August 16, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Enduring to Serve

Enduring to Serve

1 Samuel 1:10-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

¹² As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

What was Hannah doing as she “prayed to the Lord” (verse 10)?

What did she promise to do if the Lord gave her a son (verse 11)?

Who “observed her mouth” (verse 12)?

Why did he think “she was drunk” (verse 13)?

What did he want her to “put away” (verse 14)?

What did Hannah say she had been doing (verse 15)?

What was Hannah praying “out of” (verse 16)?

How was Hannah to go (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about suffering and serving?

Matthew 20:17-28 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, ¹⁸ “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Who did Jesus take aside (verse 17)?

What would “the chief priests and the teachers of the law” do to the Son of Man (verse 18)?

When would the Son of Man be raised to life (verse 19)?

Who knelt down and ask a favor of Jesus (verse 20)?

What did she want (verse 21)?

What did the two sons claim they could do (verse 22)?

Who will sit at Jesus’s right and left (verse 23)?

How did the other disciples react (verse 24)?

What do the “rulers of the Gentiles” do (verses 25)?

What does the disciple who wants to be great need to do (verse 26)?

Who must “be your slave” (verse 27)?

What did the Son of Man come to do (verse 28)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about suffering and serving?

In your opinion, how is Hannah’s request in 1 Samuel 1:10-17 different from Zebedee’s wife’s (James and John’s mother) request in Matthew 20:17-28?

Acts 12:1-4 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

Why did King Herod arrest “some who belonged to the church” (verse 1)?

What happened to “James, the brother of John” (verse 2)?

How did the Jews react (verse 3)?

What happened to Peter (verse 3)?

When did it happen (verse 3)?

How was Peter guarded (verse 4)?

What was Herod’s plan (verse 4)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about suffering and serving?

In your opinion, could the anguish and grief of Hannah who was praying for a son in 1 Samuel 1:10-17 be similar to the anguish and grief of those who lost James as a family member or a Christian family member in Acts 12:1-4?

In your opinion, what does Acts 12:1-4 show about the transformation of James after the events in Matthew 20:17-28?

2 Timothy 2:1-10 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. ³ Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. ⁵ Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ⁷ Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

What does Paul call Timothy (verse 1)?

Who is Timothy to entrust the things he has heard Paul say to (verse 2)?

Where is Timothy to join Paul (verse 3)?

Who does a soldier try to please (verse 4)?

How does an athlete have to compete to receive “the victor’s crown” (verse 5)?

Who should receive the first “share of the crops” (verse 6)?

What will happen if Timothy reflects on what Paul is saying (verse 7)?

Who is Timothy to remember (verse 8)?

What is not chained (verse 9)?

Why does Paul “endure everything” (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about suffering and serving?

In your opinion, how is the life that Hannah said her son would live in her prayers in 1 Samuel 1:10-17 similar to the life that Paul was asking Timothy to live in 2 Timothy 2:1-10?

In your opinion, how similar would the feelings of Jesus for the disciples in Matthew 20:17-28 been to the feelings of Paul for Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-10?

In your opinion, how is James in Acts 12:1-4 an example of the confidence that Paul had in 2 Timothy 2:1-10 that “God’s word is not chained”?

In your opinion, what do these passages from 1 Samuel, Matthew, Acts, and 2 Timothy teach us about where human ambition fits into God’s kingdom?

In your opinion, how can we endure today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

August 9, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Celebrating Heaven

Celebrating Heaven

Isaiah 25:6-9 – New International Version (NIV)

⁶ On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.
⁷ On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
⁸     he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

⁹ In that day they will say,

“Surely this is our God;
    we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
    let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Who will “prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples” (verse 6)?

What will be destroyed “on this mountain” (verse 7)?

What will the Lord “swallow up” forever (verse 8)?

How are those who “trusted in him” to react (verse 9)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about who celebrate with God?

Matthew 19:30-20:16 - New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

20 ¹ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Who will be first (verse 30)?

What is the “kingdom of heaven” like (verse 1)?

How much was the landowner to pay the workers (verse 2)?

What did the landowner tell the workers hired at nine they would be paid (verses 3-4)?

What were the times that others were hired (verses 5-7)?

Who was paid first that evening (verse 8)?

How much did they receive (verse 9)?

What did the ones who were hired first expect (verse 10)?

Why were they unhappy (verses 11-12)?

In your opinion, was the landowner being unfair (verse 13)?

What did the landowner want to do (verse 14)?

In your opinion, were the workers who had been hired first envious (verse 15)?

Who will be last (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about who celebrates with God?

In your opinion, how would the attitude of the workers who were first employed in Matthew 19:30-20:16 have changed if they viewed what they all received as the salvation celebrated in Isaiah 25:6-9 instead of the payment for a day’s labor?

Philippians 1:21-26 - New International Version (NIV)

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

What was living for Paul (verse 21)?

What was dying for Paul (verse 21)?

When would “fruitful labor” occur (verse 22)?

What did Paul desire (verse 23)?

Who would benefit if Paul remained (verse 24)?

Why will Paul “continue with” the Philippian Christians (verse 25)?

Who will the Philippian Christians boast in (verse 26)?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about who celebrates with God?

In your opinion, how does Paul in Philippians 1:21-26 embody the trust in God that Isaiah 25:6-9 proclaims?

In your opinion, how is Paul’s attitude about labor in Philippians 1:21-26 different from the workers in Matthew 19:30-20:16?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Why did Paul not want the Thessalonian Christians to be “uninformed about those who sleep in death” (verse 13)?

What did Paul believe about Jesus (verse 14)?

Who did Paul believe that God would “bring with Jesus” (verse 14)?

Who will not “precede those who have fallen asleep” (verse 15)?

When will “the dead in Christ” rise (verse 16)?

Who will be “caught up together” to “meet the Lord in the air” (verse 17)?

What should we do with these words (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about who celebrates with God?

In your opinion, how does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 help us understand who will join in the celebration of God’s swallowing up of death in Isaiah 25:6-9?

In your opinion, how are the different times of day that workers were hired in Matthew 19:30-20:16 represented in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the departing to be with Christ that Paul wants in Philippians 1:21-26 and the catching up to the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Matthew, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians help us understand about our place in the Kingdom of Heaven?

In your opinion, how do we celebrate heaven today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

August 2, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Follow Me

Follow Me

Exodus 20:1-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

What had God done (verse 2)?

What is the first commandment (verse 3)?

Why should the Israelites not bow to or worship any image (verse 5)?

Who will not be “guiltless” (verse 7)?

Which day is holy (verse 8)?

Who should be honored (verse 12)?

What should not be coveted (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

Matthew 19:13-30 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

How did the disciples treat those who brought little children for Jesus to pray for (verse 13)?

Who did Jesus say the kingdom of heaven belongs to (verse 14)?

What did the man ask Jesus (verse 16)?

What did Jesus tell the man to do (verse 17)?

In your opinion, how does Jesus’s answer compare to the ten commandments given in Exodus 20:1-17 (verses 18 and 19)?

What did the man then ask Jesus (verse 20)?

How did Jesus answer him (verse 21)?

In your opinion, how does Jesus’s answer compare to the ten commandments given in Exodus 20:1-17 (verse 21)?

Why was the young man sad (verse 22)?

What is hard for someone who is rich to do (verse 23)?

How did Jesus answer the question who then can be saved” (verses 25 and 26)?

What will there be for the disciples (verses 27-30)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, how does the parable in Matthew 19:13-30 help us understand which of the commands in Exodus 20:1-17 are the hardest to follow?  Why?

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

What did Paul not regret causing in the Corinthians Christians (verse 8)?

How long had Paul’s letter hurt them (verse 8)?

Why was Paul now happy (verse 9)?

Who intended for them to be sorrowful (verse 9)?

What “brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (verse 10)?

What does “worldly sorrow” bring (verse 10)?

What did Godly sorrow produce in the Corinthian Christians (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, how can a sincere attempt to follow the commands in Exodus 20:1-17 lead to the “godly sorrow” that Paul says brings repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11?

In your opinion, how does the rich young man in Matthew 19:13-30 help us understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow that Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11?

2 Timothy 2:22-26 - New International Version (NIV)

²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

What should Christian’s flee (verse 22)?

What should Christian’s pursue (verse 22)?

Why should Christians avoid “foolish and stupid arguments” (verse 23)?

Who should “the Lord’s servant” be kind to (verse 24)?

Why should opponents be gently instructed (verse 25)?

Who has taken the opponents captive (verse 26)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, what role do the commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 play in helping us understand more about pursuing “righteousness, faith, love and peace” as instructed by 2 Timothy 2:22-26?

In your opinion, what does 2 Timothy 2:22-26 help us understand about what the rich young man in Matthew 19:13-30 was missing?

In your opinion, how is “godly sorrow” in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 the starting point for the pursuits in 2 Timothy 2:22-26?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Exodus, Matthew, 2 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy teach us about repentance?

In your opinion, what might we need to leave behind to truly follow Jesus?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)