iam4-1god

Q1. (Matthew 7:1-2) What do the words "ask," "seek," and "knock" have in common? What distinguishes them from each other? Does one word convey more intensity than another? What is the significance of the present, continuous, imperative tense of these verbs? These words are a contiuous process, in our prayer life, and in our daily activities. I have found that at any given moment, the devil will launch an attack on me, and if my guard is down, I am in deep trouble. But as soon as I ask, seek, or knock, The Lord is there and I get all kinds of verses, songs, and as a real spoiler, The Holy Spirit rises up and....Well, the devil is toast! I believe that, if we are honest with God when we petition for something-motives for asking, reason for asking, ect.- cause I have found that motive and reason can be two different things-if we are honest with Him, then He will reveal the reasoning behind the request and answer accordingly. But that is a matter for another question. Bottom line-ask, seek, knock-a continuous process. We must do these everyday, for whatever we need, and then just trust God.

Q4. (Matthew 7:6) In Jesus' day, what did dogs and pigs have in common? What would holy food and pearls have in common? Read Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:44-51; 18:5-6; and 28:17-28. In what kinds of circumstances did believers turn away from a continued sharing of the gospel? To what kinds of people did they continue their witness? Dogs and pigs were considered nasty-pigs were unclean and dogs were scavengers. They roamed the streets looking for scraps-garbage, or dead animals-anything to eat. Holy food and pearls were obviously precious and sacred. Holy food because it was eaten only by priests, or sacrificed to God, and pearls because they were valuable in the marketplace. I Believe that these believers were talking and witnessing to people who were not interested in hearing the Gospel of Christ. Maybe they didn't believe in Christ, or they didn't believe in the message that was being delivered to them. They might have had a different belief, and so rejected the message that was being given. I find it interesting that some people act like they are listening to you but when you walk away from them, they whisper, and snicker-this makes me very sad, for it is not me they are snickering at, but Christ. I don't go back to them. I just pray for them, that The Spirit of God will deal with their hearts. Then, it is up to God. When people ask questions, that excites me! That tells me that they are at least seeking-interested. That is a foundation that I can work with. And who knows-maybe I can learn something from a question that's asked! Gloray!

Q3. (Matthew 7:3-5) What about this parable is humorous? Why do you think Jesus compares a speck of sawdust with a plank or beam? What does the speck represent? What does the plank represent? According to this parable, when is it okay to remove a speck? When is it not okay? If you stop and think about it for a minute, you'll realize how funny this is. We all want to think of ourselves as "perfect", because we are in Christ. But the truth is, we are still sinners. We are saved by grace, and that through faith. But it is all Jesus, and He does the work-not us. Nothing we did, or could do would bring this out. It is all Jesus. We think we have the right to fix other's problems, and that is true to a certain extent. We need to realize that only after we get the sin in our lives cleaned out through Jesus shed blood, can we begin to help others. Ours are planks, because we don't often want to admit that we have sin in our lives. This cleaning out of our sins is a continuous process-we'll be doing it until we go Home to be with The Lord. So, I look in the mirror, realize my own need for cleansing, get that taken care of, and then I pray about helping others do the same.

Q2. (Matthew 7:1-2) Read a similar passage in Luke 6:37-38. According to Matthew's account, what is our fate if we measure out big heaps of judgment with a critical spirit? According to Luke's account, how can measuring be both positive and negative? What should we measure out instead of judgmentalism? If we don't show mercy to others, we will not be shown mercy from The Father. He will measure out to us what we measure out to others.

Q1. (Matthew 7:1) Have you ever caught yourself severely criticizing others Christians behind their backs -- or to their faces? What is the attitude that underlies censoriousness? How can the psychological concept of "projection" motivate harsh judgment? Why must Christians show love in the face of a brother's or sister's failing? I believe that humanity doesn't like to be criticized. We get all upity and offended when someone else tells us that we are wrong. I have criticized other Christians for various things, and have had to repent A brother or sister in Christ should be corrected with love from someone who has repented of their own sins, and has asked to be forgiven. I have witnessed churches falling apart because of criticism toward the pastor and/or his wife. When we fail to look at ourselves before we approach others, we bring condemnation on ourselves, and Christ, because we are not living up to the standards that we claim to uphold.

Q5. (Matthew 6:34) Is there humor intended in verse 34? What is the point of Jesus' joke here? What is the command in this verse? If you stop and think about it for a minute, there is the possibility that we won't be here tomorrow-for Jesus could come and snatch us all away! Do what you can today. What you can't do, leave to God. I find it amazing that we stress over how we will pay our bills or how we will eat, etc, when all we have to do is believe that God will do what He says He will do. I have trouble with this myself. I was taught at a very early age that no one gives you anything-you have to work for everything you get. So I have a problem with asking for help. But God is bigger and more powerful than any puny humanistic belief that we might have been taught or came up with ourselves! The best part is, He loves us, and WANTS to take care of us! Gloray to God Almighty!!!!!!!!

Q4. (Matthew 6:33) What is the command in this verse? How must our seeking God differ from our seeking of food and clothing, according to this verse? What is the promise found in this verse? Our main goal should be seeking The Kingdom. That is first and formost. God promises to provide what we need if we will seek His Kingdom.

Q3. (Matthew 6:31-32) Why does Jesus mention the "pagans" or "Gentiles" in verse 32? What point is he making? How should a Christian differ from a Gentile, according to Jesus' teaching in this passage? What emotional and faith effect does the phrase, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them," have in your life? Gentiles are consumed with going after material possessions-we can't sleep for wondering what the next big thing will be. Jesus wants us to see that if we will just take the time to study The Word-seek Him-go after Him, then He will take care of us. This should thrill us to no end! We should run to our Bibles-not because we want to get something from God, but because we love Him, and enjoy our time with Him! And then, if our heart is in the right place, if we go to Him with a problem, or a request, He will surely answer and take care of our needs! It's like going to daddy and asking him for movie money. Or, soda pop money. Dad, can I have a pop? Well, you've been a good girl-I guess I can buy you a soda pop. Our Father wants to help us-I'm going to go shout, now! Bye!!!!!

Q2. (Matthew 6:25-34) How many times in this passage does the phrase "do not worry," "do not be anxious," or "take no thought" occur? In what way does excessive worry border on sin? Are worry and trust exact opposites? More than 5 times, which tells me that this is a serious matter to The Lord. Why? Because worry, anxiety, and/or the thought about things in this life that cause us to worry will separate us from God. We will think about our problems-try to come up with a solution ourselves, when we should go straight to God and give the problem to Him. Let Him work it out. That is what He wants us to do. Give it to Him. We should be concentrating on God-worship, prayer, Bible study, etc. Seeking His Kingdom. Looking for the truth. Communion with Him. We can't do these things if we are worried about bills, groceries, etc. If we trust God without wavering, then we can believe that He will take care of us. Then we can concentrate on seeking His kindom, and let Him take care of our light work. This doesn't mean that we can quit our jobs, and stop paying bills. It means that we can go to Him and ask for help, and He will help us, if our heart is in the right place-we are asking for the right reasons. Isn't God wonderful?!

Q1. (Matthew 6:26-30) What point does Jesus make with his twin Parables of the Birds of the Air and of the Flowers of the Field? Is the point trivial or is it valid? This is a very valid point-Jesus is saying that what He does for the flowers (color, shape, beauty in general) and the birds (food, shelter, ect) He will do for us, if we will trust Him. If we have faith as much as the size of a grain of mustard seed, we will be able to move mountains! He will take care of us! He takes care of birds and flowers-He knows when a Sparrow hits the ground, and flowers are beautiful for a time and then they die-He will take care of us, as well, and even more! We just need to trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey! Gloray!

Q5. (Matthew 6:21, 24) The love of money can be a pretty subtle thing. Both the rich and the poor can love money. Can you describe a time in your life when you were deceived about this, and when the light in you was really darkness? According to Jesus, could desire for money **** a person (Luke 12:15-21)? When I was fired from my job of 19 years for being 10 minutes late, I was very angry. I had some money in my 401k and, instead of paying bills, I blew a lot of the money. I figured, why bother? We're all going down anyway. I alomost let the anger in me destroy my relationship with The Lord. Money, or the love of it, is a very dangerous thing. It can lead to idolitry. We can become so consumed with the power and potential magnatude of it that we forget Who gave it to us. Everything comes from God. All that we are-all that we have is because God gives it to us. Rich people forget God because they think they have it all and they don't need anything or anyone else. Poor people become so consumed with their lack, so that they can't see anything else but their lack. They spend all their time trying to figure out how to get unpoor. As a result, the desire to have more causes us to forget God. We are immersed in the lack of, or the power of money, and this can cause us to turn away from God. Anything that causes us to turn our attention from God is idolitry. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.

Q4. (Matthew 6:24) Jesus seems to make it sound like you can't seek wealth and God simultaneously. Does he really mean this? Is this hyperbole? Figurative? Literal? Can wealthy people serve God in actual fact? I believe that rich people can be saved and work for God like us poor people. At the same time, I believe that rich people have more responsibility for spending time and money on getting the Word to the needy, and feeding the poor, and getting them what they need. If you have more, then you need to do more. Love for money will cause some people to forget God. They think they don't need God. They have it all. They can take care of themselves. But they can't see that they are poor, blind, naked, ect., like the church in the Book of Revelation. They are greedy. We just need to remember that all we are and all we have comes from God Almighty. He gives us the ability to get what we have, and we have nothing and are nothing without Him. If we keep it all in the proper perspective, then we can conduct our financial affairs-and all our lives, in a way that will glorify God. That is the bottom line, isn't it? Is what we're doing glorifying God, and helping to advance His Kindom? Gloray!

Q3. (Matthew 6:19-21) According to the Bible, how does one "store up treasures in heaven"? What advantage does this have over accumulating earthly possessions? Why are we uncomfortable with the concept of rewards in heaven? We store up treasures in Heaven by being obedient. Doing God's work, staying faithful and not wavering, etc. The Bible says we have rewards for the things that we do. Helping feed the poor with whatever they may need. Sharing God's love with those who don't know, or maybe are a little sceptical. Let's be clear-works do not mean saved. Salvation is a free gift from God. However, after we are saved, we need to be about our Father's business. We need to take the Gospel to those who don't know or have questions. Our love for God compels us to do this. Earthly possesions are going to go away. We cannot keep anything we have in this life. There is nothing wrong with having material things-but we must keep it in the proper perspective. Our **** for material things will separate us from God. We must always be seeking the Kingdom of God first. Humanity wants to have things. That is what we work for. Big screen tv's, nice cars and houses, that sort of thing. Statis symbols. That need for material things will make us squirm when comparing earthly with Heavenly..we want it all now! Eternity, however, will be quite different. We need to be mindful of the future, and what is in store for us ater we leave this earth.

Q2. (Matthew 6:19) Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...." Is he speaking figuratively? Hyperbolically? Generally? Specifically? Is this a new teaching, or an old one? God wants us to focus on Him for everything. We can't do that if we are busy getting things. There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but we must keep the proper perspective-God is all of it, and we can't have anything unless He sanctions it anyway. God gives us the ability to get in the first place. Keep our eyes on God almighty, and all will work out! Gloray! This is an old teaching. Exodus is a good example. God provided everything that the people needed to get through the wilderness-He even kept their clothes from expiring! Think about it-they wandered in the desert for 40 years, and they had food, clothing, shoes-in the desert, of all places! God took care of them! Shoutin' time!!!! Bye!!!!

Q1. (Luke 12:15-21) Read the Parable of the Rich Fool. What did Jesus condemn him for? Storing his harvest? What is the key verse in this passage? What is the context of this parable? How does this relate to the Sermon on the Mount? The whole idea of this passage lies in the fact that this man felt at ease because he had more than he needed to survive-he was rich, according to the world's standard. Wealthy people become complacent, and feel they need no one-they have it all. So, with all his wealth, he got focused on the wealth and lost his focus on God. As a result, one gets all puffed up, thinking he's all that, and what does he need God for-he has what he needs. He's no longer meek or humble! Being wealthy changes everything. Generally, rich people are cold and selfish. They give to charities that they started, and then they brag about their efforts. I see this all the time in racing circles. The me, I, My, syndrome kicks in, and God gets shoved out of the picture.

Q4. (Matthew 6:12, 14-15) Why should we continually ask forgiveness? How can unforgiveness on our part block God's blessing? How can unforgiveness block God's forgiveness? We should ever be asking for forgiveness because we are ever sinning-it's our nature, since we are fallen because of Adam. We are saved by grace, and that is a continuous proccess. We are separated from God when we don't confess and ask forgiveness, 'cause God can't be in the presence of sin-He is too pure and Holy. Additionally, when we don't forgive those who have wronged us, then God will not forgive us when we ask. He won't give to us what we can't give to others. So, if I refuse to forgive sally because she insulted me for no reson, then God, in turn, will not forgive me when I commit a sin and ask for forgiveness. It all goes back to the love thing. Love, no matter what. And if we ask God to help us love when we can't-guess what? He will! For we can do nothing without Him! Gloray!

Q3. (Matthew 6:11) Why do we seek to be independent of asking anyone for help? Why do we seek to be independent of God? Why should we ask God to "give" us daily bread so long as we can earn a living for ourselves? I think we are taught from day one that we are to be able to make it on our own. That was one of the reasons I admired my Dad so much-he never saked for help. When he got sick, just before he died, we all prayed for him and with him, and that was the only time I ever heard him ask for help. Gloray! I'm so glad he did! God wants us to consult with Him about everything! No matter how small or large, He wants us to come to Him for everything. He wants to take care of us. This has been most difficult for me. I wonder why should a Big God like Him care about me? But, He cares! The Love Letter confirmed that to me! Well-you know what comes next-bye!

Q2. (Matthew 6:10) In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? How should this prayer affect our living? We are waiting for The Kingdom to come, so in that respect, we are wanting The Kingdom to come, and not only that, but all of God's will to be done here on Earth. Whatever it means for His Kingdom to come-whatever the conditions have to be in order for that to happen-that is what we want. I don't know 'bout anyone else, but I'm ready to go! Jesus said The kingdom is already in us. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us. So The Kingdom we are waiting for is eternal, and I got to go shout-bye!

Q2. (Matthew 6:10) In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? How should this prayer affect our living? We are waiting for The Kingdom to come, so in that respect, we are wanting The Kingdom to come, and not only that, but all of God's will to be done here on Earth. Whatever it means for His Kingdom to come-whatever the conditions have to be in order for that to happen-that is what we want. I don't know 'bout anyone else, but I'm ready to go! Jesus said The kingdom is already in us. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us. So The Kingdom we are waiting for is eternal, and I got to go shout-bye!

Q1. (Matthew 6:9) What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? What desecrates and besmirches it? How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray? Everything we do and say reflects on God. We represent Him, afterall. So, when we speak, we should be careful how we answer or respond. We should say everything with love, and if we can't , then we should be quiet. When we pray, the very first thing we should do is recognize that God is Holy, and He is our Father-I read that love letter, and I couldn't stop crying! I guess I just never realized how much or to what degree That God loves ME! My pea brain can not comprehend the fact that God sent His Son to die for me. That He has the very hairs on my head numbered. He knew me before I was formed in my mom's womb! We can live to be 1000 years old and, in this life, we will never be able to find love like this God kind of love! We just can't know another human that way. So, He really does deserve all the honor and praise that we can give Him, and more! I'll shut up now! Gloray!

Q4. (Matthew 6:8) If God knows what you need before you ask him, why should you ask him at all? What sense does prayer really make? Are we mainly to talk for our own edification and encouragement? Why or why not? God desires our attention. He wants to be part of our lives. When we pray, we are not only talking to Him, we also acknowledge the fact that we believe He is who He says He is, and that He is willing and able to help us. And when we don't ask Him for help or confide in Him, we are just letting Him know that we don't want or need His help, which simply is not true! We can, in and of ourselves, do nothing. We just mess it up! But, with God, all things are possible! We can do all things through Jesus-excuxe me-I gotta go shout! Bye!

Hi! My name is Debbie, and I have been in this study for a couple of months. I love it! I have learned so much and God has blessed me through this study!

Q3. (Matthew 6:5-7) Why does Jesus tell us to pray in secret? Though public prayer in church gatherings is commanded in scripture (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1), in which circumstances might public prayer in a church service be contrary to the spirit of Jesus' instructions in these verses? How do flowery prayers hinder the development of disciples? I think Jesus didn't like public prayer so much because people who pray in public are usually not real. That is, they tend to dramatise their prayer when in the company of others. When I'm alone, I am more intimate with God, and I get right to the heart of the matter. Also, for me, I don't need for anyone else to know my stuff-that is between God and myself. I have known people who woulod aire their personal problems through public prayer to garner pity and simpathy, thus moving others to give them whatever they "need". In a public setting, it would be appropriate to pray for fellow saints-we all need to be lifted up in prayer. Strength in numbers.

Q2. (Matthew 5:42 and 6:1-4) How does Jesus' teaching here and in 5:42 on giving to the needy influence you and your attitudes towards the poor? What will you do differently as a result? What keeps us from giving more to the poor? Is that a good enough reason? I know I already answered this question, but I wanted to add to what I said before. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I think the reason I don't give more is because I look at what I need instead of what others need. I need to trust God for what I need and just give. Now, that doesn't mean give everything I make on my paycheck-it means being willing and able to give something. Whatever The Lord lays on my heart, I should be willing to give. Trust God to take care of my needs so that I can give to those in need. Pray about it, and let God direct.

Q2. (Matthew 5:42 and 6:1-4) How does Jesus' teaching here and in 5:42 on giving to the needy influence you and your attitudes towards the poor? What will you do differently as a result? What keeps us from giving more to the poor? Is that a good enough reason? It doesn't really matter why they are poor-does it? I always ask myself (and God) why are they poor? Maybe I have just been looking for excuses as to why not give, when really, I have just been greedy. I need to re-think giving to poor people. What I have been doing differently is asking God to show me who needs help-individually. Also, there is a program in my town that takes all kinds of donations for poor people. I want to start where I live. Also, I ask for forgiveness in being selfish and greedy. God is just-if I confess, He will forgive! Thank You Jesus! Gloray! If the heart is in the right place, good things will happen! Gloray To God Almighty!!!!