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Q2. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it? As Pastor Ralph said, rescue would be a better word. Rescue from our oftentimes worldly bad habits through provision of grace or favor.

Q1.1 Why is it so hard for us to understand grace? Q1.2 What commonly held life principle does it demolish? Q1.3 Translate the word "grace" into language a 10-year-old child would understand. A1.1 Because, we are used to be required training first before we are allowed to do something for a living or for recreation (when handling expensive equipments like a car or computer) or whatever other activities. A1.2 The principle of education, training and even ancestral blood related traits, which we worldly believe to to be responsible for our "evolved" capabilities and characters. A1.3 Grace - a favor, given out of mere love, care or like for a person or thing or whatever.

Q4. (22:43) Did Jesus get "special treatment" because he was the Son of God to have angels help and strengthen him in his spiritual struggle? Do we get that help, too? Yes. Because God's answer to His prayer is providing Him more strength to face the ordeal. Maybe, His case was special since after all, His mission was very special. Yes. If we are receptive to this, we can surely get this help too.

Q3.1 (22:42) When Jesus prayed "not my will, but yours be done," was the Father pleased? Q3.2 Why is the Father not pleased when we are passive and uncaring and dispassionate in our prayers that his will be done? Q3.3 What is required for us to pray the prayer of submission with authenticity? A3.1 I don't know. But surely God understood Jesus then. A3.2 God wants us to be specific in our needs. To make sure, just as Jesus made sure of His Father's will. Then, He decides. A3.3 Give God our preferences. Then surrender when God makes and manifests His decision.

Q2.1 (22:42) Why did Jesus pray that the Father take the cup from him? Q2.2 According to Mark and Matthew, Jesus repeated this prayer three times. Q2.3 Why was he so intense about it? What did this mean? Q2.4 Why was Jesus resisting the Father's will? Or was he? A2.1 We really do not know. Perhaps, He was doing His father a favor by letting His father off the hook of Pain as well. Perhaps, he was anguished by the thought of the pains He was going undergo. A2.2 and A2.3 He was probably making sure that it is really His father's will and being His will, He has to have a guarantee that His efforts and pains will not go to waste at all. A2.4 He wasn't. He was just making sure of His Father's will before, during and after, thereby ensuring that His efforts and pains will not become futile.

Q1. (22:40-41, 45-46) Why did he ask his disciples to pray? Q2.What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing? Q3.What was the content of their prayer to be? Q4.Did they actually pray this prayer diligently? Q5.How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer? Q6.Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer? A1. So that they will not succumb to temptation. A2. Temptation to give way to sleep and not pray anymore, to the body weaknesses etc. A3. That God will deliver them from temptation and give them grace. A4. Maybe, in many occassions, but not when they were waiting for Jesus at Gethsemane. A5. ..."Your kingdom come. Your will be done..." ..."Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from evil..." A6. With this, He can be relaxed and focused on His own petitions when praying. He can also commune this way better and let Him open up to God without inhibitions, unlike when one is in a group prayer, one usually thinks of others and try to jibe with their petitions in order for the prayer to be like as one.

Q4.1 (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in? Q4.2 Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king? Q4.3 How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished? A4.1 He was in danger of being dismissed had the king been angry at what he said. A4.2 He was terrified of the king. He needed God's help ver badly at that time. A4.3 He had been praying for his people for months already and yet, still, he did not know what to do in asking favor from the king for his people. But God brought him the answer to his prayer by the question of the king. He was constantly praying. His "arrow prayer" was just an overflow of his previous and constant prayers. It was easy for him to do that as it has been his "utterance" for months already.

Q3.1 (1:11) In what way does Daniel's situation compared to Esther's? Q3.2 Why does God place his people in strategic positions today in the community, in business, in the military, in government? Q3.3 What responsibilities do we have to God that can cause danger to our positions and our lives? Q3.4 Has this ever happened to you? How do you pray in situations like this? A3.1 Daniel is in a situation like Esther's, where he can use his position to gain personal favor. A3.2 God probably has a later mission for this people, like the way He had for Daniel and Esther. A3.3 Responsibility for our people and God's people. Resposibility in helping or saving them at the expense of our own safety. A3.4 Yes, with my sister. Unfortunately, even if I asked God to help me, I was still abandoned by my boss, as if my boss does not care about me at all, even if he was/is supposedly religious. I guess God wanted me to be out of my boss system then. But, I really don't understand as I still came back to working with his company. This is still a mystery and confusion to me. Only God knows.

Q2.1 (1:7-11) What is the basis of Nehemiah's appeal? Q2.2 How does he argue his case before God? Q2.3 What do we learn from this about intercession? A2.1 His basis is God's promise to His people. A2.2 By reminding God of His promise. A2.3 Oftentimes, intercession is effective when we invoke past words or promises given by the one to the people or cause we are praying for. God needs reminders I think. It makes Him happy to hear that His believer(s) remembers His words.

Q1. (1:1-6) Why does Nehemiah pray day and night for four months? Why does he fast and weep? Isn't that excessive? A1. His Jewish brothers and sisters are again suffering so much shame and disgrace in their own city Jerusalem because of the Samaritans' doings. This made him very sad. Their sufferings are his sufferings too. He took it upon himself (good as he was), like Daniel, the sins of the all the Jews, and prayed and knocked on God persistently for the deliverance of the people from pain and suffering. His fasting and weeping are all manifestations of his extreme sadness. For him, it isn't excessive because he believes that his people have really sinned against their awesome God.

Q4.1 (Ephesians 2:6) What does it mean that we are seated with Christ in "the heavenly realms"? Q4.2 What does this say about God's grace? What does this say about our spiritual authority? Q4.3 How should this knowledge affect our prayers and our boldness? A4.1 Since Jesus is exalted to the right hand of the Father "in the heavenly realms," far above all demonic and human authorities and powers, with everything "under his feet" so, we are seated "with him in the heavenly realms" and are elevated above the demonic and human authorities in this spiritual sense. A4.2 God gives us the grace not to be victmized by the enemy and know how to exercise spiritual authority. A4.3 When we learn our place of authority and learn how to use it, we have power over the enemy and make him the victim of Christ's victory very often.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved." (2:4-5) Q3.1 (Ephesians 1:4-5) In verses 4 and 5, which words describe God's motivation and character? Q3.2 Which verbs describe what has happened to us in Christ? A3.1 ...His great love for us... and ...God, who is rich in mercy... A3.2 ...made us alive with Christ... and ...by grace you have been saved...

Q2.1 (Ephesians 2:1-3) Few people would knowingly follow Satan. How can people unwittingly follow Satan? Q2.2 In what sense are we responsible for unwitting rebellion against God? How can God, in all fairness, blame us? A2.1 Satan is great deceiver, that's why people can unwittingly follow Satan. Usually, its the idea that everbody's doing it after all, so it must just be okay. This is the idea that oftenly misleads people. A2.2 Having a "free will" makes us responsible for unwitting rebellion against God. This is why God can do blame us.

Q1.1 (Ephesians 2:1-3) In what sense are our non-believing friends, neighbors, and relatives "dead"? Q1.2What's the difference between us and them? Q1.3If we really believed that they were "dead" and subject to God's "wrath," what would we do? A1.1 They are spiritually dead to God and about Him. They oftentimes feel emptiness. A1.2 Nonbelievers have emptiness which they fill with worldly pleasures that provide only temporary and superficial "highs", while believers are usually filled with the Holy Spirit and act according to God's ways. Believers may feel emptiness at times, but they fill it not with worldly pleasures but with spiritual ones. A1.3 Maybe, we can try to influence them by getting into their lives and try to attract them and/or court them towards our Godly ways or our beliefs in God, that they may facilitate good change in their own lives at their own will.

Q5. (Ephesians 1:22-23) Q5.1 When we neglect to be an active part of a local congregation, what particular blessings do we miss out on according to Paul in this verse? Q5.2 How do we, by our absence, withhold this blessing from others? A5.1 We missed out on Christ's headship over our lives, on being His fullness as co-models and teachers of His ways and teachings. A5.2 When we are absent, we miss things out and we don't get it well. Because we didn't get it well, we missed important things or messages in our lives. And because we missed and we don't have, we therefore cannot give it to others as well. We withheld something from others which we could have had and shared with them, if we hadn't missed and lacked at all.