Unafraid!

Jeremiah 31:1-6

1. Why is God's love perfect?

God's love is perfect because He has loved you with an everlasting love and He have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Hebrews 4:14-16

2. What can we do with confidence?

Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Pull out all the stops!

John 15:12-13

1. Why may some unwillingly die?

We do not follow this command of God: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Ephesians 3:14-19

2. What did Paul pray for?

Paul pray that out of Christ's glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And He pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

What compels us?

Matthew 26:69-75

1. How did fear affect Peter?

Fear caused Peter to deny Jesus three times.

Mark 7:24-30

2. What compelled the woman to argue with Jesus?

Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

'The great destroyer'

Matthew 26:47-56

1. What does fear cause to do?

When Jesus was seized, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

Fear causes us to act rashly.

John 20:19-20

2. What does Jesus do when we hide in fear?

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Fear- the thing to fear

Isaiah 43:1-7

1. Why need we not fear?

The Lord says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west."

Matthew 14:25-33

2. Why did Peter sink?

Peter was at first with faith to walk on water with Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and fearful and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!".

The basis of certainty

Romans 8:11-17

1. What have we received?

The Father gives life to our mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Galatians 5:22-25

2. What happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to help us?

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

'Nor anything else'

Jonah 2:1-10

1. What was Jonah's experience of God's reach?

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Romans 8:35-39

2. Why can nothing separate us from God' love?

In all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Trouble with authority

Psalms 8:1-9

1. What did the psalmist affirm?

The psalmist affirmed that who is man that God is mindful of whom God made a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. God made men ruler over the works of our hands and put everything under our feet.

John 19:1-11

2. How did Christ view Pilate's authority?

When Pilate said "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?", Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

How never to be old

Psalms 92:12-15; Romans 8:18; Galatians 1:3-4

1. What may we expect in old age?

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

2. How did Paul view the present?

Paul consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Seeing good as evil

Philippians 4:10-13; Luke 10:17-20; 1 Timothy 6:6-18

1. Why should we not fear demons?

This is because even the demons submit to the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

2. What secret did Paul share?

Paul have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. We can do everything through him who gives us strength.

Let us pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

'Room to grow up in'

Acts 20:22-24

1. Why did Paul not fear life's hardship?

Paul considered his life worth nothing to him, if only he may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given —the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

1 Thess. 4:13-18

2. Why can we be encouraged in the face of death?

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Not blinkered or blind

Acts 16:16-34

1. How did Paul and Silas respond to persecution?

After they were thrown into jail for casting out an evil spirit, they did not blame or get angry with God. Instead they were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

2. What was the result?

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

The way of realism

2 Corinthians 11:23-33

1. What was Paul's experience?

Besides all the hardship, he face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and he do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and he does not inwardly burn?

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2. How did he overcome weakness?

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying."

'In all things'

Matthew 7:24-27

1. Why is it foolish to ignore Christ's teachings?

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

2. What was Paul's testimony?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Why do we struggle

Luke 9:57-62

1. What did Jesus explain about being His disciples?

As the people were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." till another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Luke 14:25-35

2. What are we to carry and what to lay down?

Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Christ cannot be His disciple.

Anyone who does not lay down everything cannot be His disciple.

Duality brings disaster

1 Kings 11:1-11

1. Why was Solomon unwise?

The Lord told Solomon that he must not intermarry with the foreign women, because they will surely turn his hearts after their gods. But Solomon did not take deed and indeed committed idolatory.

So the Lord said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates."

James 4:8-10

2. What are the double-minded to do?

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

A spiritual diarchy

Luke 18:18-25

1. What diarchy did the ruler have?

Wealth and riches is the diarchy that the ruler have, that he does not willing to part in order to obtain eternal life.

James 1:5-8

2. What is the result of double-mindedness?

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Crying for the Shephard

Luke 15:3-7

1. How does Jesus feel about His sheep who have strayed?

Jesus will rejoice, " I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Luke 1:5-10

2. Why may we be deceived?

We may be deceived by our current states, because we do not see the bigger picture that God sees across time and space.

Purity is not maturity

Matthew 15:1-20

1. Why were the Pharisees offended?

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites for they honor Christ with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.

2. What did Jesus explain?

What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'

Whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'

No immunity!

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1. How can we escape temptation?

(i) Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."

(ii) We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

(iii) We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.

(iv) And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:9-12

2. What should we pursue?

As man of God, flee from all this evil, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Pardon and power

Romans 6:1-14

1. What part do we and God play in overcoming sin?

We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 7:21-25

2. Why is God's grace not limited to forgiveness?

God's grace is not just limited to forgiveness but also to give us the strength to live an overcoming life for His glory. Without His strength, it is impossible to escape being a slave to the laws of sin.

'Naturalised defeat'

Numbers 13:26-14:4

1. What was Caleb's natural attitude to difficulties?

Caleb's reaction was that they should go up and take possession of the land, for they can certainly do it with the strength of the Lord.

Joshua 14:6-12

2. What was the Israelites' natural attitude?

The Israelites reacted and said that the people in that land are stronger and bigger, thus a defeat looks very possible.

Non-expectancy

Acts 3:1-19

1. What did the crippled man expect to receive?

The crippled man expected to receive money from Peter and John.

2. What did Peter and John expect him to receive?

Peter and John expect him to receive healing in the name of Jesus, and indeed the crippled man could walk after that.

Moral winners

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

1. How did Paul conquer his situation?

Paul was under great pressure, far beyond ability to endure, feeling the sentence of death. But this happened that they might not rely on themselves but on God, who raises the dead. God has delivered Paul from such a deadly peril. On Him, Paul have set hope that God will continue to deliver them.

Philippians 4:10-13

2. Why can we be more than a conqueror?

It is because we can do anything not by our own strength but through the strength of God.

'Disorganised grammar'

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

1. How can we understand the deep things of God?

No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Ephesians 1:15-23

2. To what does Paul compare God's power?

God's power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Old word - new content

Ruth 1:1-18

1. Contrast the love of Ruth and Orpah for Naomi.

When Naomi, their mother in law, sent Ruth and Orpah to go back home after their husbands died, Orpah kissed goodbye to Naomi and left.

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Ephesians 5:1-2

2. How are we to love?

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

New wineskins

Matthew 12:1-14

1. How did the Pharisees respond to Jesus' new teaching?

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

1 John 5:4-5

2. What conquers the world?

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.

This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

The ladder

John 5:16-18; 6:32-42; 10:30-38

1. What links heaven and earth?

Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven to earth. So that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.

2. Why did the Jews try to kill Jesus?

Because Jesus was doing good things through work on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said "Father is in me, and I in the Father".

'Nothing to equal it'

Hebrews 2:10-18

1. Why did God's Son become human?

Since we have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 10:1-10

2. What did God prepare for His Son?

God prepared not sacrifices or offerings, but a body so that Jesus can do the Will of God, through crucification and resurrection, that our sins have been forgiven.

'The great divide'

Matthew 1:18-23

1. Why was Jesus given the name Immanuel?

Immanuel means, "God with us."

John 20:24-31

2. Why did John write his gospel?

John write his gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.