Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 51

Questions:

1. Who wrote this Psalm?  When was it written?  How does knowing that background help you understand the words of this song?
2. What does David say he always recognizes in verse 3?  How do we try to sweep our sins under the rug so we can forget about them?  What is the danger in that?
3. What does David ask for in verses 7-9?  What does he ask for in verse 10?  Why would it be pointless to do the first thing without also doing the second?  Have you asked God to do both in your life?
4. What are the sacrifices that God is looking for?  What do you have to offer him this Holy Week?

Prayer Focus: Re-read this Psalm and learn to pray it for your own heart and life.

Evening Study:

Evening: John 11:38-55

Questions:

1. What did Jesus pray?  What happened?  What did he tell the people there to do?
2. How did people react to this? What do you think made the difference between the two reactions?
3. What did the High Priest Caiaphas say about this?  How were his words more true that he knew?
4. Why were the officials looking for Jesus that Passover?  How did their outlook prevent them from seeing the real Jesus?

Prayer focus: Pray that God would help you to have the proper response to Jesus and what he did for you.  Pray that God would change your outlook so you don’t miss him this Holy Week.

Morning Study:

(Holy Week begins today with Palm Sunday.  Today we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Today the crowds celebrate his arrival.  Five days from now they will be shouting for his death.)

Text: Psalm 24

Questions:

1. How does the reminder of verses 1 and 2 help focus your attitude for worship today?
2. Who can enter into God’s presence according to verses 3 and 4?  How do you measure up by those standards?  What is the attitude of your heart?  What is the record of your actions?  What are the priorities in your life like?
3. Verses 7-10 is a song calling for the gates of Jerusalem to open up to welcome the coming King.  What in your life needs to open up to welcome God’s arrival?

Prayer Focus: Pray for the kind of openness in your life that this Psalm describes.

Evening Study:

Evening: Matthew 21:12-17

Questions:

1. It might seem surprising that the gospel reading for Palm Sunday doesn’t actually talk about the triumphal entry, but rather Jesus cleansing the temple.  (I know I was surprised.) Why do you think the Lectionary focuses on this event and not the triumphal entry?
2. Why did Jesus do what he did in verse 12?  In what ways are we guilty of the same thing?
3. Why were the temple officials upset about the praise Jesus was receiving?  What threat does Jesus pose to our own self-importance?
4. Why do you think Jesus left Jerusalem to go stay in Bethany?  How do our attitudes make it so there’s no room for Jesus to stay with us?

Prayer focus: 1 Corinthians 3:16 reminds us that we are God’s temple.  Pray that God would help clean out the areas of your life so there is room for Him this week.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 137

(This is the final day before Holy Week begins.   This is the week this entire series has been leading up to.  This is the week that all of history has been leading up to.  Are you ready to walk the final steps with Christ to the cross this week?)

Questions:

1. Where did the Psalmist find him or herself?  Why did they not feel like singing?
2. Read verses 4-6.  Why is it so hard to remember how to sing when times are hard?  Why is it important we not forget?
3. This Psalm ends with some pretty surprising words.  It hardly seems like an appropriate prayer.  It’s important for us to remember the words of Ephesians 6:12 as we think about this.  What are the offspring of our real enemy that need to be overcome?

Prayer Focus: Pray that in the upcoming week of introspection and mourning that God would help you to remember your song.

Evening Study:

Evening: John 11:1-37

Questions:

1. What word did Lazarus’ sisters send to Jesus?  Why do you think they phrased it the way they did?
2. Given the way Jesus responds in verse 6, why do you think John is careful to clarify Jesus’ feelings the way he does in verse 5?  Why do we seem to think God doesn’t love us any more when he doesn’t answer our prayers as soon as we call?
3. What promise does Jesus make in verse 25 and 26?  How is that good news for you?
4. In verses 33 through 35, how does Jesus respond to the mourning of his friends?  How does knowing that encourage you?

Prayer focus: Pray that God would truly help us to believe the promises he has made.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 141

Questions:

1. What does David ask God to do in verse 3? How is your mouth like a door?  Why does it need to be guarded?
2. What does he ask for in verse 4?  How is your heart drawn toward evil? How can God keep that from happening?
3. What does David say he will view it when he is corrected by a righteous man?  How do you respond when a righteous person corrects you?  How do you know who to trust for correction?

Prayer Focus: Pray the prayer of verses 9 and 10, that God would protect you from the snares that the world has set for you.

Evening Study:

Evening: Romans 11:13-24

Questions:

1. In this passage Paul is talking to Gentiles - non-Jews - about their attitude towards the Jews who came before them in the faith.  Christianity is not a new religion.  It is built on the foundation of a long tradition, extending all the way back through the Old Testament.  Why would some Christians be tempted to look down on the tradition of the past?  How do the words of verse 18 challenge that attitude?  In what way does our tradition as the people of God support us?
2. Why were some of the old branches broken off from the olive tree that represents the people of God?  How is that a warning to you?
3. What does Paul warn you to consider in verse 22?  What does it mean to “continue in God’s kindness”?  How do people fail to persist in that?

Prayer focus: Pray that God would help you to keep a humble heart that respects the past and continues in his kindness.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 131

Today’s is a very short and simple song.  Pray it until it becomes true in your life this morning.  Quiet yourself before God and put your trust in him.  Don’t just rush through, but wait in this Psalm until you are truly quiet before God in trust.

Evening Study:

Evening: Romans 11:1-12

Questions:

1. How did God show his faithfulness to a wicked and rebellious Israel?
2. On what basis is God’s remnant selected?  What is the difference between grace and works?  How do we make sure we trust in grace but are still faithful to obey God?
3. What question does Paul ask in verse 11?  What is his answer?  Why is that good news?

Prayer focus: Pray for those who have stumbled away from God, but are not beyond recovery.  Pray that God would bring them back to Him.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 130

(A word to the wise: It’s April Fools’ day. Not that there’ll be any fooling here - spending time with God is too important for that. Just don’t want you to get caught unawares by anyone else.)

Questions:

1. What does the Psalmist ask God for in verse 2? Have you ever found yourself praying that way?
2. What is does the Psalmist admit in verse 3?  What is the good news in verse 4?  Have you sought that forgiveness?
3. What does the Psalmist say his or her heart waits for?  What example is used to demonstrate how desperate that waiting is?  How desperately are you waiting for God?
4. According to verses 7 and 8 why is God worth waiting for?  What do you think the Psalmist means by “full redemption”?  In what different senses do we need to be rescued from sin?

Prayer Focus: Pray a prayer of thanks for all the good things God has provided for you in His creation.

Evening Study:

Evening: Romans 10:13-21

Questions:

1. Why is it so important that we share the good news with others according to this passage?  How can you share the good news with others today?
2. Where does faith ultimately come from according to this passage?  How does Jesus make faith possible?
3. How can we make sure we are not a “disobedient and obstinate people”?  How can you keep an obedient and humble heart toward God?

Prayer focus: Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good things God has provided for you through his Son, Jesus Christ, and the full salvation he died to bring.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 121

Questions:

1. Where does the psalmist look for help?  Where do you tend to look for help first?
2. Read verses 3 and 4.  In what ways is God better than the things people typically look to first for help?
3. What promises does this Psalm make to is in the last half?

Prayer Focus: Pray for Water’s Edge and the Shore tonight.  Pray that God will draw students to worship, and pray that God will speak what you need to hear this evening.

Evening Study:

Evening: Romans 10:1-13

Questions:

1. How does Paul describe the Isrealites in the opening paragraph?  What is the problem with their zeal for God?  How can you make sure you don’t make the same mistake?
2. What does Paul say is the relation between Christ and the law in verse 4?  Look at this biblical definition for the word translated as “the end” in this verse. In what sense of this word is Christ the end of the law?
3. According to verse 9, what is the essence of the gospel that Paul proclaims?
4. What promise does Paul make in verses 12 and 13?  Why is that good news for you?

Prayer focus: Pray for our church’s upcoming Easter celebration.  Pray especially for our baptism celebration as people celebrate their brand new life in Christ.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 31:6-21

Questions:

1. In verse 6, David uses the word “worthless idols.”  How are the things we put our trust in God empty and worthless?
2. How does David describe what he’s going through in verses 9 and 10?  When was the last time you felt that way?
3. In the face of these troubles, what commitment does David make in verses 14-15? What would it mean for you to make that commitment?  What would be different about your outlook on life if you did?
4. How does David describe God in verses 19-21?  What do those promises mean for you?

Prayer Focus: Pray for your family this morning.  You know what struggles they are facing.  Pray that God would shelter them with his goodness.  And pray that God would help you to be the kind of support they need.

Evening Study:

Evening: Jeremiah 24

Questions:

1. When did this vision take place according to verse 1?  What did Jeremiah see?
2. What did God say the good figs represented?  What promises did God make to them?
3. What did the bad figs represent?  Read 2 Kings 24:18-20. What “promise” did God make to them?
4. The sin Zedekiah committed was refusing to trust God’s word (which promised exile, but also promised the exile would be for their good) and instead trying to prevent the exile by trusting in an alliance he made with the Pharaoh of Egypt.  How can putting our trust in people to try to avoid suffering, rather than trusting in God and learning through suffering lead to this kind of “promise”?

Prayer focus: Pray for your friends.  Like your family, you know some of the struggles they are facing.  Some you don’t  Pray that God would help them either way and would help you to be a support and encouragement for them.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 118

Questions:

1. What phrase does the psalmist want to make sure we know in the first few verses?  Next he begins to talk about his anguish.  How does remembering this phrase help us in times of trouble?
2. What is better than trusting in people or in the powerful?  Why?
3. What shouts does the psalmist say will ring out from the tents of the righteous?  Why do you think it is only the righteous who will shout this?
4. Which part of this Psalm was most encouraging for you?  The most challenging?  How is it challenging you to change?

Prayer Focus: Pray for our church, that God would use us to be a light for the gospel in our community.

Evening Study:

Evening: Mark 8:31-9:1

Questions:

1. When Jesus began to describe his upcoming suffering, how did Peter react?  How did Jesus respond?  Why do you think a disciple of Jesus would find it hard to believe that redemption could only come by suffering?
2. What did Jesus say anyone who wanted to follow him would have to do?  What does that mean for you?
3. Jesus asks a pretty deep question in verse 36.  What is it?  What things have you been treating as more important than your soul?
4. Jesus says in verse 1 that some of those standing with him would not die until they saw the kingdom of God powerfully arrive in our world.  Obviously he wasn’t taking about the end of time.  How have you seen the kingdom of God come into your world?

Prayer focus: Pray for the other churches in our community.  Pray that God would use all of us to help his kingdom come here and now in our world.

Morning Study:

Text: Psalm 107:33-43

Questions:

(Once again take some extra time this morning to let this Psalm come alive in your reading.  Learn to hear it on it’s own terms, not just in terms of the questions others pose to it.)

1. Read this Psalm out loud at least three times.
2. What word or phrase really jumps out at you?
3. How does that word or phrase apply to your life right now?  What are you going through that would cause that phrase to stand out?
4. What is God trying to say to you through this Psalm?

Prayer Focus: Spend some time today getting ready for worship tomorrow.  Ask that God would do the kinds of things described in verses 33-38 in your heart and life tomorrow.

Evening Study:

Evening: John 6:60-71

Questions:

1. Why were Jesus’ disciples grumbling? What do you do when what God has to say to you is hard to accept and even harder to obey?
2. What does Jesus say about the words that he speaks? How does knowing God is there to help you make it easier to accept the harder teachings?
3. What did Simon Peter say when Jesus asked the 12 if they were going to bail on him too?  Do you believe the same thing?  If so, how is it reflected in your actions?

Prayer focus: Pray for tomorrow’s worship services.  Pray especially for Pastor Phil that God would use him to speak His Word to you, and pray that you would have the courage to believe and obey, even the hard teachings.