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Q16. (MARK 9:36-37; MATTHEW 19:13-15; MATTHEW 25:31-46). What does welcoming and associating with low-status people have to do with humbling ourselves? Where do the people in your community live who are the poorest economically? Who are somewhat isolated from the rest of the community because of their language or national origin? How do you and your church reach out to them? What could you do? By mixing with low status people, we prove that we do not consider them as being beneath us, and that we are not too proud to enjoy their company. We should show respect to all – the helpless, the needy, the poor, the despised – especially to those who are unable to return our love and concern. Our Lord knows what is going on in our hearts and whether we use people for selfish ambition – to help us climb the social ladder. I live in a country with many different cultures and much poverty. Our church does reach out to the less privileged by supporting their churches and donating food and clothing parcels. What could I do – all I know is that there is much more that I could do.

Q15. (MATTHEW 18:1-4) In what way does "becoming like little children" require us to humble ourselves before God? Instead of competing for positions and status we are required to humble ourselves, becoming like little children, turning away from such shortcomings as rivalry, jealousy and ambition. We must abandon thoughts of personal greatness; rather taking the lowly position of a little child. Becoming like little children would entail attributes of humility, unworldliness, simplicity, teachableness; which is the direct opposite of self-seeking, worldliness, distrust, and conceit. As Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 5:3). Christ here asserts that those entering the kingdom of heaven will not be the self-esteeming, proud person, but the humble, the lowly, the self-depreciating. We acknowledge our sinfulness and unworthiness and put our faith in Jesus Christ as our only hope.

Q14. (MATTHEW 23:7-12) Why do the Pharisees love to be called "Rabbi." How can titles and recognition exalt our pride? When people fail to recognize our work or accomplishments, why does it hurt? How much of our motivation is to puff up our ego? In the area of seeking recognition and praise, how can we meaningfully humble ourselves? Since the title “Rabbi” is a title of honour or dignity, to the Pharisees it signifying superiority, feeding their pride enabling them to look down upon others. In the same way tiles can exalt our pride. If we think of our titles as also signifying superior to or greater than others. We battle with our old selfish nature and combined with our lack of humility we find ourselves not living in harmony with others. However, we can humble ourselves, as disciples united with Christ, by not seeking recognition and praise for ourselves, but rather thinking of the best in others. We need to count others more significant than ourselves. Thinking of ways, how we can give of ourselves to help others. Doing this keeps us aware of their needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Even then we may find that our good deeds have tainted motives.

Q13. (LUKE 18:9-14) How does the Pharisee in this parable exalt himself? How do comparison and looking down on others reflect pride? How does the tax collector humble himself? Jesus says that the tax collector is "justified before God." Is deep repentance or humbling oneself before God necessary for salvation? Does repentance have anything to do with faith or "believing in Jesus"? I don’t think that the Pharisee even went to the Temple to earnestly pray but rather for all to hear him boast about his self-righteousness, and his achievements – he fasts twice a week and gives a tenth of all he has. Here he is comparing himself with others and looking down on them as well, revealing the true state of his heart – full of pride. In contrast we see the tax collector humbling himself by admitting his own unworthiness as a sinner, not even worthy of raising his eyes to heaven, and beating his breast crying out to God for mercy. He is justified before God meaning he is righteous in the eyes of our Heavenly Father – his sins have been blotted out. It is only my means of repentance and a humble heart that we can even approach God’s throne of grace for forgiveness of our sins. Repentance has everything to-do with faith in Christ. The turning from sin is called repentance and the turning to Christ is called faith. We don’t first turn from sin and next put our trust in Christ, or first our trust in Christ and then turn from sin, but rather that both occur at the same time. When we turn to Christ for salvation from our sins, we are simultaneously turning away from the sins that we are asking Christ to save us from. If that were not true our turning to Christ for salvation from sin could hardly be a genuine turning to Him or trusting in Him. When thinking only of ourselves, it is impossible to put God’s Word into practice. But when we learn to put others first, we will be far more ready to care for their concern before our own. In so doing, we can truly be unified within the body of Christ.

Q12. What is the basic sin that drives all other sins? Why is it so important who is truly in charge of your life? Why are repentance and humbling so vital? Pride is the root of all evil. It is from this self-exaltation that all kinds of sinful actions arise. We need to repent; and start turning away from our sin; and stop rebelling; and start following God’s way of living as given in His Word. It is important that we turn away from self and hand our lives over to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – His direction and His control. God will help us live the way He wants. Remember only God can forgive sin. Either we repent and humble ourselves - if not God will humble us.

Q10. Does being in a place of authority, such as a rabbi, police officer, or parent prevent you from correcting with humility? How does Jesus use rebukes to form disciples? We often see great leaders displaying humility. I think this vital trait separates the great leaders from the merely good leaders. They come across as genuine and sincere resulting in a greater atmosphere of trust. In parenting I feel that not disciplining our children can be seen as not truly caring for them. We bring them up gently with love, teaching them and instructing them about the Lord (Eph 6:4). I know that our Jesus rebukes the disciples He loves (Heb 12:6). This includes instruction, discipline, correction, and warning. All of which are there to cultivate good virtues and drive out evil. In Prov 3:12 we read “… the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proof that God’s discipline is because of His love.

Q9. Which of Jesus' examples of ministering to the hurting stands out to you the most? Which shows the greatest degree of humbling? What stands out most to me is that our Lord Jesus Christ came down to earth to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He associated with the lowly, the unattractive, the despised, the dregs of society so that He could call them to repentance and teach them about truth, holiness and the good news of His kingdom. Being God, He knew what awaited Him. His years of public ministry, His rejection, suffering, and death. Taking on the very nature of a servant (Phil 2:7). Being spat upon and mocked, stripped of His clothes, beaten, and nailed to a cross between two criminals. Yet in agony still declared, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). All this showing the greatest degree of humility.

Q8. (JOHN 5:41, 44) How is Jesus' refusal to seek men's praise an example of humility? How does this free Him to do God's will? How can seeking approval from others cripple our discipleship? Glory from men is what we mostly seek – praise and compliments from others to boost our ego. But Jesus in His humility does not seek our praise but only that of the Father. Not being accountable to anyone except God sets Him free to do the Father’s will. The same with us if we are waiting for approval from others instead of being obedient to our Lord can only result in a watered-down discipleship.

Q7. (JOHN 5:19, 30) In what sense is Jesus powerless on His own? What is the key to Jesus' power and effectiveness? How does this demonstrate His basic humility? How can we emulate Jesus in this? How does that demonstrate our humility? Jesus is powerless on His own in that He does not act independently – He and the Father always work as One. The key to His power and effectiveness is that He is fully equal to God the Father having continual access. Like the Father He is omnipotent. We see His humility in that while being fully God, He was obedient to God the Father, and lived the life of a servant here on earth. We do this by trying to emulate our Lord and Saviour by listening to our Heavenly Father and following His instructions. Jesus being the perfect example of humility we can only learn from Him.

Q6. (MATTHEW 11:28-30) In what sense is Jesus "gentle and lowly in heart"? What does this tell us about Him? How does this make Him comfortable for struggling people to be around? Jesus is gentle/meek when compared to the Pharisees of His day. And knowing that we are weak sinners, yet out of His love for us, He died taking our sins upon Him. He saw us as lost sheep without a shepherd and in His great heart of compassion and mercy reached out to us (Mat 9:36). Jesus is lowly in heart/humble. We see the humility of Jesus Christ in the fact that He took on human nature. Though being God, He emptied Himself, humbled Himself coming down to earth mixing with sinners and the despised. And on top of this He submitted to suffering criticism, mockery, and even death! The legalistic, hypocritical, religious system with all its extra laws and regulations that the people were caught up in – resulted in them completely missing the Messiah. Instead, Jesus frees the struggling people from all these burdens and offers them His yoke which is easier and lighter, promising them rest for their souls. We surrender our worries, our fears, our burdens finding refuge in Him, and finding strength in His love.

Q5. (PHILIPPIANS 2:2-5) How can we rationally consider others' concerns more important than our own? Does agapē love for others make good sense? What does adopting this viewpoint do for humility in us? What aspects of Christ's example of humbling Himself (verses 5-11) should be instructive for us? We start by having a right view of God and ourselves. We live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16), in humility count others more significant than ourselves, and look to the interests of others (Phil 2:3-4). This will change our mindset from self-centeredness to one of other-centeredness – to serving and caring for others just as Jesus did for us. Yes, loving others makes good sense. We need only think of the love the Saviour has for us “a vast, wide, deep, unmeasurable love that passeth understanding.” We can abide in His love by keeping His commandments (John 15:10) – “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12). As Jonathan Edwards said, “We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.” Jesus says again and again humble yourselves, and I will exalt you (Luke 14:11). This gives us hope and encouragement. To humble ourselves we need to gain the mind of Christ – His values and attitudes must become ours. For this to happen, we need to earnestly and regularly pray for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, for it is impossible to do it in our own strength. We are humbled by His example. By the very act of leaving heaven, coming to earth, and taking the form of man, Jesus Christ demonstrated an unfathomable humbling of Himself. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus demonstrated a spirit of profound humility, saying that He came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28).

Q4. (ROMANS 12:3-5) Why is an accurate self-assessment of our spiritual state so important? Why is discovering our spiritual gifts so important? How might pride and anger arise if we imagine we fit somewhere that God didn't design us for? To remain humble, we must have an accurate self-assessment. Having an exaggerated idea of our own importance can lead to ugly pride. A pride that takes over and we become more and He becomes less. On the other hand, thinking too little of ourselves can hinder our ability and success of the work God has planned for us. To be most effective in serving our Lord we need to discover our spiritual gifts. Each one of us is unique, and has received spiritual gifts that allow us to carry out the functions God has given us. This we should do with all the strength that God supplies. Normally we should be happy with the place God has dealt to us in the Body. We are to trust our Lord; He made us and knows where He wants us to be serving Him.

Q3. (DEUTERONOMY 8:17-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 4:7) What happens in our heart when we attribute success to our own strength and abilities? How does a realization that everything we have is a gift affect our ability to humble ourselves? The moment we start attributing our success to something other than God there is the danger of self-glorying pride taking over. We forget that the true cause of our success is the strength and ability God has graciously given us. Everything we have has come from God, so there is no reason for pride. It is all of God. This realisation that everything is a gift from God will change our attitude toward Him and toward life. Not to acknowledge these gifts would be the height of ingratitude. Thanksgiving therefore will become an integral part of our daily life. We will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble.

Q2. (MATTHEW 5:3-10; COLOSSIANS 3:10-12). Why do you think that virtues flow from humility and vices flow from pride? Why are humility and pride so central to character? Humility is a grace given through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are made aware of our own sinfulness, the perfect holiness of God, and the price Jesus paid for our salvation. This awareness humbles us and we find ourselves clothed with every virtue (Col 3:12); these character traits flow from love and humility. In the same way vices being the opposite of traits flow from pride. The humble person fears (reverence) God and such fear flows from a heart that is in awe of God and bows to His authority; a heart that is overwhelmed by our own sin and by the beauty and the majesty of our Lord. Character plays a key role in our relationship with God, and our relationship with others. Key components of character are both humility and pride – humility being God-centred while pride is self-centred. A humble disciple has a correct view of themselves (Rom 12:3), shows love toward others (Eph 4:32), and places their needs before their own (Phil 2:3). They love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Trying to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in all they do. Pride, being the opposite of humility is the root of all evil. Here we see power, pleasure, and wealth leading us astray, as we seeks to displace our Lord as the centre of our lives, thereby denying Him all the glory He deserves. Pride is tour greatest enemy; humility is your greatest friend (John Stott).

Q1. (MATTHEW 22:36-40) How does a two-part definition of humility correspond to the two greatest commandments? In what sense is humility "a low self-focus combined with a high other-focus"? What does that look like in a disciple? The greatest commandment is found in Deut 6:4-5, and the second greatest in Lev 19:18. Jesus Himself called these two commandments the greatest in Mat 22:37-40. They both require humility on our part. To love God with all our heart, our soul, our strength, and our mind we need to humble ourselves and become less and God more. Exalting Him to be the centre of our lives; bringing all glory to Him. In the same way to love our neighbour as ourself, we need to humble ourselves to serve others. To show respect, kindness, and compassion towards those in need, not expecting anything in return. In both cases there is a low self-focus as we focus less and less on self, and there is a high other-focus as we focus more and more on serving and obeying our Lord and serving others. This is a disciple who loves God and lives a life in obedience to His Word, always willing to help any neighbour in need. To love them as ourselves - a selfless concern for the well-being and happiness of others. It might entail helping financially, if possible; the sharing of our talents, time, passion; and even listening and encouraging each other. This behaviour does not come to us naturally and is only as the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life.

Q25. (HEBREWS 2:1) Why is gradual drifting more dangerous than suddenly giving in to a temptation? How can you protect yourself from drifting away from the Lord? As a thought occurs more and more often, we start accepting the idea of it, or at least feeling comfortable with it, and our defences are weakened. The same with sin. As sin takes more and more control of our lives, we become immune to it and accept it as the norm – we start backsliding. We become spiritually lethargic. If we are not careful this can lead to apostasy. The moment we start to let go of the Word and neglect praying, that is the beginning of drifting away. The only way we can protect ourself from drifting further and further away from our Lord is to hold on to the Word, and our fellowship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We need to recognize the danger early.

Q24. Of the list of 7 of Solomon's weaknesses, which two or three do you think are most damaging. Why does persistent sin ruin such an accumulation of good works that Solomon did? One of the most damaging weaknesses was his marriage to so many women from pagan countries. It is through these marriages that his wives, who were allowed to continue worshipping their false gods, had temples and altars for these pagan gods built. This led to the introduction of idolatry in Israel. This also led to another weakness - his extravagant living. Solomon lived lavishly, and expensively, burdening his people with high taxes. He used a lot of state wealth to entertain and please his many wives and concubines. We see this in the construction of his palace which took 13 years, whereas God’s temple took only 7 years in comparison. His sinful life starts with his marriage to pagan wives, in disobedience to God’s command; then he builds shrines for the wives’ pagan gods; then he starts worshipping these gods as well. This is a slippery slope of sin, which can only lead to ruin and destruction - we know where this ends. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

Q23. From the list above, which do you think are Solomon's five or six greatest strengths and accomplishments? Why is Solomon so gifted? Initially his love for God, his obedience to God; and his continued following in David’s footsteps which resulted in him building on his father’s successes. The building of the temple. Making use of all the materials and prep work David had begun. His perseverance in seeing this 7 year project to completion. His amazing intellect and administrative skills. His care of the needy. His Wisdom literature left as his legacy. He was abundantly gifted. The Holy Spirit must have been constantly at work in Solomon’s life. Guiding and directing him into wise decisions. The more he obeyed God the greater was his effectiveness, but sadly as he strayed away from God, we see more and more of his weaknesses becoming evident.

Q22. (1 KINGS 11:3) Is it fair to conclude that Solomon is a womanizer who lusts after women? How does a womanizer treat a wife? How does having a womanizer for a father affect the children? Is sexual excess compatible with Christian discipleship? Most definitely. With all his wisdom he is unable to control his lusts. With so many wives it is impossible to have a personal relationship with any one of them. I think they are mostly treated like sex objects. In the same manner I cannot see him spending quality time with some of his children. He must have had numerous children and could not have spent a one on one with anyone of them. To me he is an absent father. Our Lord Jesus had explained that marriage is a divinely ordained union, that a man must have only one wife (Matt 19:4-6).

Q21. (1 KINGS 10:18-25; 1 TIMOTHY 2:9-10; 6:6-10, 17-19). Solomon is both rich and showy. In Paul's letter to Timothy at Ephesus, what kinds of guidelines are given for avoiding ostentation and flaunting wealth? What should the wealthy do to please God? 1 Timothy 6:17 indicates a connection between wealth and arrogance. How can wealth breed arrogance? With wealth comes great responsibility. Paul’s guidelines are to first thank the Lord and to use our wealth to do good, to be generous, and ready to share. These deeds will please the Lord and enable us to store treasures in heaven. We are not to put our hope in our wealth, but in our Lord who provides everything we need. There is the temptation to crave for even greater wealth, this is a trap which can easily lead to ruin and destruction. With great wealth comes the desire to flaunt it, to waste it for recognition – we have arrived! Paul also guides us to be content with what we have. To know when enough is enough. Warning us against the desire for more and more. We need to be reminded that our wealth is not our own, but belongs to the Lord, and should be used for His glory. And to be careful of not drifting away from our faith, as we become more occupied with earthly things and start neglecting our Lord Jesus. There is also the warning not to become arrogant. This can easily happen when we start praising ourselves for the success and achievements in our life, instead of giving God the glory for showering us with His blessings.

Q20. (PROVERBS 19:17; 22:9) Why is giving to help the poor so basic a practice in Judaism and Christianity? Why are we sometimes hesitant to help the poor we see in our streets? What are some wise ways by which we can make a regular practice of giving to help the poor? It is part of our culture. Moses taught that the Israelites should be generous in their giving (Deu 15:8, 11). Their law of debt cancellation (Deu 15:1-6) every 7th year was also intended to instil a spirit of generosity in the nation. Solomon himself encouraged generosity (Prov 11:24), and that by giving freely a person will have plenty. Conversely a person who is miserly, failing to help others in obvious need, will themselves always be in need (Prov 28:22). In Cor 9:6-15 we read that God loves a cheerful giver and that they will be generously rewarded. Jesus even taught us to lend to our enemies (Luke 6:35). It is difficult to help the poor in the streets. We are not always sure if they are genuine in their need, and maybe they just want money for drugs. We have to be careful about a hardened heart is always looking for excuses to not donate (James 2:16). This shows that we don’t trust the Lord to keep His promise of blessing givers. It is our responsibility to honour our Lord Jesus by giving to those in need.

Q19. (LUKE 11:31; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30; COLOSSIANS 2:2) How does Jesus' wisdom contrast with worldly wisdom? In what sense are "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" hidden in Him? Just how do you go about becoming "wise" in Jesus? Jesus’ wisdom is the absolute truth and is only spiritually discerned. It is foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:21-25), but to us, it is the power of God by which we receive righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). Worldly wisdom is full of lies, hypocrisy and evil. All treasures of wisdom and knowledge were hidden until Christ came. It is through Jesus that it was revealed; this was God’s plan to have His Son, Jesus Christ, live in the hearts of all who believe in Him. Once we put our trust in Him it is not hidden anymore. We start reading His Word and spending time with Him, having fellowship with our Lord. We are guided by the Holy Spirit and combined with the wisdom and knowledge now available, we become wise in Jesus. This wisdom also helps us apply the knowledge to a successful life.

Q18. Which of Solomon's building projects are designed to glorify Yahweh? Which are designed to glorify Solomon? Which are designed to provide protection and security for his people? Many of God's people are in day-to-day provision mode, but if God has given you a bit of disposable income, which of your primary financial outlays are designed to honour God? Which are designed to serve others? The temple was designed to glorify Yahweh. Those designed and built to glorify himself included his own magnificent palace. Being substantially larger this took 13 years to build against the 7 for the temple. Then there is the palace built for his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter. Those built to provide protection and security for his people included towns being fortified and refortified such as, Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, Beth Horon, Baalath, Tamer, Hamath Zobah, and Tamar. I feel that at first, I must support the spreading of the gospel. Today there is an urgent need for people to get to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This I do as long as my church is serious about this task. Then, when I can, I try to help my family or members of the congregation, or my neighbour that are in need.

Q17. (2 SAMUEL 12:24b-25; 1 KINGS 3:3) At Solomon's finest, what does his devotion to God look like? Can you think of anyone else in Scripture who is loved by God and loves God back? (Hint: 1 John 4:19) Yet, Solomon's life is a cautionary tale for believers. Why? His devotion is shown by his sincere love and great zeal for the LORD. By his walking “in the statutes of his father David and his love for the LORD (3:3). Also, the fact that he took David’s dying instructions seriously by walking in obedience to the LORD (2:3). All who put their faith in Jesus Christ are loved by God, and we love Him because He first loved us. He loved us so much so, that even while we were still sinners Jesus Christ, His One and Only Son, died for us (Rom 5:8). I can’t think of any greater love than to give up one’s life out of love. God gave Solomon gifts that helped him rule as king. Gifts of wisdom – wiser than anyone else in the world; as well as very great insight; and a measureless breath of understanding (1 Kings 4:29). As long as he lived in obedience to the Lord these gifts were successfully applied to the glory of God. It was through the influence of extravagant living that his heart was drawn away from God and he began to fall. This can be a warning to us as believers. We belong to our heavenly Father and if we stray and don’t use the gifts that we are blessed with can also lead to our downfall. We must be careful not to be sidetracked by serving other gods – self, fleshly lusts, and worldly values.

Q16. (2 CHRONICLES 7:13-14; DANIEL 9:3-16) In what ways does Daniel's prayer exemplify the conditions for God's healing? What must God's people do to experience renewal and revival today? What conditions must be true in our hearts? How might God's healing show itself in a person? In a congregation? In a region? In a nation? Why is a Holy Spirit-sent revival so important in our day? He confessed his sins and the sins of the nation. Humbly coming before God fasting, wearing sackcloth and ashes – evidence of mourning in grief and repentance. Admitting their disobedience and their wicked ways, at the same time acknowledging that God was right and just in disciplining the nation. But he also, reminded God of His covenant of love with His people. He prayed for the removal of God’s wrath, basing his requests on God’s great mercy, favour, and forgiveness. Ending his prayer with “O Lord, listen! O Lord.” To experience revival, Daniel’s prayer of intercession (Dan 9:1-19) is a good example we can use. A prayer that is based on God’s character: His greatness, His holiness, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His forgiveness, His mercy, His love, and His justice. It is a prayer of a person, of a group, or of a nation confessing their sinfulness, the need for God’s forgiveness, and the complete surrender to His will. Resulting in a renewed passion in seeking and serving our Lord Jesus. There must be a change of heart, the hardened heart full of evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. This must be changed with a heart full of the fruit of repentance - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22). If ever there was a nation in need of divine intervention it is my country. The politicians have plundered the country dry, leaving us on the brink of becoming a failed state. A country of 84 murders a day, 102 rapes a day, and 33% unemployment. We must forsake our sins, turn from a life that is centred in self-greed, in idolatry, and in worldly flesh. This will lead to forgiveness and God hearing and answering our prayers. None of this can be done without the help of the Holy Spirit.