45 BIBLE STUDY

LESSONS
For Cellgroups
Compiled by Ate Nessie
Bible Study Guide: Volume 1

CONTENTS 20 Genesis 39:1-23 Overcoming Temptation

21 Matthew 5:21-30 Sins Of The Mind
Introduction 22 Luke 15:11-32 Repentance (The Prodigal Son)
A Word to the Bible Study Leaders 23 Psalm 51 Prayer Of Repentance
24 John 8:1-11 “Does No Man Condemn You?”
LESSONS FOR LIVING 25 Numbers 22:1-22 Our Hidden Desires
26 Daniel 4:28-37 God‟s Chastisement
Lesson Reference Title 27 John 21:1-14 Usurping God‟s Glory
28 John 21:15-25 Backsliding And Its Remedy
1 Luke 12:13-21 What Am I Living For? 29 Revelation 2:1-5 The Love Commitment
2 Luke 19:1-10 A Corrupt BIR Agent Surrenders 30 Matthew 20:1-16 To Follow Christ Forever
3 John 4:1-30, 39-42 Living Water 31 Exodus 14:10-14 Generosity And Jealousy Fear
4 Luke 18:35-43 “I Want To See!” And Anxiety
5 John 9:1-41 Eyes Fully Opened 32 Acts 12:1-19 What To Do In Times Of Crisis
6 John 3:1-18 The New Birth (Life): God‟s Plan 33 1 Peter 1:1-9 Suffering Yet Rejoicing
For Salvation 34 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a What Is True Love?
7 John l4:1-11 The Glorious Hope: The Way To 35 1 John 3:13-19 Love That Is Practical
God 36 Luke 10:25-37 Love In Action
8 John 1:29-34; Hebrews 9:11-15 Lamb of God 37 John 13:1-17 Jesus Kneels To Love
9 Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Frees The Demon 38 John 15:1-17 The Fruitful Life: Abiding In
Possessed Christ
10 John 10:1-18 The Christian Life: Secure With 39 Luke 7:36-50 Loving Service
The Loving, Caring Shepherd 40 Luke 10:38-42 Hungering After Christ
11 Genesis 13:1-17 Priorities 41 Joshua 1:1-9 The Servant Vs. The Service
12 Genesis 16:1-16 Man‟s Way Vs. God‟s Way 42 John 6:1-15 The Man God Uses Sharing:
13 Psalm 1 The Victorious Christian Life Giving Of Our Substance
14 Jonah 3 & 4 Lessons From Jonah 43 John 1:35-51 Sharing Our Faith
15 Genesis 22:1-19 Faith And Obedience 44 Isaiah 6:1-8 True Worship
16 l Samuel l5:10-23 Obedience Is Better Than 45 Acts 2:40-47 The Vibrant, Growing Church
Sacrifice
17 Luke 5:1-11 To Know Jesus More Deeply
18 Deuteronomy 8:11-20 Overcoming Complacency
19 Judges l4:1-3,16:1-24 Playing With Temptation

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Bible Study Guide: Volume 1
A WORD TO THE BIBLE STUDY LEADERS
1. Principles of Bible Study:
The outlines contained in this study guide are intended for
use in a small group discussion setting. It uses the inductive
Bible study method as follows:
· Observation A careful look at what the Bible actually says.
We ask questions like who, what, where, when, how, etc.
· Interpretation After observing the passage carefully, we try to
understand what it means. We ask questions like, “Why did he
say that?”; or “What is the significance of this action?” etc.
· Application: Having understood what the Bible says and what
it means, we should learn how to apply it to our lives. Unless
we let the Word of God affect our attitudes and our daily lives,
all our efforts will have been wasted!
2. Your Use of the Guide:
As a wise leader you should regard the guide as a servant,
not a master. First, make the study your own, hearing God
speak to you and your situation. Then prepare with the group in
mind. The questions should never be used mechanically, but
flexibly. They are intended to stimulate thoughtful, personal
investigation of the Bible. You should feel free to adapt the
questions to the group‟s level and needs. Reword them to suit
your personality, using your own dialect if possible.
3. How to Lead the Bible Study:
(Adapted from Neighborhood Bible Studies by M. Kunz
and C. Schell)
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a. Have the Bible portion read silently by the group. Then
have it read aloud by paragraphs. The reading aloud should
be done by paragraphs, or thought units, and not verse by
verse. Then discuss the questions regarding the paragraph.
It is not necessary for everyone to read aloud, or for each
person to read an equal amount.
b. Good Bible study leaders are not lecturers or preachers.
They are more like shepherds who guide their flocks to
green pastures to feed for themselves. So don‟t talk too
much as a leader. The discussions should move back and
forth between members.
c. Encourage everyone to contribute to the discussion. Ask
questions like, “What do the rest of you think? “ or “Is
there anything else that can be added/?”
d One of your basic responsibilities as leader is to watch that
this discussion is based on the text. If it is based on
subjective opinion only, you could refer members back to
the Bible by asking, “Where did you find that in our
passage? “
e. Don‟t be afraid of pauses or periods of silence. People need
time to think through the meaning of the passage. Rephrase
your questions if the pause is too long. Perhaps they do not
understand what you are asking.
f. Watch quiet and shy members who, through their facial
expression or by the way they sit, express that they have
something to say. Give them a nod or call their name to
encourage them to speak.
Bible Study Guide: Volume 1

g. Discourage monopoly of the discussion by one or two

talkative members by specifically directing the questions to
other members of the group.

h. Throughout the study seek to maintain an atmosphere of

love and openness, expectancy to learn from God, and
humility to learn from each other. At the end it is good to
give a short, clear conclusion, summarizing the message of
the passage and its relevance to the group.

4. Prayer Throughout:
Do not presume upon God‟s help, even though it is true that
He is more eager than we that we understand His Word. Prayer
opens up our lives to Him personally and directly. Prayer for
our friends helps to bring divine wisdom in how to relate and
communicate Jesus Christ to them.

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Lesson 1: What Am I Living For?
Lesson 1:
WHAT AM I LIVING FOR?
Luke 12:13-21
Research before the Bible study: One week before the
scheduled Bible study, assign each of your group members to
ask somebody the question “What are you living for? “ Aim for
thoughtful answers.
At the Bible study, the members report. Then the whole group
studies Luke 12:13-21.
Compare the teachings of Scripture with the answers of the
researchers; look for conflicts and agreements.
Bible Readings
Luke 12:13 Then one from the crowd said to Him,
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an
arbitrator over you?”
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of
covetousness, for one‟s life does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a
certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 “And he thought within himself, saying, „What shall I do,
since I have no room to store my crops?‟
18 “So he said, „I will do this: I will pull down my barns and
build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my
goods.
19 „And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid
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up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be
merry.”‟
20 “But God said to him, „Fool! This night your soul will be
required of you; then whose will those things be which you
have provided?‟
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God.” (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Love Of Money (vv. 13-20)
1. What is the practical problem this passage begins with? Do
you know of family problems over money? In what way
was the attitude of this man wrong?
2. In the parable, what was the rich man living for? What did
he think was his security in life? What was the wonderful
future he dreamed of?
3. What are some of our securities? (job, friends, families . . .
) Are they really secure? Why or why not? What are we
striving for in our lives?
4. How did God evaluate the rich man‟s achievements and
values? What was his future in God‟s eyes?
Imagine yourself to be the rich man. You have worked so
hard and accumulated so much. You feel so secure. Now
comes God‟s judgment. How do you feel? What are your
thoughts?
How does knowing this in advance affect the direction of
your life from here on?
B. The Right Reason For Riches (vv. 15-21)
1. Is it wrong to accumulate wealth and be rich? When is it
Lesson 1: What Am I Living For?

wrong and when is it not? (Notice that the rich man in the
parable was condemned not because he accumulated
wealth, but because of the reason he accumulated wealth
[v. 19]. In other words, it is wrong for a person to
accumulate wealth for himself only and to think that
possessions are all that matter.)

From verses 17-19, write down every “I”, “me”, “my”, etc.
to discover what the rich man was living for. How then
should we regard possessions”

2. What key principles did Jesus lay down in verses 15 and

21? What does “rich toward God” in verse 21 mean?

3. How can a person “live for God”? What does it mean and
what does it involve? Sometimes we say that we are living
for God, but our actions show otherwise.

REFLECTION
1. Do I spend most of my time and energy accumulating
money/ honor/position for myself?

2. What occupies my mind more often. God and how I can

please Him, or myself and my problems and needs?

CONCLUSION

Today‟s world measures man‟s success by the amount of

money he earns or possesses. For this reason, possessions and
how to accumulate even more—have become an overpowering
priority in place of pleasing God. May we, as modern
Christians, be found and called “rich toward God” rather than
later be condemned by Christ as “rich fools.”

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Lesson 2: A Corrupt BIR Agent Surrenders
Lesson 2:
A CORRUPT BIR AGENT
SURRENDERS
Luke 19:1-10
If a person truly encounters Jesus, he can never be the same
again. Today we will study just such an encounter.
Bible Readings
Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief
tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he
could not, because of the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see
him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him,
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your
house today.”
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone
to be the guest of a „sinner.‟”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!
Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and
if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back
four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house,
because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was
lost.” (NIV)
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DISCUSSION
A. Zacchaeus - The Despised Tax Collector (vv. 1-7)
1. Describe Zacchaeus, looking for clues in w. 1-7.
2. Why would Zacchaeus want to see Jesus?
What dissatisfaction and longings would such a man as
Zacchaeus be likely to have?
We may not be tax collectors like Zacchaeus. But in what
ways do we cheat people? In what ways do we cheat God?
3. How did Zacchaeus show his eagerness to see Jesus?
(He ran ahead, climbed, watched - w. 4, 5) Are we just as
eager to see Jesus? How do we show our eagerness?
4. Zacchaeus overcame hindrances in his desire to draw near
to God. What hindrances do we meet in our desire to draw
near to God? What have we done -to overcome those
hindrances?
B. Jesus - Lover Of The Despised (vv. 5-7)
1. What did Jesus do when He saw Zacchaeus? (Paid attention
to Zacchaeus. Called him by name.)
What does Jesus‟ reaction teach us about God and the way
He relates to us? (God knows us intimately by name. We
cannot hide anything from Him. He is never too busy to
give us personal attention.)
2. Why did Jesus seem to intrude so boldly into Zacchaeus
life?
Do you think he saw a deep need in Zacchaeus? What was
that need?
In Jeremiah 29:13 God made a promise. How is that
promise fulfilled in Zacchaeus‟ life?
3. How do we usually treat people who are “sinners” and
despised? (v. 7)
How does it contrast with the way Jesus treated Zacchaeus?
(vv. 5-10)
Lesson 2: A Corrupt BIR Agent Surrenders

Zacchaeus did.
C. Zacchaeus - The Repentant Cheat (vv. 8-10)
An interval of time obviously passed between verses 7 and
8, when Jesus explained to Zacchaeus how he and his family
could be saved.
1. What was the change in Zacchaeus after meeting Jesus?
Was the change primarily external or internal?
Why?
2. How did Jesus describe Zacchaeus‟ changed situation?
(Zacchaeus was saved.)
What is “salvation” in verse 9? Is it only for the distant
future, or also for the here and now? (Note verse 9, “Today
salvation .. .”)
How can we experience it? (See Lesson No. 6 of this study
guide - The New Birth.)
3. Is it possible for a man who is saved to remain basically
unchanged? Why?

REFLECTION
1. Have I encountered Jesus in my life?
2. Has my life changed as a result?
3. As I grow to know Jesus more fully, has my life continued
to change, or has it become stagnant?

CONCLUSION

It is amazing how much we can learn from a passage which

at first looks very simple. Today we have seen what happened
when a man who was eagerly seeking, encountered Jesus.
Although Zacchaeus was burdened with sin and despised by
the people, Jesus loved him, accepted him spent time with him
and saved him. Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully and was
dramatically changed. May all of us respond to Jesus like

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Lesson 3: Living Water
Lesson 3:
LIVING WATER
John 4:1-30, 39-42
BACKGROUND: The pureblooded Jews despised the
Samaritans whose Jewish ancestors had intermarried with
foreigners about 700 years before, thus deviating culturally and
religiously. In other words, the Samaritans were “mestizos”
looked down upon by the Jews. Samaria lay between Judea and
Galilee, and orthodox Jews took a longer detour across the
Jordan River to avoid “contamination” with Samaritans.
Bible Readings
John 4:1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees
had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than
John
2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar,
near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob‟s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied
from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth
hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to
her, “Give Me a drink.”
8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that
You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”
For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of
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God, and who it is who says to you, „Give Me a drink,‟ you
would have asked Him, and He would have given you living
water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living
water?
12 “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the
well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his
livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this
water will thirst again,
14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will
never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in
him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I
may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, „I have no husband,‟
18 “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you
now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a
prophet.
20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews
say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to
worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming
when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem,
worship the Father.
22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we
worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the
Lesson 3: Living Water
Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship
in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming”
(who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all
things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled
that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You
seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the
city, and said to the men,
29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.
Could this be the Christ?”
30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. (NKJ)
John 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in
Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told
me all that I ever did.”
40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him
to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed because of His own word.
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not
because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him
and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the
world.”
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Overcoming The Barriers (vv. 1-9)
1. What did Jesus do when He sat down at the well and the
Samaritan woman came?
2. What barriers or prejudices did Jesus overcome by starting
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a conversation with her?
a. Racial - Jews vs. Samaritans
b. Social - respectable teacher vs. adulterous woman
c. Religious - Jews and Samaritans have different beliefs.
3. How do we apply Jesus‟ example in our lives? (Christians
should not have prejudices. We should not hesitate to be
friends with people whose beliefs, customs and way of life
are very different from ours.)
B. The Living Water (vv. 10-20)
1. How did Jesus, step by step, cause the woman‟s attitude to
change?
In verses 10-15, Jesus spoke of the living water.
To understand what this means, let us draw an analogy
from ordinary water.
Why do we drink water? (To quench our physical thirst.)
In our lives, we also thirst or look for many things. What
are the things people usually thirst for? (Money, power,
friends . . .) Assuming that they get what they want, does it
quench their thirst? (Man is never satisfied. For example, if
he wants to have P10,000.00, after he gets it, he will next
want P100,000.00. After he gets that, he will want still
more.)
Why is man this way, and how does the living water
resolve this?
Man has a basic need. He may not know what it is, but the
need is there and he feels it. Some think it can be satisfied
by earning more money, or fame, or power, or education,
etc. But after having these, they still feel their need has not
been satisfied. Hence people like Marilyn Monroe, who had
money, fame, etc. committed suicide. Man cannot really be
satisfied until he finds God. It is because man, whom God
created in His likeness, was made to enjoy God‟s company.
Lesson 3: Living Water
When man sinned (rebelled against God) he was separated
from God and became the enemy of God. He became
spiritually dead. Hence man is now not complete. He is not
what he was meant to be. Hence his basic need.
Cure: The living water. (To be reconciled to God, through
Jesus).
Did the woman understand what Jesus meant, at this point?
How did Jesus explain it to her? (vv. 13,14).
3. Why did Jesus bring up the matter of husband? (v. 16)
(Because before a person can drink of the living water, his
sins have to be acknowledged and dealt with.)
4. Why do you think this woman had 5 husbands? Is there any
relationship between this fact and the need for the living
water that Jesus was speaking of? (vv. 17-18)
(Her having 5 husbands shows that she had a need which
she could not satisfy. She kept on changing husbands in the
hope that she would eventually find someone who could
satisfy her. What she really needed was the living water.)
5. What is the significance of the woman‟s statement in verse
19? (This is the first step in her awareness of who Jesus is.
She now knows He is more than just a man.)
C. Revealing His Identity (vv. 21-30)
1. Here Jesus explained what true worship is (vv. 21-23).
What is the meaning of worshipping the Father “in spirit
and in truth”?
(The place and form of worship are really not so important.
It is the essence of worship that counts. We should know
God personally in order to worship Him in spirit. We
should worship Him in truth, and not put on a show to let
people think how pious we are. As long as a certain form of
worship helps us to worship God better, it is good. Some
other forms may be helpful to others. We as Christians
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should try to appreciate the beauty and relevance of our
form of worship so that we can truly worship God in spirit
and in truth.)
2. The woman seemed well versed in religious matters (vv.
25-26). In verse 12 she mentioned Jacob; in verse 20 she
discussed wors=2; in verse 25 she mentioned the Messiah
(the Christ). (“Messiah” was the Hebrew title given to the
Savior whose coming was promised by the Hebrew
prophets. The Greek word “the Christ” has the same
meaning.) Although all along Jesus had been speaking with
her, she did not yet recognize Him as the Christ. What
lesson can we learn from this?
(Many of us are well versed in religious matters. Many of
us have attended church services since childhood and taken
catechism classes. But do we really know Jesus? Have we
partaken of the living water? Can we share Jesus with
others?)
3. It is strange for a woman of bad repute to go to the city and
declare to the people, “Come, see a man who told me
everything I ever did” (vv. 28-30). Why did she do it? (Her
experience of meeting Christ was of such importance that
she could not keep it to herself. Her natural desire was to
share it with others.)
D. Result Of The Woman’s Testimony (vv. 39-42)
1. What was the result of the woman‟s testimony?
a. The Samaritans came out to see and hear Jesus.
b. Many believed because of her testimony.
c. Many more believed because of Jesus‟ own words.
(Note that they could not have heard Jesus‟ own words
if the woman had not aroused their interest.)
2. How do we apply verse 42 to ourselves? Many of us may
believe in Jesus because of what our priests/pastors say, or
Lesson 3: Living Water

because of what our Christian friends say. But we should

proceed from there and meet Jesus personally. We should
talk with Him ourselves, hear Him ourselves, accept Him
as our Christ, our Savior and Lord.
3. Are we bearing witness to Christ? Have other people come
to know Him through our witness?

CONCLUSION

All of us thirst for the living water. Jesus Christ Himself is

the living water. Our thirst will never be satisfied until we let
Jesus come into our lives and transform us.

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Lesson 4: I Want to See!
Lesson 4:
“I WANT TO SEE!”
Luke 18: 35-43
Many of us feel lost in this world, finding no meaning or
direction in our life. Somehow, we know that there must be
more to life, but cannot “see” what it is. Today we will study
why we feel this way and how we can really “see.”
Bible Readings
Luke 18:35 Then it happened, as He was coming near
Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.
36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it
meant.
37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy
on me!”
39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be
quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy
on me!”
40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to
Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,
41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he
said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has
made you well.”
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him,
glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave
praise to God. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
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A. The Blind Man Looks For Jesus (vv. 35-39)
1. What did the blind man do when he heard Jesus was
passing
Why do you think the blind man called out to Jesus? a. He
knew He was blind. b. He wanted to see. c. He knew Jesus
could heal him. d. He believed Jesus would heal him (v.
42).
2. Do you think this is the first time the blind man heard of
Jesus? Why?
(He must have heard of Jesus before, of how Jesus healed
many people. That is why he cried out to Jesus for mercy.)
The blind man‟s cry was for mercy. What is mercy? Why
did the blind man need it?
3. Most of us take our sight for granted. Let us spend some
time to consider what it means to see.
Ask each of your group members to cite one difference
between a blind man and one who sees.
Although we may not be physically blind, we may be so,
spiritually speaking. What is spiritual blindness? How did
we get to be spiritually blind? How did it become a
problem/dilemma for us?
Compare spiritual blindness with physical blindness. What
similar effects are present when our spiritual eyes are
opened?
PHYSICAL
a. See the wonders of God‟s creation.
b. Become sensitive to light.
c. If we have dirt on us we become aware that we are dirty.
d. Know people more fully. In addition to hearing and
touching them, we can see what they are like and do things
with them which a blind person cannot (like running
together, etc.).
Lesson 4: I Want to See!

e. Be a guide to other blind people. our friends, family, etc. But if we are earnest in our search,
if we persist and cry out to Jesus, He hears us and heals us.
SPIRITUAL Also, note that Jesus „stopped‟ for this blind man. He found
a. Become aware of the greatness and majesty of God. As a time for him, as He has always stopped for every sinner
result, we learn to worship God. who is willing to come to Him. No one is too insignificant
b. Become sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. for Him; no burden of ours is too trivial for Him.)
c. Become aware of our sinfulness.
d. Know God more fully. Be fore, we only used to hear REFLECTION
people talk about God. Now we can “see” Him, know Him,
experience Him, do things with Him. 1. Am I spiritually blind?
e. Share the Good News of God with other people. 2. Do I want to see?
3. Have I cried out to Jesus?
B. Eye Contact With Jesus (vv. 39-43)
1. As discussed earlier, several reasons prompted the blind CONCLUSION
man to call out to Jesus. (Review answers to question 1.)
Let us apply them to ourselves in the spiritual sense. Why
When we come to Jesus and cry out earnestly to Him, He
is each factor important for our eyes to be opened?
heals our spiritual blindness so that we can truly “see.”
a. We must know/acknowledge that we are spiritually
blind. Some people never admit that they are blind.
That is why they cannot be healed.
b. We must want to see. Some people know that they are
blind, but prefer to stay that way.
c. Unless we truly believe Jesus can heal us, we will not
cry out to Him.
d. Unless we believe Jesus will heal us, we will also not
cry out.
2. What did the people around the blind man try to do? (v. 39)
(Prevent him from getting to Jesus.)
What did the blind man do then? (He persisted and finally
was healed.)
How does this also happen in our case? What should be our
reaction to hindrances?
(In our search for God, some people may try to hinder us -

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Lesson 5: Eyes Fully Opened
Lesson 5:
EYES FULLY OPENED
John 9: 1-41
Any of us blind? “Not I,” you say. Don‟t be too sure. Blindness
can have more than one meaning. Today we will study an
encounter of a blind man with Jesus and see how his healing
can be ours too.
Bible Readings
John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was
blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,
but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
4 “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day;
the night is coming when no one can work.
5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and
made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the
blind man with the clay.
7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”
(which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came
back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen
that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He
said, “I am he.”
10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and
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anointed my eyes and said to me, „Go to the pool of Siloam and
wash.‟ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not
know.”
13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.
14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and
opened his eyes.
15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had
received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes,
and I washed, and I see.”
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not
from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others
said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And
there was a division among them.
17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about
Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a
prophet.”
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had
been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents
of him who had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say
was born blind? How then does he now see?”
20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is
our son, and that he was born blind;
21 “but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who
opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will
speak for himself.”
22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews,
for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that
He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to
him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
Lesson 5: Eyes Fully Opened
25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do
not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I
see.”
26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How
did He open your eyes?”
27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not
listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to
become His disciples?”
28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but
we are Moses‟ disciples.
29 “We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we
do not know where He is from.”
30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a
marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet
He has opened my eyes!
31 “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if
anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
32 “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone
opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
33 “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born
in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had
found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of
God?”
36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may
believe in Him?”
37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is
He who is talking with you.”
38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshipped Him.
39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world,
that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may
be made blind.”
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40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these
words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no
sin; but now you say, „We see.‟ Therefore your sin remains.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Setting (vv. 1-5)
1. What did Jesus mean when He said He is the light of the
world in verse 5? Why does the world need “light”?
In what ways is the world in darkness? (sin, ignorance of
spiritual truth)
In verse 5, Jesus says, “But while I am still here in the
world, I give it my light.” Now that He is no longer in the
world, does it mean the world has no more light? (We
Christians have the responsibility of being the “light of the
world,” Matthew 5:14.)
B. The Healing (vv. 6-12)
1. Why did Jesus go to the trouble of mixing mud and spittle
and asking the blind man to go and wash? Could He not
heal him by saying a word? (Jesus wanted to test his faith
and obedience.)
2. What is the significance of Jesus using mud and spittle,
which are seemingly worthless, to heal a man‟s eyes?
(Jesus can use the most ordinary and worthless thing to do
wondrous things.)
Application: Do you often feel you have no special talent?
Do you feel you don‟t have the ability to communicate
Jesus to others? If you are willing to place yourself in
Jesus‟ hands, He can do wondrous things through you.
3. What was the “suit of &e blind man‟s faith and obedience?
4. Let us see what effects the healing had on the formerly
Lesson 5: Eyes Fully Opened
blind man himself and his neighbors.
a. What reactions did his neighbors have? (They noticed
he was changed. They wanted to know how it
happened.)
b. What reactions did he himself have? (He knew it too
and admitted it.)
Application: Blindness here can have a two-fold meaning:
physical blindness and spiritual blindness.
(1) What is spiritual blindness” Are your spiritual eyes
opened? Do you notice the change in yourself?
(2) When you receive Jesus into your heart, is it
possible to have no change in your life? What will the
effects be on yourself and on your friends?
(Your friends will surely notice the difference, and you
yourself will know that Jesus is in you.)
C. The Pharisees’ Reaction (vv. 13-23)
1. What reactions did the Pharisees have? When they
investigated, did they really want to know the truth, or did
they have other motives? Why were they always trying to
find fault with Jesus?
2. Why did the healed man‟s parents not dare speak the truth?
(v. 22)
Application: In what ways are we like the healed man‟s
parents? (Often we are afraid to bear witness to Jesus
among our friends, for fear of being considered “queer” and
ostracized.)
D. The Second Confrontation (vv. 24-34)
1. Since the Pharisees were so authoritative and much more
educated than the healed man, why was the healed man so
courageous in arguing with the Pharisees? (Because he had
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the experience of personally being healed by Jesus).
Application: How do we apply the above in our lives?
(In our conversation with others regarding spiritual matters,
there may be many theological questions which we may not
know how to answer. But if we have personally received
Jesus into our lives, if we have experienced His love and
Spirit in our lives, then we can bear witness to that fact. If
and when some of us go to college, and if some professor
who appears to be very learned and authoritative ridicules
our faith, we can always stand on solid ground by pointing
to our personal experience with Jesus.)
2. Contrast the answer of the healed man with that of his
parents. What caused the difference?
(His parents did not dare tell the Pharisees what really
happened because they were afraid and the experience to
them was “secondhand,” while to the healed man it was a
“first-hand” experience.)
Application: In our spiritual lives, what is a “first-hand”
experience and what is “second-hand”?
(Some of us may go to church only because our parents or
friends want us to go. They may be real Christians but our
association with Christ through them is only a second-hand
experience. We need to receive Jesus into our own hearts to
have a first-hand experience.)
3. Although the healed man gave a courageous testimony
about Jesus, what happened to him? (v. 34) What do we
learn from this? (Real Christians are often persecuted.)
E. Eyes Fully Opened (vv. 35-41)
1. Why did Jesus come and look for the healed man?
a. Concern for his well being.
b. To fully open his spiritual eyes.
2. Trace the various stages of the man‟s understanding of who
Lesson 5: Eyes Fully Opened

Jesus was from verses 11,17, 38.

(A “man”, a “prophet”, and “Lord.”) What is the
significance of this, and how does it apply in our lives? (It
shows that the man was progressing in his knowledge of
Jesus. For us, it is also natural that we pass through several
stages in our knowledge of Jesus. Each of us should ask
ourselves in what stage we are, and whether our knowledge
of Him is still growing.)
3. Verse 39 seems difficult to understand at first glance, but it
is really the key to the whole passage we are studying
today. What does verse 39 mean? (It means those who
admit that they are blind will be healed by Jesus just as the
blind man was healed. But those whose spiritual eyes are
blind but do not admit it and still claim that they can see
(like the Pharisees), will remain blind. Hence verses 40 and
41.)
4. After our spiritual eyes are opened, is it still possible for
our sight to be impaired?
If so, what are the causes?
a. spiritual pride
b. non-use of our spiritual eyes
c. sin in our hearts

CONCLUSION

Today we see the encounter of Jesus with a blind man. The

“blindness‟ can have a two fold meaning—physical and
spiritual. And though none of us may be blind in the physical
sense, it is important to examine ourselves to see if our spiritual
eyes have been fully opened by Jesus.

Page 5 - 4
Lesson 6: The New Birth: God‟s Plan for Salvation
Lesson 6:
THE NEW BIRTH (LIFE):
God’s Plan For Salvation
John 3: 1-18
One of the most basic truths of the Christian faith involves
“salvation” and being “born again.” Sometimes one uses these
terms without fully understanding their meaning. Today we
will study a passage that helps us understand better.
Bible Readings
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi,
we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one
can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother‟s womb and
be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one
is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.
6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, „You must be born
again.‟
8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound
of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So
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is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these
things be?” (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The New Birth (or Being “Born Again”) (vv. 1-7)
1. When Jesus was conversing with the Jewish religious
leader Nicodemus, He said unless a person is born again, he
cannot get into the Kingdom of God (v. 3). What is meant
by “born again”?
(During our first birth, we were born with a physical body
with its old nature. We need to have a new birth, so that
God‟s life, God‟s nature will be in us).
Why do we need this new birth? This new nature? (For us
to understand the contrast between the two kinds of nature,
let us look at a pig and a cat. It is a pig‟s nature to like to be
dirty. Even if we give it a bath, pretty soon it wallows in
mud again. On the other hand, it is a cat‟s nature to like to
be clean. A cat is constantly washing itself with its tongue.
If it accidentally gets dirty it will stop and clean itself at
once. So a pig and a cat behave differently because they
have different natures. Looking at ourselves, we were born
with a sinful nature. There are many things which we know
are wrong, yet we still do them (like lying, cheating, hating,
etc.). We do not have the power not to do them. Sometimes
we resolve to change for the better, specially during New
Year‟s day, but after a few days we are back to our old
selves. This is because of our sinful nature. When the first
man, Adam, sinned (disobeyed God), his nature became
corrupted and sinful. We inherited this sinful nature and
have been following our own ways, our own desires, which
actually are controlled by Satan. The only way to change
all this is to be born again into a new kind of life - the life
Lesson 6: The New Birth: God‟s Plan for Salvation
of God.)
2. How can one be “born again”?
a. Born of water and the Spirit (v. 5)
(The Holy Spirit is the one that initiates our new birth,
not something we can do by ourselves).
b. Believe . . . and have eternal life (v. 16)
c. Receive . . . to become children of God (John 1:12)
NOTE: “Believe” here does not only mean mentally
saying, “It is true.” (Satan also believes Jesus is the Son of
God, but obviously he is not saved.) It is believing in Jesus
with all our heart, repenting of our sins and receiving Him
as Savior and Lord. We turn over our lives to Jesus Christ
to control. The center of our lives is no longer ourselves,
but God.
3. Sometimes we meet non-Christians who live better lives
than Christians. Do they need to be saved also?
Yes. None of us are perfect in God‟s sight. Since God‟s
standard is perfection, none of us are acceptable in God‟s
sight.
Illustration. Suppose all of us are required to swim from
Manila to Cavite. Some jump off the seawall and sink right
away. Some may reach halfway, and then sink. Some may
even nearly reach Cavite, but 10 meters before reaching
shore, run out of strength and sink also. So none of us reach
Cavite. In the same way, none of us reach God‟s standard,
even though some may live very good lives (say 95%
good). The reason Christians are acceptable in God‟s sight
is because Jesus Christ is perfect and we come to God
through Jesus Christ. (In our illustration we can reach
Cavite if carried on the back of an Olympic swimmer.)
B. The Working Of The Holy Spirit (vv. 8-12)
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1. What major point did Jesus illustrate in talking about the
wind in verse 8?
(We may not know where the wind comes from or where it
is going, but we can hear it, and see its effect on things.
Similarly, we may not fully understand hors the Holy Spirit
gives us the new birth, but we know he does it, by
observing its effect on people.)
2. What simple thing did Jesus want Nicodemus to do in
verses 11 and 12? (Accept . . . believe). Are you willing to
accept Jesus and believe His words? Verses 13-16 give
several reasons for taking that step.
C. Why We Believe In Jesus (vv. 13-18)
How could Jesus demand the faith and confidence of
Nicodemus or of any other person? Think about this as you
make a list of everything, which verses 13-16, tells us about
Jesus.
a. Jesus came down from heaven (v. 13), so He is
qualified to tell us of heavenly matters.
b. Verse 14 refers to an incident recorded in Numbers
21:4-9.
Jesus‟ explanation and reference to Himself through
this illustration speaks about the totality of His work:
God becomes man, dies on a cross and is raised again.
Thus Jesus‟ death on the cross brings about the
reconciliation between man and God. Anyone who
looks to Jesus by faith can be cured of the deadly
disease of sm.
c. Verse 16 is an excellent synthesis of the Gospel. What
does it say regarding God? Regarding Jesus? Regarding
you?
Lesson 6: The New Birth: God‟s Plan for Salvation

REFLECTION

Do I want to have the Spirit act in my life?

Do I want to be born anew?

CONCLUSION

The apostle Paul explains the meaning of the new birth in

these words:

“Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old

has passed away, behold, the new has come! ... for our sake He
(God) made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we
might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17,
21).

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Lesson 7: The Glorious Hope: The Way to God
Lesson 7:
THE GLORIOUS HOPE:
The Way To God
John 14: 1-11
BACKGROUND: Time and place where conversation took
place: During the Last Supper, before the arrest and crucifixion
of Jesus by the soldiers.
In John 13:21 Jesus said one of the disciples would betray him.
In verse 33 He said He was going away, to a place where the
disciples could not yet go. Hence chapter 14 verse 1 where He
said, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
Bible Readings
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God,
believe also in Me.
2 “In My Father‟s house are many mansions; if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also.
4 “And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are
going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father
also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is
sufficient for us.”
Page 7 - 1
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet
you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen
the Father; so how can you say, „Show us the Father‟?
10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father
in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own
authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me,
or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Heaven (vv. 1-4)
1. What is the place that Jesus is referring to in v. 2?
2. What is your idea of heaven? (Let several members give
their idea of what they think heaven is.)
3. What do we learn about heaven from this passage?
a. “Many homes” or “rooms” (big enough for all
Christians) (v. 2)
b. Specially prepared for us by our Lord (v. 2).
c. God is there, and we will always be with Him (v. 3).
4. Will we be happy the”? How do you know you will be
happy them? If you do not enjoy living with Jesus here on
earth; if you do not enjoy praying and “acing the Bible and
worshipping Him, do you think you will be happy living
with Him in heaven?
(NOTE: For those who really do not enjoy praying and
reading the Bible, but would like to know how, please see
Lesson 13 of this study guide.)
5. What promise did Jesus make to His disciples in v. 3?
REFLECTION
1. Are you happy living with Jesus he” on earth? Do you
really think you will enjoy being in heaven?
2. Do you really believe Jesus is coming again?
Lesson 7: The Glorious Hope: The Way to God
Do you look forward to His coming again?
What preparations have you made for His Second
Coming?
B. Jesus Is the Way, the Truth and the Life (vv. 5-6)
1. Thomas was an apostle of Jesus and had been following
Jesus for three full years. How was it that he still did not
know where Jesus was going and the way there? Was his
question answered?
Application:
a. In what way are we like Thomas? (Many of us call
ourselves Christians from early childhood onwards. We
go to church regularly. But many of us really know so
little about basic spiritual truths.)
b. In what way can we learn from Thomas? (He was not
ashamed to ask when he did not understand. Likewise
we should not pretend we know everything. His
questions were answered by our Lord in person. Our
questions will be answered through His Word—the
Bible. That is why we are having Bible studies.)
2. What did Jesus mean when He said He is the way?
Why did He not say „l will show you the way”?
Why did He not say „I am one of the ways to heaven”?
Why did He say, “No one comes to the Father except
through me”?
(Since Jesus comes from the Father, He is the only one who
can bring us back to the Father. Since Jesus is the one who
died for our sins, it is only through Him that our sins are
forgiven, that we can be holy and acceptable in the sight of
the Father.)
Nowadays many people are saying that all religions are
Page 7 - 2
essentially the same that they lead to the same God. How
do we refute this kind of statement?
3. What did Jesus mean when he said He is the truth? How is
this statement relevant in the light of present confusion
regarding different moral standards, different ideologies,
different goals, etc.?
4. What did Jesus mean when He said He is the life? Are we
not already alive, even without Jesus? What is “everlasting
life”? If it means that we will be resurrected, does it mean
non-Christians will not be resurrected? What is the
difference?
To understand all of this we should understand what death
is.
What is death?
(Death means separation. When we die physically, our soul
is separated from our body. Spiritual death means our soul
is separated from God, who is the source of life. We are
like a plant, which has been uprooted. When God created
man, His plan was for man to love Him and enjoy His
presence. But man sinned and rebelled against God. Hence
he was cast out from God‟s presence, meaning, he became
spiritually dead. But man is not meant to be separated from
God. Man is now incomplete—hence his feelings of
emptiness and aimlessness. But God still loves us and has
provided a way for us to come back to Him. That is through
accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Then we
become spiritually alive again. Jesus now lives in us. That
is why Jesus said He is the Life.)
C. Knowing God (vv. 7-l 1)
1. Why did Jesus say, “If you know me, you know the
Lesson 7: The Glorious Hope: The Way to God

Father”? In what way can we know Cod?

(Our human minds are very limited. How can we, the
creature, comprehend God, the Creator? Is it not through
seeing and hearing, and then understanding from what we
see and hear?
We “see” the Father and “know” the Father by seeing what
Jesus did—healing the sick, teaching people, dying for
people; hearing what Jesus said—as recorded in the Bible.
Moreover, we know Him by interacting with Him
personally.)
2. How can we know for sure that Jesus‟ claim that He
represents the Father is authentic? (v 11 )

REFLECTION

1. Has Jesus manifested Himself to me personally?

2. Do I have a living relationship with Him?

CONCLUSION

Our Lord gives us a glorious hope. He has prepared heaven

for us, and will be coming back to bring us there. He can do so
because He is the way, the truth and the life.

Page 7 - 3
Lesson 8: Lamb of God
Lesson 8:
LAMB OF GOD
John 1: 29-34; Hebrews 9:11-15
During the Holy Communion service we often hear the phrase:
“Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world ....”
Many don‟t know what it means. Today we are going to study
a portion of Scripture, which lets us understand its meaning.
BACKGROUND: In Old Testament Times, when an Israelite
sinned, and repented of it, he offered a lamb as a sacrifice to
take away his sins.
Bible Readings
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him,
and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world!
30 “This is He of whom I said, „After me comes a Man who is
preferred before me, for He was before me.‟
31 “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to
Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon
Him.
33 “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with
water said to me, „Upon whom you see the Spirit descending,
and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy
Spirit.‟
34 “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good
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things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own
blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having
obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer,
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant,
by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions
under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive
the promise of the eternal inheritance. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. What does “Lamb of God” Means
1. What testimonies regarding Jesus did John give? (vv.
29,30,33,34)
2. What is the meaning of Jesus being the “Lamb of God”?
Read Hebrews 9:11-15.
(The blood of a lamb in Old Testament times could not
really take away the sins of man. It only represented „ -_
Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who came to die for our
sins.)
3. Why was the sacrifice necessary?
What is the effect of our sins?
(Our sins cause us to be separated from God; they make us
spiritually dead - Romans 6:23, enslaved to Satan. That is
why we need Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin on our
behalf to free us from the effects of our sins.)
Lesson 8: Lamb of God

B. The Only Qualified Sacrifice the world. He gave His own life as a sacrifice so that we can be
1. What qualified Jesus to be the Lamb of God? Suppose I am reconciled to God.
willing to die for your sins, would I be qualified? (No,
because I have to die for my own sins, so I cannot die for
somebody else. Jesus was sinless, and He was willing to die
to take our place.)
2. Since Jesus came to die for all men, are all our sins
automatically forgiven? How then can we receive the
forgiveness of sin? (We need to confess our sins to God
before He can forgive us. See 1 John 1:9.)
3. What does it mean to you that Jesus not only forgives your
sins but also takes them away? (We often hear the saying,
“I will forgive you, but I will not forget the offense.” That
is not true forgiveness. When God forgives us, He also
forgets. Jesus has already taken our sins away.)

APPLICATION
1. Have your sins been taken away by the Lamb of God?
2. When you partake of Holy Communion, where or on what
is your attention focused—the wafer and wines or the Body
which was broken for you and the blood which was shed
for you? And the reason why His body had to be broken
and his blood sheds Does His love overwhelm you?
3. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” How can
we share this love?
a. We should love others the way Christ loves us. Give
examples.
b. We should let others know God loves them this way—
which in effect is evangelism.
CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of

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Lesson 9: Jesus Frees the Demon Possessed
Lesson 9:
JESUS FREES THE DEMON
POSSESSED
Mark 5: 1-20
Demon possession is a subject that is troubling many
Christians nowadays. A lot of confusion and fear surrounds the
subject. Many questions are being asked, such as:
Are there really demons?
If a person is possessed by demons, is his condition hopeless?
If not, how can he be healed?
What should be our attitude towards fortune-tellers, spiritistas,
mediums etc.? Is it harmful for us to visit them? Is it harmful
for us to play “Spirit of the Glass”?
Today, we are going to study a case history of demon
possession, and will find the answers to the above questions.
Read Mark 5:1-20
Bible Readings
Mark 5:1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the
country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there
met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could
bind him, not even with chains,
4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.
And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles
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broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in
the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I
to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore
You by God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he
answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them
out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the
mountains.
12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the
swine, that we may enter them.”
13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean
spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two
thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into
the sea, and drowned in the sea.
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city
and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that
had happened.
15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been
demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in
his right mind. And they were afraid.
16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him
who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their
region.
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-
possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go
Lesson 9: Jesus Frees the Demon Possessed
home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord
has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all
that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. (NKJV)
DISCUSSION
A. Reality Of Satan’s Power (vv. 1-5)
1. What are the characteristics of the demon-possessed man?
a. Had extraordinary strength (v. 4) (shows Satan‟s
power)
b. Wandered day and night among the tombs (v. 5)
(lonely, aimless)
c. Screaming (v. 5) (sad, in despair)
d. Cutting himself (v. 5) (reflection of struggle and
conflict within his heart, resulting in self-destruction.)
2. What are the contrasts between a demon-possessed man
and one who is filled with the Holy Spirit?
a. Lonely and aimless versus fullness of life in Jesus, and
having purpose in life.
b. Sadness and despair versus joy.
c. Inner conflict versus inner peace.
Application: All of us are influenced to some extent by
either demons or the Holy Spirit. Rarely do we meet a man
who is totally possessed by demons or totally filled with the
Holy Spirit. Most of us are somewhere in between. As you
reflect on the above characteristics, ask yourselves this
question: Am I influenced more by demons or by the Holy
Spirit?
B. Reality Of Jesus’ Power (vv. 6-13)
1. Was the man‟s condition hopeless? What were his reactions
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when he saw Jesus? (v. 6)
(Although the man was possessed by demons, he longed for
deliverance. [Conflict again!] So he saw Jesus, ran to meet
Him [shows eagerness], fell down and worshipped Jesus
[shows humility and reverence]).
2. Did the demons inside him like it? What was their reaction?
(v. 7)
3. Why did the demons have to beg Jesus? (Shows Jesus has
power and authority over demons)
4. Did Jesus succeed in casting out the demons?
Application:
a. Should we fear the demons? (We should realize that
demons are powerful, and that we should not play
around with them. In that sense we should fear them.
But we should not have an obsessive fear of demons
thinking that nothing in the world can stand up to the
power of the Devil. Our Lord is more powerful than the
Devil, and can keep us safely in His arms.)
b. What should be our attitude towards fortune-tellers,
spiritistas, mediums, etc. or playing “Spirit of the
Glass”?
(We should never visit them nor play any game
associated with the Devil. Read Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
If we violate this clear cut command from the Bible, we
will have to suffer its consequences - being more and
more influenced by the Devil.)
c. What should we do with a man who is possessed by de-
mons?
(Cast out the demons by the name of Jesus. But again,
we should not do this lightly. Read Acts 19:13-16. Not
all Christians are empowered by Jesus to cast out
demons by His name. It should be one who has been
walking closely with Jesus in his daily life. After much
Lesson 9: Jesus Frees the Demon Possessed

prayer, confession, maybe fasting, and after he is What did Jesus tell him to do instead?
clearly led by the Holy Spirit to go and cast out the Did the man obey? What is the characteristic of a man who
demons, he should do so.) truly accepts Christ? (Obedience)
What was the result of this man‟s obedience? (God was
C. Different Responses To Jesus (vv. 14-20) glorified )
1. What changes had come to the man?
2. What were the reactions of the herdsmen and townspeople? CONCLUSION
(vv. 14,15)
3. Why were the people frightened and why did they ask Jesus Jesus is more powerful than demons. He is able to free any
to go away? person possessed by demons if that person comes to Him for
(It may have been a combination of the following: deliverance. Let us have nothing to do with Satan and his
a. They had just lost a herd of pigs. If Jesus stayed around, cohorts, but stay firmly by the side of our Lord.
they might lose other things too. So they valued their
possessions more than Jesus.
b. They may not have wanted to change their old ways.
They knew that accepting Jesus meant changing their
lives.)
Application:
In what ways are we like the herdsmen and townspeople?
(Oftentimes we want God to leave us alone. We don‟t want
Him to interfere with our lives. We feel God might want us
to give up this thing or that thing, do this or that, alter our
system of priorities. In other words, we want ourselves and
not God to run our lives.)
4. After they asked Jesus to leave them alone, what did Jesus
do? (Left them alone!) What lesson can we learn from this?
(Someone has commented that God is a “gentleman.” He
will never force His way into our hearts if we don‟t want
Him. How true! Rut it is we who are the losers if we react
this way.)

5 What was the natural desire of the man who was healed by
Jesus?

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Lesson 10: The Christian Life: Secure with the Loving, Caring Shepherd
Lesson 10:
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
Secure With the Loving, Caring
Shepherd
John 10: 1-18
The deepest needs of man today show in his insecurity, fear
and loneliness. The reason man is always trying to earn more
money, win more friends, etc. is because of these basic needs.
Christians don‟t have to be caught in this “rat race.” Today‟s
passage shows how this problem is solved, and paints a
beautiful picture of the Christian life: secure with the loving,
caring Shepherd.
Bible Readings
John 10:1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not
enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way,
the same is a thief and a robber.
2 “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep.
3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his
voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before
them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 “Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee
from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the
things which He spoke to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, I am the door of the sheep.
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8 “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but
the sheep did not hear them.
9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life
for the sheep.
12 “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does
not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 “The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not
care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am
known by My own.
15 “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I
lay down My life for the sheep.
16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them
also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will
be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My
life that I may take it again.
18 “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This command I have received from My Father.” (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Cared For By A Loving Shepherd (vv. 1-15)
1. How did Jesus describe the relationship between the
shepherd and his sheep?
a. The shepherd calls his sheep by name (v. 3) (knows
each one individually). See also v. 14.
Lesson 10: The Christian Life: Secure with the Loving, Caring Shepherd
Application: Are you aware that our Lord cares for you
as an individual? Do you have a sense of belonging to
Him? How does this relate to your problem of
loneliness?
b. The sheep recognizes his voice and follow him (vv.
4,5). By constant association, the sheep learn to
recognize which voice is the shepherd‟s and which is
not.
Application: Do you recognize our Lord‟s voice? How
do you learn to recognize His voice?
(By regular reading of His Word - the Bible. By prayer
and meditation. By memorizing Bible verses and letting
them become a part of you. By being eager to know
Him. By being sensitive to the guidance of the Holy
Spirit.)
c. The shepherd protects and saves the sheep (w. 8,9).
Who is the thief in w. 1, 8,10? (Satan and his
followers).
How do they attack us? What are our fears today? How
does our Lord protect and save us?
Note that not only is He willing to protect and save us,
but He is able to do so. Why then do we still feel
insecure?
d. The shepherd provides the sheep with abundant life
(life in all its fullness). (v.10)
Application: What is the abundant life for us? (A life
full of love, peace, joy . . . etc.)
Are you experiencing the abundant life now? If not,
why not?
e. The shepherd loves the sheep and cares for them so
much - to the extent of giving his life for the sheep (v.
11).
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Application:
1. Do you sometimes feel nobody in the world really loves
you? Are you experiencing Jesus‟ love and care? In
what ways?
2. How much do you care for the people our Lord has
entrusted to you? Like the shepherd or like the hired
man (vv. 12,13)?
REFLECTION: Is Jesus truly my shepherd, and I His
sheep?
B. The Shepherd’s Flock (vv. 16-18)
In verse 16 Jesus was referring to the non-Jews. In the Old
Testament time, the Jews were the chosen people of God. Jesus
was declaring that from that time on, even people who were not
Jews would be able to come to God through Him. Christians,
regardless of race, would be united in Jesus as one flock.
Application:
a. Among our brothers and sisters in Christ who are
Filipinos, Americans or Chinese, do you feel the
oneness in Christ? If not, why not?
b. In verses 17 and 18, Jesus was saying He laid down His
life for us, not because He had to, not because it was
taken from Him, but because He wanted to. Because He
loves us. He was setting an example for us to follow.
How do we apply this in our relationship to God? In our
relationship to other people?
CONCLUSION
Christians have peace and joy in their lives because they
are secure with the loving and caring Shepherd.
Lesson 11: Priorities
Lesson 11:
PRIORITIES
Genesis 13:1-17
All of us, consciously or unconsciously, have priorities. Our
priorities affect the way we think and act. They determine the
direction of our lives. Today we will study the priorities of
Abram and Lot, and see how we compare with them.
BACKGROUND: Read Genesis 12:1-10. (Let the whole
group read it first before proceeding to read and discuss
Genesis 13:1-17.)
Bible Readings
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of
your country, from your family and from your father‟s house,
to a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make
your name great; and you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who
curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and
Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when
he departed from Haran.
5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother‟s son,
and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the
people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to
go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as
far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were
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then in the land.
7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your
descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar
to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel,
and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the
east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the
name of the LORD.
9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down
to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.
Genesis 13:1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his
wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South.
2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel,
to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between
Bethel and Ai,
4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first.
And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and
tents.
6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might
dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they
could not dwell together.
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram‟s
livestock and the herdsmen of Lot‟s livestock. The Canaanites
and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife
between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your
herdsmen; for we are brethren.
9 “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from
me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go
Lesson 11: Priorities
to the right, then I will go to the left.”
10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that
it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the
land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot
journeyed east. And they separated from each other.
12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the
cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful
against the LORD.
14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from
him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you
are-- northward, southward, eastward, and westward;
15 “for all the land which you see I give to you and your
descendants forever.
16 “And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth;
so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your
descendants also could be numbered.
17 “Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width,
for I give it to you.” (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Priorities And Actions (vv. 1-13)
1. Observe carefully and ask someone to summarize the
events that transpired.
2. What were Abram‟s priorities? How did his actions reflect
his priorities?
a. His first priority was God - “He sought the Lord” (v. 4)
Actions indicating the above:
(1) The journey itself was an act of faith and obedience
to God (v. 3). See Genesis 12:1.
(2) The place where he chose to encamp was the place
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where the Lord had appeared to him before (vv.
3,4). See Genesis 12:8.
(3) The altar was built by Abram and showed his
devotion to God (v. 4).
(Our daily quiet time before our Lord may be
considered the present day equivalent of the altar in
the Old Testament. Both are expressions of
devotion to God, and both stress the importance of
communication with our Lord.)
b. His second priority was others - he valued love and
social harmony (v. 8). Note also his humility (v. 9).
c. Among his priorities, material possessions counted last
(v. 9). He was generous.
Application: Why can those who trust the Lord dare to
be generous?
3. Because Abram was Lot‟s uncle, what should have been
the proper response from Lot to the situation?
What apparently influenced Lot‟s choice? (v. 10)
What does this reveal about Lot‟s priority in life? How did
it affect his lifestyle? (w. 12,13)
What are the characteristics of a person whose first priority
is material possessions (or self-gratification)?
a. No desire to seek God. God gets crowded out.
b. No social values. (Lot did not defer to his uncle.)
c. A loose lifestyle. (Lot moved closer and closer to
Sodom. Although he knew full well the wickedness of
Sodom, he had no spiritual and moral strength to resist.
He ended up living in Sodom. See Genesis l4:12.)
Application: In what ways are we like Lot? Like
Abram? Ask your members to give illustrations from
their daily lives that reflect their priorities.
(1) A good way to test what our priorities are is to
analyze what we do with our “free time”—those
Lesson 11: Priorities

hours of the day after our working hours. anything. See Matthew 6:33.)
(2) Also, we need to analyze how we spend our
working hours. Are our actions during our working CONCLUSION
hours pleasing to God?
Do we value our work more than our relationship May each of us set our priorities right, and live accordingly.
with God or with our co-workers?
Do we use deceptions or half-truths to clinch a
deal?
Do we make others look bad and ourselves look
good in order to win a promotion?
Are we obsessed with our work?
What is the basis for our choice of jobs?
Do we share God‟s love with others in our work
environment?
How do we show we care about others?
(3) To conclude the application portion, let your
members either reflect silently or write down how
they would re-orient their priorities, and how they
would re-adjust their actions to be in accord with
them.

B. The Reassurance (vv. 14-17)

How did God respond to Abram‟s choice? What is the
significance of God‟s promises in the context of what
happened?

(God reassured Abram. Abram had given up something.

And after having made his decision he might have had
misgivings or doubts such as, would he be cheated out of the
good things in life? Or, was he really wise about setting
priorities the way he did? God must have understood and
reassured him and renewed His promise. He seems to be saying
that those who make God their first priority will not lack

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Lesson 12: Man‟s Way vs. God‟s Way
Lesson 12:
Man’s Way VS. God’s Way
Genesis 16: 1-16
Often we are aware of what God‟s way is and what God wants.
But sometimes we follow our own way instead. Today we will
discuss why we do so, and what the consequences often are.
Bible Readings
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram‟s wife, had borne him no
children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name
was Hagar.
2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has
restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid;
perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the
voice of Sarai.
3 Then Sarai, Abram‟s wife, took Hagar her maid, the
Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife,
after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she
saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in
her eyes.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave
my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge
between you and me.”
6 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your
hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly
with her, she fled from her presence.
7 Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water
in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
Page 12 - 1
8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai‟s maid, where have you come
from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from
the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your
mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”
10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply
your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted
for multitude.”
11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her: “Behold, you are
with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name
Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every
man, and every man‟s hand against him. And he shall dwell in
the presenceof all his brethren.”
13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her,
You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here
seen Him who sees me?”
14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is
between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son,
whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael
to Abram. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. No Deadlines For God’s Promises
1. God, in Genesis 12:1-4, had promised to Abram that he
would have many descendants.
How long a time had elapsed from the time the promise
was first given? (v.3)
What action did Sarai suggest they take to have children?
NOTE: Sarai and Abram‟s action was contrary to God‟s
intention for marriage, but was in keeping with the practice
Lesson 12: Man‟s Way vs. God‟s Way

of that day. 1. Disharmony in the household (vv. 4-6).

2. Imagine the struggle in Abram‟s mind while deciding 2. Suffering for Hagar (w. 6 8).
whether to follow God‟s way (and wait in faith for the 3. Disharmony among descendants (v. 12).
promised son through Sarai), or man‟s way (and take Hagar (The descendants of Ishmael are the Arabs. The
as a concubine to bear his son). descendants of Isaac are the Jews. They have been
What were the factors he probably considered that caused constantly at each other‟s throats. Even today, they still
him to choose the latter? are.)
a. He was 85 years old and without a son (v. 16).
b. He had waited 10 long years for God to fulfill His APPLICATION
promise (v. 3).
c. The suggestion came from someone he loved. Based on the examples given in section A(2) above, list the
d. The suggestion was in keeping with the practice of that consequences that usually result from our choice of man‟s way.
day (“Everybody is doing it.”)
With all the above factors, can we say Abram was right in CONCLUSION
acting as he did? Why or why not?
On what basis can we say whether what he did was right or
God‟s way is always the best way, though we may not see
wrong?
for the moment. Let us walk with Him in faith, putting our trust
NOTE: What Abram did seem only rational. However,
in Him especially in these days of turmoil and unrest.
faith is non-rational, though not irrational. In other words,
faith is not against reason, but transcends reason.
Application: Give examples from our daily lives when we
use man‟s way instead of God‟s way. Cite especially those
things that seem to become right just because “everybody‟s
doing it.”
3. What could be the reasons we use our own ways?
a. Don‟t know what God‟s way is - stems from lack of a
close walk with God.
b. Faith in the visible. (Example: going to „spiritistas‟ for
quick healing instead of waiting for God.)
Is God pleased? If we know God is not pleased, why do
we still do it?
B. The High Price of Human Solutions
What were the consequences of Abram‟s choice of man‟s way?

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Lesson 13: The Victorious Christian Life
Lesson 13:
THE VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN
LIFE
Psalm 1
Every Christian wants to live a victorious Christian life. But
some find it difficult. Today we will study a passage that shows
us how to live and have victorious Christian life.
Bible Readings
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the
seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he
meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not
wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the
wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way
of the ungodly shall perish. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Discussion Before Reading Passage:
1. What is your idea of a “victorious Christian life”?
a. A life pleasing to God
b. Victory over sin
Page 13 - 1
c. A fruitful life
d. A life with direction, fulfillment, meaning, which is
sustained.
2. Are most of us living a victorious Christian life? If not,
what are the problems we encounter?
a. Many of us feel close to God at one time or another, but
seem unable to sustain it.
b. We are unable to resist temptations.
c. We forget God when pre-occupied with our daily
routine.
d. God gets crowded out of our hearts when we spend
most of our time and energy in pursuit of our
career/business/family. Hence our lives lose meaning
and direction.
e. Our lives seem to be unfruitful.
f. Looking at other Christians‟ failures and letting them
affect us.
Let us now study the passage and try to find out how we
can overcome these problems.
B. Discussion After Reading Passage:
1. In verse 1, there are three don‟ts. Give examples of each in
our daily lives.
2. Verse 2 tells us how we can sustain a Christian lifestyle.
a. How can we “find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord”?
Do we “study it day and night”? What is our attitude in
our “acing of the Word of God?
Do we read the Bible out of a sense of duty, or do we
read it because we love Him and want to know what He
wants to tell us?
b. Share your experiences frankly.
What do you usually do when you receive a letter?
Lesson 13: The Victorious Christian Life
If we were to liken the Bible to a letter (God‟s love
letter to us), would you have the same attitude?
Does our attitude affect how much we profit from the
Word of God? How? What kind of attitude should we
have?
c. How does studying the Bible regularly affect our
Christian lifestyle?
How does memorizing Scripture help in this regard?
d. Is it possible for a Christian to study the Bible and not
bear fruit? How and why?
How important is obedience in this regard?
3. Verse 3 describes what happens when verses 1 and 2 are
fulfilled.
a. Why is a Christian likened to a “tree that grows beside
a stream”? What is the “water” that a Christian needs?
Contrast it with a tree planted in the desert.
Application: Do you feel “watered” or do you feel
“dry”?
b. What is the “fruit” Christians bear? There are several
kinds of “fruit”:
1) What we are (our character) - see “fruit of the
Spirit” in Galatians 5:22
2) What we do (our actions) - acts of love, etc., e.g.
being good Samaritans
3) People we lead to the Lord - Jesus has made us
“fishers of men.”
Application: Examine your life for a moment. How
much fruit is there? If there is not much, why?
NOTE: Verse 3 describes the tree bearing fruit “in its
season.” In other words, regularly. Do you bear fruit
occasionally or regularly?
c. “They succeed in everything they do” is a tremendous
statement. Why do we often fall short of this? What
Page 13 - 2
relation is there between the growth of our spiritual life
and the success of what we do?
(The ““holistic approach.” God is concerned with our
total person: what we think, what we are, what we do,
what our direction in life is, etc. He must be Lord of all
areas of our lives. Then the success of what we do
follows. Jesus made it more explicit in Matthew 6:33,
“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things shall be given unto
you.”)
Regarding the term “success,” we should be aware that
what is successful in the eyes of God may not always
be successful in the eyes of the world, and vice versa.
4. Verse 4 describes the non-Christian. Is there anybody who
feels like he is “drifting through life”? Like “straw that the
wind blows away”?
What is the solution?
Contrast this picture with the tree that is planted beside the
stream.
What are the differences? (stability, water, fruit, purpose or
meaning)
5. Verses 5 and 6 tell us the end of sinners. Who among us are
not sinners? Just because we are somewhat better than our
neighbors, can we claim to be “righteous”? If not, how do
these verses apply to us?
(Only through confession of our sins and acceptance of
Jesus as Savior can we claim His righteousness as ours.)
APPLICATION
Now that we have studied the passage, how do we apply it
to resolve the problems we cited in section A(2)?
CONCLUSION
Lesson 13: The Victorious Christian Life

The key to a victorious Christian life is to be in total union

with God, letting Him be the Lord of our lives. And the way to
achieve that is to study His Word day and night and delight in
it.

Page 13 - 3
Lesson 14: Lessons from Jonah
Lesson 14:
LESSONS FROM JONAH
Jonah 3 & 4
Almost everyone has heard of the story of Jonah and the big
fish. However, in addition to the traditional story there are also
many other lessons we can learn from the book.
(At this point, summarize chapters 1 and 2 to acquaint your
group with the background. Then ask them to read chapters 3
and 4.)
Bible Readings
Jonah 3:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the
second time, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the
message that I tell you.”
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word
of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a
three-day journey in extent.
4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day‟s walk.
Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall
be overthrown!”
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from
his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with
sackcloth and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published
throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles,
saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste
Page 14 - 1
anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry
mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and
from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away
from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil
way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He
would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became
angry.
2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not
this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled
previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and
merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness,
One who relents from doing harm.
3 “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for
it is better for me to die than to live!”
4 Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the
city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the
shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up
over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him
from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a
worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a
vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah‟s head, so that
he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It
is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry
Lesson 14: Lessons from Jonah
about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry,
even to death!”
10 But the LORD said, “You have had pity on the plant for
which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up
in a night and perished in a night.
11 “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which
are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who
cannot discern between their right hand and their left-- and
much livestock?” (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Nineveh? No Way?
1. Nineveh was a big heathen city - the capital of Assyria,
which was the dreaded enemy of Israel.
What possible reasons would Jonah have for not wanting to
preach God‟s message in Nineveh?
a. Perhaps it was patriotism. Jonah might have wanted the
enemies of Israel to perish.
b. Perhaps it was moral indignation. The people of
Nineveh were really so wicked Jonah might have felt
they deserved to die.
c. Perhaps it was radar prejudice. The Assyrians were
non-Jews, and despised by Jews.
Anyhow, God‟s command to Jonah to go was specific.
Yet Jonah disobeyed.
2. How would you describe Jonah?
a. Disobedient, evaded God
b. Lacking love for others
c. Quick to anger
d. Easily depressed
e. Selfish
f. Possibly having racial prejudice
g. Possibly putting country above God
Page 14 - 2
In what ways are we like Jonah?
Jonah was not all bad. He had some good points too.
In what ways should we be like Jonah?
Honest before God.
Admitting his wrong and then doing what was right.
Giving thanks (inside the fish‟s belly).
B. God Doesn’t Give Up
What do we learn about God in the book of Jonah?
a. Loving
b. Patient (toward both Nineveh and Jonah)
c. Forgiving of those who repent
d. Willing to listen to our complaints and reason with us
C. The Making Of A New Jonah
1. What finally motivated Jonah to preach God‟s message to
Nineveh?
(Jonah preached God‟s message reluctantly. He probably
did it out of a sense of duty, not out of love for God or love
for the people in Nineveh.)
Application: For those of us who are serving God in
whatever capacity, let us examine our motives in serving
Him.
Do we do it reluctantly, out of a sense of duty?
Do we do it to get a reward or win God‟s favor?
Do we do it so that people will look up to us?
Or do we do it because we really love God and love those
whom we serve?
If our motives are not totally pure, how can we remedy
this?
2. Jonah was a prophet of God, yet he had so many obvious
Lesson 14: Lessons from Jonah

faults. What lesson can we learn from this observation?

(We should not be overly critical of the servants of God
today. If the leaders of our church or the leaders of our
fellowships are less than perfect, let us be reminded that
they, like Jonah, have human weaknesses. Let us learn to
pray for one another, especially for our spiritual leaders,
that we might all become more and more like Jesus, as we
grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord.)
3. After experiencing the miraculous deliverance from the
storm and the big fish, and after seeing the spiritual revival
of Nineveh, Jonah went into a depression. He sulked. Why?
What did he do?
(He bared his soul to God. He was completely honest with
God telling Him his pent-up feelings, arguing with Him.
And God answered Jonah. When we experience depression,
the best solution is to bare our soul to God. Tell Him
everything. Tell Him what is bothering us. Tell Him what
we are angry about. Argue with Him. God honors our
honesty, and His Spirit will give us the understanding we
need.
However, note that being completely honest with God does
not imply that we forget who He is and who we are when
we come before Him. He cares to listen in spite of who
man is, not because man has any right to argue with Him.)

CONCLUSION
Ask your group members to each share one lesson they
learned from today‟s passage and how it applies to their daily
lives.

Page 14 - 3
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Lesson 15:
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
Genesis 22: 1-19
BACKGROUND: Maybe impatient in some occasions that we
have previously discussed, but overall Abraham was a man of
great faith. In fact, he was called the “father of faith. “ In
Genesis 17:1-6, God promised Abraham that he would have
many descendants, and would be the father of many nations.
However, Abraham was already 99 years old and had no son.
But God promised that next year he would have a son, and the
promise was fulfilled. The son was named Isaac. When Isaac
had grown to be a lad, the event we are going to study today
took place.
Bible Readings
Genesis 22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God
tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said,
“Here I am.”
2 And He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac,
whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I
shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his
son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and
went to the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the
place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the
donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will
Page 16 - 1
come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it
on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife,
and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My
father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said,
“Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself
the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went
together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him.
And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in
order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar,
upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to
slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and
said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do
anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you
have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind
him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham
went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering
instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, THE-LORD-
WILL-PROVIDE; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of The
LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second
time out of heaven,
16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD,
because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
son, your only son--
17 “blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply
your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand
which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess
the gate of their enemies.
18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and
went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. God’s Command and Abraham’s Response (vv. 1-8)
a. What did God command Abraham to do, and how did
he respond? (w. 2,3)
(Obeyed unhesitatingly. Verse 3 says “The next
morning Abraham got up early . . . “)
b. What lesson can we learn from the fact that God talked
with Abraham?
(God is a person and can communicate with us. He is
not just a “Ground of All Being,” or an impersonal
“Force.” He is alive and real, and interacts with us
intimately. Although we do not hear His voice audibly
nowadays, we can still communicate with Him through
reading His Word and praying, while being sensitive to
the guidance of the Holy Spirit.)
REFLECTION:
1. Are my prayer dialogues or monologues? Am I really
communicating with God?
2. How far was the place of sacrifice from home? (a three day
journey)
3. a. What were the factors that made Abraham‟s obedience
Page 16 - 2
very difficult?
(1) Isaac was his only son, whom he dearly loved.
(2) He had hoped to be the father of many nations
through Isaac.
(3) The three-day journey was probably physically
strenuous for an old man.
(4) He had plenty of time to change his mind - three
full days.
b. Put yourselves in Abraham‟s situation. How would you
have responded? Why? How do we show our obedience
in the face of difficulties?
What do you think was going on in Abraham‟s mind?
Since God had promised Abraham he would be the
father of many nations through Isaac, and now wanted
Isaac sacrificed, do you think Abraham thought God
was breaking His promise?
How do you think Abraham resolved this conflict in his
mind?
(Read Hebrews 11:17-19. It is good to let your group
know that the Old and New Testaments are
inter-related).
4. a. What did Abraham tell his servants to do when he saw
the place in the distance? (vv. 4,5)
b. Why do you think he did that?
(1) Probably he foresaw that the servants would try to
prevent him if he really wanted to go through with
sacrificing Isaac. This shows his determination to
obey God‟s command.
(2) Worship (v. 5) was to Abraham probably a very
sacred and personal experience.
What did Isaac ask Abraham, and how did he
answer? (vv. 7,8)
c. Who or what provision was Abraham referring to
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice

when he said, “God Himself will provide...”? (Isaac ones . . . )

himself. Abraham had no way of knowing that God REFLECTION: Am I willing to sacrifice my “Isaac”
would later on provide the ram.) to God?
c. What does it really mean to “put God first” in our lives?
B. The Crucial Test (vv. 9-14) What are the concrete manifestations of doing this?
1. What did Abraham do when they reached the place of C. The Promise (vv. 15-19)
sacrifice? (vv. 9, 10) 1. What did God do after the test? (vv. 15-18)
2 a. Why did Isaac allow himself to be tied up to be 2. God‟s blessings are so numerous and abundant, they are
sacrificed? What does this show us about Abraham as a often more than we could think or ask. Are you aware of
father? (Isaac probably had an inkling he would be the God‟s numerous promises of blessing to you? Have you
burnt offering (v. 7). But he obeyed up to the end. “Like claimed them?
father, like son.” Abraham must have been a very good
father, teaching his son to fear and love God, CONCLUSION
obedience, etc.)
b. In whet ways are we influencing members of our family Faith and obedience are the marks of a true Christian. We
and close friends? often say we love God. But if we really love Him, we will trust
3. a. What did the Lord do and say through the angel when Him and obey, just as Abraham did.
Abraham took the knife? (w. 11-13)
b. What is the spiritual significance of the ram taking the
place of Isaac as the sacrifice?(The ram signifies Jesus
as the perfect Lamb of God who took our place as a
sacrifice for our sins. See Lesson No. 8 of this study
guide.)
4. a. Why do you think God tested Abraham and let him go
through all this?(Abraham had been walking closely
with God. Then, at age 100 God gave him a son. When
Isaac was growing up, you can imagine the time and
affection Abraham bestowed on him. It may be possible
that Abraham was gradually letting Isaac take the place
of God in his life. God wanted Abraham to decide
whom he would love more.)
b. Who or what is first in our lives? Who or what are the
“Isaacs” in our lives? (Money, position, degrees, loved

Page 16 - 3
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Lesson 16:
OBEDIENCE IS BETTER
THAN SACRIFICE
1 Samuel 15: 1-23
We often talk about how important it is to serve the Lord.
Today we are going to discuss something even more important
than service or sacrifice.
BACKGROUND: Read I Samuel 25:1-9
Did Saul totally or partially disobey God? Is there any
difference? What is God‟s standard for obedience? What does
that mean to us Christians today?
(Saul disobeyed God partially, but the effect was the same as
disobeying Him totally. Elsewhere in the Bible it says if we
break one of God‟s commandments we have broken all—
James 2:10. As Christians we seldom disobey God totally, but
very often, partially. To apply this passage of Scripture to
ourselves does not mean we are to go around killing people in
our Lord‟s name, but to obliterate totally those things and
attitudes in our lives that are displeasing to God).
Bible Readings
1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to
anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore,
heed the voice of the words of the LORD.
2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for
what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when
he came up from Egypt.
Page 16 - 4
3 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and
woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and
donkey.'"
4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them
in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten
thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the
valley.
6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from
among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you
showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came
up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the
Amalekites.
7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way
to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly
destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the
sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good,
and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything
despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
10 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has
turned back from following Me, and has not performed My
commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to
the LORD all night.
12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it
was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he
set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around,
passed by, and gone down to Gilgal."
13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed
are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
the LORD."
14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in
my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
15 And Saul said, "They have brought them from the
Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the
oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have
utterly destroyed."
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Be quiet! And I will tell you
what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him,
"Speak on."
17 So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes,
were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the
LORD anoint you king over Israel?
18 "Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and
utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against
them until they are consumed.'
19 "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why
did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the
LORD?"
20 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of
the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent
me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites.
21 "But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the
best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to
sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in
burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the
LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed
than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word
of the LORD, he also has rejected you from being king." (NKJ)
Page 16 - 5
DISCUSSION
A. Caring For A Lost Brother (vv. 10-16)
1. Was Samuel trying to find fault with Saul or was he
genuinely concerned for Saul? How did he show his
concern?
a. He was deeply moved and cried to the Lord all night for
Saul.
Application: Have we ever cared enough for a brother
in Christ who has gone wrong to pray for him all night?
b. He rose up early the next morning, then he went to look
for Saul
Application: When a brother sins, do we just pray for
him and do nothing? Do we wait for him to come to us?
Suppose he does not come?
c. Samuel told Saul what God had said. (v. 16 ff)
Application: When we counsel a brother who has
sinned, sometimes we beat around the bush and do not
dare get to the point. The most important thing is to tell
what God says in His Word.
2. Notice that Samuel went to see Saul only after the Lord
told Samuel about it (v. 10). What can we learn from this?
(When a brother sins, we should not immediately go and
correct him, based on our own impulse. Instead, we should
be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and go if
bidden by Him, and only after much prayer.)
3. When Samuel found Saul, what was Saul‟s reaction? (Saul
lied.) When Samuel pressed him what was Saul‟s second
reaction?
In what ways are we like Saul when we have sinned and are
being confronted?
a. Lie
b. Shift the blame to somebody else
Lesson 16: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice

c. Try to rationalize, produce alibis, make excuses, etc.

4. Why did Saul say in verse 15, “the Lord your God”? (May APPLICATION
signify that Saul had lost his relationship with God). 1. What are the reasons we disobey God? Are these
reasons valid? Why do we often persist in disobedience
B. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice (vv. 17-23) even if we know it is wrong?
1. After Samuel repeated God‟s command, what was Saul‟s 2. What lessons do we learn from today‟s study? (If
reaction? How does sin eventually affect our reasoning and feasible, ask each of your members to cite one lesson.)
thinking, our defense system?
2. What were the possible reasons Saul disobeyed God? CONCLUSION
a. Love for worldly things - keeping the oxen, etc.
b. Pride - keeping Agag as a trophy All of us should be like Samuel—genuinely concerned for
c. Trying to please men instead of God (v. 21) a fallen brother, bringing God‟s Word to him.
d. Wrong view of God - maybe he really thought God
preferred his sacrifices to his obedience (v. 21) All of us are like Saul. We often obey God only partially,
e. As king, he wanted to do what he pleased, not other with certain areas in our lives which we don‟t want to turn over
people‟s bidding. Contrast with v. 17. We should also to God. May each one of us ask ourselves: What is the “Agag”
beware of our spiritual pride. of my life? In what ways am I trying to offer sacrifices to cover
3. How do we apply verse 22 in our lives? (Ask your up my disobedience, May each of us learn the main lesson of
members to give examples.) What sacrifices do we usually today: Obedience is better than sacrifice.
offer to cover up our disobedience? What does God think
of such sacrifices?
4. Since Saul was a human being, and all human beings
inevitably sin, why was God seemingly so harsh in dealing
with Saul (v. 23)?
a. Saul was king at that time; the higher the position, the
greater the responsibility. “To whom much is given, of
him shall much be required” (Luke 12:48).
b. When confronted by Samuel, Saul repeatedly insisted
he did not do wrong. Contrast this with King David
who committed adultery and murder, but when
confronted by the prophet Nathan, immediately
confessed, and asked God‟s forgiveness.
5. How can we learn to obey God moment by moment?

Page 16 - 6
Lesson 17: To Know Jesus More Deeply
Lesson 17:
TO KNOW JESUS MORE DEEPLY
Luke 5:1-11
Many of us have been Christians for a long time. But how
deeply do we know Christ? How can we know Him better and
serve Him more? Today we will consider these questions as we
study Luke 5:1-11.
BACKGROUND: About a year had passed since Jesus met
Peter and his fellow fishermen. Peter had ample opportunity
during that year to hear Jesus and observe His works. But so
far, there appeared to be little personal commitment on the part
of Peter to Jesus.
Bible Readings
Luke 5:1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to
hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen
had gone from them and were washing their nets.
3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and
asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down
and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch
out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have
toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word
I will let down the net."
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number
of fish, and their net was breaking.
7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come
Page 17 - 1
and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that
they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees,
saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the
catch of fish which they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who
were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be
afraid. From now on you will catch men."
11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook
all and followed Him. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A Some Busy Fishermen (v. 1)
1. What were the possible reasons for the crowd's eager
interest in Jesus? By contrast, what was the attitude of
Simon Peter and his friend?
(Peter and his friend appeared somewhat indifferent to
Jesus. They went about washing their nets while the crowd
pushed their way up to Jesus to listen to what He had to
say. They might have thought, "Oh, I have heard that
before.")
Application: What is your attitude to God and His
teachings?
2. Note how Jesus moved from the crowd to the fishermen
and then to one man. Why do you think Jesus chose Peter‟s
boat to teach from?
(Jesus wanted Peter to know Him more deeply and
experience Him more fully. His singling out Peter showed
Jesus wanted to minister not only to the masses but to each
of us individually also.)
3. Compare the two requests Jesus made of Simon Peter in
verses 34. What do you observe? What did Jesus know
Lesson 17: To Know Jesus More Deeply
about the fishermen‟s problems? How did Peter probably
feel when Jesus asked him to do these things? Why did he
obey anyway? What was Jesus teaching him through these
commands?
(A carpenter teacher was telling a professional fisherman
how to fish. But Peter obeyed. Obedience is the key for us
to know Jesus more deeply and experience Him more
fully.)
B. An Astonished Sinner (vv. 7-10)
1. Describe the results of Simon Peter‟s obedience.
What new things did Peter realize as a result of the
miracle?
In which way do you think his exclamation was logical and
expected? In which way was it not?
(As a fisherman, Peter should have been very happy about
the big catch of fish. But he knew the experience involved
much more than fish. He had come to know Jesus as a
much greater person with greater powers than he had
thought. And immediately he saw by contrast his own
sinfulness, and felt unworthy to be in the presence of
Jesus.)
Notice his change of title for Jesus from verse 5 to verse 8.
REFLECTION: Have there been instances in your life
when the Lord asked you to do something which you felt
was not “logical” in the world‟s eyes?
Did you obey? What was the result of your obedience?
C. Fishers Of Men (vv. 10-11)
1. What did Jesus mean by “fishers of men”?
2. What was the response of Peter after he acknowledged
Jesus as Lord and Master of his life?
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Application:
a. How well does each of us know Jesus? As Teacher?
Savior? Friend? Master and Lord?
How does our knowledge of Jesus affect our response
to Him and His commands?
b. What about Jesus should convince us to value Him
more than anything else in our lives?
What are the hindrances to your personal commitment
to our Lord? How can these hindrances be overcome?
c. How important is obedience to a deeper knowledge of
God?
How obedient have you been to His commands?
d. Christ (as in the Scripture passage), meets both our
physical and spiritual needs. In light of this, what
should be our attitude as we face the petty little worries
of everyday life?
e. Following Christ entails leaving the “old life” behind
and a total change of lifestyle. What used to concern
Peter before (catching fish) no longer concerned him
now. Having encountered Jesus, do we have a new
purpose/new goals in life or are we much the same? Are
we still “catching fish” or are we “fishers of men” for
His Kingdom?
CONCLUSION
We should desire to know Jesus more deeply and
experience Him more fully. For this to happen, we must be
willing to obey, and obey, and allow Him to become the
Master and Lord of our lives. Only then can we fulfill our
commission to be fishers of men.
Lesson 18: Overcoming Complacency
Lesson 18:
OVERCOMING COMPLACENCY
Deuteronomy 8: 11-20
Sometimes in our Christian life we may feel we are not
growing. Or, if we do not feel anything at all, we actually may
be stagnant or even sliding back. One possible reason may be
complacency. If a church has many people who are
complacent, then that church is really in trouble. We will study
today what causes complacency and how to overcome it. In
this passage, Moses gives his last words to the Israelites just
before he died.
Before studying the passage, discuss the following questions:
What are the symptoms (or signs) of complacency?
a. We forget God.
b. We lead a loose lifestyle and fail to keep His
commandments.
c. We feel lukewarm towards spiritual matters—no
burning desire to seek God or serve Him.
d. Stagnation in our spiritual growth.
e. Our time/energy/attention is spent mostly on
career/family/business.
Now read the passage.
Bible Readings
Deuteronomy 8:11 "Beware that you do not forget the
LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His
judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,
12 "lest-- when you have eaten and are full, and have built
Page 18 - 1
beautiful houses and dwell in them;
13 "and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your
silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is
multiplied;
14 "when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD
your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the
house of bondage;
15 "who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in
which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where
there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty
rock;
16 "who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your
fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He
might test you, to do you good in the end--
17 "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my
hand have gained me this wealth.'
18 "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He
who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His
covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
19 "Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD
your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship
them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.
20 "As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so
you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the
voice of the LORD your God. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Signs and Causes of Complacency (vv. 11-14a)
1. Against what sin did Moses warn the Israelites? What signs
would indicate complacency on the part of the Israelites? a.
Forgetting God (vv. 11, 14) b. Not keeping His
commandments (v. 11)
Lesson 18: Overcoming Complacency

2. What could cause their complacency?
a. Basic needs met (v. 12)
b. Everything running smoothly and prospering (v. 13)
REFLECTION
1. How is my spiritual growth and my relationship with
God?
Do I love Him as before, or have I drifted away from
God?
2. Is it because everything is running smoothly in my life?
Because my career/business/family, etc. are prospering?
Is it not ironic that when our Lord blesses us with
prosperity, instead of drawing nearer to Him with praise
and thanksgiving, we become complacent and forget
Him? Why is this so?
B. The Remedy (vv. 14-20)
How did Moses exhort the Israelites so that they would not
become complacent?
1. The Israelites were to recall the following:
a. That they were previously slaves in Egypt (v. 14)
b. That they were rescued from Egypt by the Lord God (v.
14)
c. That they were led through the vast and terrifying
desert by God (v. 15)
d. That God met their needs for water and food in the
wilderness (w. 15, 16)
e. That the testing and blessings were all from God (v. 16)
f. That all their wealth and prosperity were purely God‟s
grace, that on their own they could do nothing (vv.
17,18)
should shock them out of their complacency.
APPLICATION
1. In applying the above, point by point, to our lives, what
can we do to avoid falling into the sin of complacency?
a. We should remember that we were formerly under
the bondage of Satan, that the wages of our sin was
death.
b. We should remember that our Lord Jesus Christ
came to save us from eternal damnation and gave us
eternal life.
2. Verse 19 mentions “other gods.” What other gods do
we have in our lives? (Our business/position/ family,
etc. can become our gods, displacing the true God from
the center of our heart.)
CONCLUSION
All of us should beware of complacency creeping into our
lives. When everything is running smoothly, we should not
forget God. Instead, let us remember how He has saved us, fed
us and blessed us. May all glory and honor be given to Him!

2. The Israelites were warned very sternly (w. 19, 20) which

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Lesson 19: Playing with Temptation
Lesson 19:
PLAYING WITH TEMPTATION
Judges 14:1-3, 16:1-24
Many of us do not realize how dangerous it is to play with
temptation. Today we will study the case history of Samson—
how he played with temptation, and how it caused his
downfall. It is the tragic record of the weakest “strong man” of
Scripture.
BACKGROUND: Samson was born under special
circumstances, like Samuel and John the Baptist. (See Judges
13.) In verse 7, he was to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from
birth to the day of his death. (For the Nazirite vow, see
Numbers 6:2 ff. The practical application of this vow was
denial of se) and separation unto God. The word “Nazirite”
itself means “dedicated or consecrated.”) God also gave
Samson extraordinary strength.
Bible Readings
Judges 14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a
woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I
have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the
Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife."
3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman
among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people,
that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised
Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me,
for she pleases me well." (NKJ)
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Judges 16:1 Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot
there, and went in to her.
2 When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they
surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the
gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the
morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him."
3 And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at
midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the
two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his
shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces
Hebron.
4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley
of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to
her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies,
and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind
him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven
hundred pieces of silver."
6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your
great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict
you."
7 And Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh
bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like
any other man."
8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh
bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room.
And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!"
But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it
touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me
and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound
with."
Lesson 19: Playing with Temptation
11 So he said to her, "If they bind me securely with new ropes
that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be
like any other man."
12 Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with
them, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!"
And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke
them off his arms like a thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, "Until now you have mocked me
and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with." And he
said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my head into the
web of the loom"--
14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said
to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke
from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the
loom.
15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when
your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three
times, and have not told me where your great strength lies."
16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her
words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death,
17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has
ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God
from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will
leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she
sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come
up once more, for he has told me all his heart." So the lords of
the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their
hand.
19 Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a
man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then
she began to torment him, and his strength left him.
20 And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So
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he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at
other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that
the LORD had departed from him.
21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and
brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze
fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.
22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it
had been shaven.
23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a
great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they
said: "Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our
enemy!"
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they
said: "Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the
destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead."
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION:
A. The First Incident (14:1-3)
1. What happened in vv. 1-3?
Why did Samson do as he did? “For she pleases me well”
(v. 3) This is the key to his weakness - self-pleasing.
2. Application:
There are three kinds of pleasers:
a. God pleasers
b. Men pleasers
c. Self pleasers
Which kind are you?
Give examples from our daily lives of how we act like each
of these.
3. Is it always wrong to please ourselves or men? When does
it become wrong?
(The three kinds are not mutually exclusive. We can be all
Lesson 19: Playing with Temptation
three at the same time. What is important is which has
highest priority.
Example: When we take a glass of soft drink or coffee, we
are pleasing ourselves. This is not wrong. But when we
drink 20 glasses of coffee in a day to please ourselves, we
harm our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. By
pleasing ourselves in this case, we fail to please God, when
He should be our priority.)
B. The Second Incident (16:1-3)
1. In this second encounter of Samson with a woman, did
Samson do anything wrong? (He committed adultery.
Although not condoned by God, in the Old Testament
times, a man was allowed more than one wife. However,
having sexual relations with a person who was not his wife
was considered adultery. The seventh commandment in
Exodus 21:14 said, “Thou shall not commit adultery.”)
2. Since Samson committed adultery in this incident, why was
the extraordinary strength given to him by God still with
him?
(This shows God‟s mercy and patience with men. If God
were to be strict with us and deal with us as we deserve,
who among us could stand until nightfall?)
Application: a. Are we aware of God‟s mercy and patience
in our lives? b. Do we tend to abuse His mercy and
patience? Give examples.
C. The Final Straw (16:4-24)
1. What temptations did Samson face?
a. To commit sexual sin
b. To reveal the secret of his strength to the enemy
Page 19 - 3
(Remember that the Israelites and Philistines were enemies,
and God had commissioned Samson “to deliver Israel from
the hand of the Philistines”—13:5)
2. Was Samson aware of what the temptations were? Why?
3. Did Samson show any resistance?
How long did Samson stay with Delilah? Many days (v.
16). Contrast this with what Joseph did when he was
tempted by the wife of his Egyptian master. Joseph resisted
and fled from temptation.
4. Samson was a Nazirite with a vow of self-denial and
separation unto God. He knew he was being tempted. Yet
he spent many days with Delilah, and finally succumbed.
Why?
(He was playing with temptation.)
What were the possible reasons he played with temptation?
a. Perhaps he was over confident, felt that the temptations
were harmless, that he could always escape.
b. Perhaps he was abusing God‟s patience. In the previous
incident, God did not deal with him right away, so he
might have thought he could get away with it again,
even if he sinned.
c. Perhaps his overriding concern was to please himself,
as we saw earlier.
d. Perhaps his relationship with God was not close. He
was far from God.
5. What were the results of his playing with temptation?
a. “The Lord left him” (v. 20). His loss of strength was
evidence of this.
b. He was captured, blinded, chained and thrown into
prison to do forced labor (v. 21).
c. He caused God‟s name to be blasphemed (v. 24). (Bad
testimony)
Lesson 19: Playing with Temptation

APPLICATION
(NOTE: Spend more time of your Bible study session in
this section.)
1. When faced with temptation, do you play with it?
2. How do we play with temptation? Give examples.
3. Why do we play with temptation? Give examples.
4. What are the results when we play with temptation?
Relate to the above examples.
5. What should we do when faced with temptation?
a. Resist the temptation.
b. Flee from the temptation.
c. “Keep watch and pray, that you will not fall into
temptation” (Matt. 26:41). This signifies a close
walk with God. By daily communication with Him,
we will not be easily swayed when temptation
comes.

CONCLUSION

Samson was a man mightily used by God. But he played

with temptation, and this caused his downfall. Let each of us
then examine our life and beware of playing with temptation.

Page 19 - 4
Lesson 20: Overcoming Temptation
Lesson 20:
OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
Genesis 39:1-23
We often meet temptations in our daily lives. Temptations in
themselves are not sins; it is only when we say “yes” to them
that we sin. We want our lives to be pleasing to our Lord, but
we fail Him again and again. Today‟s study shows how we can
overcome temptation in the face of overwhelming odds.
Bible Readings
Genesis 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And
Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an
Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him
down there.
2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man;
and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that
the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he
made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put
under his authority.
5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of
his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the
Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the
LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
6 So he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not
know what he had except for the bread which he ate. And
Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife
cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."
Page 20 - 1
8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my
master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has
committed all that he has to my hand.
9 "There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he
kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife.
How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God?"
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did
not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the
house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was
inside,
12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me."
But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in
her hand and fled outside,
14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them,
saying, "See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He
came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
15 "And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and
cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went
outside."
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came
home.
17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The
Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock
me;
18 "so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he
left his garment with me and fled outside."
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife
spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this
manner," that his anger was aroused.
20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison,
Lesson 20: Overcoming Temptation
a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was
there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and
He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all
the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there,
it was his doing.
23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was
under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him;
and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Overview (vv. 1-6)
1. Briefly relate the background.
2. Describe Joseph.
B. The Temptation (vv. 7-12)
1. What were the various stages in the temptation of Joseph?
How did he handle the temptation?
2. Was the temptation easy or difficult to resist?
Why was it difficult to resist?
a. Fleshly pleasure
b. Repeated temptation (v. 10)
c. Perhaps the woman was beautiful
What possible excuses could Joseph have made and yielded
to the temptation?
3. The above shows how great the temptation was for Joseph.
But he overcame it. Why did he resist the temptation?
a. He was responsible to man (vv. 8,9)
b. He was responsible to God (v. 9)
Are we just as aware of our responsibilities towards man
and God? Give concrete examples of how our falling into
temptation affects our responsibilities towards man and
Page 20 - 2
God.
4. How was Joseph able to overcome the temptation?
a. He had a close walk with God (v. 3).
b. He resisted the temptation at every stage.
Note his responses in verses 7-9,10, 12.
(1) He used his mind - reasoned out (v. 8)
(2) He used his will - refused (w. 8,10)
(3) He used his body - avoided her (v. 10) - ran (v. 12)
APPLICATION
What kind of temptations do we continually encounter?
How do we usually react to them? How can we learn to
overcome them, like Joseph did?
Case 1: Suppose your weakness is drinking. You are unable
to control it, and sometimes you get drunk. How do you
apply the above?
a. Use your mind - Read the Bible to see what it says
about drinking. While it does not prohibit drinking,
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk with wine,
which will only ruin you ....” Also, doctors will tell you
excessive drinking is harmful to the body. And since
“your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (I
Corinthians 6:19), you should not do anything to harm
it.
b. Use your will - Make a decision to stop drinking. While
other people may be able to drink moderately, you
know you are unable to control it. So use your will to
stop drinking altogether. Pray to the Lord for strength.
c. Use your body - If your friends start drinking, and you
know you cannot control yourself if you remain with
them, then get away from there. Flee like Joseph.
Lesson 20: Overcoming Temptation

Case 2: Suppose your weakness is sex. You like to read
dirty books and see “bold” movies. You often have unclean
thoughts and know it is not pleasing to the Lord, but you
cannot stop. How do you apply the above?
a. Use your mind - Read the Bible to see what it says
about unclean thoughts. Read Matthew 5:27-28. (Please
refer to Lesson No. 21 of this study guide for a full
discussion of this.)
b. Use your will - Make a decision not to read any dirty
books or see “bold” movies. Decide to shut off a TV
program that can pollute your mind. Pray to the Lord to
give you strength. Occupy your mind with more
wholesome activities.
c. Use your body - Throw away any dirty stuff you have
at home. If you walk down a street where a “bold”
movie is being shown, cross the street before you come
to it. If you say, “I will just look at the advertisements
and not go inside,” you are fooling yourself and before
you know it, you will be inside.
(We should be ready to suffer persecution and face unjust
accusations. No matter how unbearable our circumstances
seem to be, we should be aware that God is still in control.
“His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways are
higher than our ways” [Isaiah 55:8,9]).
2. Did God forsake Joseph? Why, then, did he land in prison?
How do we know God was still with Joseph?
(Not only was Joseph successful in everything he did in
prison [v. 23], but through his contacts in prison he was
also brought before the king, and later became the governor
over all Egypt. See chapters 40 and 41.)
CONCLUSION
Joseph was a human being like us, with weaknesses and
often faced temptation. But he was able to overcome
temptation by trusting in God and using his mind, will and
body. May each of us do likewise and live a life pleasing to our
Lord.

C. The Unexpected Results (vv. 13-23)

1. What happened to Joseph as a result of his refusal to yield
to temptation?
How did Joseph react when he was framed and placed in
prison? Was he bitter? If you were in his situation, would
you have been bitter?
Why, then, was Joseph not bitter?
(Joseph accepted what had happened to him. In spite of the
unfair treatment he received, he believed that God was still
in control, and had a plan for his life.)
How do we apply this in our lives?
How can we make the most of whatever circumstances we
are in?

Page 20 - 3
Lesson 21: Sins of the Mind
Lesson 21:
SINS OF THE MIND
Matthew 5: 21-30
Matthew 5, 6 and 7 are usually called the “Sermon on the
Mount.” Many precious teachings of our Lord are contained in
them. Today we are going to study a small portion of it which
deals with the most basic part of us— our thoughts.
Bible Readings
Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old,
'You shall not murder,' and whoever murders will be in danger
of the judgment.
22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And
whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the
council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell
fire.
23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you,
24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.
First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer
your gift.
25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the
way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the
judge hand you over to the officer, and you are thrown into
prison.
26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of
there till you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall
not commit adultery.'
Page 21 - 1
28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for
her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it
from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your
members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast
it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your
members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Hatred ant Murder ( vv. 21-22)
1. What was the old definition of murder?
Did Jesus contradict this old definition? If not, what did He
do to it?
2. What is wrong with anger and insult?
Why do they receive such heavy punishment?
(Killing a person is a natural extension of the hatred within.
If we hate a person to the extent of thinking, “I hope
lightning strikes h m dead, or “I hope a car runs over him,”
we have actually killed him in our minds. The reason we do
not carry out the murder is because of the restraints of
society.)
What is the difference between “anger” and “hatred”?
(Anger is usually short-lived. When one nurses anger over
a long time, it usually develops into hatred.)
B. Make Peace Before Making A Sacrifice (vv. 23-24)
1. What is the problem in verse 23? What is the remedy?
What are some examples of our “offering a sacrifice to
God”?
(Serving in the choir in church, giving contributions, etc.
Ask your members to mention as many as possible,
Lesson 21: Sins of the Mind

relevant to their lives.)
2. Note here Jesus says “ . . . and suddenly remember that a
friend has something against you,” not, “you have
something against a friend.”
What is the difference between the two?
(Sometimes after quarreling with somebody, you may say
“Well, I have forgiven him, I am not angry at him
anymore.” But Jesus is saying here that if he is still angry at
you, you should approach him and make peace with him.)
Why is it so difficult to apologize to someone who has
something against you?
thinking “Well, I can always be forgiven again if I sin
again.” We should bear in mind that every time we sin, it is
as if we crucify our Lord once more on the cross.)
CONCLUSION
Today, we have studied a passage relating to our thoughts.
Our Lord is very emphatic that sinning in our thoughts is
equivalent to sinning in our actions. Let us ask Him to keep our
minds pure and acceptable to Him.

C. Make Peace Before It’s Too Late (vv. 25-26)

Bad relationships tend to progress from bad to worse. How do
verses 25 and 26 illustrate this?

D. Mental Adultery (vv. 27-28)

1. Why is adultery wrong?
2. What is mental adultery? Can you commit it by reading
“Playboy” or watching “bold” movies?
3. What about green jokes?
4. What practical steps can we take to avoid committing
mental adultery?

E. Seriousness Of Sin (vv. 29-30)

1. Does sin matter? Should we resist it?
2. Where does sin lead to? See Galatians 5:19-21.
3. Is this command of our Lord to be taken literally or
symbolically?
(It can be taken literally. When our right eye sins, it should
really be taken out. The reason we don‟t take it out is
because Jesus bore the punishment for us already. So when
we sin, and are forgiven, we should not treat it lightly,

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Lesson 22: Repentance (The Prodigal Son)
Lesson 22:
REPENTANCE
(The Prodigal Son)
Luke 15:11-32
Repentance is a very important part of our Christian life. Not
only do we have to repent when we initially forsake our sins
and receive salvation, but there are times we need to repent as
we follow Christ and realize we have sinned in some ways.
Today we will study a passage, which, though familiar, is still
full of meaning.
Bible Readings
Luke 15:11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.
12 "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give
me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them
his livelihood.
13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all
together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his
possessions with prodigal living.
14 "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in
that land, and he began to be in want.
15 "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that
country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 "And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods
that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my
father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I
perish with hunger!
18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
Page 22 - 1
19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me
like one of your hired servants."'
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still
a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and
ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against
heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called
your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe
and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on
his feet.
23 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and
be merry;
24 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost
and is found.' And they began to be merry.
25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and
drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 "So he called one of the servants and asked what these
things meant.
27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because
he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the
fatted calf.'
28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his
father came out and pleaded with him.
29 "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many
years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your
commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young
goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
30 'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured
your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all
that I have is yours.
32 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for
Lesson 22: Repentance (The Prodigal Son)
your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is
found.'" (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Who’s Hurt When I Sin?
1. The parable of the prodigal son is applicable both to a
sinner receiving salvation for the first time and to a
Christian who has sinned. Today we will look at the
parable as portraying a Christian who has sinned.
2. What happens when a Christian sins but has not yet
repented?
a. He feels miserable. In fact, he feels more miserable
than a non-Christian. While a non-Christian feels
emptiness in his life, he does not know what is lacking.
A carnal Christian on the other hand remembers what it
was like to taste and enjoy the love of God and the
sweetness of His fellowship, which are now lost
because of his unconfessed sin. His spirit is now
literally starving.
b. The Father is grieved, and longs for the son to repent
and come back to Him.
After we sin, the thought that prompts us to repent is
usually the fear of punishment, right? How often do we
care that we have grieved our Heavenly Father? Which is
more important? Why?
(When a person becomes a true Christian, his center of
attention should no longer be himself, but rather his Lord
and Master. He should not keep on thinking about how to
make himself happy, etc., but rather how to please his
Heavenly Father, how to love Him., how not to cause Him
grief.)
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B. Steps To True Repentance (vv. 17-20)
What are the steps in true repentance as portrayed by the
younger son‟s actions in the parable?
a. He came to his sense (v. 17). (Realized the situation he was
in)
b. Confessed (v. 18)
c. Got up and started back to his father (v. 20)
Very often after we have sinned, we feel guilty, but then do
nothing. Unless we take all these three steps, we have not truly
repented.
REFLECTION: When I have sinned, do I just feel guilty and do
nothing? Are there still unrepented sins in my life?
C. The Waiting Father (vv. 20-24)
How do verses 20-24 illustrate the love of our Heavenly
Father? Do we really believe it? If so, why are we still
sometimes reluctant to repent when we sin?
The beautiful thing about the story of the prodigal son is that he
came home to find his father waiting for him. How different it
would have been had the son decided to go home but his father
was not there—it would have been a different story. “Faith is
man‟s response to God‟s initiative.” The father had always
been there, waiting for the prodigal son to make the proper
response that of coming back.
D. Guilty Of The Same Crime (vv. 25-32)
In what ways are we sometimes like the elder brother? What
was his main problem?
(His main problem was lack of love—towards his brother and
towards his father. He did not rejoice when his brother
Lesson 22: Repentance (The Prodigal Son)

repented and came home. He had worked for his father all
those years, probably not out of love but out of duty.)

Some of us who have been serving God for many years need to
reexamine our attitude. Do we serve out of love for our Father?
For our brothers and sisters? Or out of a sense of duty? Do we
need to repent of our attitude?

CONCLUSION

We should be aware of how much we grieve our Heavenly

Father when we sin, and how we only put ourselves in a
miserable state when we do. After coming to such a realization,
we should confess our sins and ask forgiveness from our
Father. He is loving and patient and very willing to accept us
again into His arms, no matter how much we have sinned.

Page 22 - 3
Lesson 23: Prayer of Repentance
Lesson 23:
PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Psalm 51
BACKGROUND: (II Samuel 1 1:1 -27, 12:1-24) This is a
prayer of confession by David. After he had committed
adultery with Bathsheba, God sent the prophet Nathan to
confront him. When David realized how dreadfully he had
sinned, he confessed and asked forgiveness from God. This
Psalm shows how deep his repentance was, how he cried out to
God, how much he valued the forgiveness of God.
Bible Readings
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your
lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender
mercies, blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always
before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in
Your sight-- that You may be found just when You speak, and
blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my
mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the
hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have
broken may rejoice.
Page 23 - 1
9 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take
Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by
Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners
shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, the God of my
salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your
righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your
praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; you
do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a
contrite heart-- these, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of
Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of
righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. True Repentance (vv. 1-6)
1. a. What was David‟s reaction after realizing that he had
sinned? (v. 1)
b. Some people do not ask for mercy from God after they
have sinned. Instead what do they try to do?
(1) Some blame others. (David could have blamed
Bathsheba for tempting him.)
(2) Some give all sorts of excuses, or try to cover up
Lesson 23: Prayer of Repentance
their sin.
(3) Some try to avoid God. (David could have tried to
avoid God by refusing to see the prophet Nathan.)
(4) Some try to give offerings to God, hoping to take
away God‟s anger; like giving more contributions,
etc.
David did not do any of the above. A true child of God has
only one recourse and that is to cry out like David, “Lord,
have mercy on me.”
REFLECTION: How do I usually react when I realize that I
have sinned?
2. a. What are the prerequisites for one to be forgiven? (vv.
34)
(l) He must know that he has sinned (v. 3).
(2) He must confess the sin he has committed (v. 4).
b. Against whom did David say he sinned? (v. 4)
What is sin? Against what standards do we measure our
selves when we say we have or have not sinned?
c. What are we usually thinking of after we have sinned?
(1) Some are very conscious of what other people will
think or say.
(2) Some are afraid of the punishment that comes with
sin.
(3) A true child of God is more concerned with
grieving His Heavenly Father against whom he has
sinned. Do we feel this way every time we sin?
d. Why can we be confident that we will be forgiven if we
acknowledge and confess our sins?
(Jesus Christ‟s work on the cross; God‟s promise in I
John 1:9)
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REFLECTION: As I stand before God now, what specific
sins should I confess?
B. Results Of Being Forgiven (vv. 7-12)
When a man‟s sins have been forgiven, what are the results in
his life?
a. He is cleansed (v. 7).
b. He hears the sounds of joy and gladness (v. 8).
c. The bones which God has broken rejoice (v. 8).
What does this mean?
(When we have sinned, we feel burdened as with a heavy
load. We feel depressed and tired. We feel as if our whole
body is aching, as if our bones are broken. Once our sins
are forgiven, however, the heavy load is lifted, we feel free
and our “broken bones” once more rejoice.)
d. His sins are hidden from God‟s face (v. 9).
Sometimes, even after God has forgiven us, we still have
not forgiven ourselves. We keep on thinking, “Why did I
do that? How stupid of me!” How can we learn to forgive
ourselves?
e. A right spirit is renewed within him (v. 10). What does this
mean?
f. He is not cast away from God‟s presence (v. 11).
g. He has the joy of salvation (v. 12).
REFLECTION: Have I experienced the liberating effects of
being forgiven? If not, why not?
C. What We Do After Being Forgiven (vv. 13-19)
1. What should we do after we are forgiven?
a. Help other sinners repent and turn to God (v. 13).
b. Sing aloud the righteousness of God (v. 14).
Some people keep on sinning, thinking that God will
Lesson 23: Prayer of Repentance

always forgive them if they confess their sins. How
can we prevent this from happening in our lives?
(Remember that God forgives sins, but He is also a
just and righteous God. Forgiveness does not come
cheaply. Jesus Christ had to pay the price on the
cross.)
c. Our mouth shows forth God‟s praise (v. 15).
Do we praise God only when we gather for worship
once a week? Let us learn to praise Him every day
ourselves, especially when we realize His greatness and
love in forgiving our sins.
d. Offer sacrifices to God. (vv. 16-19)
REFLECTION: Have I done all of the above? If not, why not?
4. How important is it to be honest before God?
How important is it to be honest before men? (For the
growth of our spiritual life. For the growth of our
character—humility, etc. For the growth of our personal
relationship with God, and also with other people)
Remember: The higher our position, the deeper our
humility should be.
CONCLUSION
Whenever we sin, our only recourse is to confess and cry
out, “Lord forgive me.” No amount of excuses or alibis can
ever be acceptable. What our Lord wants is a broken and
contrite heart. Then he restores within us joy and a right spirit.

2. What kind of sacrifices does God delight in?

What are the conditions for God to accept our offerings?
(God does not desire our sacrifices when our sins remain
unconfessed. We cannot hope to “buy” God‟s favor by
offering sacrifices instead of confessing our sins. It is only
after we have come before Him with a broken and a
contrite heart, after we have cried out to Him for
forgiveness, that God can begin to accept our other
sacrifices. After all, the best sacrifice we can offer is a
broken and contrite heart.)
3. Although forgiveness is available whenever we repent and
confess our sins, we may have to suffer some consequences
of our sins due to existing natural laws through which God
operates. Cite examples.
(a) A man commits adultery with a woman, out of which a
child is born. When he repents and confesses, God
forgives him of the sin of adultery, but the man is still
responsible to support the child.

Page 23 - 3
Lesson 24: Does No Man Condemn You
Lesson 24:
“DOES NO MAN CONDEMN YOU?”
John 8: 1-11
In our daily lives we often criticize and judge one another. It is
easy for us to point out what is wrong with somebody else, but
difficult to realize what is wrong with ourselves. Today we will
study a passage that deals with this very subject.
BACKGROUND: The Jews at Jesus‟ time were under Roman
occupation, like the Philippines was at one time under Japanese
occupation. The laws being administered were Roman laws,
and under Roman law, adultery was not punishable by death.
Bible Readings
John 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple,
and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught
them.
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman
caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in
adultery, in the very act.
5 "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be
stoned. But what do You say?"
6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something
of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on
the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up
and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him
throw a stone at her first."
Page 24 - 1
8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their
conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest
even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman
standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the
woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of
yours? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither
do I condemn you; go and sin no more." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Sly Trap
1. The Scribes and the Pharisees were sure this time that they
could trap Jesus. What were the only answers they thought
Jesus could have to their question?
How did they hope to trap Him in each case? (If Jesus had
answered, “Stone her to death,” the Pharisees would report
to the Roman authorities that Jesus said a woman should be
killed contrary to Roman law. On the other hand, if Jesus
did not advocate stoning her to death, the Pharisees would
say Jesus was not upholding the Law of Moses, thus
discrediting Him in the eyes of the Jews.)
2. Try to put yourself in the woman‟s place and describe her
feelings in each succeeding verse as the narrative
progresses. How would you feel standing before Jesus if
the most shameful thing in your life had suddenly been
made public?
B. The Attitude Test
1. a. What was the people‟s attitude towards the woman?
b. What was Jesus‟ attitude toward the woman?
c. Why did they not also bang the male partner?
Lesson 24: Does No Man Condemn You

d. What did it show about society at that time? None of us has the right to judge others and criticize them
e. How about our society today? negatively. But we often do. Let us remember how our Lord
2. Observe the steps by which Jesus directed His accusers‟ treated the woman caught in adultery, and adjust our attitudes
thoughts towards their own guilt. accordingly.
(a) What do you see about His method? What did their
reaction to Jesus‟ challenge tell us about what was
happening within them?
(b) Why did the old leave ahead of the young?
3. After all accusers left, why did the woman not run away?
What did it show about her realization of the person of
Jesus Christ?
4. Did Jesus condone her sin?
What then did He do?
(Condoning sin means saying “never mind” without paying
the cost. Here Jesus was not condoning her sin, but forgave
her, and paid the price for it by dying on the cross.)

APPLICATION
1. Why do we often criticize and judge people?
2. Should we judge people and criticize them negatively?
Since we know we should not, why do we still criticize and
judge people?
3. What is constructive criticism?
4. What should be our attitude towards our own sins? (strict)
5 What should be our attitude towards other people‟s sins?
(Hate the sin but love the sinner)
6. How do we hate sin but love the sinner?

REFLECTION
In the past few weeks, have I judged people and criticized them
negatively?
CONCLUSION

Page 24 - 2
Lesson 25: Our Hidden Desires
Lesson 25:
OUR HIDDEN DESIRES
Numbers 22:1-22
We Christians profess to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and
Master. We read His Word, pray and seek His will in order to
do what He wants us to do. But sometimes our hidden desires
which are not in accordance with His will show through. Today
we will study how to spot such hidden desires, and how to deal
with them.
Bible Readings
Numbers 22:1 Then the children of Israel moved, and camped
in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from
Jericho.
2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done
to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because
they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the
children of Israel.
4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this company
will lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of
the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the
Moabites at that time.
5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at
Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his
people, to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from
Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling
next to me!
6 "Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me,
for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat
Page 25 - 1
them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom
you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed
with the diviner's fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam
and spoke to him the words of Balak.
8 And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring
back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes
of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men
with you?"
10 So Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab, has sent to me, saying,
11 'Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the
face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I
shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.'"
12 And God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you
shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."
13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of
Balak, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to
give me permission to go with you."
14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said,
"Balaam refuses to come with us."
15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more
honorable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says
Balak the son of Zippor: 'Please let nothing hinder you from
coming to me;
17 'for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do
whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this
people for me.'"
18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak,
"Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and
gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to
Lesson 25: Our Hidden Desires
do less or more.
19 "Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I
may know what more the LORD will say to me."
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the
men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word
which I speak to you-- that you shall do."
21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and
went with the princes of Moab.
22 Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the
Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary
against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two
servants were with him. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Setting (vv. 1-6)
What did the King of Moab fear, and what did he do?
B. The Message and Response (vv. 7-14)
1. Was Balaam clear about what Balak wanted?
2. What was God‟s will and command concerning the matter?
(v. 12) Was it definite? In other words, was there any
ambiguity as to what God‟s will and command was? (none)
3. How did Balaam respond? (v. 13)
C. The Second Try (vv. 15-22)
1. How was the second try more difficult for Balaam to resist
than the first? (w. 15,16)
Application: Ask your members to cite instances in their lives
similar to this.
a. Sometimes we give way to persistence, even when we
know it is not the will of God. Example: a non-Christian
suitor.
Page 25 - 2
b. Sometimes prestige and pressure are involved, making
it more difficult to resist. Example: moving to a more
prestigious place to work, when you know God wants
you in another place.
2. Did Balaam resist? (In words only.)
What was Balaam‟s hidden desire?
(Money. See II Peter 2:15)
3. How did his hidden desire show through his actions?
a. He asked the messengers to “stay here this night” (v.
19).
(Contrast this with what Joseph did when his master‟s
wife tried to seduce him: Joseph fled.)
b. He wanted to ask God again to see what more the Lord
will tell him. (v. 19)
(Since the answer of God in verse 12 was definite
enough, Balaam‟s action was not really to seek God‟s
mind, but to bend God to his own will.)
4. Since God gave Balaam permission to go (v. 20), why was
God angry with Balaam when he went (v. 22)?
(God was angry with Balaam because He knew the hidden
desire in Balaam‟s heart, that Balaam had already set his
mind to go, contrary to God‟s wishes. God permitted
Balaam to go, not to curse the Israelites, but to bless them,
and to teach Balaam a lesson in the process.)
NOTE: The Bible study leader should summarize the
remainder of the story (up to end of chapter 24) for the
group members, so that they can have a complete picture of
the incident.
APPLICATION
1. Give examples from our daily lives wherein what we do
Lesson 25: Our Hidden Desires

and what we say do not agree, where our hidden desires

show through.

Example 1: We say God is first in our lives, but spend most

of our time and energy making more money for ourselves.

Example 2: We say all glory is God‟s, that we seek none

for our own. But deep inside we want glory and praise and
do our best to obtain them.

2. Give examples from our daily lives where we are clear

about what God wants. Yet we ask Him again and again
about the same matter, hoping to bend His will to our own.

Examples: Choosing a life partner, choosing our

profession, choosing where to serve . . .

3. Why do we often have such hidden desires that conflict

with God‟s desires for us?
If we become aware of these desires, how can we deal with
them?
(Discuss based on examples cited.)

CONCLUSION

Our hidden desires are bound to show through one way or

another, like Balaam‟s. Let us be totally honest before God,
asking Him to dig out all our hidden desires and replace them
with His own character.

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Lesson 26: God‟s Chastisement: Usurping God‟s Glory
Lesson 26:
GOD’S CHASTISEMENT:
Usurping God’s Glory
Daniel 4:28-37
God is love. But He also abhors sin, especially the sin of pride.
As such, He exercises discipline over His children. God‟s
chastisement can be swift and terrible. Today we will study
such a case.
BACKGROUND: Read Daniel 4:1-27 as background.
Bible Readings
Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations,
and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied
to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the
Most High God has worked for me.
3 How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from
generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing
in my palace.
5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on
my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of
Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the
interpretation of the dream.
7 Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and
the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they
did not make known to me its interpretation.
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8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is
Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the
Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him,
saying:
9 "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that
the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you,
explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its
interpretation.
10 "These were the visions of my head while on my bed: "I
was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and
its height was great.
11 The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the
heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12 Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was food
for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of
the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there
was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14 He cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and cut
off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the
beasts get out from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound
with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the
beasts on the grass of the earth.
16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be
given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him.
17 'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the
sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living
may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of
men.'
18 "This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you,
Lesson 26: God‟s Chastisement: Usurping God‟s Glory
Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men
of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the
interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you."
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was
astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the
king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its
interpretation trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said,
"My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its
interpretation concern your enemies!
20 The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong,
whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen
by all the earth,
21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which
was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and
in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home--
22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for
your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and
your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one,
coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree
and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound
with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field;
let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the
beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him';
24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of
the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
25 They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with
the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like
oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven
times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High
rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He
chooses.
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26 And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump
and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you,
after you come to know that Heaven rules.
27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you;
break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by
showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a
lengthening of your prosperity."
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the
royal palace of Babylon.
30 The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I
have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the
honor of my majesty?"
31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell
from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the
kingdom has departed from you!
32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall
be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass
like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know
that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to
whomever He chooses."
33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning
Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like
oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had
grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes
to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed
the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:
for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom
is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; he
does according to His will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or
Lesson 26: God‟s Chastisement: Usurping God‟s Glory
say to Him, "What have You done?"
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the
glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me.
My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my
kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the
King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways
justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Warning (vv. 1-27)
1. God‟s chastisement is usually preceded by a warning.
The Bible is full of God‟s warnings to us. Are we aware of
them? If not, why not?
2. In spite of the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was warned, he
still committed the sin he was warned against. Why? AK
we like him in this “yard?
B. The Sin—Usurping (Stealling) The Glory Of God (vv.
28-30)
Most of us are proud in one way or another. Instead of
acknowledging God to be the source of our gifts and blessings,
we tend to give the glory to ourselves.
Give examples from our lives:
1. Having a nice voice/beautiful face/ ....
2. Special skill in: playing ball/arts/ computers . . .
3. Having a bright child
4. Earning lots of money
REFLECTION: Have I been usurping the glory of God? If so, I
must ask for forgiveness.
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C. The Chastisement (vv. 31-33)
1. a. What chastisement came upon Nebuchadnezzart Why
did God chastise Nebuchadnezzar? What is
„chastisement‟? How different is this from punishment?
(Punishment is what is due us when we commit a
wrong act. Chastisement is a disciplinary measure
aimed at correcting a wrong behavior.)
b. What possible forms can chastisement come to us?
c. What should be our attitude when we a” chastised?
2. In Nebuchadnezzar‟s case, the chastisement came
immediately. In our case, it may not have come yet. Why?
How is God‟s sovereignty seen in Nebuchadnezzar‟s case?
our case?
D. Repentance and Restoration (vv. 34~36)
1. Did Nebuchadnezzar repent? How?
a. “Lifted my eyes towards heaven” (v. 34).
b. Acknowledged that God is ruler over all (vv. 34, 35).
(Notice that Nebuchadnezzar‟s repentance came in two
stages. First, he lifted his eyes towards heaven, signifying
his turning towards God. Then his reason returned, and
with it, he was able to fully repent and acknowledge God‟s
sovereignty. Some of us may have minds clogged with sin
and controlled by Satan, but none of us is beyond
redemption. If we really want to repent, God enables us to
do so, even in stages.)
2. What changes came to Nebuchadnezzar, especially his
attitude towards God and glory, before and after his
chastisement?
3. a. Was it Nebuchadnezzar‟s “right” to be restored after he
repented? If not, why was he restored?
b. After we repent, can we “expect” God to restore to us
Lesson 26: God‟s Chastisement: Usurping God‟s Glory

what He has taken away? Is the expectation of

restoration sometimes the secret reason why we repent?
c. Is this kind of repentance genuine? (We can desire and
expect to be reconciled to God after repentance. This
means the restoration of our broken fellowship and
rejoicing in God‟s presence. But to expect to get back
those blessings or gifts He has taken away is to
prostitute our repentance, making our repentance not
genuine. God may or may not give these back. It is His
prerogative. It is His grace.)

E. His Testimony (v. 37)

1. Happy is the man whom God chastises and who learns his
lesson well.
REFLECTION: How do I react when I arm chastised?
2. Love and judgment seem incompatible. But throughout this
whole episode, God‟s mercy and love are shown alongside
His judgment. How?

CONCLUSION

We have often usurped God‟s glory, just like

Nebuchadnezzar. Sooner or later God‟s chastisement will fall
on us, sometimes in unexpected ways. But His judgment is
tempered with mercy. It is for us to lift our eyes to Him and be
restored to fellowship with Him.

Page 26 - 4
Lesson 27: Backsliding and Its Remedy
Lesson 27:
BACKSLIDING AND ITS REMEDY
John 21: 1-14
Many of us have encountered Jesus at one time or another. We
may have experienced a “spiritual high.” But somehow, the
excitement subsided. Then we went back to our old ways. Old
habits. When we do this we feel so far from our Lord.
Sometimes we would like to come back to Him, but feel
ashamed to do so. Today we will study a passage dealing with
this problem.
Bible Readings
John 21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to
the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed
Himself:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana
in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples
were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said
to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and
immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught
nothing.
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the
shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?"
They answered Him, "No."
6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the
boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were
not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It
Page 27 - 1
is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and
plunged into the sea.
8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were
not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the
net with fish.
9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of
coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have
just caught."
11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of
large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there
were so many, the net was not broken.
12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of
the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"-- knowing that it
was the Lord.
13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them,
and likewise the fish.
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His
disciples after He was raised from the dead. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Sliding Back
1. Jesus had resurrected and appeared to the disciples several
times (vv. 1, 14). What were the disciples doing when Jesus
saw them this time? In John 20:21, during the second
appearance of Jesus to the disciples, He specifically sent
them to preach the Gospel to the world. Peter and his
companions had in the past given up their fishing careers
and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11). But now, instead of going
and preaching the good news of salvation, they had gone
back to fishing.
2. What are the possible reasons they did so?
Lesson 27: Backsliding and Its Remedy

a. Some may say that it was out of necessity to meet their
daily needs. But during the past two years or more, they
had followed Jesus full time and had not engaged in
fishing, yet they had enough to eat. God provided for
them, apparently through other followers of Jesus. After
Pentecost, they also preached full time without fishing.
b. One likely explanation is that they had backslidden—
forgotten their commitment to our Lord to serve Him
full time; followed old ways, and attended to their daily
routine only.
3. In what ways are we like them?
B. Marching Forward
1. Did Jesus forsake or rebuke them?
2. What was Jesus‟ attitude towards them?
a. Loving and humble - instead of waiting for the disciples
to go to Him. He went to them (vv. 1, 4, 5).
b. Gentle and caring (vv. 5, 6, 9, 11 )
c. Patient - going to so much trouble just so that they
could learn one lesson.
Jesus seemed to tell them: “If fish is what you want, I
will give them to you. But is this what you really
want?”
immediately talk about going to church/fellowship/Bible
readings/prayers. First, be a friend to him. Visit him. Let
him know you care for him whether or not he comes to
church. Gradually, as he feels more and more accepted by
other Christians, you may begin to talk about
church/fellowship/Bible readings/prayers.)
4. Let us put ourselves in the situation of a person who had
backslidden. What usually are our feelings and actions?
a. Shame and guilt
b. Trying to avoid God - not praying, not reading Bible
c. Trying to avoid other Christians
5. What should be our attitude and response when we have
backslidden?
(Aware that our Lord still loves us and is patiently waiting
for us to come back to Him—that He will accept us. Then
drop to our knees and really return to Him.)
CONCLUSION
Our Lord loves us very much. Even when we have
backslidden, He still loves us and patiently waits for us to
return to Him.

C. Helping The Backslider

1. What is often our attitude towards a brother who has
backslidden?
a. Condemnation and criticism
b. Disgust/frustration
c. Avoidance of him
2. What should be our attitude?
3. What should we do? Share your experiences.
(The best way to help a backslidden brother is not to

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Lesson 28: The Love Commitment: To Follow Christ, To Care for New Christians
Lesson 28:
THE LOVE COMMITMENT:
To Follow Christ Forever
To Care For New Christians
John 21: 15-25
Our Lord was very patient with the disciples who had gone
back to their old pursuits (w. 1-14). When they could not find
fish He told them how to catch so many the net almost broke.
In effect He was telling them—”If you want fish, I will give
you fish. But is this what you really want?”
This is the setting for the conversation that follows.
Bible Readings
John 21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to
Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than
these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah,
do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I
love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you
love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third
time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know
all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed
My sheep.
18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you
girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you
are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird
Page 28 - 1
you and carry you where you do not wish."
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify
God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow
Me."
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus
loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the
supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this
man?"
22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what
is that to you? You follow Me."
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this
disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he
would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is
that to you?"
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote
these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which
if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Loving The Lord And Caring For His Sheep (vv. 15-17)
1. What was Jesus referring to in verse 15 when He said
“these”?
(It may refer either to Peter‟s fellow disciples, to the boat,
nets, fish and Peter‟s fishing career. In the context of what
happened in verses 1-14, it probably referred to the latter.)
Application: What are the things we sometimes value more
than our Lord (perhaps not consciously, but we show by
our actions)? (Money, fame, sensual pleasure, etc.)
What do we really want?
Lesson 28: The Love Commitment: To Follow Christ, To Care for New Christians
2. What was our Lord emphasizing again and again in His
questions to Peter?
a. To stress that the most important ingredient for
Christian service is love. See 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
REFLECTION: Am I serving my Lord out of love, or
because of duty, reward, other people‟s urgings . . .?
b. If we really love our Lord, we will naturally want to
feed His sheep and tend His lambs. Who are the sheep?
the lambs?
REFLECTION: In what ways are we feeding His sheep
and tending His lambs?
(Not only should we encourage and help them to read the
Bible, pray, meditate, bear fruit, etc., but should also care
for them in the context of our church. We should encourage
them to pin the worship services, and fellowship meetings,
know and interact with other members, participate in other
areas of church life. If someone is not yet baptized, by all
means encourage him to be. We should realize we are all
members of one Body, and we cannot exist alone. We
should not be always asking what we can get out of church
life, but what we can give.)
NOTE TO LEADERS: Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.” In
other words, He is the true Shepherd, we are only His
assistants. See John Z 0:11-13. He provides the food, we
just give the food to the lambs, with loving care. Some of
us think of ourselves as the shepherd, and that if we go
away things will collapse. Humbug! We should prayerfully
bring the sheep, including ourselves, to His presence and
feed on Him.
B. Following Christ Forever (vv. 18-25)
1. Note verses 18-19. This was not the first time Jesus called
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Peter to follow Him (see Matthew 4:19 and Luke 5:10, 11).
Why did Jesus have to call Peter so many times? How do
we apply this to our own lives?
(Commitment to follow Jesus is not a once-in-a-lifetime
decision only. When we receive Him as Savior and Lord,
that is only the first step in following Him. We have started
in the right direction. We do not need to receive Him as
Savior and Lord again and again, because the new birth is
only once. But there are times when we need to recommit
our lives to Him, especially if we have backslidden. Verse
19 indicates that Peter once again committed his life to the
Lord.)
2. In verse 20 who was the disciple Peter saw following them?
(John. Since John was the one writing this account, he did
not want to mention his own name directly. So he used two
phrases to identify himself: (a) „The disciple whom Jesus
loved;” (b) and “the one who had leaned .... “)
What was Peter really asking when he said, “Lord, what
about him?”
(In vv. 18 and 19, Jesus was telling Peter he would one day
die for God‟s sake. Then Peter saw John, and he seemed to
be asking, “How about this one you love? Will he also die
as a martyr?”)
3. When Peter was called by our Lord to follow Him, and he
tried to compare himself with John, what did our Lord
answer? What can we learn from Jesus‟ answer?
(Very often when we serve our Lord, we like to compare
ourselves with other people. We may grumble, “How come
I am doing all this work and he is not?” Our Lord‟s answer
shows that it is not our business to ask such questions. Each
of us is responsible to Him for ourselves only.)
CONCLUSION
Lesson 28: The Love Commitment: To Follow Christ, To Care for New Christians

We have been studying God‟s Word for many weeks. How

much have you grown? Are you willing to make the love
commitment - to follow Christ forever, and to care for new
Christians? Instead of waiting for other people to feed us, are
you willing to start feeding other people? Remember, the best
way for us to grow is to help other people grow.

NOTE: Baptism is an important sacrament in the Christian

church. It is declaring before the world that “from now on I am
forsaking Satan and all his works. Now I belong to Christ and
will follow Him forever. “

Page 28 - 3
Lesson 29: Regaining Our First Love
Lesson 29:
REGAINING OUR FIRST LOVE
Revelation 2: 1-5
BACKGROUND: Read Revelation 1.
Author : The apostle John, under the command of God.
When : During his old aye, at his exile on the island of
Patmos (v. 9).
What : John saw a vision, and God told him to write to the
seven churches (v. 11). Each church had both its
strong and weak points.
Application: We should not keep on grumbling and
complaining that the church we are in is like this and like that.
Let us thank our Lord for our strong points, and ask Him to
remedy our weak points.
Now study chapter 2:1-5.
Bible Readings
Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right
hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that
you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those
who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them
liars;
3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have
labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.
4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left
your first love.
5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent
Page 29 - 1
and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and
remove your lampstand from its place-- unless you repent.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Losing Our “First Love” (vv. 1-4)
1. a. What were the strong points of the church of Ephesus?
b. What was its weakness? How did this single weak point
weigh against the strong points?
c. Is this true of our church today? In what ways?
2. What are the characteristics of “first love”? Apply first to
human lovers. Then extend to man and God.
a. Between human lovers - Enthusiasm, excitement, trying
to please each other, desiring to talk and be with each
other, knowing each other‟s thoughts, oneness, having
joy and interest in each other, willingness to sacrifice
for the other, commitment to each other, etc.
b. Between man and God - Apply above. In describing
first love, usually enthusiasm and excitement come
immediately to our minds. Although emotional feelings
are important, commitment is even more important.
What does commitment to our God mean? What does it
involve?
(Choosing Him and no other, God having highest priority
in our lives; loving Him with all our heart, mind, strength;
obedience to Him; following Him through trials and
suffering even though we do not understand why at the
moment . . .)
What does it mean to lose our “first love” for God?
REFLECTION: Was there a time when I really loved God?
What was it like?
What about now? Do I love God as I did at first?
Lesson 29: Regaining Our First Love

3. Some of the characteristics of the church of Ephesus (like REFLECTION

being hardworking and patient) seem like evidences of
love. Why, then, did the Lord say they had lost their first
love?
(They might have been exhibiting the outward motions
without really having love in them. Activity is not equal to
spirituality. Being an officer, an active civic worker, etc.
does not make one spiritual. The Lord knows the heart of
man, and no facade can fool Him. We fool ourselves by
thinking activity/service is good enough.)
4. What are the reasons we lose our first love?
a. Crowding out God with other things or persons
b. Sin
c. Laziness
d. Ambition
e. Pre-occupation with activities
What are the reasons I have lost my first loves
Ask for forgiveness.
Ask for strength to return to Him.
CONCLUSION
In the life of a Christian as in the church of Ephesus,
something can go badly wrong if one is not watchful. The
earnest service may be there; the gallant endurance may be
there; the unimpeachable doctrine and conduct may even be
there—but the enthusiastic commitment to and warm love for
God are gone. Let us not wait for God to sadly say, “Because
of this I come to you and remove your lampstand from its
place.” Rather, as Christians, let us constantly desire and
commit ourselves to sustain our first love for God.

Give examples of each from our daily lives.

B. Regaining Our “First Love” (v. 5 )

1. How can we regain our first love for God?
a. Be aware that we have lost our first love.
b. Recall, or think of where we fell and how far we have
fallen.
c. Repent, or turn away from our sins.
d. Do what we did at first.
2. Why must we regain our first love?
3. What if we do not? What is the meaning of the candlestick
being removed from its place? (Cannot glorify and witness
for God. Lose our chance to serve Him. Cannot be effective
even if we try to serve.)

Page 29 - 2
Lesson 31: Fear and Anxiety
Lesson 30:
GENEROSITY AND JEALOUSY
Matthew 20:1-16
This parable, told by Jesus, deals with a very common human
problem —jealousy. Contrast it with God‟s generosity and the
meaning of pure grace.
Bible Readings
Matt 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who
went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius
a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others
standing idle in the marketplace,
4 "and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and
whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and
did likewise.
6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others
standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing
here idle all day?'
7 "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to
them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you
will receive.'
8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said
to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages,
beginning with the last to the first.'
9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh
hour, they each received a denarius.
10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would
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receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 "And when they had received it, they complained against
the landowner,
12 "saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and
you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the
heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing
you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this
last man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own
things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are
called, but few chosen." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
verses 1-2 What was the agreement made between the owner
and workers hired early in the morning?
verses 3-7 What was the agreement made between the owner
and the workers hired later?
verses 8-15 How were the men paid?
What were the reactions?
Why were the early laborers grumbling?
If you had been one of them, would you have
done the same? Why?
Did the owner fulfill the agreements?
Were the “rumblings justified?
A. Man’s Jealousy (vv. 1-15)
1. What causes jealousy (envy)? Is it because we want more,
or because we want more than others? How is it related to
pride and self-centeredness? Should a Christian have pride
(ego)? What is the difference between pride and
Lesson 31: Fear and Anxiety

self-respect?
2. In the parable, was the owner obligated to pay the late
comers that well? What do we learn about God‟s character
from this? (His generosity)
3. What is pure grace? What should be our attitude when we
receive grace? Our attitude when others receive grace?
How can we learn to be contented?
(Grace is something we receive which we do not deserve.
Of course we are very happy and thankful when we receive
grace. If others receive grace, we should be happy for them,
too. But often our reaction is the opposite. We are unhappy
and jealous [envious] because “they do not deserve it.” But
that is precisely the meaning of grace. When we stand
before God, none of us deserve anything. All that we
receive is pure grace from God‟s generosity. God does not
owe us anything. When we fully realize this, it is easier for
us to be contented and not be jealous or envious.)
4. Ask your members to give illustrations from their daily
lives when they have experienced feelings of jealousy
(envy), and discuss how to deal with those feelings.
5. Very often, we tend to compare ourselves with other
people—our difficulties, struggles, trials, etc.; or in terms
of the work we do. Who should be our standard? To whom
are we accountable?
They trusted the owner to give them what was right (v.
4). They trusted the owner‟s character.
What kind of worker are we in God‟s vineyard?
3. What is the meaning of verse 16? What warning or
teaching does it give us?
(Many of us want to stand on our rights. We think that
since we came to know the Lord and started serving Him
much earlier than many others, we would naturally be more
“spiritual than they.” We become complacent. But the fact
is, many late comers who hunger after God‟s Word, who
loves Him fervently, overtake the earlier ones.)
CONCLUSION
Our Heavenly Father is loving and generous. All that we
are and have are gifts from Him, which we do not deserve. Let
us always be thankful for His grace and not be jealous
(envious) of others who also receive His grace.

B. God’s Generosity (vv. 15,16)

1. The main point of this parable is God‟s generosity. As
God‟s children, we should also learn to be generous. Cite
examples from our daily lives on how we can be generous.
2. Note that there are two kinds of workers in the parable:
a. The men who were hired early but would not work until
they knew how much they would make.
b. The men who were hired later but had no contract.

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Lesson 31: Fear and Anxiety
Lesson 31:
FEAR AND ANXIETY
Exodus 14: 10-14
Many of us are troubled by fear and anxiety and do not know
how to deal with them. The more we think about them, the
tighter our fear and anxiety grip us. This may distort our minds
and immobilize us Today we will look at how God wants us to
deal with them.
BACKGROUND: Read Exodus 14:1-9 God, through Moses,
had manifested His power throughout the land of Egypt by
sending plagues again and again until Pharaoh agreed to let the
Israelites go. When the Israelites were at the edge of the Red
Sea, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them.
Hence this incident.
Bible Readings
Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of
Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched
after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel
cried out to the LORD.
11 Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in
Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why
have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 "Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let
us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have
been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should
die in the wilderness."
13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand
still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will
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accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see
today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your
peace." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Demolished By Fear (vv. 10~12)
1. What was the cause of fear among the Israelites?
a. The threat - Pharaoh‟s army was approaching near,
ready to kill them.
b. No escape (feeling of hopelessness) - Their back was
against the Red Sea.
c. No way to resist (feeling of helplessness) - They were
no match for Pharaoh‟s army.
Application: Ask your members to share instances in their
lives when they were troubled by fear and anxiety. Analyze
the common elements of threat and feelings of helplessness
and hopelessness. What other things are causing them fear
and anxiety now?
2. How did the Israelites express the fear that gripped them?
How had this fear distorted their minds?
a. Cried out to the Lord (v. 10)
b. Blamed Moses (v. 11)
c. Regretted being delivered from Egypt (v. 12)
NOTE: Fear had distorted their minds. Although they had
already seen the mighty acts of God when they were led out
of Egypt, they still felt helpless and abandoned when faced
with the threat of Pharaoh‟s army. Instead of being grateful
for having been delivered from slavery, they regretted it.
Lesson 31: Fear and Anxiety

If you had been one of the Israelites, what would have been
your reactions?
In the instances given in Section 1, what were your natural
reactions?
In what way are fear and trust related?
B. Delivered From Fear (vv. 13-14)
1. What was the solution to their fear?
a. Stand fast - v. 13 (signifies trust in the Lord)
b. See the salvation of the Lord - v. 13 (instead of looking
at Pharaoh‟s army approaching)
Application: How do we apply this? The more we look at
our difficult circumstances, the more it will generate fear
and anxiety in our hearts. When we fix our eyes on our
Lord Jesus and His promises, remembering how He has
blessed us and carried us in the past, our fears and anxieties
will dissipate.
Keep silent - v. 14 (instead of fretting and blaming others)
FOR THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU (v. 14)
should be no obstacles, no hardships. The moment
difficulties arise, we fret and complain.
5. The journey was but a transient episode between what had
been slavery, etc. and the better things to come—the land
of Canaan. A Christian‟s life is very much like a journey.
This world is not our home, we are sojourners. Canaan lies
ahead. What is a Christian‟s Canaan?
APPLICATION
In light of this, how should we view trials and suffering?
How does putting things in proper perspective help us deal
with the sources of our fear and anxiety?
CONCLUSION
The solution to our fear and anxiety is to let the Lord fight
for us. He is able, He is willing, and He is faithful to His
promise. Our part is to stand fast, keep silent, and see the
salvation of our Lord.

2. Ask your members how they can best deal with the sources
of fear and anxiety cited earlier, based on what they have
learned from this Bible study.
3. Note that the Israelite‟s fear and anxiety were lessened
when Moses assured them of God‟s intention.
How do we apply this in our lives?
(Appreciate the value of Christian fellowship and godly
counsel. Find strength in mutual encouragement and
uplifting.)
4. We are at times very much like the Israelites. We think that
if what God has promised is something good, then there

Page 31 - 4
Lesson 32: What To Do in Times of Crisis
Lesson 32:
WHAT TO DO IN TIMES OF CRISIS
Acts 12: 1-19
Christians are sometimes confused in a time of crisis. Should
we only pray? Or should we try to do something more?
Today‟s passage gives us some guidelines regarding this.
Bible Readings
Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out
his hand to harass some from the church.
2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded
further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of
Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison,
and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him,
intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was
offered to God for him by the church.
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night
Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two
soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the
prison.
7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light
shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised
him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his
hands.
8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your
sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your
garment and follow me."
Page 32 - 1
9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that
what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was
seeing a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts,
they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened
to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down
one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know
for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered
me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the
Jewish people."
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of
Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where
many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named
Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness
she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter
stood before the gate.
15 But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept
insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel."
16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the
door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he
declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the
prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the
brethren." And he departed and went to another place.
18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among
the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him,
he examined the guards and commanded that they should be
put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and
stayed there. (NKJ)
Lesson 32: What To Do in Times of Crisis
DISCUSSION
A. No Small Crisis (vv. 1-11)
1. From verses 1-5, describe the background of the story.
What happened to Peter?
2. From verses ~10, how was Peter delivered from prison?
From what happened, we can draw the following principle:
“What we can do, we are expected to do. What we cannot
do, God will do for us.”
3. How does each part of the incident illustrate the above
principle?
a. Peter was chained. He could not do anything about it,
so the angel broke the chains for him (v. 7).
b. Peter could put on his sandals and coat by himself. This
he was expected to do for himself (v. 8).
c. Peter could not open the iron gate. The angel opened it
for him (v. 9).
d. Peter could walk down the street by himself. So the
angel left him (v. 10).
Application: What do people usually do when they meet a
crisis?
a. How do we apply the above principle when we get
terribly sick? (We should consult a doctor and take
medicine, because it is expected of us to do what we
can. But after taking medicine, we should commit
ourselves to God for healing. Some people take
medicine but continue to worry. This is not applying the
second part of the principle.)
b. Ask your members to think of the problems or crises
they face and how the principle could be applied to
them.
For example:
Page 32 - 2
(1) Family crisis - broken family, parents quarreling.
(2) Having a broken heart
(3) Being on the verge of emotional breakdown (4)
Having an economic crisis
c. How does this principle differ from the saying, “God
helps those who help themselves”?
(This latter saying is only the first part of the principle.
A person who follows this saying has a tendency to act
and act and act. When he cannot do anything anymore,
he starts to worry, because there is nothing else he can
do. We should rest in the promise of God that what we
cannot do, He will do for us.)
d. Do we worry a lot? Why? How can we experience the
peace that God has promised at all times?
4. Peter now has “hindsight” (v.11). What is “hindsight”?
Why is it just as important as “foresight”?
B. No Small Miracle (vv. 12-19)
1. What happened afterwards? (w. 12-19)
The disciples had been praying for Peter (vv. 5, 12). Now
that their prayers had been answered, what was their
reaction? (v. 15)
2. Why was it so? What does this show us regarding their
expectations when they prayed?
Ask your members to compare their attitudes and
expectations when they pray. When have they shown a
similar lack of faith?
How de we correct this lack of faith? (Pray seriously. Pray
with an expectant heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to transform
our mind and attitude to conform to His will. When prayer
is answered, remember to give thanks.)
CONCLUSION
Lesson 32: What To Do in Times of Crisis

When we meet a crisis, always remember: “What we can

do, we are expected to do. What we cannot do, God will do for
us.”

Page 32 - 3
Lesson 33: Suffering Yet Rejoicing
Lesson 33:
SUFFERING YET REJOICING
1 Peter 1:1-9
Many of us cannot stand suffering. We worry, we fret, we
complain. But what should be our attitude as Christians? Today
we shall study a passage that shows how we can cope with
trials and suffering.
Bible Readings
1 Pet 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of
the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia,
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to
a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does
not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if
need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may
be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus
Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see
Page 33 - 1
Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full
of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith-- the salvation of your souls.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. To Refresh With Hope (vv. 1-5)
1. Who wrote this letter and how did he describe himself?
2. In verses 1 and 2, how did he describe the people to whom
he wrote?
How did each way he described them meet a need they
probably had as refugees?
a. What identity did these people have? (v. 1) Who chose
them?
b. What destiny did these people have? (v. 2)
How does this give meaning to their lives?
To whom should they be loyal and obey?
In what ways are we also like refugees, and in what
ways do the above apply to us?
3. In verses 3 to 5, how did Peter describe the salvation of
Christians? What was his attitude?
Describe the blessings/inheritance reserved for Christians.
How are they different from the earthly riches that people
aim for and strive for?
B. To Refine Like Gold (vv. 6-8)
1. Verses 6 and 7 address the subject of suffering directly.
a. Why do we meet trials and sufferings?
(1) Trials come to test our faith (v. 7).
Through them we are being purified like gold.
(2) When our lives have undergone testing, they bring
praise and glory and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ
(v. 7).
Lesson 33: Suffering Yet Rejoicing
(3) The greater the suffering, the more we see
God‟s greatness manifested in our lives if we
allow Him to work in our lives.
Application: During times of trials and suffering, does
our faith endures Do we bring praise and glory and
honor to our Lord? Why or why not?
b. How do we usually react when we meet trials and
suffering? What are the consequences of such attitudes?
ATTITUDES CONSEQUENCES
(1) We blame God or keep on (1) We become far from God.
asking why. Feel bitter.
(2) We feel hopeless or (2) We may seek other means
depressed. of help, like going to psychic
healers or „spiritistas‟ thus
compounding the problem.
2. From the text that we are studying, what should be our
attitude when we meet trials and suffering? (Rejoice with
unutterable and exalted joy-vv. 6 and 8.)
3. What are the consequences of such an attitude?
a. God is glorified.
b. Others who have heard or seen how God has worked in
our lives will be strengthened and edified.
c. Our own faith will be strengthened.
C. To Rejoice In Pain (vv. 8, 9)
1. How can we rejoice when we meet trials and suffering?
Verse 8 mentions love. When we truly love a person, it is
easier for us to endure suffering for his sake.
Give examples from our daily lives to illustrate this point.
a. Because a mother loves her baby, she does not mind
Page 33 - 2
cleaning his wastes and soiling her hands.
b. Because Jesus loves us, He willingly gave His body
to be broken and His blood shed for our sake.
REFLECTION:
1. How much do I love my Lord?
Am I really willing to suffer for His sake?
Or am I usually thinking of myself and my problems, and
not of Him and how to please Him?
2. What is said about a Christian‟s past, present and future in
verses 3-9? If we are already saved, why do we still “hope
for salvation”?
Salvation has three tenses.
a. We were saved from our sins and from condemnation
by God when we first became Christians.
b. We are being saved everyday, as we struggle and fight
against sin and Satan in our daily lives.
c. We will be saved on the Last Day, when we shall be
totally changed into His likeness.
(See also II Corinthians 1:10)
3. In verses 3-9, what sustains us when we meet trials and
suffering?
a. Hope (vv. 3,4,5,9)
b. Faith (v. 7)
c. Love (v. 8)
These are the three great pillars of the Christian faith (I
Corinthians 13:13).
How are these three inter-related?
CONCLUSION
Christians are not free from trials and suffering. These are
actually good for us, for they test our faith and result in glory to
Lesson 33: Suffering Yet Rejoicing

our Lord. As we love God more and more, being sustained by

the glorious hope He has given us, we will be able to rejoice as
we suffer for His sake.

Page 33 - 3
Lesson 34: What is True Love
Lesson 34:
WHAT IS TRUE LOVE?
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a
Everybody likes to speak of love. But love means different
things to different people. “True love” in the romantic sense
often turns out to be not so true after all. The best definition of
love anytime, anywhere is still found in the Word of God.
Bible Readings
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass
or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits
me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does
not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Love never fails. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Importance Of Love (vv. 1-3)
1. What are the things that usually impress people, that people
Page 34 - 1
usually consider important?
a. The ability to speak well (v. 1)
b. Much knowledge and wisdom (v. 2) c. Faith that can
move mountains (v. 2) d. Dramatic gestures/sacrifices
(v. 3)
2. Why is love more important than the above? What does the
supreme position given to love show about the person of
God? (God is love. His greatest commandment is that we
should love one another - John 15:12. Everything else pales
in comparison.)
B. What True Love Is (vv. 4-&)
1. Illustrate by examples from daily life each of the different
characteristics of love listed in this passage. (If possible,
ask your members to take turns giving examples. It is
important for them to relate the true qualities of love to
their lives. The discussion on this section should be the
main activity for today.)
REFLECTION:
Reflect on your own life and experience.
Where are you strong?
Where are you weak?
How can you show this kind of love to others?
2. Do the people in our church show this kind of love to one
another? How do we help each other have this kind of
love?
CONCLUSION
Loving others totally the 1 Corinthians 13 way is not just
difficult; it is humanly impossible! But this is true love. First,
Lesson 34: What is True Love

love is a matter of choice. It is easier not to love (especially

obnoxious offenders) but we can will or choose to love.
Second, as we choose to love, trust that God (who is love) is
our constant source not only of this kind of love but also of the
capability and power to model it.

Note: Supplementary materials on love:

1. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis makes a comprehensive

study on love.
2. Love can also be differentiated as follows:
a. Love because of (love with a reason) - Because you are
beautiful, I love you.
Because you are . . . I love you.
b. Love if (love with a condition) - If you buy me
chocolates, I will love you.
c. Love in spite of (unconditional, sacrificial love) - In
spite of the fact that we are sinners, God still loves us.
(Needless to say, this is the kind of love God wants us
to have.) In spite of the fact that you have hurt me, I
still love you.

Page 34 - 2
Lesson 35: Love That is Practical
Lesson 35:
LOVE THAT IS PRACTICAL
1 John 3:13-19
In the previous study, love is seen essentially as an attitude.
Today, we will study how to translate it into action.
Bible Readings
1 John 3:13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates
you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because
we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides
in death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know
that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.
And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in
need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of
God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but
in deed and in truth.
19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Equipped To Love (vv. 13-16)
1. Who is the apostle John addressing when he says “my
brothers”? (Real Christians)
2. Why do the people of the world hate real Christians?
(Satan is constantly at war with Christ. The people of the
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world are under the control of Satan, while real Christians
belong to Christ. So we are all involved in this great
spiritual warfare.)
3. What is the mark of a real Christian?
(Those who have left death and come over into life - v. 14.
And because we have the life of Christ in us, we will love
our brother v. 14.)
Application: Each of us should ask ourselves: Do I have the
mark of a real Christian?
Verse 15 sounds pretty strong. It equates hatred with
murder. Please note that our Lord Himself says the same in
Matthew 5:2122. For a fuller discussion on this, see Lesson
No. 21 (Sins of the Mind) of this study guide.
5. Psychology tells us that a child who has never been loved is
unable to love.
Why is a Christian able to love his brother? (v. 16)
Do you really know the love of Jesus?
Do you really feel loved by Jesus?
If not, why not?
B. Not With Words Alone (vv. 17-19)
1. How do we “give our lives for our brothers”?
Is it not giving what we hold precious in our lives to our
brothers?
What do we consider most precious in our lives?
a. Money
b. Time
c. Talent
d. Attention
2. In connection with verses 17 and 18, read James 2:15-17.
People often criticize Christians thus: „You Christians pray
and read the Bible all day long. But we haven‟t seen what
your love is like.”
Lesson 35: Love That is Practical

How true? We should not only look after the “souls” of

people, but after their other needs as well.
3. How do we show a love that is practical?
a. The poor - how do we help them?
1. Some people say, “Think of all the poor in the
world. They are so many it is useless trying to help
them all.” Is this right?
2. Is it right for us to throw extravagant parties and
have extravagant clothes when so many people in
our society live below the poverty line?
b. How do we look after widows and orphans]
c. Do we visit prisoners? the mentally retarded? the sick?
The elderly?
d. How do we help flood victims?
e. How do we care for the sorrowful in heart?
f. The Boy Scouts have a motto: “One good deed every
day.”
How about us?

APPLICATION
How can we become more sensitive to the needs around us
and respond in love?

CONCLUSION

Since love is the most important ingredient in a Christian‟s

life, let each of us examine our life to see whether it is filled
with love; whether we love only with words, or with deeds
also.

Page 35 - 2
Lesson 36: Love in Action
Lesson 36:
LOVE IN ACTION
Luke 10: 2-37
Christians like to talk about love. We know all about love—
different kinds of love, why we should love, how we should
love, etc. But do we really do it? Today we will study a
passage, which will prick our conscience.
Bible Readings
Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great,
but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest.
3 "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among
wolves.
4 "Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and
greet no one along the road.
5 "But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this
house.'
6 "And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if
not, it will return to you.
7 "And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such
things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do
not go from house to house.
8 "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such
things as are set before you.
9 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of
God has come near to you.'
10 "But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you,
go out into its streets and say,
11 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off
Page 36 - 1
against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God
has come near you.'
12 "But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day
for Sodom than for that city.
13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the
mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre
and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes.
14 "But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the
judgment than for you.
15 "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be
thrust down to Hades.
16 "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects
Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in Your name."
18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from
heaven.
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents
and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are
subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are
written in heaven."
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank
You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden
these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to
babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
22 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and
no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the
Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to
reveal Him."
23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately,
Lesson 36: Love in Action
"Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;
24 "for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to
see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you
hear, and have not heard it."
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him,
saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your
reading of it?"
27 So he answered and said," 'You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as
yourself.'"
28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this
and you will live."
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who
is my neighbor?"
30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who
stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed,
leaving him half dead.
31 "Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And
when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 "Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and
looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he
was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on
oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to
an inn, and took care of him.
35 "On the next day, when he departed, he took out two
denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take
care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again,
I will repay you.'
Page 36 - 2
36 "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him
who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus
said to him, "Go and do likewise." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The “Experts”’ Kind of Love (vv. 25-32)
1. What was the concern of the teacher of the law? (v. 25)
2. How did Jesus respond to him?
Love for God and love for man go hand in hand (v. 27).
Why?
3. Who were the priest and the Levite?
Did they see the hold-up victim? What possible reasons
could they have had for not stopping and helping?
Why do you think Jesus used these particular characters in
His story?
Application: Levites were people serving in the Temple,
helping the priests. They correspond to the people serving
in our church today. We know about love and talk about
love. But sometimes a situation arises wherein we should
put love into action—but we draw back.
Can you think of some such instances?
They don‟t have to be dramatic events everyday
happenings are just as relevant.
Examples:
a. A little brother needing tutoring for his exam
b. A friend who got sick
c. Someone having emotional problems
d. An accident victim
e. A newcomer in church or the fellowship
4. What are some of the reasons we give to justify our lack of
Lesson 36: Love in Action

action? How sound are these reasons? enough to know about love and talk about love. We must show
it in our everyday lives.
B. The Despised Samaritan’s Love In Action (vv. 33-37)
1. a. List the actions of the Samaritan. What sacrifices did he
make? Why did he do it? What is “compassion”?
b. If you had been the Samaritan, would you have done
the same?
c. Would you put that person‟s needs ahead of „your‟
business?
2. a. How do we apply verse 37?
b. Who is my neighbor?
How can we develop an increasing love for our neighbor?
How can we remedy our lack of action?
Making a conscious effort to show love makes a lot of
difference. The Boy Scouts have a motto: “One good deed
a day.” Can a Christian do less?

REFLECTION
How often am I putting love into action:
Once a day?
Once a week?
Once a months

Think of your different roles in life. Example: as a student,

son (daughter), brother (sister), husband (wife), friend. List
down at least three specific things you can do immediately
to show your love.

CONCLUSION

Our Lord gave a vivid picture of love in action. It is not

Page 36 - 3
Lesson 37: Jesus Kneels to Love
Lesson 37:
JESUS KNEELS TO LOVE
John 13: 1-17
In our society we are used to the idea of the rich and powerful
ordering people around, and the lowly people are the ones who
serve. Today we will study how Jesus Christ, through His
example, changed this standard.
BACKGROUND: Jesus was nearing the time of His death.
His disciples had just been arguing who of them would be
appointed to the highest cabinet posts in Jesus „ coming
government. (See Luke 22:24)
It was the Jewish custom of those days that whenever guests
came to dinner, the house slave would wash the guests „feet
which were dirty from the dusty roads. In this incident, there
was no slave present, and apparently none of the disciples had
offered to wash the feet of the others.
Bible Readings
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus
knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this
world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the
world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it
into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His
hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel
and girded Himself.
Page 37 - 1
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash
the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which
He was girded.
6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him,
"Lord, are You washing my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do
not understand now, but you will know after this."
8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus
answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with
Me."
9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also
my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash
his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all
of you."
11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said,
"You are not all clean."
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and
sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have
done to you?
13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I
am.
14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I
have done to you.
16 "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than
his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
(NKJ)
Lesson 37: Jesus Kneels to Love
DISCUSSION
A. The Feet-Washing (vv. 1-11)
1. Imagine yourself as one of the disciples when Jesus arose,
took off His outer garment and put on the slave‟s towel.
What would be your reaction?
Why do you think none of the disciples had taken the
initiative to wash the others‟ feet?
2. The disciples had been following Jesus for three years
already. They had heard Jesus preach innumerable times
about love and humility. Why were they still quarreling
among themselves about who should be greater, and why
was no one willing to humble himself and wash the others‟
feet?
(They probably found their feelings of pride and animosity
hard to overcome. Their sinful human nature was still very
much a part of them. Also, they were “slow learners.”)
Application: In what ways are we like them? (Many of us
have been Christians for many years already, yet our
character are far from being Christlike. Many of us are also
“slow learners.”)
3. If you were Simon Peter, what thoughts would have flashed
through your mind as Jesus approached you?
What feelings would have flooded over you? Why would
you not want Jesus to wash your feet? Then why would you
ask Him to give you a complete bath?
4. How did Jesus respond to Simon Peter‟s apparent
embarrassment and confusion? How do we apply Jesus‟
reply in verse 10 that “he who has bathed does not need to
wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over”?
(In those days, the people wore sandals. When arriving at a
house after walking the dusty roads, all they had to do was
wash their feet and they became clean again. There was no
need to bathe the whole body. In the same way, when we
Page 37 - 2
Christians commit sins in our daily walk, we need to come
to God for forgiveness; then we are cleansed. We do not
however need to accept Him as Savior again and again.)
5. Assuming that the disciples did not want to wash each
others‟ feet for fear of being looked down upon, why did
not one of them volunteer to take the place of Jesus or at
least assist Him when Jesus started to wash their feet?
Especially Peter, this seeming leader of the disciples?
(Again, they were “slow learners,” even when their Master
had shown the way.)
In what ways are we “slow learners” too? Give examples.
How can we begin to overcome this?
B. What the Feet-Washing Meant (vv. 12-17)
1. Several reasons prompted Jesus to wash His disciples‟ feet.
What was the obvious reason? What was the symbolic
reason? What was still another reason?
a. Obvious reason - Their feet were dirty and needed
washing.
b. Symbolic reason - Jesus wanted to teach them humility
and love.
Another reason - As their Lord and teacher, Jesus wanted to
set an example for them to follow.
2. What motivated Jesus to do this and how do we apply it?
(Jesus did it out of love (v. 1). When we humble ourselves
and serve, it should not be out of a sense of duty, but out of
love).
Application: What practical examples from our everyday
lives can you give where Jesus‟ example should be
followed?
3. What reminder does verse 17 give us?
(To know these truths concerning humility, unselfishness
and service is but one thing. The real value and blessedness
Lesson 37: Jesus Kneels to Love

lie in doing them.)

CONCLUSION

Our Lord Himself set an example for us to follow—humility

and love. Whoever is great shall be the servant of all.

Page 37 - 3
Lesson 38: the Fruitful Life: Abiding in Christ
Lesson 38:
THE FRUITFUL LIFE:
Abiding In Christ
John 15: 1-17
We learned in Lesson 10 that the Christian life is one that is
secure with the loving, caring Shepherd. We learned in Lesson
7 that we have a glorious hope. But what is our responsibility
in our Christian life? This will be discussed in today‟s passage.
Notes on text:
verse 4 - “Abide in me” can also be interpreted as “stay
constantly with me” or “live in me. “
verse 6 - This verse should not be interpreted as relating to
salvation, as if a person will lose his salvation if he disobeys
God and sins. Rather, it refers to our fellowship with God and
our usefulness. When we are separated from God, we can do
nothing and are useless, like a useless branch that is cut off and
burned. (We should realize that all analogies have limitations
and usually illustrate one main point only, so we should not
carry an interpretation to its extremes.)
verse 16- “You did not choose me, but I chose you. “ This
verse emphasizes the sovereignty of God. How do we reconcile
it with man‟s free will? Perhaps we can say, “Whoever wants
to choose God, God will choose him. “ But we should realize
God is not a passive God who sits around waiting for us to
choose Him, but an active God who initiates His love, who
prepared the plan of salvation and invites us to choose Him.
Christianity is God-centered, not man-centered.
Page 38 - 1
Bible Readings
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser.
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may
bear more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have
spoken to you.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch
and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the
fire, and they are burned.
7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will
ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so
you will be My disciples.
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in
My love.
10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in
His love.
11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain
in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I
have loved you.
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's
Lesson 38: the Fruitful Life: Abiding in Christ
life for his friends.
14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not
know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,
for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known
to you.
16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should
remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may
give you.
17 "These things I command you, that you love one another.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Abiding In Christ (vv. 1-4)
1. How are we related to the Father?
2. What is meant by “fruit” throughout this passage?
a. Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22) -
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
b. Fruit of our labor when we share our faith with
others. How many persons have come to know Christ
personally because you cared enough to share?
c. Good works such as acts of kindness, helping
people, etc. Give specific examples. How often do you
do good works? Christians sometimes overemphasize
“salvation by faith,” and neglect good works. How can
this be corrected?
Among the above three kinds of fruit, which do you have
more of, and which less? Why do you have less of some?
3. How can we bear much fruit?
a. By at least trying, and bearing a little fruit, because our
Father will “prune” us to bear more fruit (v. 2)
Page 38 - 2
b. By being cleansed by the Word of God (v. 3)
c. By abiding in Christ (living in Him) (v. 4)
B. Reasons We Abide In Christ (vv. 5-11)
1. Why should we abide in Him?
a. Because apart from Him, we can do nothing (v. 5)
Application: Many of us feel we are so weak spiritually.
We like to serve Him, like to share our faith with
others, but do not seem to be able to do so. Why?
b. So that our prayer will be answered (v. 7)
c. When we bear much fruit, our Father is glorified (v. 8)
Note: Christianity is God-centered, not man-centered.
Although it is true a person usually becomes attracted to
Christ because of his personal needs and problems, once a
person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord, his attention
should shift from himself to God. From then on he should
not always be thinking, „What can I get out of this,” but
rather, “How can I please God?” He should be the center of
our thoughts, our emotions, our actions. We will want to
glorify Him for His name‟s sake.
Application: How often have we thought of glorifying our
Father through our daily lives? Or are we still always
thinking of ourselves?
d. Because of His love (v. 9)
He loves to be with us. Talk with us. Do things with us.
Do you love to do so with Him too?
e. That our joy may be full (v. 11). Do you have this joy?
If not, why not?
C. Love - The Central Ingredient (vv. 12-17)
Lesson 38: the Fruitful Life: Abiding in Christ

Our Lord reiterated once more that love is the central

ingredient in a Christian‟s life. He commands us to love (vv.
12,17), shows us how to love by His own example (v. 13), and
makes us His friends instead of slaves or servants because of
His love (v. 15).

APPLICATION

Is love the central ingredient in your life? Think back on this

past week—all that you have done and said. Was it because of
love? How much fruit have you borne? Have you glorified our
Father?

CONCLUSION

Christians have a responsibility to lead a fruitful life. But we

cannot be fruitful unless we abide in Christ. Because apart
from Him, we can do nothing.

Page 38 - 3
Lesson 39: Loving Service
Lesson 39:
LOVING SERVICE
Luke 7: 36-50
Different people serve Jesus Christ for different reasons. Today
we will study how two persons served Jesus—the how‟s and
why‟s, and then compare our own service with theirs.
BACKGROUND: The Pharisees were members of a Jewish
religious party which prided itself in strict observance of the
Law of Moses and the hundreds of traditional interpretations
added to it through the centuries. Most of them were openly
hostile to Jesus. But Simon was sympathetic enough to invite
Jesus to dinner.
Bible Readings
Luke 7:36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with
him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.
37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when
she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house,
brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began
to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of
her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the
fragrant oil.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he
spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet,
would know who and what manner of woman this is who is
touching Him, for she is a sinner."
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have
something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it."
Page 39 - 1
41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One
owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely
forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love
him more?"
43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he
forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you
see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water
for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and
wiped them with the hair of her head.
45 "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to
kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has
anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47 "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are
forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the
same loves little."
48 And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go
in peace." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION:
A. Two Kinds Of Service To Jesus (vv. 36-39)
1. What gave the woman boldness to enter a Pharisee‟s house
uninvited? What was her only concern? In what ways did
she demonstrate this?
2. How did the woman serve Jesus?
What did her actions reveal about her? (She served Him
with her tears—signifying repentance. She wiped His feet
with her hair and kissed them—signifying humility and
Lesson 39: Loving Service

love. She anointed Him with perfume—giving her our sins that makes a difference in our attitudes.)
possessions. In other words, she gave herself totally,
because of her love for her Lord.) APPLICATION
3. How did Simon react to the woman‟s actions? 1. Are we more like Simon or more like the woman in our
What difference do we see in the woman‟s attitude towards attitudes? Do we often feel that we are “okay”? Or, at least
herself and Simon‟s attitude towards himself? “not like so-and-so”? Or do we acknowledge that we are
4. Did Simon serve Jesus? In what way? sinners, needing God‟s grace and God‟s forgiveness? Do
What was lacking in his service? (Yes, Simon did serve we have the love that motivated the woman‟s service?
Jesus— he invited Him to dinner. But he did not extend to 2. In our service to Him, are we more like Simon or more like
Him the usual courtesies of a host—washing of feet, the woman?
anointing with oil, greeting with a kiss, etc. This showed Do we exert just a little effort, yet feel like we are doing
Simon‟s lack of dedication. Probably Simon thought he God a favor? Or do we give our all, and feel that God is
was already doing Jesus a favor by inviting Him to dinner.) doing us a favor by accepting our meager offering?
3. How are our attitudes and our service to the Lord related?
B. Reasons For The Difference In Service (vv. 40-50)
1. What was Jesus essentially saying to Simon in His short CONCLUSION
parable?
2. In applying the parable of Jesus, why was the service of the The way we serve is a reflection of how much (or how
woman so different from the service of Simon? little) we love our Lord. This in turn is determined by how we
(The woman acknowledged herself to be a sinner. Having view ourselves before God. May we be constantly aware of His
been forgiven, she had great love for our Lord. But Simon grace, and be motivated by love in our service to Him.
did not think of himself as a sinner. Or rather, at most, a
“lesser sinner” than others. Hence less need for forgiveness.
Hence less love.)
3. Some people are puzzled by this parable. They ask, “Does
it mean we have to go out and commit a lot of sins, so that
we can be forgiven much, so that our love for our Lord can
be much?”
How do we respond?
(No. Actually, all of us are already bad sinners. All of us
have already committed a lot of sins—in our minds,
actions, attitudes. In the text, Simon probably was as great
a sinner as the woman in God‟s eyes. It is how we look at

Page 39 - 2
Lesson 40: Hungering after Christ: The Servant vs. The Service
Lesson 40:
HUNGERING AFTER CHRIST:
The Servant Vs. The Service
Luke 10: 38-42
Many of us have been Christians for many years, and have
even served God for some time. But some of us feel our
spiritual lives are not growing. We wonder why. Today we will
study a passage which shows how important it is to hunger
after Christ, and see the proper relationship between the servant
and the service.
Bible Readings
Luke 10:38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a
certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed
Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus'
feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she
approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my
sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Qualified To Serve?
1. Who are the characters in this passage? Where did the
incident happen? What happened?
2. Mary and Martha both loved the Lord.
In what ways did each sister show that she cared about
Jesus? From their actions, what did each consider more
Page 40 - 1
important? How did Jesus evaluate their actions and
priorities? What about us? What do we consider more
important?
B. The King - or The Kingdom?
1. How is “quietly sitting at the feet of Jesus” (v. 39)
translated into our lives? (Meditation, prayer, Bible
reading, listening to messages, seeking counsel from godly
people, being sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
worship.)
Why is it more important than service?
Why is it essential for our growth?
2. a. We are often busy running around. Our Lord told
Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many
things” (v. 41). What are the things we are anxious and
troubled about, which distract us from quietly listening
to our Lord?
(Studies, work, trying to be more popular, trying to win
friends, preparing for service, etc.)
b. When do legitimate concerns become distracting pre-
occupations?
C. The Right Kind of Service
1. Some people may decide: “From now on, I will not serve
any more. I will just sit quietly and listen to the message.”
Is this right?
How can we maintain a balance between quiet worship and
practical service?
(Our Lord wants us to serve also. But only after having
been inwardly strengthened by listening quietly to Him.
Otherwise, our service will be harried and not pleasing to
Him. A person who listens quietly to Him, who loves Him,
will naturally end up serving Him with a glad heart.)
Lesson 40: Hungering after Christ: The Servant vs. The Service

2. Notice the attitude of Martha. Was she serving with a glad

heart? Why?
(She complained. She was harried. She compared herself
with others. Because she had not learned to sit quietly at the
feet of Jesus.)

REFLECTION: When we serve, is our attitude like

Martha‟s? Do we complain and compare (“How come he is
not doing as much as I am “)? Are we harried?

3. Did Jesus condemn Martha for her attitude? What do we

learn about Jesus from His reply?
(From the way Jesus addressed her, He was not
condemning her, but was full of compassion and love for
her in spite of her error.)

REFLECTION:
How is my love for my Lord expressed? Am I loving Him
as He wishes me to? Is my spiritual life growing?
Am I truly hungering after Christ?

CONCLUSION

Our Lord is more concerned with the worker than the work.
He is more concerned with the servant than the service. We
should continue to hunger after Him. Then serve Him.

Page 40 - 2
Lesson 41: The Man God Uses
Lesson 41:
THE MAN GOD USES
Joshua 1: 1-9
Most of us would like to be used by God. But there are certain
requirements that we have to meet before God can use us.
Today we will study how Joshua came to be used by God, and
see how we can be used too.
Bible Readings
Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it
came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun,
Moses' assistant, saying:
2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over
this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am
giving to them-- the children of Israel.
3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I
have given you, as I said to Moses.
4 "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great
river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to
the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your
territory.
5 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of
your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not
leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you
shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their
fathers to give them.
7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may
observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant
commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the
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left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe
to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will
make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success.
9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good
courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your
God is with you wherever you go." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Required Qualifications (vv. 1-6)
1. From verse 1, what kind of preparation did Joshua have,
and why was it essential to his being a leader at that time?
(He had been trained for quite some time by Moses. A
potential leader must be humble enough to first learn from
others.)
2. For what task was Joshua called by God (v. 2)? Imagine
Joshua‟s feelings at the death of Moses and the weight of
his ensuing responsibility. Why was such a calling
necessary?
As we serve today in our various capacities, do we know
the calling of God? Are we sensitive to His leading? Or are
we doing it “on our own steam “?
3. What was God‟s promise for the Israelite nation? (He
would give them the land of Canaan.)
What did God want Joshua to do regarding His promises to
the Israelites? (v. 3) (Claim them.)
Unless Joshua would actually arise and walk through the
land and claim it for the people, the promises would remain
just promises.
Application: There are many promises in the Bible for us.
Do you know them? Which of them are not yet being
Lesson 41: The Man God Uses

fulfilled in your life? (For example: peace, joy, love.) (The Lord God is with him - v. 9)
Why is this so?
(In order for the promises of God to be fulfilled in our CONCLUSION
lives, first we must know them, and then claim them.)
What promises did God give to Joshua personally in verse God wants to use us. He wants us to claim His promises,
5? Why were these essential for the task God gave him in and lead other people to Him. But we must first treasure His
verse 6? Word and obey it. We must be strong and of good courage. We
Application: How can we experience God‟s presence with can be, because the Lord God is with us.
us today?
(We must have a vital, living relationship with Him. By
reading His Word, communicating with him through
prayer, regular worship, being sensitive to the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, seeking Him earnestly, completely obeying
Him, etc., we can experience God‟s presence in our lives.)

B. “Success” Formula (vv. 7-9)

1. The secret of success and prosperity is the place that God‟s
Word has in the heart and life of the believer. In verses 7
and 8, what were the specific commands God gave Joshua
regarding this?
a. Obey God‟s laws (vv. 7, 8)
b. Memorize God‟s Word (v. 8)
c. Meditate on it (v. 8)
d. Act on it - obey (w. 7, 8)
2. What were the promised results? a. Prosperity and success
(v. 8) b. God‟s presence (v. 9)
REFLECTION a How do I treat God‟s Word? b. Do I feel
His presence?
3. What should be the attitude/character of a man whom God
uses?
a. Strong and of good courage (vv. 6,7,9)
b. Not frightened or dismayed (v. 9)
How can he be so?

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Lesson 42: Sharing: Giving of Our Substance
Lesson 42:
SHARING: Giving of Our Substance
John 6: 1-15
In learning about practical Christian living, one of the most
important areas is to learn how to share. Today we will study a
passage that shows what happens when we are willing to share
what we have.
Bible Readings
John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee,
which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His
signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with
His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude
coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy
bread, that these may eat?"
6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He
would do.
7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of
bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may
have a little."
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said
to Him,
9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two
small fish, but what are they among so many?"
10 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there
was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number
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about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks
He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those
sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather
up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."
13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets
with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left
over by those who had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did,
said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to
come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed
again to the mountain by Himself alone. (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Philip’s Test (vv. 1-7)
1. What is the setting of this event?
What did Jesus ask Philip and why did He ask it?
2. What lesson can we learn from this? (Our Lord is all
knowing and all powerful. When he tests us, it is to make
us grow. So we should thank Him for the trials and tests
that we meet, instead of blaming Him and grumbling.)
If you were one of the disciples, how would you have felt?
What would you have done?
B. Giving of our Substance (vv. 5-14)
1. What are the main lessons of the feeding of the five
thousand?
a. The boy had only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but he
was willing to share what he had and gave them to
Jesus. Jesus accepted his gift and made it enough.
Application: How do we apply this in our lives with
Lesson 42: Sharing: Giving of Our Substance

regards to sharing our material things, talent, time, etc.?
b. Jesus is able to meet our needs. Very often we focus our
eyes on our problems and feel helpless (like Philip),
whereas Jesus is waiting for us to turn to Him to
provide.
2. What do you think motivated the boy to share what he had?
(It was not for recognition or fame or praise, because his
name was not even mentioned. He must have been
motivated by love for Jesus and others.)
Application: What usually motivates people today to share?
What should motivate us to share?
Peter was the leader of the disciples. But note that it was
Andrew, not Peter, who found the boy who was willing to
share. What lesson can we learn from this?
(Andrew was quieter, but he did his part. He was more
observant, more sensitive to people, more helpful. So he
was able to notice the boy and lead him to Christ.)
How do we apply this in our church today?
Usually, we look up to the “leaders” to do things—those
who can speak well, sing well, etc. But more often than not,
it is the “ordinary” members who contribute more to the
growth of our church. Are you one of them? Do you realize
what you can do?
3. Did the people have enough to eat? How much was
leftover? (v. 13)
What lesson can we learn from this?
(Jesus not only fed the people, He gave them more than
enough. Today some of our churches seem to be so poor,
both materially and spiritually. Why? Is our Lord not the
same Lord? Often we blame others—”That fellow gives so
little” . . . “She does not want to serve” . . . etc. How about
ourselves? Notice that the boy did not mind whether others
gave or not. He simply did his part.)
4. What did Jesus instruct them to do with the leftovers? (v.
12). What lesson can we learn from this? (Never be
wasteful.)
Application: In what ways are we wasteful nowadays in our
daily lives?
C. Giving of Ourselves To God (v. 15)
1. What did Jesus do after this incident?
2. What can we learn from what he did?
a. Humility of Jesus.
b. Importance of withdrawing regularly to a secluded
place for intense prayer. Notice the term “withdraw
again,” meaning He had the habit of withdrawing to the
mountains for prayer.
Why is it important to do so?
CONCLUSION
The true Christian naturally wants to share what he has, out
of love for his Lord and other people. Unconditionally, and
without comparing what he gives with what others give. Let us
be sensitive to what others need, and share what the Lord has
given us.

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Lesson 43: Sharing Our Faith
Lesson 43:
SHARING OUR FAITH
John 1: 35-51
A person who loves our Lord will naturally want to introduce
others to Him. Today we will study a passage, which shows us
how to do it.
Bible Readings
John 1:35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his
disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the
Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them,
"What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to
say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw
where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it
was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him,
was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We
have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at
him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be
called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He
found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and
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Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found
Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out
of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him,
"Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"
48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus
answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you
were under the fig tree, I saw you."
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the
Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I
saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see
greater things than these."
51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. Telling The Good News (vv. 35-46)
1. Who are the people in this passage that shared their faiths
to whom?
a. John the Baptist to Andrew and another disciple.
(vv. 35, 36)
b. Andrew to Peter (v. 41)
c. Philip to Nathaniel (v. 45)
2. What was the result of their sharing? (Their companions
followed Jesus.)
3. What made them qualified to share their faith? (They
themselves knew Jesus first.)
Application: How do we apply this in our lives? (Before we
Lesson 43: Sharing Our Faith
can share our faith with others, we must know Jesus
personally.) How real is He to you? What is your
relationship with Him?
4. How did they share their faith?
(They pointed their companions to Jesus. Shared what they
knew about Jesus. Brought their companions to see Jesus.)
Application:
a. How do we apply this?
(Many try to share their faith by arguing, by presenting
a system. But the only way for us to effectively share
our faith is to point to Jesus. Our belief is in a Person,
not a system or organization.)
NOTE: However, once a person has come to know
Jesus personally, he should be brought into the
fellowship of the church because the church is the Body
of Christ.
b. Since “actions speak louder than words,” can we
evangelize by just living a good life?
(If we keep silent and just live a good life, people may
attribute it to our natural goodness and not to God. If
we evangelize with words but live a life dishonoring to
God, people will not believe what we say. So both
action and words are needed.)
5. Although the passage is not explicit in this, why do you
think they shared their faith?
a. They recognized man‟s problem - sin
b. They know of God‟s plan - salvation through Jesus.
c. They loved their companions - unless saved, they
would perish.
Example: Suppose all of us are suffering from a deadly
sickness. Unless a cure is found, everyone will die
within a certain time. Then you find a doctor who is
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able to cure you. If you love your friends, you will want
to introduce them to him too.
REFLECTION: How much do I care for people around me who
do not know Christ?
Am I really convinced that they need Christ?
B. Chain Reaction (vv. 35-51)
Notice that there is a chain reaction in the sharing of faith from
John F the Baptist to Andrew (w. 35-40) and from Andrew to
Peter (vv. 41-42).
How do we apply this? (You now know Christ because
someone shared his faith with you. You should in turn share
your faith with others.)
Are you willing to share your faith with others? Share your
experiences.
If you have tried in the past, but encountered difficulties, what
were those difficulties?
How can they be overcome?
What should we keep in mind when we share our faith in
Christ? (God is in charge. Let us just be faithful in sharing, and
leave the results to the Holy Spirit.)
CONCLUSION
The best way for us to share our faith in Jesus Christ with
Lesson 43: Sharing Our Faith

others is on a person-to-person basis. Let them know who Jesus

is, how wonderful He is and how He has changed us. A
changed life is the best evidence of His presence in us.

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Lesson 44: True Worship
Lesson 44:
TRUE WORSHIP
Isaiah 6: 1-8
We worship God every Sunday. Do we really? Let us compare
our worship with a Scriptural passage that illustrates what
worship really is.
Bible Readings
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord
sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe
filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two
he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two
he flew.
3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the
LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him
who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a
man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of
hosts."
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a
live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this
has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin
purged."
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I
send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send
me." (NKJ)
Page 44 - 1
DISCUSSION
A. The Essence Of True Worship (~. 1-5)
Read verses 1-5 several times to let the picture and thought
sink in.
1. Describe Isaiah‟s experience.
What predominant elements in Isaiah‟s experience made it
true worship?
(God‟s majesty and holiness, and man‟s response.)
a. Objective fact - God‟s majesty and holiness (vv. 1-4)
b. Subjective fact - “I saw the Lord . . .” (vv. 1,5) - “I am
unclean . . .” (v. 5)
So, what is true worship?
(True worship is seeing with our spiritual eyes God in His
majesty and holiness, and responding to Him, realizing our
unworthiness and sinfulness.)
NOTE TO LEADER: This passage should be taken as a
whole. Do not go into discussion of each detail, like: What
is the meaning of the robe filling the Temple? Or, why did
the angels cover their eyes and bodies with their wings?
etc. If you get bogged down in details, the picture of God „s
majesty and holiness tends to get lost.
2. Let us examine our worship:
a. Are we able to “see the Lord” when we worship?
(1) Before the worship service starts, how do we
prepare our hearts?
What really are our expectations? Do we expect to
“see the Lord” or are we there just to fulfill our
obligation to attend church?
(2) During the service, what is our predominant
thought?
Our minds should be filled with God‟s majesty and
holiness.
Lesson 44: True Worship
We should meditate on who He is, what He has
done, how His love is expressed.
b. What are the factors that detract us from true worship?
(1) Feeling sleepy
(2) Preoccupation with other thoughts
(3) Critical attitude towards sermon, choir, other
churchgoers, etc.
(4) Mumbling the prayers and wondering why we pray
the same thing week after week.
c. How do we remedy this?
(Ask your members to go through the different parts of
their worship service and discuss how each part is
designed to help us focus our attention on God—
whether it is the lighting of candles, the opening hymn,
prayers, Scripture readings, chants, etc., up to the
benediction.)
d. Every time we worship, do we fully realize our
unworthiness and sinfulness? What do we need to do?
(Consciously examine our lives and confess our sins
one by one. A general prayer of repentance is too
general.)
B. Results Of True Worship (vv. 6-8)
What are the results of Isaiah‟s worship experience?
1. He was cleansed. Sins forgiven. (vv. 6,7)
What does this mean in our lives? (God wants to “burn off”
our uncleanness. A person who is not willing to be cleansed
cannot participate in true worship. Perhaps that is why
many of us do not find worship meaningful. If we are
unwilling to let God purify us, we do not expect cleansing
and hence cannot “see God.”)
2. He became sensitive to God‟s leading (v. 8).
3. He was obedient (v. 8).
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Application: Are we sensitive to God‟s leading?
Are we willing to obey?
Is it possible to participate in true worship and not heed
God‟s commands afterwards?
Why are so many of us disobedient in many areas of our
lives?
C. Worship In Review
Review the whole passage, describing the progressive stages in
Isaiah‟s experience.
1. Saw the Lord in His majesty and holiness
2. Realized his own sinfulness
3. Experienced forgiveness
4. Became aware of God‟s leading
5. Became willing to obey
May each of us experience all of the above every time we
worship.
CONCLUSION
True worship puts our relationship with God in the right
focus. We see God‟s majesty and holiness and our own
sinfulness. But He is merciful. He cleanses us and guides us.
We cannot but be obedient to such a wonderful, majestic and
loving God.
Lesson 45: The Vibrant, Growing Church
Lesson 45:
THE VIBRANT, GROWING
CHURCH
Acts 2: 40-47
All of us want our church to-be vibrant and growing. How can
it be so? Today we will take a look at the early church, and
analyze the factors that made it so.
Bible Readings
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and
signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in
common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them
among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with
gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
(NKJ)
DISCUSSION
A. The Early Church (vv. 4~47)
1. What was the early church like?
2. What elements were present in the early church as
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enumerated in verses 40 to 47?
B. My Church Today
How does our church today compare with it?
a. Baptism (v. 41): What is the significance of baptism to
us?
Is baptism to our people today as meaningful as it was
to the early church? Or do we regard it as a custom
only?
b. Apostles‟ Teaching (vv. 41, 42):
Are the people in our church being fed properly with
the apostles‟ teachings? Are they growing spiritually?
In what ways can this be enhanced?
(Invite good speakers. Encourage Bible studies ....)
c. Fellowship (v. 42):
The early Christians did not just form a “fellowship”
and meet once a week or once a month. There was real
interaction among members, real concern and love,
bearing one another‟s burdens, caring for each other‟s
needs. Can we say this of our church today? What‟s
lacking? Why? What can be done so that there will be
real fellowship among members?
d. Breaking of Bread (v. 42):
What is the meaning and significance of Holy
Communion? Are the people of our church taught this?
Every time we approach the Lord‟s table to partake of
His Body and drink of His Blood, are we overwhelmed
by His love? Are we aware of why His body was
broken for us and why His blood was shed for us?
If not, why not? How can we make it sot
e. Prayer (v. 42):
How meaningful is prayer in the lives of our members?
Do they feel that they are communicating with God?
Lesson 45: The Vibrant, Growing Church

How can we help enrich their prayer life? C. The Growth Factor (v. 47)
How is our church‟s prayer life? 1. Verse 47 says “And the Lord added to their number day by
How is my own prayer life? day those who were being saved.”
f. Love and concern for each other (vv. 44, 45): Is this happening in our church today? If not, why not?
Though we do not do exactly what they did (selling all 2. How does this relate to what we discussed in Sections A &
their possessions) because we are in a different B?
historical context, do we have this common love for (If our church has all the elements of the early church, we
each other? How is it expressed (or not expressed)? will naturally be vibrant and growing, as in v. 47. On the
How can we learn to become more sensitive to the other hand, if our church is not growing, we should
needs of others? examine which elements are missing.)
Instead of waiting for others to start, what can I do in
this regard? CONCLUSION
g. Oneness in spirit (v. 46):
Does our church have oneness of spirit? Let us not put all the blame on others. After all, you and I
Do we have a common vision? are part of the church, and should share some of the
Do we have a sense of working together towards a responsibility. Even if we cannot expect others to change
common goal? immediately, we can ask our Lord to change us, so that our
How can this be achieved? small group can start to function like part of the early church.
In the early church, sacrifice was a way of life, and And we can pray that eventually our whole church will become
unity went beyond having a common Savior. It was a vibrant and growing like the early church.
unity that made them one. Today‟s church seems to
have too much of „self‟ to make this possible. How can
this be remedied?
h. Worship (v. 46). Praising God (v. 47):
Worship should be a strong point of our church. Are all
our spirits lifted up to God when we attend worship
services?
i. Good testimony in public (v. 47): What is the public
impression of our church today?
Are they attracted to Christ because of us?
Or have we become a “mutual admiration society”
which has lost contact with the world? What can we
do?

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