March 31, 2014

Psalm 146, Isaiah 59:9-19, Acts 9:1-20

What is encouraging to you in each of these passages? Where do you see hope?

March 30, 2014

Fourth Sunday in Lent 

1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41

When it says that Samuel mourned for Saul, do you think it means that he mourned for Saul as a person, or do you think he was mourning for the loss of a king in general? Or something else? Do you think yesterday's passage about Samuel had anything to do with the elders of the Bethlehem trembling at his arrival? 

What do people look at when they assign value to others? What does the Lord look at? How do you think David felt, not even being asked the first time around, to come and stand among his brothers when Samuel came looking for a king? Before he was anointed king, David was a young shepherd. How do you think this shaped his Psalm writing?

What are some properties of light and dark in the Ephesians and John passage?

March 29, 2014

Psalm 23, 1 Samuel 15:32-34, John 1:1-9

In Psalm 23, I usually read "the Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need" and conclude, "if the Lord is your shepherd, he will provide all your needs." But now I am thinking that it is more about the Lord being our shepherd is all that we need. What do you think?

March 28, 2014

Psalm 23, 1 Samuel 15:22-31, Ephesians 5:1-9

What are rebellion and stubbornness compared to in the Samuel passage? What did that mean for Saul? What does it mean for us? Do you think that Saul was truly repentant for his sin? What makes you think that? 

What does it look like to imitate God/follow the example of Christ, according to the Ephesians passage? Are we guilty of sometimes trying to excuse the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed; obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes? Or perhaps do we excuse some of them (the ones that come more naturally to us), but are more harsh on others in this list? How is a greedy person an idolator, according to this passage? Why do you suppose in this list, Paul choose greed as the example? 

What does the light from the Lord produce?

March 27, 2014

Psalm 23, 1 Samuel 15:10-21, Ephesians 4:25-32

Why did Saul insist that he had obeyed the Lord? Why hadn't he actually obeyed?

What is especially convicting to you in the Ephesians passage? 

March 26, 2014

Psalm 81, Jeremiah 2:4-13, John 7:14-31, 37-39

In the Jeremiah passage for today it says, 

They worshiped worthless idols,
only to become worthless themselves.

and then, 

Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

An idol is anything that takes the place of God in your life. What has the potential to become an idol in your own life?

March 25, 2014

Psalm 81, Genesis 29:1-14, 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Christ was with the Israelites when they were traveling in the wilderness. He was their rock. Can you think of a time when you were in a spiritual wilderness? Was Christ your rock? Is he now?