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Q4. (1 John 4:11-18) What kind of fear should we have towards God? What kind of fear is extinguished by his love perfected in us? What kind of attitude should we have towards future judgment? The fear we should have towards God is one of reverence. We have come to know God

Q3. (1 John 4:7-8) Why is the statement, "God is love," so important? What does it say about God's nature? How does love being the essence of God's nature affect us? If we were created in God's image of love, but fell, what does this say about the road to healing in our lives? Why does love demand a willingness to forgive? It is vital for us to know that God is love, knowing that everything He does He does with love. God

Q2. (1 John 4:4) What in us is greater than false prophets and even Satan? In what sense have we overcome them? In what way will we overcome them in the future? How should this truth affect fear in our lives? We as Christians do not gain victory over the world by our superior intelligence; we gain victory through the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us power beyond ourselves. The Holy Spirit is greater than Satan, all evil in this world, and all the false teachings we are exposed to today. He keeps us in the truth of His Word and strengthens us to overcome temptations and also we are able to detect error and refuse to listen to it. We know all evil will fail and the battle has been decided even if it is not over yet. All of us by faith participate in this victory, and this drives all fears away, that we might have for the future; giving us a confidence in our final success.

Q1. (1 John 4:1-3) Why is believing that Jesus was God in the flesh so important? Why doesn't Satan want us to believe that? What are the implications of the fact that Jesus could live out his divine life in a human body like ours? What significance does it bring to the crucifixion and to the resurrection? What is the significance for your Christian life? The death of the body of Christ was necessary to pay for our sins. If this did not happen, then our salvation is null and void. Satan wants us to deny the humanity of Jesus Christ, by doing this we lose our salvation. The belief about Jesus being the incarnate Son of God is the whole basis of our Christian faith. Jesus took on humanity that He might die with all our sins; He gave His life that we might have life.

Q4. (1 John 3:22) We know that God doesn't "owe" us anything. So what is the relationship between obedience and answered prayer? Do we "earn" God's favour through obedience? Once we become a child of God we will want to obey Him. We will slip up every now and then, but will immediately ask for forgiveness. We do not obey our Lord expecting a reward. However, when we ask according to His will, we will receive from Him the things we ask for, or even better, the things God knows we need.

Q4. (Ephesians 6:20) Developing this analogy of an ambassador in a foreign land... What nation has sovereignty over the embassy and its property? Who does the ambassador represent? What responsibilities does he or she have? How do these relate to being an ambassador of Christ? The Kingdom of God is supreme over all, and to think we are His ambassadors!! What a privilege and responsibility. This reminds me of the hymn

Q3. (Ephesians 6:19) Why would Paul request prayer for boldness? Why is boldness necessary in war? What is the opposite of boldness? What happens if this is our accustomed life-posture? We should boldly defend our faith. We need to face the unbelieving world with confidence, knowing and believing all the promises our Lord and Saviour has made. We cannot allow the devil to get the upper hand. We will never win the

Q3. (1 John 3:16-18) What does it mean to "lay down your life for your brothers"? What are some concrete examples of this kind of love in action within the Christian community? If you are in a large congregation, how can you get to know other members so you'll be able to lay down your life for them - and they for you? This means that our lives should be a continual giving-out to other believers in need. We should demonstrate our brotherly love by sharing our material things with those in need. John distinctly says that a man is not a Christian who sees his brother in need and yet withholds from him what is necessary to satisfy that need. This does not justify indiscriminate giving to everyone, because it is possible to harm a man by giving him money with which to buy what would not be good for him. However, the verse does raise very disturbing questions concerning the accumulation of wealth by Christians. We should not love in word or in tongue, but rather in deed and in truth, but it should be manifested in actual deeds of kindness and should be genuine instead of false. In a large congregation it might not be necessary for me to know the members who need help personally. We create various care ministries that are there to see to the various needs of our brothers and sisters. I can then partake in these various ministries catering for the needs

Q2. (1 John 3:15) How can anger turn into hatred in our hearts? In what way do anger and hatred relate to murder? How can we get rid of stored-up anger in our hearts so that we may love those who have offended us? Anger can easily turn into deep bitterness and if we are not careful into hatred. Often it is but a small step from hatred to murder. I have found that if I forgive those who have done me wrong and also sincerely pray for them, my anger towards them eventually disappears.

Q2. (Ephesians 6:18b) Why is alertness in prayer vital to success in spiritual warfare? How is perseverance in prayer important to success? Why do we need this exhortation? We have to know what to pray for, and this can only be done when we are alert to all the tricks that the devil can get up to. We should persevere and never become discouraged or disheartened. Remembering what Jesus told His disciples,

Q1. (1 John 3:12-15) Why did Cain resent Abel? Why did Cain kill Abel? How does the story of Cain and Abel illustrate Jesus' explanation of why the world hates us? God rejected Cain

Q1. (Ephesians 6:18) Why is prayer vital to spiritual warfare? What does it mean to "pray in the Spirit"? Since our struggle is with spiritual forces, forces we are powerless against, we need God to help us. We are therefore to earnestly pray. Our prayer should be persistent and not an isolated prayer done now and then. We are to use all kinds of prayer: supplication and intercession; confession and humiliation; praise and thanksgiving. These can be done in public or in the quiet of our home. Our prayer should be in the Spirit, in other words inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. It has been said, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees."

Q5. (1 John 3:3-10) How does John's teaching on sin and righteousness in this passage relate to combating the false teachers? What did they seem to be teaching about sin and righteous living? The false teachers did not emphasise the seriousness of sin, and because of this many people could be lulled into a false sense of complacency. They might feel that because of their outward conformity to accepted

Q5. (Ephesians 6:15-17) Why is it important to have your "shield" up each day? In what way does the "helmet of salvation" protect you? Is the "sword of the Spirit" an offensive or defensive weapon? How do you keep it sharp and ready for the battle? No matter how hot the battle, we as Christian are not intimidated, since we know that our ultimate victory is sure,

Q4. (1 John 3:6, 9) How does the presence of God's seed in us keep us from habitual lawlessness and sin? How does the Holy Spirit sanctify us and make us like Jesus? When a person is born of God they receive the Holy Spirit as God

Q4. (Ephesians 6:15) What would be the characteristic of a person who didn't have his feet ready to run with the Gospel? How does heart preparation make you more ready to share the Good News with those around you? How does this help defeat the dominion of darkness? The person who does not have the Gospel as an integral part of their daily conduct will not be ready to run with the Gospel. It is by the Gospel that we stand our ground as well as advance the kingdom of God. We are to be ready at any time to minister the Gospel; we are all included in this command. Every Christian is in full time Christian service, always on the front line. Preparation implies the ability to fight. Preparation means flexibility and the ability to use God's Word in witnessing. Knowledge of the basic doctrines of salvation is necessary for witnessing. This implies a certain amount of preparation and we don't have our shoes on our feet without this preparation. Witnessing is impossible apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit; it is the Holy Spirit that ministers to the unbeliever to apply the doctrine of salvation. Our Gospel is a Gospel of peace, but this peace is not to be had with the enemies of God, such as demons and unbelievers - immediately after the fall of man, God established hostility between the children of God and the children of Satan. (Genesis 3:15). It is impossible to have true peace with anyone belonging to the kingdom of darkness. Rather, this peace is only to be had with God and with Christians. Only when we stand our ground and conquer enemy territory with this Gospel will others be able to join us in this fellowship. Paul says in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet."

Q3. (1 John 3:4) How does lawlessness show up in a person's attitude and actions? In what sense is an attitude of lawlessness the cause of sin in our lives? We see lawlessness in a person when he disobeys God, wanting only their own way, and refusing to acknowledge our Lord as rightful Sovereign. They place their own will above the will of God, resulting in lawlessness, which results in sin because it is a deliberate rejection of God's standards. We desire our own will in defiance of God; a wilful act against God. Lawlessness pays no attention to God

Q3. (Ephesians 6:14) Why are such simple things as truth and personal holiness such powerful armament? Are they defensive or offensive weapons? We are to test everything by the truth. It is only when we know the truth that we will not be deceived. When we apply this truth to our daily lives, we find strength and protection in combat. We as Christians have been set apart and belong to God. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21), but integrity and uprightness must be evident in our personal life. Someone has said,

Q2. (1 John 2:28; 3:2-3) In what way does our expectation of Christ's Second Coming motivate us to purify ourselves from sin? How does purifying ourselves from sin relate to God's grace? It has long been recognized by Christians that the hope of the imminent return of Christ has a sanctifying influence in the life of the believer. We do not want to be doing anything that we would not want to be doing when Christ returns. We know we have been purified by God

Q2. (Ephesians 6:13) What is difficult about standing our ground in today's world? In what way can standing our ground be considered victory? Why are the saints in Revelation 12:11 considered victorious over the devil? How did they stand their ground? Most people in today

Q1. (1 John 2:29-3:2) In what sense are we "children of God"? What does the Holy Spirit have to do with this "new birth"? How does the new birth change us? We are very specifically children of God; and this because of the Holy Spirit entering our hearts, through the grace of God. When this occurs we are new creatures wanting to imitate our Lord Jesus.

Q1. (Ephesians 6:11-13) Why is it difficult to believe in the devil and demons in our day? How does their existence help explain the struggle humans face on earth? With all their power, how do we stand a chance? Did "the devil make me do it"? What kinds of things can't we blame on the demonic? What we cannot see or touch, or experimentally prove, we find difficult to believe in. They are constantly trying to tempt us into evil deeds and looking for moments of weakness. Paul tells us that the battle is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power. Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings. It is because of these evil forces that we humans struggle with sin. However, we as Christians are sealed and protected by the Holy Spirit. We belong to Jesus, and we have God

Q5. (1 John 2:26-27) If we have the Holy Spirit, why do we need teachers in the church? How does the role of the anointing differ from the Holy Spirit's spiritual gift of teaching? Christians do not need any teaching apart from what is found in the Word of God as to the truth of God. John wrote concerning false teachers as a warning. We received the anointing from the Lord Jesus, and the anointing is the Holy Spirit that abides in us. John is not saying we do not need Christian teachers in the church, rather he is saying there is no need for additional truth. With the Word of God in our hands and the Spirit of God in our hearts, we have all that we need for instruction in the truth of God.

Q4. (Ephesians 6:9) How should Christian employers conduct themselves towards their employees? How should church boards conduct themselves towards church employees? How do you determine a just wage - not merely the one you think you can afford? In exactly the same way employees treat their employers, being guided by the same principles. They should be fair, kind, and honest. They should always remember that they have a Father also, the same Father who is in heaven that the employee has. Earthly distinctions are levelled in the presence of the Lord. Both employer and employee will one day give an account to Him. Church boards are no exception, the same applies to them, perhaps even more stringent applied. It is up to the employer to determine a just wage, in other words a living wage. The employer should not think how cost efficient or smart they are when paying minimum wages.