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Study Questions: Zephaniah 2

Keith Waters Bible Studies, Prophecy 1st May 2017bible, discipline, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, Grace, justice, law, mercy, morals, new connexions, redemption, repentance, scripture, second chance, sin, truth, unfaithfulness, Zephaniah 0 Comment

A　study　on　the sermon: Hunted down　Chapter 2 of Zephaniah

Discuss the first three verses of the chapter, specifically look at and talk through the following phrases – how might they apply to us today?:

verse 1 “Gather together—yes, gather together…”
verse 2 “the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger”
verse 3　 “Seek the Lord”,
Verse 3 all who are humble, and follow his commands.
Verse 3 “Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you

Take the rest of the chapter and look at the individual ‘judgement oracles’, consider:

the different directions mentioned,
the sins mentioned
the warnings given
which of the prophecies were fulfilled and which are yet to come
does any of this passage equate with what’s going on in the Middle East today?

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Study Questions: Zephaniah 1

Keith Waters Bible Studies, Prophecy 24th April 2017bible, discipline, faithfulness, Grace, hate, hope, humility, judgement, justice, law, love, mercy, morals, new connexions, redemption, scripture, second chance, sin, truth, unfaithfulness 0 Comment

This study relates to the sermon: God’s Love Seen Through Judgement

Zephaniah starts his prophecy telling us his family background (1:1); he is a fourth-generation descendant of King Hezekiah (King of Judah from 715-686BC). Does this pedigree matter to you? Why or why not?
His opening words of prophecy tells of a terrible judgment to come: “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth” (1:2). It closes on the “day of the Lord” when God “will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth” (1:18). This just might be the harshest, most universal judgment announcement in the Bible. How does this make you feel? How does this make you feel about God?
God is clearly a little upset with Judah. What has Judah done wrong? (see 1:4-6)
Why is this book relevant to Christians today? On Sunday we talked through a lot of application for us today – what did that include?

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Building, Watching and Walking

Keith Waters Bible Studies, Prayer 10th January 201710th January 2017bible, cross, discipline, Holy Spirit, humility, life, morals, new connexions, power, scripture, sin, truth, unfaithfulness, walk, walking 0 Comment

This week’s study picks up on these two sermons:

Which Way? Jeremiah 6:16

Unless The Lord… Psalm 127

Read Psalm 127 and Jeremiah :6:16 – 21
Who are these verses aimed at, believers or non-believers? Why is it important that God’s people (The Church), put their own house in order [try to look at this from every possible angle]?
If God is the builder and the watchmen why do we need to do anything?
what is meant, in Jeremiah 6:16, by “the old godly way“, and how do we find it?
For Christian’s the message in these few verses is ‘blindingly obvious’, so why do we often find ourselves doing the wrong thing and continuing to think we know best when it comes to certain, if not every, aspects of our lives?
As a House group talk through how you might encourage, guide, and support each other in the year ahead as you seek to let the Lord build and watch and walk in the ‘old ways’ with Him

This term’s prayer pointers:

Give regular thanks for answered prayer;
Pray that The Lord will build His Church at New Connexions: spiritually, physically and numerically;
Seek the Lord for direction as to outreach in the year ahead.

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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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