Scripture & Questions for Sunday (2/24/13)

Scripture
Luke 4:1-13 (ESV) 

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness [2] for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. [3] The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." [4] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.' " [5] And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, [6] and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. [7] If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." [8] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, " 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.' " [9] And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [10] for it is written, " 'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' [11] and " 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.' " [12] And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' " [13] And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Questions for Reflection
1.    Why do people laugh when they hear someone say, “I can resist anything except temptation”?
2.    After forty days of fasting and facing temptations, how did Jesus feel? (4:2)
3.    How did the devil challenge Jesus to prove He was the Son of God? (4:3, 9-10)
4.    How did Jesus reply when the devil urged Him to turn a stone into bread? (4:4)
5.    Where did Jesus get the answers He gave the devil? (4:4, 8, 12)
6.    What physical needs or desires make us vulnerable to temptation?
7.    How might we be tempted to worship the devil in exchange for power or position?
8.    In what situations are you sometimes tempted to put the Lord to the test?
9.    What did Jesus use repeatedly in resisting the devil’s temptations?
10. How can a person become skillful at using the Bible as Jesus did?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (2/17/13)

Scripture
Luke 13:31-35 (ESV) 

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." [32] And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. [33] Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' [34] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! [35] Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' "

Questions for Reflection
1.    With what images of Jesus are most people familiar?
2.    How was Jesus in danger? (13:31)
3.    What did Jesus call Herod? (13:32)
4.    What message did Jesus have for Herod? (13:32)
5.    What were Jesus’ goals? (13:32-33)
6.    What prompted the Pharisees to warn Jesus of Herod’s intentions?
7.    How was Jesus driven by His mission?
8.    What does this passage tell us about God?
9.    How does God show His care for us?
10. What is meaningful to you about the image of God as a mother hen?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (2/10/13)

Scripture
1 Cor. 15:1-11 (ESV) 

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. [3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9] For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11] Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Questions for Reflection
1.    What do you think is important to pass on from one generation to the next?
2.    Why did Paul pass on what he had received? (15:3)
3.    How did Christ’s life fulfill the Scriptures? (15:3)
4.    What are the key points of the gospel? (15:3-8)
5.    How would you describe, in your own words, the importance of the gospel to your life?
6.    What has God’s grace accomplished in you?
7.    In what one area of your life have you been stubborn about allowing God’s grace to work?
8.    How could you rely on God’s grace in your efforts to tell your friends about Christ?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (2/3/13)

Don't forget Men's Breakfast Saturday at 8:00am.

Scripture
1 Cor. 13:1-13 (ESV) 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. [4] Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  [5] or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  [6] it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. [11] When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. [13] So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Questions for Reflection
1.    What to you is an unmistakable demonstration of love?
2.    What qualities do you associate with love?
3.    Why is love important? (13:3)
4.    What qualities does love have? (13:4-8)
5.    Why do you think Paul wrote about love to the Corinthians?
6.    What is difficult about loving?
7.    How could you show love to a difficult person this week?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (1/20/13)

Scripture
John 2:1-12 (ESV) 

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. [2] Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. [3] When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." [4] And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." [5] His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." [6] Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. [7] Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. [8] And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. [9] When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom  [10] and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." [11] This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. [12] After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Questions for Reflection
1.    Why are people interested in miraculous or supernatural events?
2.    What makes an event miraculous or supernatural?
3.    What did Jesus’ mother say to Him? (2:3)
4.    What was Jesus’ response to His mother? (2:4)
5.    What was the banquet master’s response? (2:10)
6.    Why did Jesus perform this miracle? (2:11)
7.    How does Jesus reveal His glory to us today?
8.    What is something you would like Jesus to change in your life?

People look everywhere but to God for excitement and meaning. For some reason, they expect God to be dull and lifeless. Just as the wine Jesus made was the best, so life in him is better than life on our own. Why wait until everything else runs out before trying God? Why save the best until last?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (1/13/13)

Scripture
Luke 3:1-22 (ESV) 

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, [2] during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. [3] And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [4] As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, [6] and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."      [7] He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. [9] Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

[10] And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" [11] And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." [12] Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" [13] And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." [14] Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."

[15] As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, [16] John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. [17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

 

[18] So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. [19] But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, [20] added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

 

[21] Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, [22] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Questions for Reflection
1.    What well-known public person would you most readily describe as a great speaker?
2.    What was John’s basic message? (3:3)
3.    What attitude did John warn the people not to have? Why? (3:8-9)
4.    What is repentance?
5.    When John explained repentance to people, how did it relate to the work they did in life?
6.    When we are confronted with a call to repent, why do we tend to accept or reject the invitation strongly?
7.    What connection is there between repentance and forgiveness?
8.    How did John apply the principle that while God is at work changing people, He often does not change their work or their place in life?
9.    In what ways does John’s life teach us about humility?
10. How should your relationship with God make your work habits differ from those around you?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (1/6/13)

Scripture
Matthew 2:1-12 (ESV) 

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, [2] saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

    [6] " 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
    for from you shall come a ruler
        who will shepherd my people Israel.' "

[7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." [9] After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Questions for Reflection
1.    If you could give any gift to anyone, what would you give, to whom, and why?
2.    What prompts people to make great sacrifices for others?
3.    What external and internal factors prompted the Magi to search for Jesus? (2:2)
4.    What title did the Magi give to Jesus? (2:2)
5.    What was the Magi’s reaction when they realized they had found the Christ? (2:10)
6.    How would you define worship?
7.    What sort of activities does worship involve?
8.    What are some various “presents” we might give to Christ?