive the spirit of sonship. We are sons of God. Hence it is fitting to pray Abba, Father. The significance of us referring to God as our Dad is that we are heirs of his kingdom and co-heirs of Christ. If we fell we don't have some kind of personal assurance of our salvation we don't fell the meaning of calling God Abba, Father. We receive the personal assurance through the spirit, knowing Jesus has died for my sins, I repented of my sins and received God's forgiveness and He now consider me his son who is cleansed of sins.

Ans: What does it mean to "mortify" or "put to death" the deeds of the body by the Spirit? What would it look like to watch a person do this? To mortify the deeds of the body by the spirit means to stop doing what is evil and do what the ways of Jesus. It will require a change in heart and mind. **** of the flesh and the **** of the eyes, covetousness, greed, unforgiveness should be put to death with Christ on the cross. Christ righteousness should be our new master and faithfully followed. What does it mean to be "led" by the Spirit? What does this look like in actual practice? How do "putting to death" and being "led" by the Spirit fit together? How much of this is the Spirit and how much is us? A man with Christ is a new creation 2Cor 5:17 . His ways are righteous and pleasing to God. He is filled with the Holy Spirit. ... Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. Gal 5:16 What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don't always do what you intend to do. Gal 5:17 If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. Gal 5:25