Daniel R

1. Many of the Galileans believe mainly because they have seen miracles. In what ways do miracles help build faith? Often times, God works miracles in times of trouble and distress and when an individual doesn't know God or is further away from Him than they have been in a long time. When individuals experience miracles, they experience the Power and Love of God as well, which oftentimes draws an individual to, back to, or closer to God, creating a (more) intimate relationship. 2. Why does only seeing miracles not build a mature faith? The problem with "miracle-faith" is that when the miracles go, the faith goes with them. There is nothing to sustain or uphold the faith because the whole faith was rooted in signs, wonders, and miracles, not in Jesus Christ! 3. Why does Jesus rebuke the Galileans in 4:48? Jesus rebuked the Galileans in John 4:48 because they had "miracle-faith." Their faith and interest was found in Jesus' miracles, and not in Him, meaning that when the miracles would stop, their faith would also stop and they would fall away from Jesus and from the faith itself! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Why do you think Jesus stayed two days in Samaria, when elsewhere He instructed His disciples not to preach in Samaritan villages? I believe Jesus stayed in Samaria for two days in this case because one, He wanted to show His disciples the importance of ministering to non-Jews, and two, He saw the importance of "harvesting" all of these Samaritans and then sowing seeds in the Samaritans that Philip would later visit and "harvest." 2. What does it mean that Jesus is the Saviour of the whole world? It means exactly what you would think it means. Jesus died for the salvation of every single person. He is the Saviour not only for Jews, Americans, or Canadians, but He is the Savior, the salvation, for all people, no matter the many differences!!! 3. What are its implications for our lives? We MUST spread the Good News to all people, no matter the gender or ethnicity! Jesus is the Saviour of the WHOLE WORLD, and because of that, we need to make Jesus known to the WHOLE WORLD! We need to tell and preach about Jesus to ALL people!!! 4. For your church's mission? My church, as well as THE church, needs to focus on not only telling and preaching about Jesus to a specific group of people, completely disregarding another, but rather on telling and preaching about Jesus to ALL people! Poor AND rich, 3rd world AND 1st world, male AND female, far AND near, etc. We need to focus on ministering to ALL people about Jesus, no matter the differences!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. Sowers and reapers usually got "paid" when the crop was harvested. According to this analogy, what will Christian workers receive at the end of the age when the final harvest takes place and Jesus Christ comes? We will receive the greatest reward of all which is spending eternity in Heaven with other fellow believers and most importantly, ETERNITY WITH GOD HIMSELF!!!!!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. What caused the harvest to ripen so rapidly in Sychar? The harvest was so rapidly ripened in Sychar because of the woman's testimony of who and what Jesus did and is; really though, the people were ripened because the woman's testimony was full of the Holy Spirit. 2. How likely is it that the testimony of one, discredited woman could make such a huge impact? Not very likely at all. The reason why her testimony made such a huge impact was because the Holy Spirit filled the testimony and was doing Its work through the woman's testimony. 3. What might God do with your testimony if you were to share it? If I'm being completely honest, I have no idea what God would do with my testimony. His ways are not my ways and His Thoughts and Purposes are not my thoughts and purposes. I know for a fact though that He would reach the right person at the right time and at the right place and do with that person whatever His Will is (not in a terrible sense, but either plant a seed or save on the spot and so on...). 4. Why is it necessary to "open our eyes" to the spiritual harvest? Right before Jesus ascended, Jesus commanded His disciples and us to make disciples of all nations. If we don't open our eyes to the spiritual harvest, we won't be able to call or make new disciples out of unbelievers and we won't be able to strengthen weak, new, or any believer at any point. If we don't open our eyes to the spiritual harvest, we prove useless for the Kingdom of God and the growing of It!

1. What does Jesus mean by "food" in these verses? In these verses, Jesus uses the word "food" to resemble doing the Father's Will and accomplishing the Father's Purpose and Works, for Jesus, and for us. 2. What was His passion? Jesus' passion was very obviously doing the Will of the Father and accomplishing the Father's Works assigned to Him (Jesus). 3. What is your passion? My passion is sometimes to do the Will of the Father (sadly, lots of times only when it fits what i want or am comfortable with...), but lots of times, sadly, my passion is to live how i want to live and do what i want to do... It may not necessarily always be bad, but if it's not doing the Father's Will, it is still a sin... 4. What will it take so that your passion, your goal in life, is to do the Father's Work and Will? For me, true discernment from the Holy Spirit is needed to increase my passion in doing the Father's Will and Works. Often times, i struggle with creating my own will and works, not necessarily a bad will, and convincing myself that it's the Father's Will and Works, and that causes me to tire and exhaust myself spiritually, which in return causes me to be less sensitive to the Father's actual Will, Purpose, and Works for my life because i try to get rid of my "own will," but at the same time, i become very insensitive and very rejecting of the Father's true Will, Purpose, and Works for my life because of that. 5. In your life, what do you think that might look like? In my life, my goal and my passion is to somehow call and bring people to God. God revealed this to me one time when i was in the car with my dad driving, when suddenly a thought popped into my head, actually the Holy Spirit, saying, "Look at all these lost souls..." Ever since then, i've felt that my purpose and passion has been to call and bring people to God, though i don't yet know how or when, i trust and understand that God's timing is perfect so i put my complete trust and reliance in God!!!!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!! THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!! THANK YOU FATHER!!!!!!!

1. What does it mean that "God is spirit"? God is THE Creator! He wasn't made or created by anyone or anything, but instead, HE is the Creator, the Giver of Life, who has full dominion and authority over all of His creation (which is everything)!!! On top of that, God isn't made up of matter, He is invisible to the naked eye, therefore, Him being spirit means that He is 100% omnipresent!!! 2. What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? To worship in spirit and in truth means to worship God not in physical means, but in spiritual means through the Holy Spirit, and with true sincerity and genuineness. Worshipping in spirit and truth doesn't mean simply saying the words or doing the actions, but worshipping through the Holy Spirit and having our heart and focus set only on God!!! 3. Have you ever "gone through the motions" of worship without worshipping? I have gone through the motions of worshipping many, many times. Lots of those times were when i was younger and found no interest in having a relationship with God and worshipping Him, but even now, if i don't feel like worshipping Him (which sadly i do) or if i'm very exhausted, i may worship Him without truly worshipping Him... 4. How can you worship in a way more pleasing to God? i can worship God in a way that is much, much, more pleasing to Him by spending less time doing those things i think i HAVE to do, like HAVING to read this many chapters in the Bible and listening to this person and doing this and that, and instead, just focusing on God and worshipping Him!!! THANK YOU FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. What motives cause the woman to bring up a religious controversy to Jesus? I believe the woman brought up a controversial religious topic because she realized that Jesus was a prophet (He was much more than just a prophet though), a person sent by God, and because He was sent by God and most likely had "greater" religious knowledge, she one, wanted to find out if the Samaritan's beliefs were right instead of the Jews', and two, she wanted to see if she could try to puzzle Jesus, just like how the religious leaders tried to puzzle and trick Jesus. 2. Why do people today try to generate religious controversies with us? Nowadays, i believe most people generate religious controversies with us to try and prove themselves and their ways right, but to also try to bring us believers down in our faith and cause us to stumble. Then again, some people just want to argue about anything and everything. 3. What are their motives? In the end, those peoples' motives are to, like i said, prove themselves right, but their ultimate goal is to cause us to second guess our faith, stumble, and fall away from our faith (it's a weapon and attack from the enemy; no weapon formed against us will prosper though -- Isaiah 54:17). THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. What was the effect of Jesus' special knowledge of the woman's history with men? Jesus' knowledge of the woman's history with men caused the woman to finally realize that she was talking to somebody greater than just a typical weary traveler. She realized that Jesus had great power because He "couldn't" have known, yet somehow He did. She became curious and she began to realize just who Jesus was!!! 2. What effect did it have on her faith? Jesus' knowledge caused the woman's faith to surface and she began to become curious of who Jesus really was and more thirsty for this "Living Water" that He gave!!! 3. How can such gifts of the Holy Spirit work today to bring people to faith or deepen their faith? Nowadays, such gifts from the Holy Spirit bring many people to faith or to a deeper faith by showing the love and the power of God. Once you experience both of these things, you realize just how mighty, loving, powerful, and great God is and in return, that causes you (or whoever) to submit yourself (themselves) to and believe and trust in God more and more; your faith in Him increases more and more!!! THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!!

1. What does the "gift of God" and the "Living Water" (4:10) refer to? I believe that the "gift of God" may refer to either the Holy Spirit or to Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, in which He saved us from sin and gave us a new hope in Him! "Living Water," however, refers to the Holy Spirit for certain. 2. What does receiving this gift result in (4:14)? Receiving this gift, which is the Holy Spirit, results in a life full of guidance from the Holy Spirit and eternal life in "the age to come," or, eternal life with God (we will see His face! Revelation 22:4) after we die!!!!!!! 3. Does this gift differ from or is it another way of saying the "baptism of the Spirit" that John the Baptist spoke of in John 1:33? I believe that this gift is another way of saying "baptism of the Spirit" because when we accept and believe in Jesus for the very first time, the Holy Spirit automatically comes upon us and dwells in us; this would be the initial baptizing. Once baptized by the Holy Spirit though, the Holy Spirit convicts, works, and directs our lives daily, doing "all for the glory of God." THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Jesus' Words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? My experience has been that all people are indeed spiritually thirsty. Whether they realize it or not is a different story, but we are all spiritually thirsty and lost, in desperate need of Living Water! I say this because I myself never really recognized that I was spiritually thirsty until one day when the Holy Spirit began working in me and showed me just how in need of Living Water I was! 2. Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? The woman does not seem that spiritually thirsty at this point because she doesn't even try to take in what Jesus said. She just wonders why a Jewish Rabbi is talking to her, a SAMARITAN and a WOMAN, and how Jesus can give her water with which she will never thirst again. 3. What caused her deep thirst to surface? Her deep thirst for Living Water was surfaced by her deep thirst for physical water and by the love Jesus, a Jew, showed to her, when all her fellow Samaritans rejected her treated her terribly and shamefully. 4. What does this teach us about our own witness? This teaches us that we need to be loving towards others, no matter the case, when we are spreading the Good News with somebody and that we need to try and relate to whoever we're spreading the Gospel with so that they could really understand and have their hidden spiritual thirst surfaced. We also need to be gentle with them and listen for cues from them that we could then build on, not just push the whole Gospel on them at once!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Why do you think Jesus went against the social norms to communicate with the woman? I think Jesus went against the social norms to communicate with the Samaritan woman because in those actions, He showed us the importance to love no matter what. He also showed us in His actions that social norms mean nothing and that we are all fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! 2. Why do we hesitate to go against social norms to share the Good News? I think we hesitate to go against social norms to share the Good News because we are too afraid of what others might think. We think that if we get judged and everybody thinks we're weird, we won't have an easy time but that we also won't be able to share the Good News with any of those people; if God called us to it though, He'll get us through it!!! 3. How do we balance our need to obey God and our need to live peaceably in our culture? Ultimately, what we need to do is follow a simple motto of, "If God called you to do it, God will also get you through it!" We should be ready and willing to share the Gospel at any given moment but we also need to stay away from going against social norms just to seem righteous. "If God called you to it, DO IT!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Is it possible to believe in God's love and God's wrath at the same time? Yet, it is very possible to believe in both God's love and in His wrath at the same time, because He is love, and He is just and fair, and it's His justness and fairness that lead to His RIGHTFUL judgement, punishment, and wrath! 2. How does God's justice allow salvation, when what we deserve is punishment for our sin and unbelief? God's justice allows salvation, even though we deserve to be punished for our sins, through the death of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died, He took God's wrath and punishment that was set on us and instead, He put it on Himself when He died, so whoever believes in Him and accepts and receives the price that He paid on our behalf, he or she will not experience that judgement, punishment, and wrath, because Jesus experienced it for us ahead of time!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. In what sense, in order to be successful in your Christian life, must you decrease and Christ increase? Personally, in my life, I need to decrease in trying to do it all by myself and instead let Jesus take full control. The farthest I have and can get myself is nowhere, but if I let Jesus increase and begin guiding and leading me, I will get to a place where God (The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) is honoured to the full extent. Another thing in which I can decrease and Jesus Christ can increase is in my (very wrong yet very real) belief that if don't do a specific thing, I'm a bad Christian. 2. How can you facilitate (start) the shift necessary for this change to occur? Well, for my first struggle, I need to stop worrying about everything and just give God my full and undivided trust. For my second struggle, I need to remind myself that just because I do something wrong doesn't mean God doesn't love me, and that my works aren't what saves me in the long run, it's the grace of God that came through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that does!!!!!!! 3. What steps might help you do this? Personally, I believe that the main step I need to take is really practice self-control. As soon as I get either one of those thoughts, I need to control myself and put those thoughts away and rather focus and look to/for Jesus for help, guidance, and direction!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. How does John the Baptist find joy in Jesus' success? John the Baptist realizes that he has done what he had to do and now, Jesus needs to become greater than him so that His plan could be complete. John finds joy in knowing that his purpose has been fulfilled. 2. Do you find joy in the success of others who could be seen as competing with your ministry -- in your church or in your community or in your denomination? Typically, I do, because at the end of the day, God's plan is being fulfilled, but sometimes, I do get slightly jealous because they become more important than me. 3. Why do you think some pastors compete with each other? I think some pastors compete with each other because they want to be seen as the most holy, righteous, and best pastor; they think the more "better" they are, the more God loves them, however, that is far from the truth!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Have you ever resented a "larger church" that attracted people from "your" church? If we're talking about literal larger and smaller churches, no, I haven't, but, if we are using the term "church" to relate to ourselves (as in our body being the "church"), then yes I have, sadly, many, many times... 2. What is wrong with this kind of possessiveness? The problem with this kind of possessiveness is that it's really just hidden pride, selfishness, and jealousy. We want us to be the most important, the "star of the show," so when somebody "abandons" or leaves us for somebody else, it gives us a sense of not being the best, and that feeling stirs up pride, jealousy, and selfishness! 3. Is it self-pity or something else? It may be a little bit of self-pity, but more than anything, I think that it's pride, selfishness, and jealousy (like I stated above) because this feeling of "failure" only comes when others succeed and we fail, causing us to think that we are no longer useful, that important, and the "star of the show!" THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!

1. What is the importance of Jesus spending time with His disciples? Jesus spending time with His disciples is so important because it was in that "together and quiet time" that the disciples could really learn, create a more intimate relationship with Jesus, and become discipled by Him! They saw what Jesus did and they gradually became more and more like Him as a result!!! 2. What is His strategy? Jesus' strategy is to build a relationship with His disciples so that they could become more like Him. Through all the journeys and trials, their relationships with Jesus grew, meaning, they became more like Him too, and we can too!!! 3. How does Jesus make disciples today? Typically, nowadays, Jesus makes disciples by either teaching them in "personal time" with Him, or by the use of other believers/disciples. 4. Where is our time with the Discipler? Our time with Jesus, the Discipler, is in our alone time with Him and/or in a group's "together-alone" time with Him in which we learn, receive rebuke, receive love, worship Him, thank Him, get redirected by, and get discipled by Him!!! 5. How important is your time as a discipler "hanging out" with people God puts on your heart to disciple? It is absolutely crucial to be a discipler to others! If Jesus did it, it must have been important so, we must do it too!!! Sadly, lots of believers, including me, don't do it as much as is needed, so that is something we, including me, could all work on!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Why is this verse so famous? John 3:16 is such a famous verse because it (simply) sums up the message of the Gospel/Good News in one verse!!! 2. What does it teach us about God? John 3:16 teaches us that God had (and still has!!!) SUCH love for us that as a result of it, He GAVE His Only Son for the PURPOSE of us being saved and receiving eternal life (with Him!!!!!!!) rather than us going to hell and being in eternal pain, torture, and death. 3. What does it teach us about God's salvation? John 3:16 teaches us that God's salvation is for everyone, for the whole world!!! 4. Since "entering eternal life" is a synonym for "entering the Kingdom of God," what does this verse teach us about our destiny? John 3:16 teaches us that our destiny will be eternal life in Heaven with God but also that our destiny has already begun, because we have been "born again/anew/from above" and have entered into the Kingdom of God already!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. What does it mean to be "born of water and the Spirit"? Most likely, it means that to enter into the Kingdom of God, you need to repent, humble yourself before, and believe in God and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and you need to let the Holy Spirit rebirth/change you, dwell in you. and lead/guide you in all!!! 2. What do you think "water" refers to? I think "water" refer to "repentance and purification of sins"!!! 3. Why have you come to this conclusion? Well, it would be pointless for Jesus to tell Nicodemus about something currently non-existent and it would also be pointless for Jesus to say: "To enter into the Kingdom of God you need to be physically born, but then spiritually reborn by the Holy Spirit." Therefore, the only other reasonable option would be to say that you need to repent and humble yourself before God, and start a "new" life filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and the Father (God)!!! 4. How, then, would you paraphrase "born of water and the Spirit" to best bring out the full meaning? I would say: "To enter into the Kingdom of God you must begin a new life, discarding the old life, filled with repentance and humility towards God and rebirth, renewal, and dwelling of the Holy Spirit in you."!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. What does "entering the Kingdom of God" have to do with being born "anew?" When we are born "anew," we are, in a way, starting a new, God-filled life. We are throwing away our sin and clothing ourselves with Jesus' blood. When we are born "again" or born "new," we discard our old life and enter into new life where only then we can be saved and go to God's Kingdom; because our sins are forgiven!!! 2. Which do you think is the best translation here: "born again," "born anew," or "born from above?" Defend your reasoning. Personally, I believe the best translation is to be "born anew" because it describes the actual process the best. Being "born again" may make it seem like we were once "born again," but now aren't, and it also doesn't really specify how we are "born again." In what way are we born again? This may be easy to answer for a believer but i would believe it to be much harder for a new believer, weak believer, or an unbeliever who wants to switch, to understand and/or grasp. Being "born from above" shows that we are reborn by God, which is very true (!), but it still misses the "how we change" part. Being "born anew/new," however, explains everything quite well. We become new, we throw away our former life and begin living a new life, we change by turning from our evil ways into new ways, and in all these aspects we are filled and changed with/by God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit!!! All three resemble this process amazingly well though!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. What does Jesus teach here about the nature of the Kingdom of God? Here, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God is spiritual and can only be obtained by being born again of water and the Holy Spirit. The only way to receive and enter into the Kingdom of God is to have God Himself open your eyes and let you in. 2. Do you think Nicodemus understands Him? Why or why not? I do not think Nicodemus understands Jesus yet, because he thinks being born again is a physical deed, rather than the spiritual deed that it actually is. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. What is the problem with faith that rests solely on miracles? The problem with "miracle faith" is that it never grows or gets us anywhere. We may have it for a little, but as soon as tough times come, filled with no miracles, our faith fails and we completely lose our faith. "Miracle faith" will not get us into Heaven! True faith will though!!! 2. Is it true faith? No, not at all! It is certainly "A" faith, but, if it doesn't grow and gets us nowhere closer to God, it is not true faith. If anything, it's a simple trust in miracles!!! 3. What is necessary for it to develop into true faith? For "miracle faith to develop into true faith, the focus needs to shift from "miracles," to "Jesus!" If we plant out faith (hope, and trust) in Jesus, we will grow in faith, draw near to God, become a child of God, and inherit eternal life!!! 4. Did Jesus see these problems as a reason not to perform miracles? Nope! If Jesus did see these problems as a reason not to perform miracles, very little miracles would have been done by Jesus and the Gospels (and the whole Bible; New and Old Testament) would be much shorter!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Apparently Jesus was angry. Was His anger justified? Why? YES! Jesus' anger was justified because He was angry at the great injustice happening in the temple. Those selling things and exchanging money were defiling the house of God and turning it into a marketplace, not a place of worship, repentance, praise, and prayer, like it should be! They were cheating the people who WERE there to worship and they weren't letting anyone praise, worship, repent, or pray because of the sound of clinking coins, the sound of animals, and the murmur of people, buyers AND sellers, also! 2. Is anger good or bad? What about anger gets us into trouble? Anger can be good or bad, depending on why we're angry and what we do with our anger. If we control it and use it for God's Will and Purpose, then it is good, but if we don't control it and act irrationally because of it, it is bad, especially if we're getting mad at something not important!

What was going on in the temple? The temple was becoming like a marketplace! No longer like a house of God and of prayer, but of money and animals! Why was Jesus offended by it? Jesus was offended by it because they destroyed God's house! They defiled it by making it like a market! Personally, I wouldn't want my house to be made into a market... What action did Jesus take? Jesus drove/kicked out all the people and animals out, He scattered all the money, and He overturned the tables. RIGHTFULLY SO!

1. Why does Jesus perform this miracle behind-the-scenes? He performs this miracle behind the scenes to keep Himself secret and not let Himself gain too much attention, because, like Jesus said, His time/hour has not yet come (John 2:4). He may have also wanted the attention to be on the groom and the bride rather than Himself. 2. Who was He trying to protect? Mainly, Himself because His hour had not yet come and maybe the bride and groom as well; He wanted the attention to stay on them. 3. What does this quantity of the wine tell us about Jesus' glory? The quantity of the wine that Jesus made shows us that Jesus gives abundantly and He is not selfish and tight with how much He gives. 4. What does the quality of wine tell us about Jesus' glory? The quality of the wine Jesus made shows us that Jesus always gives His best to us. He doesn't hold back at all! He wants to give us the best. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Why do you think alcoholics are quick to point out this miracle? It gives them an excuse for drinking more. They don't want to turn and repent from drinking/their sins, so they justify it however they can. 2. Which is wrong: drinking or drunkenness? Drunkenness! Drinking isn't bad in itself but when you let alcohol rule and take over you, that's when it becomes an issue. Still try to stay away from drinking though. 3. How can we avoid excesses and still enjoy God's good gifts? We can avoid excessed and still enjoy God's good gifts by following and letting the Holy Spirit guide us and by keeping drinking (and other things) in moderation.