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Q1. (Psalm 103) Which one or two aspects of God's character mentioned in this Psalm stand out to you? Our Lord has always shown us to be merciful and gracious. His mercy is demonstrated in that He does not give us what we deserve. We know that we have all sinned and the penalty for our sins is death, and we should all be spending eternity in hell. Yet He still sent His Son to pay the penalty of our sins, and by putting our trust in our Saviour, God righteously pardons us. How utterly unworthy I am, dear Lord, of Thee, Yet Thou art always showering Thy wondrous love on me. Though oftentimes I wander and fail to do Thy will, Thy gracious love constraining abideth with me still.

Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson - or another psalm with a similar theme - do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms. These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. I have started memorizing Psalm 96, along with the others; Psalms 8, 15, 40, 63, 91, and 150. Psalm 96 reminds me never to become weary with thanking God. I should never stop praising Him for all He has done and is still doing and will yet do in my life. We should all be rejoicing in the goodness and glory of God. We should be singing His praises announcing how great and mighty our Heavenly Father is. To give God the glory of His name I must continue to grow through His Word; then only will I truly know how great He really is.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 10:17) How does Paul's teaching on the One Loaf affect our relationships and love for those of other Christian denominations and traditions? We are to love each person as Christ has commanded us. However, we do not have to agree with their actions. If they worship differently from me, or neglect doctrinal accuracy; who am I to pass judgment on them. Besides my understanding of certain doctrines might be wrong. How does blanket judgmentalism towards the faith of other Christian groups sometimes seem to excuse us from Jesus' command to love one another? I know it easy to criticize other denominations and to look down upon them, thinking we are right and that they are in error, and they cannot possibly even be classified as Christians. I must admit I was inclined to think like this when I was younger, but fortunately as I

Q4. (Psalm 24) How do verses 1-2 establish the Lord's right as King? As Creator and Owner of all. What do verses 3-6 tell us about the requirements of the King? He demands strict loyalty, dedication and total commitment; as well as ethical and moral purity. Our actions are to be righteous and blameless, our motives are to be sincere, and our minds are to be uncorrupted. Someone summed it up as

Q3. In what ways do the divisions in Corinth sound familiar in our own congregations? I would not like to comment on any other congregation besides my own. However, I

Q3. (Psalm 126). In this psalm, the nation is going through some kind of crisis. How does the memory of God's deliverance in verses 1-3 prepare them for the prayer of verse 4? After being in exile for about 70 years the Jews were allowed to return from Babylon to Jerusalem. Here they found the Temple destroyed as well as the walls of Jerusalem, so they asked God to restore their fortunes, to rebuild their lives, as quickly as a wadi in the Negev can change after rain. How do you understand the two metaphors of deliverance: (1) a wadi or dry gully and (2) sowing and reaping? A wadi is a miraculous change, an instant rescue; whereas in sowing and reaping we see an example of continuing in faith, perseverance and hard work resulting in eventual rescue. How do these metaphors help you in your situation? I have experienced both and both have taught me to wait on the Lord. His timing is always perfect; sometimes we have instant answers to our prayers, at other times we wait, being patient and always trusting. In retrospect we will always notice that our prayers were answered with the best outcome and result for us. What a Mighty God we serve!

Q2. (Psalm 96) What does it mean to "ascribe" to God attributes of glory and strength? We are to recognize and acknowledge His glory and power; to give our mighty God credit for these and many other attributes. What happens when we fail to ascribe such qualities to him? We can become complacent in truly knowing how Almighty our Heavenly Father is, and just take Him for granted. In what sense is praise to God "fitting" or "worthy"? He is worthy of all our praise and worship not only for who He is but also for what He has done and meant to us in this life and in the life to come.

Q2. Read Mark 11:25 and Matthew 5:23-24 . How do these relate to Paul's teaching on the One Loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17 )? They all relate to unity in the Church. What must we personally do to achieve unity to prepare ourselves to partake of the Lord's Supper righteously? We are to settle any differences we may have with a fellow Christian, and we are to forgive any person who may have done us an injustice.

Q1. (Psalm 57) Why is praise difficult in the midst of trying circumstances? We are focused on our problems or circumstance instead of on Him who greater than any trials we might be experiencing, making it difficult to praise Him. It is only when we approach God through grace and start to trust Him in our trials that we glorify Him. How does praise affect our faith? Our attitude? Our motivation? By praising Him our spirits are uplifted, and our faith is strengthened as we turn to Him and praise Him for who He is, acknowledging Him as our Heavenly Father. Our attitude will change to one of complete peace and joy knowing that He is in control and we will be motivated by the fact that His will shall be done.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 10:16). What does the "cup of blessing" teach us about our focus at the Lord's Supper? We are to focus on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and give thanks for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Who is to be blessed when the "cup of blessing" is lifted heavenward? Our Lord Jesus.

Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson - or another psalm with a similar theme - do one of the suggested psalms. These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. I

Q5. After you've studied the psalms in this chapter, what do you think it means to "rest" in God? It is the means by which believers can have joy and happiness in this life, independently of circumstances. We rest on the promises of God and have the peace and joy of God in our hearts. How do you seek God's peace when you have a dozen things coming against you? We live in a fallen world where people are directed by Satan and their own sin natures. Although God is our refuge and strength does not mean we will not experience troubles and problems as many false teachers will have us believe. Lack of material prosperity and physical health is not caused by lack of faith. We will find peace in the fact that we can always depend upon God

Q4. What does the call to the Great Banquet sound like when we extend the invitation to those around us? It sounds like our Lord Jesus is throwing an elaborate and festive banquet to which He invites guests. Through this God has invited us to enjoy His presence forever and ever. In what sense are we the servants told to "compel them to come in"? With the help of the Holy Spirit we are to invite, in love, as many as possible to this Great Banquet. This we do by explaining the gospel to them as well as the doctrine of salvation. In what sense are we those who have been called to the feast in the Kingdom of God? It is by grace that we have responded and accepted a personal invitation to this Great Banquet from our Saviour. We have heard and responded to the Gospel call and have sincerely repented of sins and placed our trust in Jesus for salvation.

Q4. Why is the Lord's Table such a time of intimate fellowship with Jesus? We are sharing a Covenant Meal with our Saviour. In your experience with having meals with friends, what makes the difference between a casual, forgettable meal, and one which is rich with memories? Wonderful fellowship and of course good food. How can this insight make your experience of the Lord's Table more meaningful? Just by focussing on what our Lord Jesus did for us on the Cross makes the Lord

Q4. (Psalm 46) How does the imagery of the river and streams in verse 4 function in Psalm 46 to speak peace to the harassed and harried person? The Lord

Q3. (Luke 9:57-61) Why was Jesus so harsh with those who made excuses when called to follow him? Jesus wanted them to know what it means to follow Him. They would have to forsake all the material comforts and conveniences they are used to. Even their family and friends if need be. Why is the call so urgent? We cannot allow something else to be of more importance than following Jesus. The work of proclaiming the Kingdom of God is most important, it cannot wait, and we as believers should honour this commitment. Why do our excuses seem so trivial when offered to Jesus? We need to keep focused on the great sacrifice our Lord Jesus made for us

Q3. What is the significance of the 12 Apostles drinking the Cup of the Covenant? The twelve Apostles represented all believers as witnesses to the New Covenant. To whom would they correspond under the ratification of the Old Covenant? (Hint: Exodus 24:11.) The leaders of Israel. What is the significance of us drinking the Cup of the Covenant? We are recommitting ourselves to the New Covenant, and at the same time remembering how He shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of sins.

Q3. (Psalm 31) What does it mean to say to the Lord, "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (31:5)? It means we put our complete trust in Him, the living, sovereign, and personal God. Our absolute reliance on Him in this world and into eternity. How does that statement bring peace to a person? Knowing that God is in control and that He looks after His children gives me complete peace and confidence for the future. How does the statement, "My times are in your hands" (31:15), bring peace to the troubled soul? We know God loves and cares for us and this enables us to surrender all to Him. We pray for guidance and help in decision making and then trust Him to provide an answer that will be best for us.

Q2. (Luke 14:15-24) In what way is the Parable of the Great Banquet about grace? It is all about grace

Q2. According to Psalm 23, how does the Lord our Shepherd quiet his sheep and give them confidence? How many ways can you find in this psalm? We will never lack food for our soul or body; He will see to all our physical needs giving us rest, peace, and contentment; His abundant loving care will help us recover and restore us; He will guide us in righteous ways; He will protect us from dangers; He will be with us all the days of our lives; and finally He will provide our eternal dwelling place.

Q2. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) How does the promised New Covenant differ from the Old Covenant? There will no longer be the legal sacrifices as required under the Law. Now, under the Gospel, Jesus

Q1. (Luke 14:15-24) In the Parable of the Great Banquet, who do the original guests represent? The original guests were probably the leaders of the Jewish people. This would include the Pharisees, and the Sadducees amongst others. Who do the later invited guests represent? Initially, The common people of Israel, the poor and oppressed, and then the invitation is sent out to the Gentile people. What does it mean to "compel them to come in" (KJV)? I don

Q1. (Exodus 24:3-11) How was the covenant with Israel ratified? God made a covenant with the people of Israel which they then agreed to. What promise did the people make twice in this passage? The people twice stated that they would do everything the Lord has told them to do. What was sacrificed? Young bulls What was sprinkled? The blood of the animals (bulls) sacrificed. What was eaten? A meal, most probably from the meat of the sacrificed animals

Q1. According to Psalm 131, just how does David quiet his inner person before the Lord? David fully trusts the wisdom, love, and power of God; bringing an inner peace and tranquillity to his soul. What are the elements mentioned in this psalm? Humility / trust / peace / quietness / love / hope.

Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson - or another psalm with a similar theme - do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms. These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. I