Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 - New International Version (NIV)
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!
What
did the Teacher turn his thoughts to (verse 12)?
How is wisdom better than folly (verse 13)?
What is the same for the wise and the fool (verse
14)?
In your opinion, why did the Teacher ask “what then do I gain from being wise” (verse
15)?
Who will “not
be long remembered” (verse 16)?
What will the fool and the wise both do (verse
16)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
Matthew
6:25-34 - New International
Version (NIV)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can
any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of
little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we
eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
What
does Jesus tell His listeners not to do (verse
25)?
What is “more
than food” (verse 25)?
Who feeds the “birds of the air” (verse 26)?
In your opinion, what did Jesus intend to
teach with the question, “can any of you
by worrying add a single hour to your live” (verse 27)?
What was “Solomon
in all his splendor” not dressed like (verses 28 and 29)?
What does Jesus say we should not do (verse
31)?
Who runs after food, drink and clothes (verses
31 and 32)?
What does Jesus tell us to “seek first” (verse 33)?
What does each day have enough of (verse 34)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
In your opinion, how is the Teacher becoming
aware that the wise will not be remembered long in Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 similar
to the pagans worrying food, drink and clothing in Matthew 6:25-34?
Philippians
4:4-9 – New
International Version (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord
always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not
be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and
sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you
have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.
When
does Paul say we should rejoice in the Lord (verse 4)?
What should be “evident to all” (verse 5)?
Who is near (verse 5)?
In your opinion, what does is mean to “not be anxious about anything” (verse 6)?
How should we present our requests to
God (verse 6)?
What will guard our hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus (verse 7)?
What should we think about (verse 8)?
Who will be with us if we put into
practice what we have learned from Paul (verse
9)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
In your opinion, how is the Teacher’s focus on
wisdom, madness and folly in Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 different from the focus that
Paul recommends in Phillippians 4:4-9?
In your opinion, how does Paul in his
instruction to “in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” in
Phillippians 4:4-9 help us understand how to implement Jesus command “do not worry” as given in Matthew
6:25-34?
1
Peter 3:8-12 – New
International Version (NIV)
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one
another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay
evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with
blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
What does Peter instruct us to do (verse 8)?
How are we to repay evil (verse 9)?
What must the person who “would love life and see good days” do (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what does it mean to “turn from evil and do good” (verse 11)?
Who are the Lord’s eyes on (verse 12)?
What are the Lord’s ears “attentive to” (verse 12)?
Who is the “face
of the Lord” against (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
In your opinion, how is Peter in 1 Peter
3:8-12 different in his division of the people of the world that the Teacher,
who divides the world into those who are wise and foolish in Ecclesiastes 2:12-16?
In your opinion, how does Peter in 1 Peter
3:8-12 echo the command of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”?
In your opinion, how does Peter in 1 Peter
3:8-12 say in a much more direct way what Paul said in Phillippians 4:4-9 “let your gentleness be evident to all”?
In your opinion, how do these passages from Ecclesiastes,
Matthew, Phillippians and 1 Peter teach us about how to love life?
In your opinion, how can we, living in sinful world,
seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness?
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