Friday, May 9, 2025

May 18, 2025 – A Study of Matthew – Big Problems – Bigger God

Big Problems – Bigger God

Psalm 147:2-11 – New International Version (NIV)

 

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Who “gathers the exiles of Israel” (verse 2)?

What does the Lord do for “the brokenhearted” (verse 3)?

How does the Lord call each star (verse 4)?

What “has no limit” (verse 5)?

Who does the Lord sustain (verse 6)?

How should we “sing to the Lord” (verse 7)?

What does the Lord supply to “the earth” (verse 8)?

When does the Lord provide food “for the young ravens” (verse 9)?

What is the Lord’s pleasure “not in” (verse 10)?

Who does the Lord delight in (verse 11)?

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

In your opinion, how does this passage demonstrate that we can rely on our God?

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 us not to “worry about” (verse 25)?

Who takes care of “the birds of the air” (verse 26)?

What can we not accomplish by worrying (verse 27)?

What could “Solomon in all his splendor” not do as well as flowers (verses 28 and 29)?

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean when He says “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” (verse 30)?

What should we not worry about and say (verse 31)?

Who knows the things that we need (verse 32)?

When will “all these things” be given (verse 33)?

What does each day have (verse 34)?

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

In your opinion, how does this passage demonstrate that we can rely on our God?

In your opinion, how does the might of God, revealed in Psalm 147:2-11, help us be more comfortable with Jesus’s message in Matthew 6:25-34 to not worry but seek His kingdom?

Philippians 4:4-9 - New International Version (NIV)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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. 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 should Christians “rejoice in the Lord” (verse 4)?

What should “be evident to all” (verse 5)?

How should Christians replace anxiousness (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says that the peace of God “transcends all understanding” (verse 7)?

What should Christians think about (verse 8)?

Who will be with Christians who put into practice what Paul teaches (verse 9)?

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

In your opinion, how does this passage demonstrate that we can rely on our God?

In your opinion, how does the gentleness of God demonstrated by the healing of the brokenhearted and the binding of their wounds in Psalm 147:2-11 encourage us as we deal with anxiousness by casting our cares on the Lord in Philippians 4:4-9?

In your opinion, how do Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:4-9 agree in what we should do and not do?

Revelation 7:9-14 - New International Version (NIV)

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Who was “standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (verse 9)?

What did they cry “out in a loud voice” (verse 10)?

Who “fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God” (verse 11)?

What do they pray will be “to our God for ever and ever (verse 12)?

Who are the people “in white robes” (verses 13 and 14)?

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

In your opinion, how does this passage demonstrate that we can rely on our God?

In your opinion, how are the gathering of the exiles in Psalm 147:2-11 and the gathering of those who come out of the great tribulation in Revelation 7:9-14 similar?

In your opinion, how does Revelation 7:9-14 help us understand the end result of following Jesus’s command to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” in Matthew 6:25-43?

In your opinion, how can the vision of Revelation 7:9-14 help us begin to live in the  “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” of Philippians 4:4-9?

In your opinion, what do these Scriptures from Psalms, Matthew, Philippians, and Revelation teach us about how to respond to our problems?

In your opinion, what do we need to do to transform into people who “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

No comments:

Post a Comment