Study Questions for January 30, 2011

I hope everyone had fun this week in re-engaging our obedience from obligation to seeing opportunities God has put before us as we studied Romans 4:1-5 and Genesis 15 last Sunday.

Below are a few questions for this week that I hope will engage you in the Scripture - many that we will review this week in class:

Please read the entire chapter 4 first.

1)  In light of the crediting of righteousness to us has nothing to do with us as Paul has already told us in the preceding chapters - speculate why he includes verses 7 and 8 here?  How should we see the crediting of righteousness from God?

2) If God is the clear creditor and nothing from us credits us then verse 9 is pretty easy to understand.  Why was it so difficult for the Jews and Gentiles to be ok with this?  What held them back and divided them when clearly they were all under God?  Does it apply to us today?

3) We discussed obedience as an opportunity under Trust last week.  How does verse confirm that Abraham obeyed God after he was credited?  What things do you need to obey God with as a 'reasonable response' to God?  

4) How is circumcision like baptism in verse 11?  Why would it be so very crazy to the Jews that God would credit him righteousness before he obeyed in circumcision?  What were they thinking needed to be done before you could be clean?  Note who was in control then...

5) Review verses 12 and 13 - Paul reframes and gives clarity to the promise given by God centuries earlier - what are the main themes of these verses?

This Sunday we will be discussing whose CONTROL we are under.  Our headings will be:

CREDIT, CIRCUMSTANCE, CONNECTION


ROMANS 4

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 ⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

 ⁷ “Blessed are those
   whose transgressions are forgiven,
   whose sins are covered.
⁸ Blessed is the one
   whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

 ⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. ¹⁰ Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

 ¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Notes for January 16, 2011

I trust all of you are having a great week.  Please be in prayer for the items sent out this week via email.  If you are not on the email list please email me at andrew@autuscoaching.com and I will ensure you are added.

Some reading and questions to get your ready for this Sunday's lesson:

Please read Romans 3:12 to 3:31.

1) Explain the difference between 3:20 and 3:21?

2) What dependence do we have on the Law for salvation?

3) Why does verse 22 matter?  What is the manner of justification and is there a differentiation on the manner?  Who is this verse to?

4) Verse 23 is a well known verse - what is the end of coming short?  If you come short of a goal what does that mean?  Do you get to it?  What does this verse mean to the human race, your neighbor, your relative?  Does this verse do anything at all to our thoughts on if we should be evangelists?  Why?

5) What words are important in verse 24 and why?
"and are justified" - means...
"Freely" - means...
"By His Grace" - means....
"through the redemption" - means...

6) What does it mean that God had set forth in verse 25?  When was the plan for Christ initiated?  How are sins forgiven?  How does shedding of blood work in the old testament vs. the new?  Why is it necessary?

7) What does it mean that God is invioably righteous even while he is the merciful justifier (from Wesley's comments on these scriptures)?

8) What does verse 27 do to you?  What does it do to the church and the people in it?  What would we NOT be talking about vs. what WOULD we be talking about?

9) What do you have when you have faith (vs 28) vs what do you have when you have works?  why is this important day to day?  Why would this be important to your kids?

10) Verses 29 and 30 - Why do these verses matter today?

11) What does the Law attest to?  In verse 31 is the Law voided?

Hope you have a great week.  We will go over the above this Sunday.

Andy

Bible Reading Log

Last week I passed out a Bible Reading Log for your use in 2011 (if you would like and if it is helpful).  Below is a copy of that handout.

Bible Reading Log

Luke 24:27 – And beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Jeremiah 15:16 – When Your Words came, I ate them, they were my joy and my heart’s delight.

Verse(s) Read –                        What is this about?                                    What truth is here?

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Praying for Each Other

In last week's class I asked for each family to prayerfully consider and commit to praying for another family in the class for 2011.  Below is the handout we reviewed:

Young Family 1  --  Praying for Each Other in 2011

James 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Phillipians 4:6
 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

James 5:13-16
 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Matthew 6:5-12
 - And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Family we are praying for in 2011:

Correction to Last Sunday's Class Material

I brought out Joel Olstein's name when referring to prosperity teachers.  Although I have heard him preach on numerous occasions I am not completely in the right in singling him out as a prosperity teacher.  I apologize if I offended anyone.  My concern was only for us knowing that we CAN, in fact, pray for our businesses as long as we are looking strictly for God's will to be done.

Socials Ideas

As we reviewed in last week's class here are some of the socials we are thinking of for 2011.  Please come with any you would like to do in 2011 or are interested in and we will look at getting an engaging 2011 set up.

If you have ideas please put those in as well...

Social Description                                                    How Many Would Participate from your Family?

Tomato Plant Social

Get together in the late winter and seed / plant some tomatoes for your garden (small or large) – we would meet at the church

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Potluck

At the church Potluck lunch or dinner

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SM Park

Evening vist to SM park for a cookout and running around

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Fire Station Visit

Guided tour of the newest Leed Silver Firestation, trucks, and where the firefighters live and work

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Police Station Visit

Guided tour of the police station, jail, and see the cars and motorcycles

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Camping at SM Park (or Olathe or similar)

Maybe a Spring and one in the Fall – Camping at a park

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Beach Day at the Lake

Fun day of relaxing at a park where admission can be free (Clinton lake or Shawnee Mission)

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WWI Museum

Visit the WWI museum downtown

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Planetarium

Visit the planetarium downtown by Science City

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Worlds of Fun

A trip to the theme park

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Upward end of season

Upward Basketball End of Year Celebration and testimony time for the class

Wrap up the season with people bringing testimonies of how praying for, being prayed for, participating, or observing the upward season affected their walk with God.

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Ice Cream Social

At the church or a park – ice cream

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Minute to Win It Party Challenge

Families come together to perform one minute long task such as moving oreos from forehead to mouth without using hands or dropping it.  Able to be done for a little as to years old.

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Culinary Institute – Well Kind of

Kids from 6 up  prepare food for our trip to the retirement home – we will find a few homes to host and have others join us for this fun event

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After Church Fun at the Park

Multiple times we will just have Saturdays or Sundays where we can relax at the park – no big lunch – just a time to throw frisbies or run around with the kids

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Retirement Home Visit

Visit retirement home for some fun and fellowship

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Friday Night Concert at Crown Center

Free concerts at Crown Center – over the summer

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Tour the capital – visit Topeka           

Drive and visit the Capital of the state – thought we would see about a church bus and go on a Saturday if we can

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Memorial Day in Fort Scott

Visit to the 2^nd Largest National Cemetery in the United States (Yes, Arlington is the largest) – Fort Scott Kansas – we would picnic lunch that day – they have a big and great ceremony – may visit the fort as well.  We would look to use a church van.

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Cookie Day           

Make some cookies for the pastors and their families – We would have a few houses or the kitchen at church open for families to fellowship and make some cookies

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T-Bones Game           

Get some tickets and go to the T-Bones Game – Transport can be from the church and potentially in the church vans

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Visit the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead.

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Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. While there, do this nature-themed scavenger hunt.

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Moon Marble Factory in Bonner Springs, KS.

Watch a marble-making demonstration at the

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Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park.

This indoor nature center is a great activity for steamy and frigid days.

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City Market

Farmer’s Market. While we are there we could check out the Steamboat Arabia, a steamboat that sunk in the Missouri River in the mid 1800s and was re-discovered in the 1990s.

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Coterie Theater Play

“one of the best five theaters for young audiences in the U.S.“, according to Time Magazine.

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Johnson County Fair

Go to the Johnson County Fair for Rides and homemade rootbeer – watch an auction – see the 4H competition winners

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Hike at the Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, KS

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Attend the American Royal

Try to get into the rodeo and possibly do the bbque.

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Johnson County Old Settler’s Parade and Fair

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Kemper Art Museum and/or Nelson-Atkins Art Museum.

Then, we go outside and let your kids run off some steam in the Kansas City Sculpture Park.

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Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City.

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Putt-putt around Smiley’s miniature golf course

in Lenexa

Hallmark’s Kaleidoscope.

Let the kids melt some crayons, cover themselves in glitter and glue their fingers together

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Theatre in the Park in Shawnee Mission.

Pack a picnic dinner and head over to the

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Your Idea for a Social….

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Your Idea for a Social….

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Your Idea for a Social….