Bible Study 8/20/08 “Encounters With Jesus”-The Rich Young Ruler

We are continuing with our series “Encounters with Jesus”.  This week we are looking at Jesus and the rich young ruler.  We will be reading Luke 18:18-30. This is part one of a two part focus.  Next week we will read Luke 19:1-9 about Zacchaeus. 

1. What is the significance of Jesus’ first words to the young ruler (v19)?
2. Had the young man really kept all the commandments as he claimed?
3. What attitude is the young man approaching Jesus with?
4. Why does Jesus tell him to sell everything?
5. What was the man’s response?
6. Have you ever felt conflicted or sad about doing something God clearly called you to do?
7. What was jesus’ promise to the man in v22?
8. What in your life would be the hardest for you to give up if God asked you to?  Why?
9. What is the definition of an idol (see Colossians 3:5, Hab 2:18, Jonah 2:8)?
10. Why do you think Jesus talks so much about money?  It is mentioned over 2300 times in the bible (more than any other topic).
11. Why does Jesus say it is practically impossible for rich people to enter heaven (v24-25)?
12. Do you think you are rich?
13. What if Jesus asked you tonight to give up everything your house, car, job, money, security, comfort, health, family, and Friends and follow him?  Would you be willing to do it?  How long would you hesitate? – Perhaps we are not that different than the rich young ruler.
14. With what you see hear in this story and the sermon that Daniel preached at the bridge this past Sunday (James 2), Do you think you can just pray a prayer and then live life the way you want to and still go to heaven? 
15. What does it mean to be a Christian (see Matthew 16:24-26)?
16. This passages give us a good example of this in the disciples (v28-30).  How were the disciples different from the crowd that sometimes followed Jesus?
17. What amazing promise does Jesus give his disciples (v29-30)?
18. What does this encounter reveal to you about the character of Jesus?
19. Even though it is extremely difficult for those of us who are rich to enter heaven, Jesus explains something in v27 that should give us hope.  What does He say?

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
~ Jim Elliot (martyred missionary)

Bible Study 8/13/08 “Encounters With Jesus”-The Hemorrhaging Woman

I thought that it would be a good transition to move from studying about the teachings of Jesus (what he said) to studying how He lived it out.  We’ve spent the last several weeks studying the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.  Now we are going to begin a study of Jesus Himself and how he revealed Himself to us through his interaction with others.  the title of this series will be “Encounters With Jesus”. 

Each week we will go over a specific encounter with the Savior and attempt to understand what each encounter can teach us about our Lord.  My prayer is that we will walk away from these encounters as changed as the the people who had them. 

This week we will be reading Mark 5:24-34 and looking at encounter the hemorrhaging woman.  Please take some time to read this story and think about the following questions before we meet on Wednesday.

1. What must it have been like for the suffering woman who was continually bleeding from her uterus?  Read Leviticus 15:25-30 to help you understand the cultural significance of the condition she had.  What social and religious stigmas did she constantly have to endure?
2. What do you think most people thought was the reason she was suffering?
3. How do you think her ailment (in its advanced stages) would have affected her physically?
4. When we suffer in this life is it always because we have sinned? 
5. What was the ultimate result of her suffering after none of the doctors could help her?  What did it drive her to do?
6. Given this, what do you think is one reason that God allows us to suffer in this life?
7. Why was the woman healed just by touching Jesus’ garment?
8. There was a crowd, a mob pressing around Jesus.  What are some of the reasons they were there? 
9. How do the reasons the crowd was there contrast with the reason the woman was there?
10. How is Jesus’ response to the woman different from His response to the crowd?  Why?  Who does Jesus respond to today?
11. What is the significance of Jesus using the word “daughter” to address the woman?  Why did He do this?
12. How many times have you mingled in the crowd, going through the motions of being a “Christian”, and touched Jesus only in the business of religious activities?  How many times have you walked away from the crowd following Jesus unchanged?
13. At what points in your life have you felt nearest to God?  When did you grow the most?
14. What does this passage reveal about the character of Jesus?