Sons and Warriors
  • Home
  • Practical Activities
  • Bible Studies
  • Articles
  • Other Resources
  • Contact

Bible Studies

New articles posted every Monday at 07:00 Pacific

Matthew 20:20-28 (MSG)

27/3/2017

0 Comments

 
20 It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request.

21 “What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand.”

22 Jesus responded, “You have no idea what you’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “Are you capable of drinking the cup that I’m about to drink?”
They said, “Sure, why not?”

23 Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”

24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”
Matthew 20:20-28 (MSG)
General Context Questions
  • Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
  • Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
  • Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
  • Is there anything that stands out to you?
  • Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?
Specific Questions
  • What kingdom do you think the Zebedee brother’s mother was imagining?
  • Do you think that a position of honor in Heaven is a goal to be sought after?
  • Have you ever found yourself in a position of power and realized later that you let it got to your head?
  • What effect might acting as a servant have on someone that wants to “be great”?
0 Comments

Matthew 12:30-37 (NIV)

20/3/2017

1 Comment

 
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:30-37 (NIV)
General Context Questions
  • Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
  • Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
  • Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
  • Is there anything that stands out to you?
  • Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?
Specific Questions
  • How do you know if you’re “with” Jesus?
  • What is “blasphemy against the Spirit”? How can you tell if or when it happens?
  • If speaking “speaking against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”, does that mean that a person that does that is condemned to hell even if they repent?
  • How do you tell the difference between good and evil fruit in yourself and in other people?
1 Comment

Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG)

13/3/2017

0 Comments

 
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG)
General Context Questions
  • Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
  • Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
  • Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
  • Is there anything that stands out to you?
  • Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?
Specific Questions
  • How are “sophisticates and know-it-alls” different from “ordinary people”?
  • Does this passage say that God makes learning His ways difficult for smart people?
  • How does God reveal his ways to ordinary people?
  • If keeping company with Jesus is the solution to being “burned out on religion”, does that mean that Jesus views “religion” as a barrier between people and himself?
  • What does it mean to “live freely and lightly”?
0 Comments

Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV)

6/3/2017

0 Comments

 
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
​hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV)
General Context Questions
  • Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
  • Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
  • Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
  • Is there anything that stands out to you?
  • Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?
Specific Questions
  • What reward do people get when they “pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners”?
  • If many words and public prayer isn’t what gets God’s attention, what does?
  • If God already knows what we need before we ask Him for it, why should we have to ask?
  • When verse 9 says, “This, then, is how you should pray”, do you think this means that this prayer is the only correct prayer? Do you think that it’s the words of the prayer that are important, or is it something else that really matters to God?
  • Does forgiving people’s sin against you mean that you don’t seek justice or that there are no consequences for their actions? Can you have forgiveness and justice? If so, how?
0 Comments

    Archives

    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Practical Activities
  • Bible Studies
  • Articles
  • Other Resources
  • Contact