hanks

Q1. (Matthew 7:13-14) If Jesus' teaching about the narrow gate and the narrow road to life is to be believed, what change would this make in how you conduct your life? What difference would it make to how you witness to your neighbours? How might it affect your acceptance of Universalism? I believe Jesus is speaking directly to believers and is saying that to follow Him would require faith, discipline, and endurance. We have a choice; if we choose the more disciplined life we will find it to be the only life worth living. On the other hand, if we choose the easy way, we will have plenty of company, but we will miss the best God has for us. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in witnessing to our fellow humans. There is no other way; Jesus is both the only gate and the only way!! I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. John 10:9 (NIV). Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV).

Q5. (1Timothy 6:20-21) How can we guard the faith without becoming narrow, backward-looking people who oppose all change, and complain about "what things are coming to"? How can guards be at the same time positive, loving, and pleasant to be around? I live in a country rife with corruption and amongst the highest crime rate in the world. It is so easy to become negative about what is happening to our people. The only way to counter all this negativism is to put our trust in God. We have to put our trust in His promises, His faithfulness, His goodness, and His mercy, amongst many other. We serve a mighty God!!

Q4. (Matthew 7:12) In what way does the "Golden Rule" capsulize the message of the law and the prophets? Jesus by saying that this sums up the Law and the Prophets meant that it summarizes the moral teachings of the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets of Israel. The righteousness demanded by the OT is fulfilled in Christians who now walk according to the Spirit. We read in Romans 8:4 (NIV) - in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. If this verse were universally obeyed, it would transform all areas of international relationships, national politics, family life, and church life. This seems like a different "summary" of the law and the prophets than Jesus indicated in Matthew 22:37-39. How are they the same? How are they different? This means that man's first obligation is to love God with all his might. Then Jesus added that man's second responsibility is to love his neighbour as himself. If we think of how very much we do love ourselves, of how much of our activity centres on the care and comfort of self. Then we should try to imagine what it would be like if we showered that love on our neighbours. Then we should do it. Such behaviour is not natural; it is supernatural. Only those who have been born again can do it, and then only by allowing Christ to do it through them.

Q4. (1Timothy 6:17-19) What kinds of actions is the best antidote for the love of money? I think we should be aware of the dangers of the love of money. Instead of trusting our riches we should rather put our trust in our Lord and Saviour. Money has a way of sprouting wings and flying away. Great resources give the appearance of providing security; the fact is that the only sure thing in this world is the word of God. Many of us are experiencing this truth in our present economic crisis. How can we cultivate generosity so that it remains healthy, rather than let it go overboard and hurt our families? We are to be generous and ready to share. We can be rich in good deeds which will not harm our families financially. This will act as evidence of our overflowing gratitude to God for His gift of eternal life. We can be generous in giving our time and labour to help others. Not only by our words, but also by our lives, we should show that we are children of God. John Wesley has been said to say:

Q3. (1Timothy 6:7-10) How does love for money grow? We often mistakenly seek the affirmation and status that wealth brings. This can be a deliberate decision due perhaps to our lack of contentment as a Christian. Sometimes pride is involved; we have the need to prove ourselves to others by making lots of money, so that we can impress others with our wealth. How does it become a trap? Desiring to be rich can lead us into temptation. In order to achieve our goals, we become enticed to use dishonest and often violent means; and they can include gambling, speculation, fraud, perjury, theft, and even murder. The love of money is a root sin. That is to say, it lies beneath the surface and nourishes any number of other sins. We have to confront our love of money and remove it by the roots every time we see it spring up in another area of our life, if not we can be sucked into the desire to make more and more money. Before we realize it this desire can completely control and destroy our lives. The reason the pursuit of riches deceives is that money does not last and it never brings true happiness. It has been said:

Q3. (Matthew 7:9-11). What do these verses teach us about God's relationship to us? What do they teach about God's characteristic response toward us? How does this differ from a cynical view of God? Why is a positive understanding of God important to be able to pray with faith? We know that He is our heavenly Father and cares for us and will only do good things to us. We also know that we can fully trust Him in all things, and therefore we can pray with confidence being assured of His love for us.

Q2. (1Timothy 6:6) Why should we seek contentment? Doesn't contentment keep us from trying to get ahead so our families can have what they need? What's the balance between contentment and the quest for improvement? The truly godly person is not interested in becoming rich. He possesses inner resources which furnish riches far beyond that which earth can offer. He has peace with God, spiritual joy, and assurance of salvation. He knows that:

Q2. (Matthew 7:7-8) Which lesson is taught in both the Parables of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-10) and the Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-6)? It teaches us that we should not lose heart, or get discouraged in our prayer life, or get tired of praying, but keep on asking ... keep on seeking ... keep on knocking ...Sometimes God answers our prayers the first time we ask. But in other cases He answers only after prolonged asking. God answers prayers: Sometimes, when hearts are weak, He gives the very gifts believers seek; But often faith must learn a deeper rest, And trust God's silence when He does not speak; For He whose name is love will send the best, Stars may burn out, nor mountain walls endure, But God is true; His promises are sure. He is our strength.

Q1. (1Timothy 6:5) Why do you think people are so susceptible to distorted Bible teaching concerning financial gain? Admitting that there is some truth in popular teachings in our time, what are the distortions that you may have heard? How do they differ from the truth? There is a commercialism which has become so common in Christendom. I think false teachers have become more numerous in our day; this is perhaps due to the mass media made available. These teachers also notice our greed and the way we always are looking for easy answers to our problems. They have found out that religion can be very profitable

Q1. (Matthew 7:7-8) What do the words "ask," "seek," and "knock" have in common? They are commands given by our Lord Jesus and they are an assurance that whatever happens He will be there to answer our prayers. They also remind us of our utter helplessness and complete dependence as well as our desperate need of grace. What distinguishes them from each other? Asking implies humility and an awareness of a certain need. Seeking implies earnest petitioning, and assumes an active striving to obtain this need. Knocking implies an even greater perseverance. Here you continue to knock until our Lord opens the door and supplies our need or answers our prayer. They all imply a faith in God who can, does, and will answer. Does one word convey more intensity than another? There seems to be a rising scale of intensity from asking to seeking to knocking. It could be that in asking we are expressing a desire, whereas seeking is a greater desire, and knocking is again something more powerful. What is the significance of the present, continuous, imperative tense of these verbs? We are to persevere, that is to continue to ask, to seek, and to knock.

Q5. (1Timothy 6:1-2) In what ways has the Gospel sown the seeds that will eventually destroy slavery? Why does Paul seem to condone slavery in this passage? What is Paul's motive? I don

Q4. (1Timothy 5:22-25) Why does Paul say, "Don't be hasty in the laying on of hands"? What are the dangers in doing so? How can these dangers be lessened? Paul warns Timothy to be serious and not hasty in the selecting process. If selected in haste, and the person sins, then he warns that Timothy will have some culpability for participating in his sin. So he is warned to do it with great caution. He must also not feel threatened in the selection process, because some men are clearly unfit; and in a proper process these will be easily sorted out. On the other hand, those that seem fit for selection can be examined more closely and here the unfit removed from selection. Therefore, it is vital to be involved in the selecting process with great caution, with great care, with great prayer. What is required are leaders according to 1 Timothy chapter 3. The congregation's is then to honour them, protect them, and only if the need does ever arise to very cautiously rebuke them.

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? Under the Mosaic Law dogs and pigs were regarded as unclean animals and in this verse are used to depict wicked people. In mentioning pearls, our Lord is telling us to regard the Gospel as precious, and it is to be treated with reverence, and is not to be entrusted to people, who because of their wicked nature, can be compared to dogs and pigs. We are told, as believers, not to endlessly continue to bring the gospel message to those who scorn it. Yes, we must have patience, but there is a limit. When we encounter constant resistance to the Word we should leave, knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide us and provide us with other opportunities to spread the gospel.

Q3. (1Timothy 5:19-21) Why was it necessary to make formal accusations and "try" the false teachers? Why were the temptations to compromise and not go through with it so great? Why is it so difficult to exercise church discipline today? False teachers should be publicly rebuked because of the harm they do to the testimony of the church. This action impresses all believers with the seriousness of sin and should serve as a strong deterrent in the lives of others. Because of their position of responsibility in the church, elders often become a special target of Satan. For this reason the Spirit of God takes steps to guard them against false accusations. We have to be careful that no disciplinary action is taken unless the charge can be corroborated by the testimony of two or three witnesses. In dealing with these matters of discipline in the local church, there are two dangers to be avoided. The first is prejudice, and the other is partiality. It is easy to be unfavourably prejudiced or show partiality because of wealth, status, or personality. I would think there can be the temptation to compromise, because of the complexities sometimes involved, and also perhaps the perceived harm or loss of church membership that it can cause. Sometimes I get the feeling that some churches are very cliquey and there is an

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? It is difficult to picture a person with a large plank in his eye performing eye surgery on someone who has only a speck of dust in their eye. Jesus purposely exaggerated the situation to drive home the point. Someone with a plank in his eye often finds fault with the speck in the eye of another, not even noticing his own condition. Jesus exposed our tendency to see a small fault in someone else while ignoring the same fault in ourselves. It is hypocritical to suppose that we could help someone with a fault when we ourselves have a greater fault. We must remedy our own faults before criticizing them in others. The speck could represent comparatively little sins like perhaps; acting rashly and without discretion; unintentional occurrences; youthful mistakes done without any malice. Whereas the plank could represent greater sins like pride, arrogance, conceited opinion of self, confidence in one

Q2. (1Timothy 5:17-18) In what circumstances should elders be compensated financially? What is the Scriptural support for such a practice? Many of us have been deeply influenced by the men and women whom God has called into His service, and whose life

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? It is not that we should be undiscerning Christians. There are certain areas in which Christians must judge. We must often judge whether other people are true Christians; otherwise we could never recognize an unequal yoke. Sin must be judged - we must judge between good and evil, but we must not challenge motives or assassinate character. We cannot judge people's motives; we don

Q1. (1Timothy 5:1-16) What responsibilities do we have to help aging family members? According to Paul, in what way is this Christian responsibility? In what way is this "a repayment" of a debt? To what does Paul compare to those who refuse this responsibility? Family members have a universally recognized duty to care for each other. Even unbelievers acknowledge this. If we as Christians fail here, we behave contrary to the teaching of our faith and behave worse than the typical unbeliever who helps his aging family members. The important thing is that we show love and concern and do all we can to help each other. If the need arises, we should show practical godliness at home by repaying our parent/s for all that they have done for us. It is a poor testament to our Christian faith if we neglect this duty

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? Yes, I have and I

Q5. (Matthew 6:34) Is there humour intended in verse 34? Yes. Meaning that tomorrow will be

Q4. (1Timothy 4:12b) Rigid, unsmiling orthodoxy can teach right doctrine, but cannot produce godliness. Why not? Why is a strong example of godliness in church leaders essential to a healthy church? We need to be enthusiastic about our walk with God. We might have plenty of enthusiasm for a football match, or an election campaign, but so little of it for the service of God. It is only when we have the love of God in our hearts that we will get excited about reading and studying the Bible, prayer, meditation, and witnessing to others. Only then will godliness be produced in our lives. When maintaining fellowship with our Lord becomes a burden we know we will not grow spiritually. We look up to our church leaders to lead by example. If this does not occur it can have a demoralizing effect upon the whole church community and cause huge problems.

Q4. (Matthew 6:33) What is the command in this verse? Seek first God

Q3. (1Timothy 4:7-8) How would you define "godliness"? What produces godliness in a person? How is godliness different from embracing a strict morality? Godliness denotes character and conduct which is determined by the love and fear of God in our hearts. As a Christian we have the qualities of inner piety - the characteristics of a spiritually mature person. Our Spirituality is an absolute quality, depending on our walk with the Lord, and particularly on maintaining our fellowship with the Lord through confession. But none of this is visible. So - how can we tell when true spirituality and maturity are present? Or, how do we know the difference between a godly person and one who is merely well educated and in control of himself? A carnal believer, the novice Christian, can be moral, can use the right vocabulary, can wear a suit and carry a Bible. He can fool some of the people some of the time. But the godly believer is known by

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? Jesus mentions that we, as believers, are to be different from the unbeliever. We should not be spending our lives in anxious pursuit of food, drink, and clothing for the future. The unbelievers live for the mad accumulation of material things, as if food and clothing were the whole of life. They know nothing about God

Q2. (1Timothy 4:3-5) Why is performance of legalistic requirements so attractive to people? What fruit does it produce in a person's life? In what ways is this emphasis so different from the true gospel? These practices seem to be religious but it is not true Christianity; it is a form of worship according to their ideas of what is right, rather than according to God's word. They also often neglect their body in the belief that through self-denial or self-torture, man can achieve a higher state of holiness. This is found in Hinduism and other mystical religions of the East. There is no value in all these practices. They put on a fine appearance outwardly, but they do not succeed in checking the indulgence of the flesh. These false systems fail to make men better. While creating the impression that there is something the flesh can do to merit God's favour, they are unable to restrain the passions and lusts of the flesh. The Christian attitude is that we have died to the flesh with all its passions and lusts, and from now on we live to the glory of God. We do this, not out of fear of punishment, but rather out of love to our heavenly Father and Lord Jesus.