Content
(Highlighted words are from the Greek
(chortazo) means: To feed, to be filled to satisfaction, to satisfy the desire
of anyone)
Ecclesiastes 5:8-15 – New International Version (NIV)
8 If you see the poor
oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be
surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over
them both are others higher still. 9 The
increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the
fields.
10 Whoever loves money never
has enough;
whoever
loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This
too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so
do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except
to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is
sweet,
whether
they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits
them no sleep.
13 I have seen a grievous evil
under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there
is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s
womb,
and
as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
that
they can carry in their hands.
What should not surprise us (verse 8)?
Who takes “the increase from the land” (verse 9)?
What
is the one “who loves wealth” never satisfied with (verse 10)?
What increases when “goods increase”
(verse 11)?
Who is unable to sleep because of “their
abundance” (verse 12)?
What “grievous evil” has been seen
(verse 13)?
How does everyone depart (verse 15)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about priorities?
Matthew 15:29-39 - New International Version (NIV)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went
up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great
crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and
many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute
speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And
they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been
with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away
hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this
remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus
asked.
“Seven,”
they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and
when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples,
and they in turn to the people. 37 They
all ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were
left over. 38 The number of those
who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into
the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Where was Jesus when He “sat down”
(verse 29)?
What did
Jesus do for the people the “great crowds” brought Him (verse 30)?
How did the people react (verse 31)?
Why did Jesus have compassion for the people (verse 32)?
How did His disciples answer (verse 33)?
What did Jesus ask the disciples (verse
34)?
What did Jesus tell the crowd to do (verse
35)?
What happened to the loaves (verse 36)?
How much was left over after the people “were satisfied” (verse 37)?
How many ate (verse 38)?
When did Jesus get into the boat (verse 39)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about
priorities?
In your opinion, how are the wealthy in Ecclesiastes 5:8-15 and the crowd
listening to Jesus in Matthew 15:29-39 different?
Philippians 4:10-19 - New International Version (NIV)
10 I rejoiced greatly in the
Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were
concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am
not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be
content whatever the circumstances. 12 I
know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have
learned the secret of being
content in any and every situation, whether well fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I
can do all this through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to
share in my troubles. 15 Moreover,
as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the
gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in
the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you
sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not
that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your
account. 18 I have received full
payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a
fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your
needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Why did Paul rejoice (verse 10)?
What was Paul “not saying this” because (verse 11)?
What secret has Paul learned (verse 12)?
How does Paul do this (verse 13)?
What was good of the Philippians (verse 14)?
What have only the Philippians done (verse 15)?
What had the Philippians done for Paul when he “was in
Thessalonica” (verse 16)?
What does Paul desire (verse 17)?
Why is Paul “amply supplied” (verse 18)?
How will God meet the Philippians needs (verse 19)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your
opinion, what does this passage teach us about priorities?
In your opinion, what
could the Philippians Christians in Philippians 4:10-20 have taught the rich in
Ecclesiastes 5:8-15?
In your opinion, how
does the reason Jesus fed the 4,000 plus in Matthew 15:29-39 reflected in the
Philippian Christians in Philippians 4:10-20?
James 2:14-26 - New International Version (NIV)
14 What
good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no
deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother
or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one
of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical
needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But
someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me
your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my
deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You
foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was
not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his
son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his
actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he
did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says,
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and
he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is
considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the
same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she
did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different
direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.
In your opinion, how
does the illustration in verses 15 and 16 answer the questions of verse 14?
What is faith
that is “not accompanied by action” (verse 17)?
What do the
demons believe that causes them to shudder (verse 19)?
What was
Abraham considered righteous for doing (verse 21)?
How was
Abraham’s faith made complete (verse 22)?
What was
Abraham called (verse 23)?
How is a
person “considered righteous” (verse 24)
What was
Rahab considered righteous for doing (verse 25)?
What is the “body
without the spirit” (verse 26)?
What is “faith
without deeds” (verse 26)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about priorities?
In your opinion, how is Ecclesiastes 5:8-15 an example of
the consequences of resisting the instructions in James 2:14-26?
In your opinion, how
are Jesus in Matthew 15:29-39 and the Philippian Christians in Philippians
4:10-20 examples that we can learn from as we read James 2:14-26?
In your opinion, what do these passages from Ecclesiastes,
Matthew, Philippians and James teach us about the link between compassion and
deeds of faith?
In your
opinion, how do we learn to be content today?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
