Author: Tom

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1 Kings: Lesson 7 — Building Project 2

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 7 (Building Project 2)
1 Kings 7
  May 1, 2013

The Text:

  1. How long did construction of Solomon’s palace take?  What does the “however” in verse one refer to?  What was the palace called?  Why?   
    –
  2. What were the dimensions of the palace?  How did that compare to the temple?    
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  3. What was the throne hall known as?  Why?  What was it, and the living quarters built out of?  How substantial was the building material?
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  4. Who was Huram?  What was his specialty skill?  What did Solomon have him do?  How was the quantity of his work measured?
    –
  5. What “furnishings” did Solomon have made for the temple?  What were they made out of?  What else did Solomon add to the temple once the work was finished?

 

  

The Application:

  1. What things might make one project take longer than another?  Does the time spent on something correspond to its value?  Why or why not?  What is the main quality/material that God has used to make you who you are?
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  2. What things do people tend to compare?  Are most comparisons we make fair evaluations of something’s worth or value?  If we insist on comparing, what should be our standard?  Does that change your desire to compare?   
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  3. How do you define justice?  What areas of injustice concern you?  Are you more concerned about justice in the sense of punishing wrongs or righting wrongs? 
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  4. What skills do you have?  What skills would your best friend say you have?  How are you using them?  What ways would God want you to use them for His kingdom?  What are some dangers of keeping track of how much you do, or give, for God?    
    –   
  5. What most reminds you of God’s eternal presence?  How valuable are those things to you?  Do you intentionally give the things you value most to God?  How do you honor the Godly contributions of those who have lived before you?

 

 

 

Next Week: Building Dedication
1 Kings 8

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1 Kings: Lesson 6 — Building Project 1

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 6 (Building Project 1)
1 Kings 6
April 24, 2013

The Text:

  1. When Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, how long had it been since God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt?  How long had Solomon been king?
    –
  2. What were the dimensions of the temple?  How was it constructed?
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  3. What did God say to Solomon about the temple he was building?
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  4. How big was the inner sanctuary?  How was it decorated?  What was its purpose?
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  5. How much time was spent building the temple?  How much attention was paid to the process of building it?

 

The Application:

 

  1. What would  you consider to be a long time to wait for something?  What are some things that might change your answer?  How does knowing you will be doing something affect your ability or willingness to wait?
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  2. How much “living space” does God want in your life?  Does He get it?  How concerned are you about distractions as you prepare your temple for God?
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  3. What does God look for in the place that He lives?  Are God’s promises conditional or unconditional?  In what ways?
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  4. What things or places remind you most of God’s presence?  How much value do you give to those?  What things would cause you to more fully recognize the value of God’s presence?  Do you consider it important to be reminded of God’s promises and presence?  How are those reminders given?
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  5. Do you ever feel like it is taking to long for someone to become the temple of God they are supposed to be?  Do you ever feel like it is taking you too long?  Why does it take so long?  How thorough is God in His work?

 

Next Week: Building Project 2
1 Kings 7

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1 Kings: Lesson 5 — Building Preparation

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 5 (Building Preparation)
1 Kings 5
April 17, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who was Hiram?  What did he do when he heard Solomon had been anointed king?  Why?
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  2. What reason does Solomon give for David not being able to build a temple?  How is Solomon’s life different from David’s?  What does Solomon intend to do about it?
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  3. What is Solomon’s request of Hiram?  What does Solomon offer?  Why?  How does Hiram feel when he hears Solomon’s offer?
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  4. What response does Hiram send back to Solomon?  What did Solomon get from Hiram?  What does Solomon give to Hiram?  How long did this go on?  Did it go well?
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  5. How did Solomon get the help needed from Israel?  How many men were sent to Lebanon to work?  How was that structured?  How many men did Solomon have working on the stone needed for the temple project?

 

The Application:

  1. How do you feel when a change is made in important leadership positions?  Why?  Do you ever reach out to a new person who is in a position that their predecessor was a friend of yours?  Should you?
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  2. When starting something new, how important is it to remember why it hadn’t been done yet?  Who benefits from that reminder?  Should we consider how our circumstances are different from those of our predecessors when evaluating doing something they couldn’t?
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  3. If you needed specific work done, who would you want to do it?  Why?  When requesting work to be done, what would it take for you to offer to pay whatever is asked?  What effect does genuine trust and praise have on a relationship?
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  4. How does the tone of a request influence your willingness to provide that which is requested?  How does mutual respect, or lack of it, impact your relationships?  What are some keys to a business-type relationship lasting over time?
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  5. Have you ever been forced to do something you didn’t want to do, or at least didn’t get to choose to do?  How did you feel?  Why?  Are there things we can learn from Solomon’s treatment of the conscripted laborers?  What are they?

 

Next Week: Building Project 1
1 Kings 6

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1 Kings: Lesson 4 — Collecting Taxes!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 4 (Collecting Taxes!)
1 Kings 4
April 10, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who are the people listed in the first six verses of 1 Kings 4?  What were some of their responsibilities?  What things stand out to you about these people and their jobs?
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  2. How many district governors did Solomon have?  What was expected of them?  What things stand out about their territories?  
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  3. How many people lived in Judah and Israel?  What significance does that description have?  How was their life under Solomon’s reign? 
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  4. What did Solomon require for provisions each day?  Where did these come from?  Were Judah and Israel good places to live during the lifetime of Solomon?
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  5. How is Solomon’s wisdom described?  Where did it come from?  What did he do with it  How attractive was this wisdom to others?

 

 

The Application:

  1. Are you good at delegating?  How important to you are people who help strengthen your relationship with God?  What are some advantages/disadvantages of shared responsibility?
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  2. Do you attempt tasks that might seem overwhelming to others?  How can they be accomplished?  What do you look for in a person when you need to delegate a task or need help accomplishing something?  Are you the type of person you would look for?   
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  3. How has God been faithful in fulfilling His promises in your life?  Are there promises He has fulfilled that might be easy to overlook?  What is needed in your life so that you could “eat, drink, and be happy”?  Is that a realistic goal?  Why/why not? 
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  4. Who are you responsible to provide for?  Does that task seem overwhelming at times?  What things make it seem easier/harder?  Do you believe that God wants to supply your every need?  What things make that seem more believable or less believable?  What influence does contentment have on your willingness to give?       
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  5. How would you describe your wisdom?  How would others describe your wisdom?  Where does the wisdom you have come from?  If you feel it is lacking, how would you increase it?  What do you do with the wisdom that you have?  In what areas do people look to you for wisdom and instruction?

 

 

Next Week: Building Preparation
1 Kings 5

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The Act of HOPE (Acts 10)

It is a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 10 in our sermon series we find Cornelius, a God-fearing man who, as a Gentile, was on the outside looking in when it came to true hope through Jesus.  As he sought God, God opened the eyes of Cornelius and Peter so they experienced the Act of HOPE!  Let’s look at some lessons we can learn from the example of the early church and the conversion of Cornelius and the hope that becomes his.

  • Honor:  What do you do when you find yourself with little, or no, hope?  How does hope grow?  What seed can be planted in a life, yours or that of someone else, that would grow into hope?  I believe the answer to these questions begin with the act of honor.  Cornelius chose to honor God even when his circumstances, or lot in life, might suggest to most that it just isn’t worth it.  It was more than mere words, his life honored God by what he did!  Jesus called out the religious leaders of His day as  hypocrites by stating Isaiah spoke of them when he said, “These people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.”  Hope begins to grow when we honor God with our whole being.  It is through our honor of God that we allow our eyes to be open to the true plight of our self and others.  When we honor God, we also recognize that He has the ability to change and/or carry us through circumstances that appear to us as lacking greatly in hope.  When God calls you to grow in the Act of HOPE, recognize that both the foundation and seed of real hope comes from genuine acts of Honor given to our God.
  • Opportunity:  It is through our honor of God that He opens the doors of opportunity in the midst of what human eyes would see as hopeless.  As he prays one afternoon, Cornelius has a vision of an angel of God bringing a message that his prayers have been heard.  So, what was he praying?  We don’t have a text of his prayers but by examining the answer that God gives it would seem that at least part of his prayer was asking for the opportunity to be in a full relationship with God.  The answer to the prayer seems to be very simple, “send for Peter”.  Why?  Because Cornelius and his household needed to hear the good news of Jesus!  They needed a person to share with them the opportunity to have real hope through the blood of Jesus.  It is a message not entrusted to angels, but to the followers of Jesus.  Paul would write in his letter to the Romans about this very need: “How can they hear without someone preaching to them.  And how can they preach unless they are sent” (Romans 10:14-15).  In order to give hope to others, we must step outside of our comfort zone and share the opportunity of knowing Jesus with those we may not even think deserve it.  God had to teach Peter that this opportunity was for all who would call on the name of the Lord.   Learning to accept, and give, the act of Opportunity is a vital part of receiving and sharing the Act of HOPE.
  • Power: There is something about the combination of a genuine honor of God and opportunity to be in relationship with God that ignites an incredible power!  Paul’s prayer for the Romans was that they would “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”  (Romans 15:13).  Do you believe God has the power to change a life, period, or just some lives?  Do we fail to honor people with the opportunity to know Jesus because we decide God doesn’t want them or is powerless to reach them?  It took a vision repeated three times and the voice of the Lord to convince Peter that God has the power, and desire, to save Gentiles as well as Jews.  When the honor of God that was expressed by Cornelius and his family experienced the opportunity to hear the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, the power of God’s Spirit was poured out upon them and they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.      When we are growing in the Act of HOPE, we live with growing amazement that comes from experiencing the act of Power in the lives of all those who believe.
  • Explanation: I wonder if the events of Acts 10 were on Peter’s mind at all when he wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  (1 Peter 3:15).  What good is an explanation without someone willing to listen?  As Christians, we are required to walk by faith and not by sight yet there are times when an explanation is not only appropriate, but required.  In Acts 10 Peter explains to Cornelius how God taught him that differentiating between Jew and Gentile was wrong.  Cornelius explains to Peter about his desire to know God and to listen to all that God has commanded.  It is in this atmosphere of explanation that hope springs to life!  There are many people who live without hope because you and I have failed to explain to them with gentleness and respect about the hope that dwells within us.  When we spend time Explaining a relationship with Jesus in gentleness and respect, we give the Act of HOPE to people as they are able to escape from the power of sin and death in life and in eternity.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of HOPE?  Do you fully and genuinely Honor God in all that you do and say?  Do you consistently make the most of every Opportunity to both share and grow in faith?  Do you faithfully live in the Power of God’s Spirit?  Do you use gentleness and respect as you Explain the hope you have in Jesus Christ?  I pray that the act of HOPE expressed through your life will boldly show the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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The Act of SAVE (Acts 9)

It is a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 9 in our sermon series, we find Saul on his way to Damascus with the intent of persecuting and taking prisoner all who followed the way of Jesus.  As he went, he had an encounter with Jesus and through Him experienced the Act of SAVE!  Let’s look at some lessons we can learn from the example of the early church and Saul’s conversion.

  • Sight:  Saul began his journey with his sight set on wreaking havoc in the lives of any Christians he found.  In order to experience the act of save, his sight needed to be changed.  God focused Saul’s sight off of his traditions, trainings, and triumphs and onto Jesus!  As Paul, Saul would later write that he had the best of all of this from man’s perspective but none of it had the ability to save him.  When we begin to think we can be saved by holding onto our own traditions, trainings, or triumphs, we too need to have our sight adjusted by God!  For us to experience the act of save, we must see God for who He is and realize the only way to be saved is through His son, Jesus.  For us to be involved in taking the act of save to others, we must see them as God see them — loved and in need of God’s great mercy and grace, just as you and I are.  When God calls you to grow in the Act of SAVE, recognize that to do so will require an adjustment in your sight.
  • Accept:  So, what happens when God brings about a disruption in your sight?  You are left with a choice — accept the change of sight God offers, or reject it.  The act of save requires that we accept Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to God except through Him!  Saul had to accept that his way of seeing things wasn’t accurate and that the instructions given to him by Jesus were to be followed.  When we are obedient to God’s call to share the act of save with others, we too must accept that God has the power and desire to bring change to their life!  Ananias appears to have had doubts about sharing the gospel of Jesus with Saul but did accept the command of Jesus to do so.  It was through the obedience of Ananias that Saul is able to accept the message and be baptized into Jesus Christ!  Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is vital to the Act of Save in your life and learning to accept the power of God to change people is a vital quality to help you grow in the Act of SAVE.
  • Vision: While this may seem similar to the first point, the sight we need adjusted is ours but the vision we must take on is God’s!  Our sight needs adjusted to accurately view what we see but our vision needs adjusted to accurately view what we cannot see!  My good friend David often says, “God can use anyone He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants”, or something like that at least.  To both experience and share the act of save, we must have the vision of that statement for ourself and for the people God calls us to take the message of Jesus to.  When Ananias expressed his concern to God about Saul, God revealed to him the vision He had for what Saul would become.  Saul, as Paul, would later write that “we walk by faith and not by sight”.  He understood the act of save propelled him beyond what was seen and into accomplishing what only God could see possible.    When we are growing in the Act of SAVE, we live with growing amazement that comes from exchanging our inabilities and short-sightedness for the ability and vision of the living God.
  • Escape: Part of what makes the good news of the act of save such good news is the escape from the deserved punishment of sin.  In the past, many people would come to experience the act of save in order to escape the eternal punishment of hell.  While our current culture seems to often steer away from preaching and teaching about the reality of eternal separation from God as a result of sin, the escape from that punishment is just as real as ever for those who are saved.  But we sell the act of save short if we don’t realize a broader, and current, escape that we can experience on a day-to-day basis — an escape from the power of sin and death!  The act of save in Saul’s life not only brought escape to him from the punishment of sin, it also brought an escape to the lives of the Christians in Damascus from the sin he intended to inflict upon them.  It was through this escape that we read the church enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit.  When we spend time sharing the Act of SAVE with openness and fullness to all people, we proclaim an escape from the power of sin and death in life and in eternity.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of SAVE?  Do you look to God for needed Sight adjustments?  Do you Accept the payment Jesus made to save you from your sin and accept He has the power and desire to save all who call upon Him?  Are you willing to see God’s Vision for your purpose in His kingdom as well as the purpose of others?  Will you enjoy and celebrate the Escape God offers from the power of sin and death?  I pray that the act of SAVE expressed through your life will boldly show the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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1 Kings: Lesson 3 — Asking For Anything!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 3 (Asking For Anything!)
1 Kings 3
April 3, 2013

The Text:

  1. What resulted from the alliance Solomon made with the king of Egypt?  Where were the people offering sacrifices?  Why?  How did Solomon show his love for the Lord?
    –
  2. Why did Solomon go to Gibeon?  What did he do there?  Who appeared to Solomon?  What did he have to say?
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  3. How did Solomon describe God’s actions toward David and himself?  How did Solomon describe himself?  What did he ask for?  Why?
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  4. What did God think of Solomon’s request?  How does He respond to that request?  What was Solomon’s response to God’s message?
    –
  5. What dilemma is presented to Solomon by two women?  How does he propose to settle the dispute?  How do the two women react to his solution?  What does their reactions tell Solomon?  What did the people of Israel think of Solomon’s verdict?

The Application:

  1. Are there times you accept, or seek, something that you shouldn’t just to keep peace?  How hard is it to continually do things God’s way when other ways may seem reasonable?  How do you feel about keeping the Lord’s commands as evidence of your love for him?
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  2. How committed are you to offering yourself as a living sacrifice on a daily basis?  When you give to God, do you typically think of how much you can give or how little you can get by with?  Jesus says His sheep hear and know His voice — do you recognize God’s voice?  How?
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  3. How would you describe God’s actions and attitude toward you and your family?  How would you describe yourself to God?  What do you need most from God?  Why?
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  4. How do you think God would react to your request if you were to ask Him for what you felt you needed most?  In what ways has God given you immeasurably more than you could think or ask?
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  5. Have you ever been in the middle of, or presented with, a situation that seemed impossible to handle fairly and with justice?  How would you handle it?  Are there ways that you can administer justice that would show the wisdom of God living in you through His Spirit?

Next Week: Collecting Taxes!
1 Kings 4

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1 Kings: Lesson 2 — Settling Accounts?

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 2 (Settling Accounts?)
1 Kings 2
March 27, 2013

The Text:

  1. As David’s life draws to an end, how does David begin his final advice to Solomon?  How does David define what the Lord requires?  What benefit does David say will result from taking his advice?
    –
  2. What does David have to say about Joab?  What does he tell Solomon to do?  What request does David have concerning Solomon’s treatment of Barzilla?  Why?  What instructions are given concerning Shimei?  Why?
    –
  3. Who comes to see Bathsheba?  How does he introduce his request?  What is his request?  How does she respond?  How does Bathsheba present that request to Solomon?  What is his response?  What does he do?
    –
  4. How does Solomon treat Abiathar the priest?  Why?  How does Joab react to the news of Adonijah and Abiathar?  How does he respond to Benaiah when told to come out of the tent of the Lord?  How was this response taken by Solomon?
    –
  5. What instructions are given to Shimei by Solomon?  Why?  How does Shimei react to the conditions given him?  How long did he keep them?  What made him choose to disobey the command?  What was the result?

The Application:

  1. What things do you think are important to pass on to others while you can?  How important is it for you to challenge others to keep the Lord’s commands?  What benefits of  keeping God’s commands have you experienced that you could tell others about?
    –
  2. If you had unfinished business that you knew someone else would have to deal with, how detailed would the instructions you give them be?  Why?  Do you have wrongs that you have seemed to get away with that need to be made right?
    –
  3. What do you think you deserve that you don’t have?  Why?  How do you respond to flattery?  Why is it so dangerous?
    –
  4. How do you react when confronted with wrongdoing?  Do you ever think enough right deeds will make up for wrong deeds?  Why is that such a trap?  Do you ever try to cling to God to avoid the consequences of your wrongdoing?
    –
  5. How do you feel if someone extends conditional mercy to you?  Why is that never enough?

Next Week: Asking For Anything!
1 Kings 3