Lottie

Q1. (Acts 17:27-31; Romans 1:19-20; 2:14-15; Acts 4:12) How close is God to non-believers? Is he working in them? Since God shows forbearance for sins of non-believers, why do Christians act so judgmental? How should we act? Is faith in Jesus necessary for salvation? God is their creator and can be seen all around them in creation, He is the reason they are alive and breathing. He is as close as the air they breathe into their lungs. God is hoping that they will recognize who He really is by what He has created. He is withholding judgement so they will come to Him and repent. He has put an awareness of Him within their very souls and consciousnesses. They need to acknowledge Him and admit they need Him. If they just open their eyes to what they see in creation and put aside their false idols and seek Him. Believers often act judgemental because we think all unbelievers should talk and act as we do; when in fact they do not know God and are acting as only they know how. They do not care about spiritual things because they are of the world. It is wrong to try and point fingers at them and not look at our own behaviors. Are we speaking and doing all we should be? Are we showing them love instead of condemnation? We should be like Jesus and show love and mercy not judgement and hate. We should be concerned about them enough to reach out no matter what others think. Yes, faith in Jesus is the only way to get into heaven and to be saved. He is only door or entrance into complete forgiveness and reconciliation with God. He is the way, the truth and the life.

Q4. (Romans 3:25; 5:6-8; 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 3:18a) What is the Substitutionary Atonement? How is this such good news? How does it give us assurance in our struggles with sin? The substitutionary atonement is when Jesus took our place on the cross and died for our sins. We were doomed to die because of our sinful nature. We could do nothing in ourselves to make atonement for our sins. Jesus came to the earth and as the Godman he took on Himself the sins of the whole world. This is good news because it means that our sins can be forgiven.We can be reconciled to God and become His child when we repent of our swind and ask Jesus to come and be our Savior. It mean that we will not go to hell but will be in heaven with the Father and the Son. All we have to do is accept this gift of salvation. blood had to be shed for the sacrifice and it was Jesus's blood that was shed for us. It gives us assurance because we know that if we confess our sins that He is faithful and just to forgive us. He died for all of our sins; past, present and future. We need not worry that we will lose our salvation if we sin. Jesus is our advocate and high priest now and he will plead for us with the Father. He will tell Him that He paid the price for us and it is done; once and for all.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24; Romans 1:16; Acts 17:2-3) Why might Paul be tempted to underemphasize a "crucified Messiah" when preaching to the Jews? Why are we sometimes tempted to tell others how great it is to follow Christ while not telling them the other aspects of the gospel? Why is it so important that we are honest about the gospel? Paul might be tempted to underemphasize that Jesus was crucified because the Jews saw the Messiah as someone who come and be an earthly king. A king who would free them from the rule of the Romans. In their minds He was not a Godman who would have to die on the cross for their sins.He was someone who would forcibly oust the Romans and reign in their stead. We sometimes skip over the parts we think they will noi like to get them to make a decision for Him. Yet we fail when we do this ; because they need to know that sometimes there is trouble and hardship. Sometimes we are persecuted for our faith in some way and other times we see family members die. It is important for them to know that what Jesus said was true. In this world we will have trouble and trials' that just because you are a Christian doesn't mean that life will be easy. If we are going to represent Him then we need to be truthful. We need to tell them that once they start living for Jesus ; they will encounter opposition and ridicule in some cases. Yet we are not here to do our own thing but to do the will of the one who bought us.

2. (Acts 16:25; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Why do you think we are commanded to "Rejoice always"? What is our natural tendency when we're under stress? What does rejoicing and thanking have to do with faith? In what circumstance do you find difficulty praising God? We are commanded to rejoice always in order that others who do not know God can see our joy and faith in God and come to Him. This is evidence to them of how God can help them have joy and peace in every circumstance. We are commanded to rejoice because it is the only way to have peace in our lives when things are going wrong. When we remember who He really is and what He has done for us before then we can have faith that He is able to come through for us again. We remember that He is and does good. This peace is greater then our problems or trials and we can trust Him. When we worship and praise Him we take our minds off of our problems and focus on Him and on heaven. Even though our natural tendency is to grumble, complain or worry about our problems; praise and thanksgiving takes our mind off of ourselves and put it on Jesus. We cannot praise and complain at the same time.when we choose to rejoice then we finally are freed from our worries. I am finding it extremely hard now to rejoice as I should because of my circumstances. I am worried about my bills and the state of the house and my daughter's health. At times my thoughts and worries consume me. I am having a hard time praising Him in the midst of all the chaos in the world now.Often my mind tends to create what if situations and then I worry and stew about them. I know i should give them over to God and leave them there. I just have to get it from my head and into my heart now.

Q1. (Acts 16:1-3) Why does Paul circumcise Timothy, even though his principles don't require him to? Why does Paul "become all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)? In what ways does the path of serving Jesus require humility rather than demanding our rights? Paul circumcised Timothy so that the Jews there don't become distracted by the fact that Timothy is an uncircumcised Gentile. They would not have let Paul into the synagogues because they would think he was an apostate. Paul becomes all things to all people so that he can win them to Jesus. He wants to identify with the ones he is trying to convert. He wants them to know he is sincere and to put them at ease. Just like we as Christians should try to find common ground with the people we meet. It requires humility because in order to bring others to the lord we cannot insist on our own rights. We have to consider other people's feelings and where they come from. It maybe something we say or do might inadvertently offend someone and turn them away from God. We have to be considerate of other people's cultural and religious backgrounds and make sure we are on the same ground as they are. Make sure we know enough about them before we make contact with them.

Q4. (Ephesians 2:13-15; Galatians 6:16) In what sense are believers in the Messiah the "New Israel"? Who makes believing Gentiles one with believing Jews? Who makes believing Protestants one with believing Catholics? Believers in the Messiah are a "New Israel" because they worship God and follow after Jesus. They are the ones that do not glory in their own flesh but in God. It is Jesus who makes believing Gentiles one with the Jews and makes Protestant and Catholics one body. In Him we are bonded together because of what He did on the cross. In Him we have our life and our strength; regardless of our differences we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Q3. (Acts 13:48; Romans 10:13-15) How does an understanding of God's pure grace fit together with the idea of predestination? How might a belief in predestination make us lazy with regard to evangelism? Does God "need" us to bring salvation to the world? God alone knows who will be drawn to Him and which ones will come. He knows there are some who will refuse and it is up to us to tell them the good news. But it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to God. A belief in predestination might make us think we have nothing to do. That God will work on people and that He doesn't need our help. That we don't have to tell anyone about Him or even live for Him the way we should. It might cause us to be less diligent in our walk with the Lord; because we think we don't have to worry about appearances or living right. God does not need us to bring salvation to the world He can do it Himself. But He wants us to be a part of His kingdom and share in the harvest. He wants us to have something to give back to Him. God can do anything but He would rather we take part in the harvest and do it because we love Him and want to be obedient. He wants to be in fellowship with us and work with us to bring others into the kingdom.

Q2. (Ephesians 2:8-9) What is a simple definition of "grace"? Why aren't legalism and "works" to please God compatible with grace? What part does our faith have to do with our salvation? Grace is undeserved favor that has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God's kindness towards us. In that He chose us to be rescued from sin and we had nothing to do with it at all. In simplest terms it is God giving us what we do not deserve. Legalism and works are not compatible because with grace there is nothing we can do to earn the favor. It is all through God and Jesus His Son. if we try to replace grace with works or legalism we are trying to put God in our debt when we are the ones in His debt. We are the ones deserving to go to hell because of our sins. Our faith comes when we feel drawn to God and feel led by the Holy Spirit to confess that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. Then we act on what we believe and repent of our sins and ask Jesus to save us and be our Lord and Savior.

Q1. (Acts 15:1,5) What is the essential demand of the Judaizers? How does that contradict the idea of salvation by grace? What is the danger of excessive legalism in our Christian congregations? The Judaizers want the Christians to be circumcised like they are otherwise they say they are not really saved. It contradicts it because Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9 " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so no one can boast. We can do nothing on our own to be saved. We must accept what Jesus did on the cross for us. We must acknowledge that we are sinners and nothing we do will get us into heaven. That all our works are nothing but filthy rags before Him. We must repent and openly confess that we believe what Jesus did for us and accept Him as out Lord and Savior. No amount of good works is going to get us into heaven or erase our sins. I believe that the danger of excessive legalism is that we become a bunch of enforcers and point fingers at others who do not do what we do or wear the same clothes or have the same hair do. We tend to become judgemental and harsh instead of showing love and grace. When with Jesus it is not about little details but whether you are loving Him and others. When we fight about little things we not only cause divisions but chase away unbelievers as well. After all, we are supposed to be different than they are.We become like the Pharisees in the Bible were; a bunch of nit pickers.

Q4. (Acts 13:43b) Why is "continuing" or "abiding" in the faith so important? What does Jesus' Parable of the Sower teach about "continuing" (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21)? Why do new believers need basic instruction and discipling before the task of evangelism is complete? (Acts 14:21b-22) It is important because when people first come to Jesus they have a lot of problems to deal with and they need help. They need to learn the basics of the faith and they need to be discipled so they do not go back to their former lifestyles. They need to know what the Bible teaches on certain subjects so they can stay faithful and be holy. These new converts do not know where to look for answers. it is up to the ones who led them to Jesus to teach them all these things; so they are well grounded in the faith. That is the job of evangelists, pastors and teachers. Jesus teaches that people who do not have good roots or foundations will fall away from the faith. That people who do not understand what they read will become confused, discouraged and give up; without someone there to teach them the truth. That the ones who do not have deep roots feel joyful only when things are going good and when things get bad they decide it is not worth it. New believers need instruction because they have come from different lifestyles and cultures and need to be instructed with what the word says about things, They need to discipled in the faith so they grow and mature and can bring others to Christ. They need to be able to withstand trials and persecutions and not cave under. They need to be found faithful and be able to take over when their leaders leave, They need to withstand what this world says about them and be strong and not swayed by every doctrine that comes along.

000p09Q3. How do Paul's gospel presentations to pagans in Lystra (Acts 14:16-17;) and Athens (Acts 17:16-34) differ from his typical message in the synagogues? What common ground does Paul build on with pagan audiences? How will you need to contextualize the gospel in your particular area to build on common ground? Paul's gospel presentation in Lystra warns them to turn from their worthless idols to the one true God who created everything around them. He says that God allowed people to go their own way before but now He wants them to come to Him. He has proven His goodness to them by sending rain for their crops and giving them plenty to eat. In Athens Paul gets their attention by acknowledging that they are looking for someone or something to worship. He points them to the unknown god they never heard of before; but they have set up a place for. Because they love to spend their time talking about religion or manmade gods. He tells them that this unknown god is the Creator of the earth and all that is on it. That He doesn't need anyone yet He longs to reach out and find us and come to know us. That they were all created by God and He is never far away.Before He ignored what men were doing but now He wants man to repent and that everyone will be resurrected in the end and judged. Jesus, God's own son was raised from the dead and He is proof it will happen. I think I will need to talk about the 10 Commandments and how no one can keep them all. That we are all incapable of doing enough good works to get to heaven. That the only way to get there is through Jesus. That all the good things we can possibly do are nothing but filthy rags in God's eyes.That every thought is known by God and judged and it is nothing but evil. That you need to be cleaned from the inside out. That only when you admit that you are evil and cannot win God's favor and ask Jesus to come into your heart and wah and make you clean again. When you say that you believe He died for all the wrongs you did and confess it before others then you will be saved.

Q2. In evangelizing people, how does God use power encounters (in Paphos, Crete, Acts 13:6-12) and signs and wonders (Acts 14:3 in Iconium)? Are miracles enough to produce saving faith on their own? If not, what else is needed? Have you seen signs and wonders with evangelism? If not, why do you think that is? In Paphos God blinded the sorcerer Bar-Jesus because he tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. In Iconium God used signs and wonders to bear witness to His word. No miracles are not enough because as we see in the Gospel accounts many people were only looking for what he could give them not to be saved. They were looking for an earthly king not a heavenly one. They quickly turned on him later. If people's hearts are hardened it will take more than signs, wonders and miracles to get to the. It will take the Holy Spirit working on their hearts. They need to be convicted enough to repent and ask forgiveness. I have seen some people in an Apostolic church get healed .

Q1. (Acts 13:14-41) What "common ground" does the gospel of Jesus have with Judaism? How does Paul's approach in the synagogues reflect building on this common ground? What is the essence of the gospel? (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) That both Jews and Christians fear or respect the same God. They both worship the same god who gave them the Commandments to live by. That Jesus was the promised Messiah according to the Old Testament and Psalm. That Jesus would sit on the throne of David. That John The Baptist pointed to Him. That he is the one who they rejected, crucified and that He rose from the dead. That Jesus resurrection is supported by the scriptures, mainly Psalm 2: 7, Isaiah 55:10, and Psalm 16:10.That only through Jesus can they be saved and that they will be held responsible for their reactions to it. That Christ died, for our sins, was buried and rose again according to the scriptures.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) How does Paul view his call to preach? How much choice is involved for him? How much honor? How should this understanding affect our understanding of God gifting and calling us for ministry? What is the opposite of faithfulness when it comes to using God's gifts? He believes that he has been entrusted with preaching the Gospel. That he is compelled to preach and that if he does it voluntarily he has a reward. But if he doesn't do it voluntarily that he is simply doing what he was told to do anyway. He believes that it is an honor or sacred trust to preach what the Lord has shown him. He doesn't believe that he really has a choice; that it is his duty and responsibility to preach the Word. This should cause us to understand that we have a sacred calling as well. That we are to use our gifts and talents for the Lord. That we are to tell others about the Lord. The opposite of faithfulness is disobedience and unwillingness to use our gifts as we should It is simply acting selfishly instead of using it for God's glory.

Q3. (Acts 13:1-3) Why are the church leaders in Antioch seeking God through corporate prayer and fasting? How does God respond to their seeking? Why do you think we don't do more of this sort of thing today? What was the importance of this to the church at large? To the chosen missionaries? I believe that the leaders were directed by God to pray and fast. Many times in the Bible it talks about fasting and the importance of it. It is meant as a time where you set your physical needs aside and concentrate on listening to Him. This time draws you closer to the Father like Jesus was when Her was tempted. Only then can God really talk to them and tell them what He wants.The whole church needed to be involved because it affected them. God told them to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the ministry. I believe that a lot of churches are too busy with other things they do not take time to fast and really pray about anything. Church members are more concerned with worldly things than spiritual. We have so many other idols that take the place of God . We have no room or time to really spend praying or even fasting. We have lost touch with who we really are. It was important to the church at large because the leadership was being passed from Saul and Barnabas to others. Other people would have to take over their job as pastors now. It was important to the chosen missionaries because only God knew who would be the best ones for the ministry. In order for it to be effective they needed to be listening to what God wanted not themselves. God knew that Paul and Barnabas were well seasoned warriors and could withstand the hardships and persecutions. When you send someone off to be a missionary you need to be sure you draw on God's wisdom and not your own. They need to be sold out for the Lord and on fire; willing to do anything.

Q2. (Galatians 2:11-16) Why does Paul call out Peter publicly in Antioch? What is the reason for Peter's hypocrisy? What is the central issue on which Paul feels they must not compromise? Why is it so important? Paul calls it our because Peter is leading many believers astray by doing this. He is playing favorites and this is not allowed among believers in Christ.Jesus died for all people not just Jews. No one is supposed to get special treatment; everyone is equal in God's eyes. It is an example of what Peter did when he denied Jesus. He did not want to be singled out as being seen with Jesus. In this instance; he did not want to cause trouble so he pacified the Jewish believers. The central issue is that no one can be saved by following rules, regulations, or customs. We are only saved when we put our trust in Jesus. We are not saved by keeping the commandments or laws. Everyone is saved when they believe that Jesus died for their sins and ask Him to their Savior and Lord. We are one in Christ and there are no divisions.,

Q1. (Acts 9:30; Galatians 1:15-17) Why do ambitious Christians struggle so much when they don't seem to be doing anything important? Why is patience with God's plan so important to growth? Why is a period of spiritual formation so important to future leadership? To listening for God's voice? I believe that ambitious Christians struggle with it because they want to be doing more for the Lord. They don't want to sit on the sidelines while others do more important work. And sometimes they do't understand that God needs to teach them something before He can use them. Some of them like Paul are proud of their pasts or church backgrounds. They need to become humble before God can use them so that they understand it is not about them but about the Lord. That they need to grow more in the faith before they can do anything. Patience is an important fruit of the Spirit that all believers need to have. They need to learn to trust God in any given situation and go to Him first fornhelp. They need to mature and grow into the person God wants them to be. They need to learn patience so they can deal with people who are difficult. They need to learn patience while waiting on God for answers. Only through trials and troubles will their characters be refined and the Lord's reflection shone through them. I believe that true leaders are ones who have gone through the fire and come out knowing God better. They are the ones who have gone through great suffering and still believe that He is good. They have learned how to handle defeat and disappointment and still trust God. The ones who know God is in control not them and they are willing to let others share the load and give them credit as well. God cannot use people who are proud and arrogant. People who think they know better and refuse to listen. A true leader will realize that in God's family everyone works together and strives to win the same prize. I believe that only someone who has been tested and tried can learn to know when God speaks. Someone who knows God's word well and knows when He speaks and knows when it is not from Him. Someone who has learned to spend time in the Word and in prayer;learning to be quiet and listen for God's voice.

Q4. (Philippians 3:9; Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4) Abraham had been a moon-worshipper. According to Genesis 15:6, how does he come into right relationship with the God who created all? How can a person today become righteous by faith? What is involved in really "trusting" Christ? 1. Abraham believed the promises God told him and God credited it to him; long before the Messiah ever came. Abraham had a deep abiding faith in what God told him. He knew that God was true to His word. He trusted God enough to leave where he was and travel to a strange place. 2. A person can become righteous when they accept what Jesus has done for them. 3. People have to believe that Jesus died for their sins and they have to confess it with their mouth. Then, they will be saved and become righteous; because of what Jesus did on the cross. They have to accept that this is the only way into heaven and be humble enough to take the free gift offered to them.

Q3. (Philippians 3:7-8) How do legalism and the resulting spiritual pride prevent us from trusting in Christ by faith, and knowing him? How has your pride in yourself kept you from drawing closer to Jesus? I believe that sometimes we get too proud of our church involvement and the things we do. We put more emphasis on works than we do on our relationship with the Lord. works mean nothing if your heart is not in it. If all you are doing it for is to show off or to think it is going to get you ahead of others in the end. All Jesus cares about is our motives; are we doing it for Him or for some other reason. We put too much emphasis on how long we have been a church member or how long out families or relatives have been with the church. All these things do not matter one iota to God. Not your credentials or your many tasks you do in the church or what you do outside the church; as much as why you are doing them. It angers me when i see a church advertising to the world what they did for someone. We are supposed to let others praise us and not ourselves. Legalism or putting our rules on others does not please God. The only one who has any right to do this is God, himself. Who are to think we are better than others? Or to tell them how to dress, what to eat or what activities to do? We are not the creator of the universe. We should only be imposing the rules and commandments that are written in the Bible. And most importantly, we should not take any verse out of context. Read everything in the context it was set in and ask the Lord to illuminate your mind. When we do all these things we not only offend God but others as well. We cannot draw near to God when we have a prideful attitude. Let God be the judge of others; it is not easy but it must be done. Otherwise, we are in danger of becoming like the Pharisees in the Bible. As for me, I thought that I was better at watching how many sweets I ate before. I thought I did not need His help to overcome my addiction. He showed me how wrong I was when i overate at the church picnic this past summer. He showed me I need Him to do it. He also showed me how proud I was in wanting to be independent and not wanting anyone else see the state of my house a month or 2 ago. I decided to walk to the grocery store and get what I needed for the week instead of go on the Thursday bus. I walked home with three heavy bags and halfway home my shoulder was screaming. I sacrificed my health for myh case of pride. In the long run only what God thinks should matter to me but I am not there yet.

Q2. (Acts 9:10-18) Why do you think God sends Ananias to Paul rather than revealing directly? Why does Ananias argue with God? Why does it take courage to obey? What does Ananias do and say? Have you ever had God guide you to talk with someone and minister to him or her? Have you followed through? I think that God wanted Ananias to see for himself that Paul formerly Saul was nor the same. God wanted him to see that Paul was especially chosen by Him and to be obedient no matter what. I also think God wanted to give Paul time to think about what had happened to him. He wanted him to fully understand why he was chosen and what it would mean. That now he, Paul would be the one who would be persecuted for the Lord. Ananias is scared and confused. He can not understand why God is asking Him to do this and he is trying to tell God something God already knows. He is trying to convince God that it is not a good idea. It takes courage because sometimes you do not know what is going to happen or how things will work out. People might think you are crazy. And often you think that it is impossible but with God nothing is impossible. He tells Paul ;that the Lord; the one who appeared to him on the road has sent him so that he may receive his sight and be filled with the Spirit. He lays his hands on him and immediately scales from Paul's eyes and he could see. No I do not think I have .

Q1. (Acts 9:4-5; 26:14) Why does persecuting Christ's people constitute persecuting Christ himself? What kinds of goads or prods have you seen God use on you to move you along Christ's path? When you "kick against the goads" is it harder on you or on God? When someone persecutes Christians they are persecuting Jesus, who died for us. We are His His own body, His bride. When we are being persecuted He feels it. He knows what it is like to be hated. In my life, God has used Bible studies in other online groups to show me how prideful I was. He has used them to show me how selfish I was at one point and broken me. So that now because of it I have a better relationship with my daughter. Now He is trying to get me to see that it is easier to write when I let go of control. A few weeks ago when I was studying the Psalms the poems would just flow out of me now it seems I am dried up. He told me to take over. at He did that to show me how easy it was when I just let Him speak through me. I believe it is harder on me when I kick because God will not let up until I surrender. He loves me too much to see me do a mediocre job; He wants me to trust Him.

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life? The Spirit shows himself in the Sword of the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit or with the Spirit's help. Spirit-directed prayer is important if someone is to know how to pray for others. It is important to be alert and pay attention to the nudges of the Spirit especially if he urges you to pray for a person you know. It is important so that whenever the Spirit leads you to pray that you do it without questioning why. Because sometimes someone's life might be in danger and you could be the one the Lord uses to bring intervention through prayer. I have felt led to pray or to sing once when I was downstairs in the shower when I felt an evil presence and once I started singing it went away. I have felt led to pray when I hear about someone being ill recently.

Q3. (Ephesians 5:18-20) How is singing worship linked to being filled with the Spirit? How is singing worship linked to joy? When we sing to the Lord we forget about our problems and the world outside and concentrate on Him. On who He is and what He has done for us. It draws us out of ourselves and into His presence almost. Through the Spirit, we are lifted up and drawn closer to Him. We are able to be filled with wonder and awe all over as we not only sing the choruses but contemplate what they mean to us. It is then that the Spirit can empty us and fill us and we become overwhelmed once again as we consider all that He is and all He has done for us. We become more grateful and full of love for Him. When we sing songs in worship with other believers it is as if God is suddenly there among us. We almost can feel his presence and we become full of joy at the thought that He loved us enough to die for us and that He wants to be with us. Everything else is forgotten as we sing to Him with our whole hearts and souls.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Why is character change directly related to time deliberately spent in God's presence? Have you noticed a change in the "degree of glory" you're experiencing now compared to a few years ago? Why or why not? Character change only comes when we spend more time with God and meditate on Him and His Word. We can not hope to be like Him if we do not spend time getting to know Him first. The more time we spend with Him and really read His Word and listen to what He says; then the more we will look like Him. The more others will see and notice the change. Now I have changed how I treat others and how I react to people. I am trying to be more like Him by learning to talk to him more throughout the day and listening more to the Spirit.