Bible Studies – Page 31 – New Connexions Church

Micah 2 – Study Questions

Keith Waters Bible Studies 17th October 2016coveting, cross, faithfulness, forgiveness, hope, Jesus, judgement, justice, mercy, Micah, new connexions, persecution, prayer, prostitution, redemption, repentance, resurrection, scripture, truth, unfaithfulness 0 Comment

A study on Micah Chapter 2

Here is the sermon if you missed it: God wouldn’t do that… Would He?

To gather a bit of context, before taking a look through Micah 2, read through Leviticus 25: 8-34 and Exodus 20:1-17. As a group chat through those passages and clear up any queries group members might have;
Read the first 11 verses if Micah and in the light of the Leviticus and Exodus passages, discuss:
- verses 1-2 who was Micah addressing – how could it apply to Ely in 2016?
- verses 3-5 God lays out what will happen, how come all the people are affected, even the few who have been faithful? What do group members feel about God’s response?
- verses 6-11 What was going on here? Why were the people responding that way? (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3);
Read the last verses (12 – 13) These verses seem to be at odds with the other verses, but the do fit in both technically and theologically, can the group work out how? (don’t give too much time on this :)). Read through John chapter 10and consider what this prophecy is pointing to, both in the near future (to Micah’s time), and further on.

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A Committed Christian?

Keith Waters Bible Studies, Christian Comment, Prayer 10th October 201613th October 2016bible, communication, discipline, faithfulness, forgiveness, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, love, mercy, morals, new connexions, prayer, redemption, repentance, resurrection, second chance, Trinity, truth, unfaithfulness 0 Comment

So often in our Christian lives we spend inordinate amounts of time talking about prayer, wanting to seek the Lord and do His will; which I believe are great sentiments, but as we approach the end of the year I’m drawn back to some words we used at the start of our year in our covenant service, words which were borrowed from a great puritan called Richard Alleine:

I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and wholeheartedly give all things to you. Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. This my covenant with you my God, made here on earth, let it be confirmed in heaven. Amen

Why not take that prayer again, study it, meditate on it, discuss it and consider: as individuals, and as Christ’s Church, have we yet made this prayer our own? How can we encourage one another, and what is the Lord asking of us as individuals walking in covenant with Him? If studying in a group: spend a good time in prayer seeking the Lord for each other and the wider Church. When studying alone: also, of course, pray through the issues that arise in your heart.

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Micah 1 – Study Questions

Keith Waters Bible Studies 3rd October 2016discipline, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, heaven, hell, judgement, justice, Micah, new connexions, prophecy, redemption, repentance, scripture, second chance, truth 0 Comment

If you missed the sermon on this you can pick it up here: Puns aren’t always funny…

Read through the chapter – what are your first impressions of the book?
What do we know about Micah, the time he was ministering, which other prophets were about at the same time etc.
How did God give His messages to Micah, and what did Micah do with those messages? What can we learn from this about being open to God and obedient to him?
On Sunday, after a brief overview of the chapter, we looked at three specific questions – what were they? Take some time to discuss each of them as a group, considering why the question is important, how Micah helps us answer the questions, and how we as individuals and as a church might need to take these things more seriously in our lives (there is probably a whole study just in this question…).

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James concludes

Keith Waters Bible Studies 26th September 2016bible, healing, James, judgement, new connexions, persecution, power, prayer, repentance, sin 0 Comment

A study on James 5:13-20

Here is the sermon if you missed it: Closing In Prayer

Here are some headings with a few start off questions for discussion. You won’t usefully get through them all in time, but do try to cover each heading and leave enough time for prayer together at the end:

1. Struggling and suffering

What is the typical response to struggling and suffering? If we are suffering, what should we pray for? Will God always take away the trial from us? What is the use of praying if God isn’t going to take away the trial? What does a prayerful attitude show about our heart?

2. On top of the world

What is the typical response of someone who isn’t a Christian to good news? Why should a Christian respond differently? What does this show about our heart?

3. Not well

What is the typical response of someone who isn’t a Christian when they seriously unwell? Who do they rely on? What does turning to mature believers for prayer show about our hearts? Why specifically call the elders? What is the anointing all about? Does verse 15 guarantee that the sick person will be healed? What is a condition? Does this mean if you pray for the sick and they aren’t healed it is because you don’t have enough faith?

4. Confession

Why confess our sins to one another? Isn’t God the one forgives? Isn’t it enough to confess directly to God? In the sermon a set of principles were laid out – what were they? Does this passage support the idea of a Catholic priest hearing ‘confessions’?

5. Prayer – why bother

We often have the idea that God has His plan and prayer doesn’t do anything. Then how do we understand verse 16? Does God do anything? Do our prayers change things? What is the danger to our prayer life if we believe our prayers don’t actually accomplish anything. What does it mean that Elijah had a “nature like ours”? What can we learn from the example of Elijah?

6. Putting someone right

Who is verse 19 talking about? A believer or unbeliever? What is our responsibility towards people in church? How can we “bring a sinner back from wandering”? Explain the phrase ” bring about the forgiveness of many sins.”

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