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

Big Problems – Bigger God

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

 

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ 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)

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 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)

⁹ 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)

October 1, 2023 – Isaiah in the New Testament – Seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness

Seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness

Isaiah 11:1-10 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 

Where will the shoot “come up from” (verse 1)?

Who will rest on the shoot (verse 2)?

In your opinion, how can you “delight in the fear of the Lord” (verse 3)?

How will He judge the needy (verse 4)?

What “will be his belt” (verse 5)?

Where will the wolf live (verse 6)?

What will the lion eat (verse 7)?

Where will the young child put its hand (verse 8)?

What will fill the earth “as the water covers the sea” (verse 9)?

Who will “stand as a banner for the peoples” (verse 10)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

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 is life more than (verse 25)?

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

In your opinion, “can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” (verse 27)?

What don’t the flowers of the field do (verse 28)?

Who was not “dressed like one of these” (verse 29)?

What happens to the “grass of the field” (verse 30)?

What do pagans run after (verses 31 and 32)?

When are we to seek “his kingdom and his righteousness” (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, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, how is not worrying about what we eat, drink or wear, as instructed by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 a part of seeking the kingdom described in Isaiah 11:1-10?

Ephesians 6:10-20 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

How should we “be strong” (verse 10)?

Why should we “put on the full armor of God” (verse 11)?

Who are our struggles against (verse 12)?

What does putting on the full armor of God enable us to do “when the day of evil comes” (verse 13)?

Where should the breastplate of righteousness be (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the source of the righteousness?

How should our feet be fitted (verse 15)?

What can the shield of faith do (verse 16)?

What is the “sword of the Spirit” (verse 17)?

When should we pray (verse 18)?

What did Paul want prayers for him to ask for (verse 19)?

How did Paul want to declare the “mystery of the gospel” (verse 20)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, why are the things that the “Spirit of the Lord” will rest upon the branch in Isaiah 11:1-10 different from the things the believer is to put on to stand against the devil’s schemes in Ephesians 6:10-20?

In your opinion, how is equipping yourself with the whole armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes as instructed by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20 a part of the seeking “first his kingdom and his righteousness” as commanded in Matthew 6:25-34?

2 Peter 1:1-8 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Who does Simon Peter write the letter to (verse 1)?

How are the readers to receive “grace and peace” (verse 2)?

What has “His divine power” given us (verse 3)?

What can Christians participate in through “his very great and precious promises” (verse 4)?

What are we to add to faith (verse 5)?

What is the chain that connects faith to love (verses 5, 6, and 7)?   Faith, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, Love

In your opinion, why is righteousness not a part of that chain?

How do we keep from “being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 8)?

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

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, how does 2 Peter 1:1-8 help us understand why it is important that Isaiah 11:1-10 highlights the righteousness of the Branch?

In your opinion, how does having confidence in the promise that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us” in 2 Peter 1:1-8 help us move away from the worrying that Matthew 6:25-34 instructs us to avoid?

In your opinion, how are the things that Christians are to put on in Ephesians 6:10-20 different from the things that Christians are to possess in increasing qualities in 2 Peter 1:1-8 different?  Why would Christians need both? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Matthew, Ephesians and 2 Peter teach us about how seeking “his kingdom and his righteousness” is the beginning of the way that Christians escape the “corruption of the world caused by evil desires”? 

In your opinion, how is seeking “his kingdom and his righteousness” critical to balancing our standing against the devil’s schemes and being productive in our “knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)