Jesus Pours Out His Holy Spirit
Pentecost, The Coming of the Holy Spirit—CWS
Series C

God’s Word for Today

Once God made people speak many languages because of their disobedience. When the Spirit came on the great day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, God did a miracle of reversal. He filled people with the ability to speak languages to spread the amazing good news of Jesus’ resurrection.

First Lesson (Genesis 11:1-9)

1.	How was the world after the flood very different from the world today? (See 11:1.)

2.	For what two sinful reasons did people decide to build a very tall tower? (See 11:4.)

3.	Why did God say, “Come, let us confuse their language”? (See 11:7.)

Second Lesson (Acts 2:1-21)

4.	What two dramatic signs came from heaven and showed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit?

5.	How do those signs display and fit the work of the Spirit?

6.	Why did God promise to pour out his Spirit on all people? (See 2:7-21).

Gospel (John 15:26,27)

7.	What name does Jesus first give the Holy Spirit? (See 15:26.) What does this name mean?

8.	What second name does Jesus give the Holy Spirit? What does this name mean?

Answers:

1.	The world after the flood had only one language.

2.	The people decided to build a tall tower a) to make a name for themselves (in pride) and b) to keep themselves from being scattered far and wide (in stubborn disobedience of God’s command).

3.	God said, “Let us confuse their language” because he is Three-in-One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet one God.

4.	The two signs that showed the Spirit’s presence and power were a) a sound of a rushing wind that came from heaven and filled the whole house and b) tongues of fire that appeared on the heads of each in the house.

5.	Like the wind, the Holy Spirit works invisibly, but powerfully. (In Greek and Hebrew “wind” and “spirit” are the same word.) Like fire, the Holy Spirit warms and energizes us with the good news of all Jesus has done in our place.

6.	God promised to pour out his Spirit on all people so that they would call on Jesus’ name and be saved.

7.	Jesus first calls the Holy Spirit, “the Counselor.” That name means he is the one who helps us by talking to us. (With “counselor,” do not think “effective listener.” Think “coach.” Like a good coach, much of what the Spirit speaks to us in the Word is positive encouragement, but like a good coach he also warns us and tells us how we have been wrong.)

8.	Secondly, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” All he speaks is truth. God’s Word is total truth!

All Praise to the Holy Trinity for all Eternity
Holy Trinity, the first Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

The mystery of the Trinity, of the Most High being eternally three and indivisibly one, is meant both to dumbfound us and to comfort us.

First Lesson (Numbers 6:22-27)

1.	How is the Holy Trinity evident in the blessing Aaron was to put on God’s people? (See 6:24-26.)

2.	How does the Lord describe his blessing? (See 6:27.)

3.	What does this mean? (See 6:27.)

Second Lesson (1 John 5:5-12)

4.	Who is the only one who overcomes the world?

5.	Who is the only one who has eternal life?

6.	How can anyone really believe in something as difficult to understand as the Trinity? (See 5:9.)

Gospel (John 16:12-15)

7.	What things did Jesus promise the Spirit would do when he would come?

8.	The Spirit’s goal isn’t to bring attention to himself. What is his goal?

Answers:

1.	The Trinity is evident to eyes of faith in this way: The blessing is three-fold, in three lines, yet each line starts with “the Lord.” This hints that there are three persons, yet only one Lord.

2.	The Lord describes his blessing as putting his name on his people.

3.	To put one’s name on someone or something generally means to show that it belongs to you. So when the Lord blesses us he, the Holy One, promises that he owns us sinners. We belong to him in the most personal, merciful way.

4.	The only one that overcomes the world is the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

5.	The only one who has eternal life (not just will have it…has it) is the person who has the Son. That person trusts in Jesus and his merits. He or she does not trust in himself or herself to be good enough for God.

6.	We believe in something no one can understand, the Trinity, because God has testified about himself. God says it; that settles it.

7.	Jesus promised that when the Spirit would come a) he would guide the disciples into all truth, B) he would tell the things to come, and C) he would bring glory to Jesus by taking what belonged to him and making it known to the disciples.

8.	The goal of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Jesus by bringing us to faith in Jesus and strengthening that faith.

Jesus Marvels at a Foreigners Faith
The Second Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

In our first and third lessons, God joyfully welcomes sinners of all nations to him (the examples: Rahab, and the centurion). In all three lessons we learn what God-given faith looks like.

First Lesson (Joshua 5:13–6:5, 20)

1.	Whom did Joshua meet before the massive walls of Jericho? (See 5:13-15 and 6:2)

2.	The Commander of the Lord’s army gave Joshua a plan that might have seemed silly. How did Joshua respond?

3.	Did part of Jericho’s wall collapse from an earthquake?

Second Lesson (James 1:2-12)

4.	Often we wonder why trials come to us. What is God’s purpose for trials, in short? (See 1:3,4.)

5.	Whether we have lots of money or little, who is truly blessed according to God? (See 1:12.)

Gospel (Luke 7:1-10)

6.	For what reasons did the elders of the Jews in Capernaum figure that the centurion deserved to have Jesus come and heal his servant? (See 7:4,5.)

7.	How did the centurion feel, by contrast?

8.	How could Jesus be amazed at faith that he himself had created? How can the One who knows all things really be amazed?

Answers:

1.	Joshua met the Commander of the Lord’s army. He met God the Son, before whom Joshua fell down. (An angel would have forbidden Joshua to do this.)

2.	Joshua trusted what the Lord told him. He told all Israel to believe too: March around the walls of Jericho, men!

3.	No, no ordinary earthquake hit Jericho. It must have been a miracle. All the walls collapsed. The men all rushed straight in. (Upshot: Trust all God tells you.)

4.	God tests our faith in him and his Word to develop perseverance in us. God wants us to become mature in our faith. He uses trials as one of his tools for this.

5.	The person is truly blessed who keeps persevering under trial. According to James, once that person has passed God’s test, he or she will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

6.	The elders of the Jews figured that the centurion deserved to have Jesus come and heal his servant because a) he loved the Jewish nation and b) he had built the synagogue in their town. (Visitors to Capernaum today can still see the foundation of that synagogue.)

7.	The centurion did not feel he deserved to have Jesus come under his roof or was worthy to approach Jesus. “But say the word,” he said, “and my servant will be healed.”

8.	Jesus could be amazed at faith he himself had created because a) as true man, purposely limiting his divine knowledge of all things, he could feel true surprise, and b) as true God, he delights in what he creates. He loves to see us sinners come to him in humble faith.

Jesus Halts a Funeral & Raises a Dead Man
The Third Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

The Son of God shows his great compassion and power in the face of death. On the Last Day he will raise us all and give to all who trust in him eternal life.

First Lesson (1 Kings 17:17-24)

1.	Who did the widow think had caused her son’s death? (See 17:18.)

2.	Who did Elijah know had caused the boy’s death?

3.	What two things did the widow learn? (See 17:24.)

Second Lesson (Philippians 1:18b-26)

4.	Paul cherished the Philippians prayers for him. Did Paul expect deliverance from his imprisonment in Rome?

5.	How did Paul summarize the way he and all Christians think of life and death? (See 1:18.)

Gospel (Luke 7:11-17)

6.	What made the funeral Jesus and his disciples happened upon especially sad? (See 17:12.)

7.	What did Jesus say after he touched the funeral bier? (Picture probably a stretcher of some kind, rather than an elaborate American coffin.)

8.	What main things for us to trust in did Jesus show by these words?

Answers:

1.	In bitter grief, the widow blamed Elijah for causing her son’s death.

2.	Elijah knew the truth: the Lord had caused the son’s death. Note this well. No one ever dies accidentally from God’s perspective. The Lord sets the day of our death.

3.	The widow learned a) Elijah truly was a man of God and b) the word of the Lord from his mouth was all true. When Jesus raises the dead, we learn, likewise, that he is God’s Son and that he cannot lie to us.

4.	Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and he hoped to get out. (See 1:27.) But the kind of deliverance Paul joyfully anticipated most of all was deliverance from this sinful world, deliverance through death to life.

5.	Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (What a wonder: Dying is not losing, but gaining. Specifically, living now is Christ. Dying? More Christ! We will get to see him face to face.)
 
6.	The funeral was especially sad because the young man who died was the only son of his mother, a widow. She had no one to take care of her any more. It’s no wonder a large crowd from the town was following the body.

7.	Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up.” 

8.	By these words Jesus showed a) his compassion, b) his own personal power—he doesn’t need to call on someone else for power—and c) his power to raise all the dead on the Last Day.

Forgiven Much by Jesus, We Love Much
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

When we sense how much we need God's forgiveness, his mercy becomes the most powerful reality in our lives. It transforms us. To ignore our need brings ruin, but to hang on tightly to God’s gift of mercy brings peace, joy, and purpose.

First Lesson (2 Chronicles 33:1-6, 10-18)

1.	What kinds of evil things did King Manasseh do?

2.	What changed after the king of Assyria put a hook in Manasseh’s nose and took him to Babylon in handcuffs?

Second Lesson (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

3.	What kind of people will not inherit God’s kingdom?

4.	What is remarkable about the Christians in Corinth to whom Paul wrote this letter? (See the first part of 6:11.)

5.	What happened to the Christians to change them?

Gospel (Luke 7:36-50)

6.	When the Pharisee said something snide to himself, what did Jesus do? (See 7:39,40.) What did this show?

7.	In terms of a day’s wage, how much did the two men owe? (See the footnote on 7:41.)

8.	Have you been forgiven much or little? How are you responding to this forgiveness? (See 7:47.)

Answers:

1.	Manasseh, king of Judah (the southern part of Israel), worshiped idols and helped other Jews to be idolaters too. He sacrificed his sons in fire to an idol. He tried to contact the dead and find out about the future.

2.	In his old age Manasseh sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.” Manasseh got rid of altars to idols and tried to reestablish worship of the true God.

3.	People who do not repent, but keep practicing homosexuality and other things that change God’s holy plan for marriage, as well as idolaters, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, slanders and swindlers will not inherit God’s kingdom.

4.	Some of the Christians in Corinth were former thieves. Some were former homosexuals, etc. (Today people often claim that with certain sins, they are born that way, and they cannot change.)

5.	Paul says they were baptized. Its results were amazing. They were made holy and declared innocent in God’s courtroom through their trust in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

6.	Jesus “answered” the Pharisee, even though Simon had said nothing out loud. This shows that Jesus knows all things. He knows the thoughts we may think are secret.

7.	One man owed 500 days’ wages, the other 50 days’ wages. If an unskilled working man in our day might make about $50 a day, these two men would have owed $25,000 and $2,500 respectively.

8.	This question is for you to ponder, not to find a definitive answer.

Jesus Had to Suffer; He Had to Be Killed
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Jesus, crucified for us, calls us to pick up our crosses and follow him. What love, that he wanted to die for us, while being cruelly abused by men and abandoned by his Father.

First Lesson (Genesis 39:6b-12, 16-23)

1.	What did Potiphar’s wife try to get Joseph, her husband’s trusted employee, to do?

2.	How did Potiphar, Joseph’s master, respond?

3.	Things went well for Joseph in prison. The lesson for us?

Second Lesson (Hebrews 11:24-26)

4.	When Moses refused to be known any more as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, what result was he choosing?

5.	Why did Moses think of disgrace for Christ’s sake as more valuable than the treasures of Egypt?

Gospel (Luke 9:18-24)

6.	How did Jesus react when Peter confessed him as God’s Anointed One? (See 9:20,21)

7.	Why did Jesus say he must suffer many things and must be killed? (See 9:22.)

8.	What will happen to you if you want to save your life? If you lose your life for Jesus? (See 9:24.)

Answers:

1.	Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to have sexual intercourse with her.

2.	Potiphar got angry when his wife accused Joseph of trying to make fun of her (and worse). We do not read with whom he was angry, so we should not assume he was angry with Joseph; he may have been angry with his wife. In any case, Joseph was thrown in prison.

3.	The way things went well for Joseph in prison—part of the whole story of how God turned bad into good, with Joseph and his family—teaches us to do the right thing always, for God’s sake. Following what God says may make us enemies and cause us many troubles, but God’s way is the best way. In the end we will see it.

4.	By letting everyone know he was an Israelite, Moses deliberately chose to be mistreated. 

5.	Moses thought of disgrace for Christ’s sake as more valuable than the treasures of Egypt because he did not intend to get a reward right away. He was looking ahead to a reward. (Think of what Moses turned his back on. The remains of a minor young pharaoh from that era, Tutankhamen, were found inside a coffin all of gold.)

6.	When Peter confessed Jesus as God’s Anointed One, Jesus strictly warned the Twelve not to tell anyone.
 
7.	Jesus had to suffer and die for us a) because there was no other way for us to be rescued than for a perfect substitute to offer himself willingly in our place under God’s judgment and b) because his great love for us compelled him to go through with it.

8.	If you want to save your life, you will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus will save it.

Jesus Sets his Face for the Spot He Will Die
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Following seems easy. We just go behind the person in front of us. But following Jesus daily for our whole lives requires endurance. It is a struggle between our old and new selves.

First Lesson (Jonah 3:3–4:4)

1.	When Jonah finally got to the city where God had sent him and preached there, the people of Nineveh believed God. When he saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, what did God do? (See 3:10.)

2.	How angry was Jonah, as a result?

Second Lesson (2 Corinthians 11:21b-30)

3.	When Paul compared himself to the “super-apostles” in Corinth, he did not list all his success. What did he list?

4.	What other constant pressure did Paul feel? (See 11:28.)

5.	About what, then, did Paul boast? (See 11:30-32.)

Gospel (Luke 9:51-62)

6.	As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, what did he do? (See 9:51.)

7.	Why didn’t one Samaritan village welcome Jesus? (See 9:53.)

8.	What is the main point for us, as Jesus talks with three men separately about following him? (See 9:57-62.)

Answers:

1.	When God saw how the Ninevites repented and turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

2.	Jonah was so angry at God’s patience and mercy—which Jonah knew by heart from God’s description of himself in Exodus 34:6,7—that Jonah got irate. He told God he wanted to die. He refused to answer God when God asked him if he had a right to be so upset. (How similar we can be to Jonah! How opposite Jesus was!)

3.	Paul listed as his credentials all the trials he had gone through, including imprisonment, frequent floggings and many dangers. He had often been near death.

4.	Paul also felt daily the pressure of his concern for all the Christians in the churches he had helped start and had visited. When people were weak, he felt weak. When believers fell into sin, it tore Paul up inside.

5.	Paul boasted about his weaknesses, not his strengths. Final case in point: Paul began his ministry by narrowly escaping death in Damascus.

6.	As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Literally, he “fixed his face for Jerusalem.” He was determined to die for us just outside the city.

7.	The people of the Samaritan village did not welcome Jesus, because he was heading for Jerusalem. Jews and Samaritans in Jesus’ day usually had strong dislike for each other. (Yet Jesus had mercy on these people.)

8.	The main point for us, as Jesus talks with three men about following him, is full dedication to Jesus and his kingdom. Halfway? No way.

Jesus Sends Out 72 Men to Proclaim Peace
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today
“Peace,” or “shalom” (Hebrew), is more than the absence of hostility between God and us. It is wholeness in every way, bought by the blood of Christ. Today's lessons show the part we all have in proclaiming God's peace near and far.

First Lesson (1 Kings 17:1-16)

1.	When many Israelites turned to Baal, the storm god, in what two ways did God punish them? (See 17:1-3.)

2.	A Canaanite woman helped Elijah though, and saw a miracle. List several surprises in this part of the story.

Second Lesson (Philippians 4:10-20)

3.	What secret had Paul learned? (See 4:12 especially.)

4.	In 4:13, Paul does not mean that all of us can be world-class violinists or swimmers. What does he mean?

5.	What promise did Paul give to those who had helped him? (See 4:19.)

Gospel (Luke 10:1-12, 16-20)

6.	How did Jesus make the seventy-two men whom he sent out the answer to their own prayer? (See 10:1-4.)

7.	When we listen to our pastor or someone similar announce the forgiveness of all our sins—or, God forbid, the opposite—to whom are we listening? (See 10:16.)

8.	In what did Jesus say not to rejoice? In what did he say to rejoice? (See 10:20.)

Answers:

1.	God judged and punished his Israelite people by a) sending no rain (not even any dew) for several years, and by taking his spokesman Elijah away from them, so that they got no messages from the Lord.

2.	It is surprising that a Canaanite woman, not an Israelite, helped Elijah. And how she helped! “It is difficult to know which most to wonder at: Elijah’s calmness, consistency, and readiness of faith or the widow's almost incredible simplicity of trustfulness” (Alfred Edersheim).

3.	Paul had learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance.

4.	Paul means, as a Greek expert has put it, “As to every circumstance, I am strong in him who strengthens me.” Paul is strong in the Lord Jesus, not in himself.

5.	Paul promised the generous Philippians (and us), “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
 
6.	Jesus made the seventy-two the answer to their own prayer for more workers in the Lord’s harvest by sending them out on a tour of the towns ahead of him in Judea. (In line with our individual gifts, Jesus also will make us the answer to our own prayers for more workers.)

7.	When we listen to our pastor or someone else announce that our sins have been forgiven or are retained, we are listening to Jesus himself. Those words are “as valid and certain,” Luther says in our catechism, “in heaven also, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us himself.”

8.	Jesus said not to rejoice that evil spirits submit to us as we share the gospel, but to rejoice that our own names are written in heaven.

Faith-Life Reveals Itself in Love for Others
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

We cannot see into other people’s hearts, but we can discern Christian faith by its fruits in words and actions. God tells us that love, joy, peace, patience and more make up the fruit of faith. (See Galatians 5:22,23.) If we truly have crossed over from death to life, it will show in love for others, as James has written: “I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:18).

First Lesson (Deuteronomy 24:17-22)

1.	In general, how did God command the children of Israel to treat foreigners, orphans and widows?

2.	Twice God gives a simple reason for such commands. What is that reason?

Second Lesson (Romans 12:19-21)

3.	When others mistreat us, what should we not do? Why not? (See 12:19.)

4.	What should we do then, according to Paul? (See 12:20-21.)

Gospel (Luke 10:25-37)

5.	What is the first reason why Jesus told this story? (See Luke 10:29a.)
 
6.	Why were the priest and Levite in Jesus’ parable unwilling to help the man victimized by robbers?

7.	What is surprising about the Samaritan’s willingness to help this Jewish man, and what do his actions teach us about true Christian love?

Answers:

1.	God commanded the Israelites to treat foreigners, orphans and widows with kindness and generosity.

2.	God told the Israelites to be kind and generous to those in need because the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt.

3.	We should not take revenge. If someone harms us, revenge is God’s job. He will repay.

4.	We should overcome evil with good. Specifically, if our enemy is hungry, we should feed him. If our enemy is thirsty, we should give him something to drink. By doing this, Paul says, we will heap burning coals on our enemy’s head. (This picture seems to mean causing one’s enemy to feel ashamed of his or her conduct, in comparison to the kindness shown to him or her.) 

5.	Jesus told this story first to counteract the way we all want to justify ourselves. We have not kept God’s law!

6.	The priest and Levite seem to have been more concerned about their service in the temple, which would bring them honor, than they were concerned about the fulfillment of God’s will, that we love our neighbor as ourselves. Self-love trumped love of others. True God-given faith-life reveals itself in sacrificing for others.

7.	The Samaritan’s willingness to help would have been a surprising twist to Jesus’ listeners and a slap in the face to many Jews of Jesus’ day. Most Jews looked down on their Samaritan cousins, thinking of them as unreligious, half-breeds. But the Samaritan’s actions model Christ’s own love, which selflessly serves others—even an enemy. (See Matthew 5:43-48.)

Only God’s Gospel Promises
Nourish Faith-Life
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Doctors sometimes tell sick, weak people to put on some weight. Their body needs proper nourishment. That is true also for our souls. Even after we become Christians through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, our faith-life needs daily nourishment to fight against the power of sin inside us and around us. And how is our faith-life nourished? Only through God’s gospel promises in Word and Sacrament.

First Lesson (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

1.	When young Samuel woke up and heard someone calling his name, who did he think was calling him?

2.	What did Samuel say to the Lord when he realized who was calling to him?

Second Lesson (Colossians 3:12-17)

3.	First Paul tells us to love others, be thankful, etc. Then he tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. What is the connection, probably?

4.	Paul does not picture a group of people sitting passively as one person reads and applies God’s Word to them. What does Paul picture instead?

Gospel (Luke 10:38-42)

5.	When Jesus came to visit their home, with what did Mary and Martha busy themselves, respectively?

6.	According to Jesus, which sister made better use of her time?

7.	True or false? With his rebuke of Martha, Jesus is suggesting that work is a waste of our time.

Answers:

1.	Samuel thought Eli, the high priest, was calling to him at night.

2.	Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

3.	The connection between us loving others, being thankful, etc. and the word of Christ dwelling in us richly is that we will only do the actions in the first group if the word of Christ dwells in us richly. God’s good news in Christ is the power plant for energy to love God and others.

4.	Paul is not telling us it is wrong for a pastor to preach to a congregation of Christians, but Paul also envisions Christians teaching and warning each other with all wisdom as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other— all in connection with God’s grace.

5.	Martha busied herself with preparing a meal for Jesus, while Mary busied herself with sitting at Jesus’ feet for the nourishment of her faith-life.

6.	When Martha became upset at Mary, Jesus told Martha that her sister had chosen the more necessary thing.

7.	False. Jesus is simply pointing out that the nourishment of our faith-life through the gospel is far more necessary than worrying about earthly needs (see Matthew 6:25-34). Work is a blessing from God as we are given the opportunity to serve him and one another in unselfish love. Martha showed her selfishness when she became angry at Mary. Instead she should have graciously accepted the task of preparing the meal by herself without any thought of what Mary was doing! Instead of being angry at Mary, she should have rejoiced that Mary was being granted such a wonderful opportunity to be nourished through the gospel.

Faith-Life Expresses Itself
in Fervent Faith-Filled Prayer
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

God has given most people the wonderful gift of speech. Through words we communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings. Without words it would be much harder to express ourselves—a frustrating prospect. Our thoughts, ideas and feelings need an outlet. So does our Christian faith-life. Faith looks for ways to express itself, and one way Christian faith does so is in fervent prayer. 

First Lesson (Genesis 18:20-32)

1.	When Abraham found out that the Lord was planning destruction for Sodom and Gomorrah what did he do?

2.	What does this story teach us about Christian prayer?

Second Lesson (James 5:13-18)

3.	What does James say the people to whom he was first writing should do if they are sick?

4.	What proof does James give that the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well?

Gospel (Luke 11:1-13)

5.	With his illustration in 11:5-8, what is Jesus teaching us about our life of prayer? How should we pray?

6.	What encouragement is Jesus giving us about our life of prayer in verses 9-13?

Answers:

1.	Abraham prayed to the Lord to spare the cities for the sake of righteous people who may have been living there. Abraham was especially concerned about his nephew Lot (whom God would spare from the fiery destruction that fell on Sodom).

2.	Abraham shows us how bold and fervent we can and should be in our faith-filled prayers to the Lord, because of his great mercy. Abraham “persuaded” the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if he found only ten righteous people in them. Therefore, when you pray, do not quit. Keep appealing to God’s mercy in Christ.

3.	He says they should ask church elders to come and pray over them and put olive oil on them. (Olive oil may have been soothing/medicinal and probably also brought with it a symbol of God’s blessing. That may be one reason elders were to bring it, not just family or friends.)

4.	To prove that God can and does answer prayer (sometimes dramatically), James gives the example of Elijah. He prayed, and God withheld rain for three years. He prayed again; God brought an end to the drought.

5.	With his illustration, Jesus is teaching us to be persistent in prayer. In the same way that the man in Jesus’ illustration continued to knock on his neighbor’s door until the neighbor got up to help him, we also should continue to approach the throne of God’s mercy with faith-filled prayers. Thankfully, our loving heavenly Father is much more ready to help us in our need than a grouchy, groggy neighbor!

6.	Jesus asserts that if most earthly fathers give their children good things (even though they are sinners), our perfectly loving heavenly Father will be much more likely take care of our every physical and spiritual need abundantly. God promises to work all things together for the eternal good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Faith-Life’s Riches Are Hidden with God
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost―CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Did you know that you are the richest person in the world? Are you thinking: “I missed that memo”? No, you didn’t win the lottery last night. Bill Gates didn’t die and leave you all his money. But you still are the richest person in the world, along with all others who trust in Jesus as Savior. Where are our riches? They are stored in heaven for us, “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:4). They may be hidden with God for now, but that does not mean they are not ours. God has promised them to us, and he will deliver!

First Lesson (Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26)

1.	What attitude does King Solomon (assuming he is the author here) have about the things of this world?

2.	Whom did Solomon recognize as the giver of all blessings, both worldly and eternal?

Second Lesson (James 5:1-11)

3.	Evidently rich landowners in James’ day were cheating poor believers who worked in their fields. The owners paid low wages. What should we think today, then?

4.	What main words of comfort does James offer to people going through financial troubles? (See especially 5:8 and 5:11.)

Gospel (Luke 12:13-21)

5.	Jesus states that “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In what does it consist?

6.	How does Jesus illustrate the truth of this principle?

Answers:

1.	Solomon calls the things of this world meaningless under the sun. We might also translate “vapor.” They go away quickly. Though Solomon was very rich, he knew how fleeting the things of this world really are.

2.	Solomon realized that everything was “from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” By Spirit-given faith in the risen Savior, a Christian comes to see that all of our riches are hidden with God.

3.	We should remember James’ words. God has heard the cries of people being cheated. God will make oppressive unbelievers miserable when he takes away their wealth on the Last Day. Already, practically, all their valuable things are corroded and ruined. They cannot last.

4.	James reminds us that the Lord’s coming is near (5:8) and that even now the Lord is compassionate and merciful (5:11). Let us keep persevering, then, like Job and the prophets of old. Let us “keep on keeping on.”

5.	Real life―a Christian’s faith-life―consists in being “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). Earthly possessions are fleeting and transient, but the heavenly riches that the Lord has stored up for us will last forever (See 2 Timothy 4:8.) For now those riches are hidden with God.

6.	Jesus illustrates his point by telling the parable of the rich fool. The rich fool believes that after attaining earthly wealth he has nothing more to worry about or gain. Jesus calls him a fool because one day he will face death and all his worldly riches will become meaningless. He will be eternally destitute, away from God and his goodness forever.

Faith-Life Keeps Watching for the Lord
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost―CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

A 2011 Australian study found that after age of 25, every hour of television reduced the viewer’s life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. (Yikes!) God’s warning is far more dire than the old “slouch on the couch.” He says that by frittering time away we could slide away from him and into eternal death. Conversely, how good it will be for those whom Jesus finds busy and watching for him when he reappears.

First Lesson (Haggai 1:2‒14)

1.	How were the Jews of Haggai’s day doing financially? How can you tell? (See 1:6 and 1:10,11.)

2.	What did God want his people to do? (See 1:8.)

3.	See 1:12: What attitude do we too need? 

Second Lesson (Revelation 3:1-6)

4.	What reputation did the church in Sardis have? What did Jesus think by contrast? (See 3:1.)

5.	In what way will Jesus come like a thief? (See 3:3.)

Gospel (Luke 12:32-40)

6.	What attitude does Jesus encourage Christians to have about this world and the things of this world?

7.	Instead of worldly things, with what should we concern ourselves?

Answers:

1.	The Jews of Haggai’s day were not doing well financially. They had planted much, but harvested little. God had sent a drought because they had been busy with their houses, not with his house (the temple).

2.	God wanted them to a) give careful thought to their ways and b) to go get timber and finish building his house.

3.	If we are going to properly industrious while waiting for the Lord, it will stem from revering the Lord. Such fear of God comes from the Word of God.

4.	The church in Sardis had the reputation of being alive, but Jesus says they were dead.

5.	Like a thief, Jesus will come not only on a day we cannot predict, but at a time when we do not expect him. (See also Luke 12:40.)

6.	Christians should not be engrossed with the things of this world. Jesus goes so far as to say that we should sell our worldly possessions and give to the poor. The reason for Jesus’ encouragement is simple: The things of this world have no lasting worth. In time worldly things will all be exhausted, stolen or destroyed. Why waste time on the constant pursuit of such things?

7.	Jesus repeatedly encourages us to set our hearts on the kingdom of God, on the eternal things that are in store for us in our heavenly home. He wants us to be ready when he comes again because he will only take to be with him those who have been waiting, like servants waiting by the door for their master to knock after a long journey.

Faith-Life Brings Division in this
World of Falsehood
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost―C

God’s Word for Today

“Can’t we all just get along?” Many people feel that way, especially in religious matters. That sentiment usually pairs up with the idea that “no one has a monopoly on the truth.” People claim (absolutely―see the irony?) that truth is relative. Jesus says otherwise: No truth conflicts with him and his Word. As followers of Jesus, we stand firmly with him, though such a stance will certainly divide us from all who follow lies.

First Lesson (2 Kings 11:1-3, 12-18)

1.	How bad did things get in Judah after Ahaziah died, and his mother Athaliah reigned?

2.	Could people on God’s side compromise with Athaliah? No way! What was the result?

Second Lesson (Ephesians 6:10-20)

3.	We are in a war, but not against ourselves or other people. With whom are we at war?

4.	How do we arm ourselves for this war?

Gospel (Luke 12:49-53)

5.	What misperception do many people have about Jesus and his work?

6.	Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6. Why would he say, then, that he did not come to bring peace?

7.	Why are Jesus and his teaching so divisive in our world?

Answers:

1.	Things got so bad that Athaliah tried to murder the whole royal family. Jehosheba, the aunt of the future king, managed to hide baby Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. For six years they stayed hidden at the temple in Jerusalem.

2.	Athaliah was killed, and 7 year-old Joash became king.

3.	We are at war against the devil and his well-organized army of demons.

4.	We arm ourselves for this war by putting on the full armor of God, so we can take our stand against Satan and his schemes. We also pray in the Spirit for ourselves and for all God’s saints on earth.

5.	Many people think that Jesus came to bring worldly peace and social justice. Instead, Jesus points out that he and his teaching divide people into those who trust and worship him and those who don’t.

6.	Jesus is the Prince of Peace and did come to bring peace―but not worldly peace. Instead, Jesus came to bring peace between sinful human beings and his holy heavenly Father, and through his life, death and resurrection he has done just that. (See Romans 5:1).

7.	Jesus and his teaching are divisive, since he proclaims absolute truth. In fact, he is the absolute Truth (John 14:6). In a world filled with false ideas about “relative truth,” Jesus boldly states that we are either to be for him or against him (Luke 11:23). Either he is our Lord, or he is not. Neutrality is impossible. So there are two kinds of people, worldwide. Families divide over Jesus, too, as Christians find themselves needing to speak the truth in love and to reject all falsehood. (On the impossibility of compromise, see 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1).

Faith in Christ Leads Us Through
the Narrow Door
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost―CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Many think many roads lead to eternal glory. “It doesn’t matter what religion you practice―or whether you have none,” they say. “All that matters is that you try to treat others well, and do the best you can.” Yet while religions may espouse some noble goals for earthly living, all these goals lead people away from Christ. All fall far short of what God demands for entrance into heaven: perfection (Matthew 5:48). The good news is Jesus came to be perfect in our place. He has given us his perfection in God's sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through faith in him we have eternal life. Jesus is the only way, the narrow door.

First Lesson (Judges 7:1-8)

1.	At first Gideon had 32,000 men to fight against the Midianites. To how many did the Lord reduce his troops?

2.	Why did the Lord do such a strange thing? (See 7:2.)

Second Lesson (Romans 9:1-9)

3.	What could Paul have wished, if it were possible?

4.	Why did so many Jews in Paul’s day reject the gospel of Christ Jesus? Was it God’s fault in some way?

Gospel (Luke 13:22-30)

5.	Why does Jesus describe the entrance into heaven as being a “narrow door,” and how does one enter through this narrow door?

6.	True or false? When Judgment Day comes, many people will be surprised that they stand condemned.

Answers:

1.	The Lord reduced Gideon’s troops first to 10,000, then to 300 men. 	

2.	The Lord did not want anyone in Israel to boast that their own strength had saved them from their enemy. All people today, even those who are on God’s side, are prone to the same temptation.

3.	Paul could have wished that he were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of other Jewish people.

4.	Many Jews of Paul’s day rejected the gospel, but it was not God’s fault. God had given them every advantage. God’s Word did not fail, either: Just because a person has Abraham's blood in his or her veins, Paul says, does not mean that person is a true heir of Abraham. All who trust in Jesus are sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:7).

5.	The door into heaven is “narrow” because there is only one way into heaven, not many ways. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Apart from trusting in Jesus as your Savior, you will not be saved. (See Mark 16:16 and Acts 4:12.) In another respect, however, the door into heaven is “wide” because Jesus has paid for the sins of all people (1 John 2:2), and because of his sacrifice God has declared all people “not guilty” in his courtroom (Romans 3:24). But only those who trust in Jesus for salvation receive the benefit of his sacrifice. Those who do not enter into glory cannot blame God. The fault will be entirely their own.

6.	True. Sadly, many will be surprised at the final judgment. Both here and in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus shows that many will be shocked at being shut out of heaven. Such will be the destiny for those who rely on anything or anyone but Jesus to be rescued from the fire of hell which we all deserve.

Our Eternal King Comes For Us
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost—CWS Series C

God's Word for Today

“Hey, that’s my seat!” School children bicker over their special place. Adults look and laugh, yet we do the same when we take pains to assure that we get what’s coming to us—at work, at home, among friends and family—and that everybody sees and knows how important we are. But in today’s lessons God tells us that our King is coming, the Almighty Ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ. Next to him, due to our sin, we are nothing. We deserve the lowest place. But, in love for us, Jesus invites us to the place of honor.

First Lesson (Proverbs 25:6-7)

1.	Why does the author tell us to be careful about exalting ourselves before the King?

2.	What could be the result of humbly taking a lower seat before the King?

Second Lesson (James 2:1-13)

3.	What must we not show, especially as we gather together as Christians? (See 2:1.)

4.	What is God’s law when it comes to others? (See 2:8.)

5.	What problem do we have if we ever show favoritism to someone with wealth, even once? Or if we do not commit adultery, but we do commit murder? (See 2:10.)

Gospel (Luke 14:1, 7-14)

6.	Why did Jesus tell the guests at this Pharisee’s house the parable of the wedding feast?

7.	Why does Jesus tell the host to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” to a dinner?

Answers:

1.	It is possible that there is someone of higher standing who will take the place of honor we have presumed for ourselves.

2.	The King may ask us to come near to him rather than sit in such a lowly seat.

3.	We must now show favoritism to people who have more earthly wealth than others.

4.	God insists, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

5.	If we break even one of part of God’s law, we are guilty of breaking all of it. (Picture a broken window. You can’t just replace the part that the baseball crashed through.)

6.	Jesus told the guests this parable to remind them of the need for humility. Those who think they have earned a high seat at the wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven by their own good deeds will have all hopes dashed when they are turned away. It is those who humbly stand at the lowest seats saying, “I only belong here because of what Jesus Christ did for me,” who will be elevated to the places of honor.

7.	The Pharisee looks only to his own public image: “Who can I impress with my guest list? Who can help me out in life?” Jesus counters: If you invite only the rich and the wealthy, what good does that do? You perhaps earn favors in this life. You pad your own sinful pride. But if you understand through faith that it is the poor and needy who need your help and comfort, even though they cannot help you in this life, you will reap a hundredfold reward in heaven.

Our Wisdom Is Found in the Lord
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

The mind is a powerful tool, capable of reasoning its way to much success and many great things. The human mind knows how to guard the bottom line. The mind knows what is most cost effective. The mind can quickly determine the most reasonable course of action. But our brains, despite all their vaunted wisdom, cannot find their way to the cross. The cross is incomprehensible to human wisdom. One man, the God-man, dies for the sins of all men?! It is only when our fear and trust is in the Lord that we can know his great mercy and understand how that mercy affects us now and forever.

First Lesson (Genesis 12:1-8)

1.	When God called Abram to go to the land God would show him, God gave Abram seven blessings. What was the last one?

2.	Abram was a childless man 75 years old when God called him to go to an unknown land and promised to make a great nation out of him. What other problem did Abram have? (See the end of 12:6.)

Second Lesson (Philippians 3:4b-11)

3.	For what sorts of reasons could Paul have trusted in who he was before God? (See 4:5,6.)

4.	Instead of profit, what did Paul learn to consider his former goodness and good efforts?

Gospel (Luke 14:25-33)

5.	Does Jesus really want us to hate our parents, our brothers and sisters, and our children?

6.	What motivates us to “hate” our families, to give up everything we have for Jesus?

Answers:

1.	God promised Abram, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” This was a promise that the Savior of the world—God in the flesh—would come from Abram’s descendants. (And that Savior would die in place of all people.)

2.	Abram’s other problem was that plenty of Canaanites filled the land to which God sent him. How could his descendants take over such a land when he had no son either? God asked Abram, like he asks us, to keep trusting him in the face of much opposition and circumstances that often seem to make no sense.

3.	Paul could have trusted in who he was because he was not just a Jew, he was the most Jewish man possible. He figured that he had kept the law that God had given the Jews faultlessly. He had even persecuted Christians in his zeal to be a good Jew.

4.	Paul learned to see his former goodness as a loss (in accounting terms), not a profit. He even considered it garbage (literally, “dung”). Jesus had become his righteousness.

5.	We do not hate our parents in the sinful and wicked sense that Scripture condemns. We “hate” them in the sense that we make Christ the first priority in our lives. Our Lord and Savior is to be number one in all things. No matter what the wisdom of the world says, we always follow Christ.

6.	“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God showed us incredible mercy and love by sending his one and only Son into the world. He chose us before creation (Ephesians 1:4). He adopted us as sons (Ephesians 1:5). He made us alive when we were dead in our rebellion against him (Ephesians 2:5). He raised us up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). All this was done by his undeserved love—by grace. As children of our Heavenly Father, we take up the cross appointed for us and follow our Savior, Jesus, even if we don’t always understand it, even if the world mocks us, spits upon us and hates us.

The Amazingly Patient God Saves Us
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

“Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can, found seldom in a woman, never in a man.” That is a wry saying often true. Even those of us who claim to be patient people reach a point where we can be patient no more. What a blessing that God, for the sake of his Son is always patient with us, forgiving our many sins, rejoicing in our repentance, and promising to take us to be with him in glory.

First Lesson (Hosea 3:1-5)

1.	How much did Hosea have to pay to get his cheating, promiscuous wife back?

2.	Why would Hosea do this? (See 3:1.)

Second Lesson (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

3.	Here Paul tells Christians in Corinth to welcome back a man whom they had “handed over to Satan” because of his previous incest. Now the man is repentant. What should the Christians do, therefore? (See 2:7,8.)

4.	What is the first reason Paul gives for doing so? (See 2:7.)

5.	Why else did Paul and the Corinthian Christians forgive the man? (See 2:11.)

Gospel (Luke 15:1-10)

6.	What was ironic about the statement which the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered?

7.	What do these two parables spoken by Jesus emphasize?

Answers:

1.	Hosea had to pay 15 little lumps (shekels) of silver (about 6 ounces of silver in our terms) and a homer and a lethek of barley. The barley seems to have been about 10 bushels, weighing perhaps 500 pounds. It’s possible Hosea did not have enough silver, so he had to bring the barley too, an embarrassing, difficult task.

2.	Hosea did this because God had told him to do it and to love his wife the way the Lord loved the Israelites, despite the shameful unfaithfulness to him. Think of it: For Jesus’ sake God loves you passionately (like a husband) and persistently. God loves you truly, as opposed to the way Israelites loved those raisin cakes. God loves you unconditionally, embarrassingly, detrimentally, expensively, but freely (at huge cost to him, but at no cost to you). Do you believe that?

3.	The Christians should reaffirm their love for the repentant man. They should forgive and comfort him. They should welcome him back as a fellow Christian.

4.	The Christians in Corinth were to do this to keep the man from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

5.	Paul and the Corinthians (and we today, under similar circumstances) needed to forgive and comfort the man so that Satan would not outwit them. Satan loves discord and despair! 

6.	The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were amazed that Jesus would eat with “sinners” like prostitutes and tax collectors. What they failed to see was that they were just as guilty of sinning against God as the other “sinners” were.

7.	These two parables emphasize God’s patience, his seeking heart, and the value which God places on each individual soul. May we be led to value people’s souls just as much and share with all sinners the soul-saving news of the free forgiveness found in Christ!

Use All God’s Blessings to Serve Him
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Money rules in our materialistic society. We also must admit that God has richly blessed each of us with many physical blessings—far more than we deserve. How we handle those blessings, whether they be dollars or possessions, reflects our relationship with our God. May God move us to use all of his blessings in a way that pleases him, serves his purposes and helps others eternally.

First Lesson (Genesis 14:8-24)

1.	Instead of sitting tight to make sure he stayed safe and prosperous, what did Abram do?

2.	What did Abram give to Melchizedek?

3.	Why would Abram not take anything that belonged to the king of Sodom?

Second Lesson (1 Timothy 6:6-16)

4.	Why is godliness with contentment great gain? (See 6:7.)

5.	Is money itself evil? (See 6:10.)

Gospel (Luke 16:1-13)

6.	What is the main point of this parable of Jesus? (See 16:9-12.)

7.	How does Jesus further his point by saying “You cannot serve both God and money”?

Answers:

1.	Abram went on a long, difficult journey to overtake and fight the kings who had defeated and plundered the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He saved his nephew Lot, Lot’s family and Lot’s possessions in the process.

2.	Abram gave God’s priest, Melchizedek, a tenth of everything. (Giving a tenth of our income to God today is not a requirement, nor do we know that it was in Abram’s day. But what a stellar sign of gratitude to God, trust in God and generosity!)

3.	Abram would not take anything because he did not want the king of Sodom to be able to claim that he had made Abram rich. (God had made Abram rich. Today, too: All wealth comes from God.)

4.	Paul says godliness with contentment is great gain because we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out.

5.	Money is not evil. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. In Paul’s picture, running after money will lead now and forever to similar results as running headlong into a drawn sword.

6.	Jesus tells this parable to encourage us to make good use of our money. How we use the money and possessions that God has given is a fruit of faith and will reflect our relationship with him. By keeping an eternal perspective on the blessings God has given, we will use them to serve his purposes and to support his kingdom here on earth, knowing God will reward us forever.

7.	Worldly wealth and possessions are given by God to be used in his service. The God who gives the money must always be more important than the money that he gives.

Worldly Wealth Is Fleeting, and God Is Just
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God's Word for Today

Complacency and contentment may be near each other in an English dictionary, but Scripture sees them as worlds apart. One the Lord detests; the other, he says, is great gain. Our lessons this Sunday show God’s justice and mercy: God's justice should terrify us. (How frightening, to hear Jesus’ description of the rich man in hell!). But through his gospel God comforts terrified sinners.

First Lesson (Ecclesiastes 5:8-20)

1.	What is one of the problems with loving money? (See 5:10.)

2.	What is another problem? (See 5:11.)

3.	Is God’s main plan that we be as poor as possible in this life, since we cannot take anything with us to heaven or hell? (See 5:18-20.)

Second Lesson (Revelation 2:8-11)

4.	Were the Christians in Smyrna rich or poor? 

5.	What does the example of these Christians teach us about our finances? 

Gospel (Luke 16:19-31)

6.	How had the rich man in Jesus’ account become complacent?

7.	Why might Lazarus take issue with many people labeling him as poor? (And how does this outlook show contentment in Christ?)

Answers:

1.	One problem with loving money is that it never satisfies. “Whoever loves money never has money enough. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” 

2.	Another problem with loving money is that the more things you have, the more people you have to hire (at least now and then, like at a repair shop) to fix them and take care of them.

3.	No, God’s main plan is not to keep us as poor as possible. One of his best gifts is to keep us from the frustrations of focusing on finances, but instead to allow us to enjoy whatever good things he gives us in this life.

4.	In human terms, they were poor, but Jesus said the Christians in Smyrna were rich. (How? Other places in the Bible tell us: They, like us, had all of God’s grace in Christ, and the down-payment of the Spirit of Christ, guaranteeing glory with God to come. See 2 Corinthians 1:22) 

5.	The Christians in Smyrna teach us not to worry whether we have a little money or a lot. What matters is being faithful even to the point of death, so we may receive the crown of life from Jesus—the victory wreath he won for us by dying in our place and rising again.

6.	The rich man was secure in all the temporary luxury that this world has to offer. He was unconcerned about his own sin and guilt, and where that would lead him in the future. He did not care about helping Lazarus, the beggar at his gate.

7.	The gift of eternal life with the Lord meant that Lazarus was wealthy beyond measure. Although he may have liked to have more comforts in this life he could content when he realized that in eternity he would lack nothing.

The Foundation of Faith
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God's Word for Today

Faith is the very foundation of the Christian life. Faith, worked by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, allows us to do great things for the Lord and see eternal life as our ultimate goal.

First Lesson (1 Chronicles 29:1-2, 10-18)

1.	When today do we regularly pray just like David did in 29:11?

2.	When we give offerings to God or charitable help to someone in need, are we giving what used to be ours to someone else? (See the second part of 29:14.)

Second Lesson (Romans 6:15-23)

3.	There might be thousands of businesses that could employ you. But Paul says there are only two powers for whom we can work. Which are those two? (See 6:16-18.)

4.	Which one do you work for if you are a believer in Jesus? (Again, see 6:18.)

5.	Why shouldn’t we go back to working for sin and let sin be the boss in our lives once again? (See 6:23.)

Gospel (Luke 17:1-10)

6.	Jesus says to rebuke other sinners, but if a fellow believer repents, to forgive him or her (17:3). Why are both of these commands hard?

7.	Jesus’ disciples seemed to think he was asking a lot. They needed more faith (17:5). How can faith do such great things?

Answers:

1.	Today when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we usually end in one of two ways: A) “For thine is the kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.” Or B) “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.” Either way, those words seem very similar to David’s. 

2.	No, gifts to the Lord or contributions to the needy are only giving what belonged to God in the first place. All things are God’s.

3.	We are either slaves to sin or slaves to obedience (righteousness).

4.	All believers in Jesus are former slaves to sin. Now we are slaves to righteousness.

5.	We must not go back to sin as the boss in our lives, for the wages sin pays is death, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

6.	You rarely are popular when you tell people they are wrong in what they are doing. It also goes against the wisdom of this world to forgive and not exact punishment from someone who has wronged us.

7.	Living new lives of love is not automatic, but through trusting Jesus we remember that we are just as bad as everybody else. We are redeemed sinners, bought back by Christ's blood. In love, then, we look out for the spiritual welfare of our brothers and sisters, and we are eager to share the message of forgiveness and peace in Jesus.

Faithfully Serve Your Faithful God
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

Our faithfulness as Christians is a response to the faithfulness God has shown toward us. His love for us when we were unlovable and his salvation for us when we were without hope show his faithfulness. These acts inspire us to thanks and praise.

First Lesson (1 Samuel 12:20-24)

1.	The Israelites knew they had been wrong to demand a king like other nations had. Why did Samuel tell them to serve the Lord with all their heart? (See 12:21.)

2.	The Lord did not promise to forgive them because they meant well, etc. Why did he not reject his people? (See 12:22.)

3.	Since God is so faithful to who he is and what he has promised, are we safe to disobey him? (See 12:24,25.)

Second Lesson (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

4.	Why did Paul have such deadly perils in Asia? (See 1:9.)

5.	What attitude did Paul have about future perils, therefore? (See 1:10.)

6.	What result did Paul foresee in the end? (See 1:11.)

Gospel (Luke 17:11-19)

7.	One leper came back to say “thanks.” What can the other nine healed lepers teach us about difficult and prosperous times in life?

8.	The Samaritan’s faith had made him well. How?

Answers:

1.	Samuel told them to serve the Lord with all their heart because the only other option was to serve idols, and those were useless. They could not rescue. Only the Lord can.

2.	The Lord would not reject Israel then, and the Lord will not reject us now, because of his own reputation (“name”). He is the most consistent, loyal, unchanging One. He sticks with what he starts. He stands by his promises. What grace!

3.	No, we are not safe to disobey the Lord. We must revere him with all our heart and keep in mind what great things he has done for us. If we keep doing evil, he will destroy us.

4.	Paul said it had happened so that he, and we, might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.

5.	Paul felt that if God had delivered him before, he would do it again. We look back on past trials, then look forward with the same confidence.

6.	Paul foresaw the Corinthian Christians joining him in giving thanks to God. Let us do the same whenever God comes through for us and for fellow believers. (When was the last time you thanked God for bringing your pastor, or former pastor, through something difficult?)

7.	One thing the other nine lepers can teach us is that the Lord may use trouble in our lives to turn us to him, but we can harden our hearts to his goodness. We need to be wary of taking his blessings for granted in times of comfort and prosperity.

8.	Like the hand of a small child gripping the mighty hand of a world champion power-lifter, the Samaritan’s faith hung onto the most powerful person possible, the Son of God. When Jesus spoke about going to the priest, the Samaritan trusted that Jesus had the ability to heal him, and his trust was rewarded.

The Believer Prays Persistently
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God's Word for Today

Pray? Of course. God commands us to pray the way Jesus taught us and promises to hear us. But pray even when God does not seem to be coming through for you and others for whom you pray―really? “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), God says. Isn’t that unrealistic? Especially when no answers seem to come? Our lessons today teach us to pray persistently, for Jesus’ sake.

First Lesson (Genesis 32:22-30)

1.	Jacob feared that his brother Esau would attack him and his family. What happened when Jacob was left alone that night?

2.	What did Jacob say when the man had to go? (See 32:26.)

3.	Why did Jacob call that place “face of God”? (See 32:30.)

Second Lesson (1 John 5:13-15)

4.	Do we have to wonder whether God will help us when we pray? (See 5:13,14.)

5.	If we know that God hears us, what else do we know? (See 5:15.)

Gospel (Luke 18:1-8a)

6.	Why did the unjust judge in Jesus’ story finally give in and help the helpless widow?

7.	Is Jesus saying that God is like the unjust judge? (See 18:7.)

8.	Why did Jesus wonder whether he will find faith on the earth when he comes? (See 18:8.)

Answers:

1.	When Jacob was left alone that night, a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 

2.	Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (What a model for us, as we pray. God had promised to bring Jacob home safely. Likewise, when God has made us promises in his Word, we cling to them, no matter how things look. We hang onto God in prayer tightly).

3.	Jacob called that place Peniel (Hebrew for “face of God”) because Jacob knew he had wrestled with God himself.

4.	No. We do not have to wonder whether God will help us. He has given us eternal life through the faith he gave us in his Son who lived and died in our place. Now we confidently approach God as our Father. “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

5.	If we know that God hears us, we also know that we have what we asked of him.

6.	The crooked judge did not fear God or care about people, but he finally gave in and helped the helpless widow because she was wearing him out with her requests. By granting her request he could get rid of her.

7.	No. Jesus is not saying that God is like the unjust judge. God is the most just Judge. Jesus means that if even a crooked judge would help a widow because of her persistence, our Father certainly will help his chosen children who keep crying out to him.

8.	Jesus seems to be saying that in the last days, God will seem not to answer prayers to him for help. Things will be terrible. Many will give up trusting in Jesus. Relatively few will be saved. May his Holy Spirit keep us in faith through his Word!

Trust God Most! Put God First!
The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost—CWS Series C

God’s Word for Today

“Money talks,” people say. Money does talk. Money lies. Money says, “I will take care of you. I will always be here for you.” Money cannot keep its empty promises. God can and does keep his promises, for Jesus’ sake. We do not deserve it at all, yet God will take care of us. He will never leave us. (Jesus’ resurrection proves it!) Let us fear, love and trust in God above all things.

First Lesson (Joshua 7:1, 19-26)

1.	Which did Achan love more, God or money? How can you tell? (See 7:1, 20-21.)

2.	In what ways did God make an example of Achan?

3.	Why does God tell us about Achor, the Valley of Trouble?

Second Lesson (1 John 2:15-17)

4.	When John speaks of the “world,” he means the rebellious world organized against God, not the natural world with its beauties. Why shouldn’t we love the world? (See 2:15.)

5.	Why else must we not love the world? (See 2:17.)

Gospel (Luke 18:18-27)

6.	Why didn’t the rich ruler want to follow Jesus?

7.	How hard is it for you to save yourself? (See 18:26,27.)

Answers:

1.	Achan loved money more than God. God had said not to take any plunder from Jericho. God comes first, so the first city he conquered for Israel was to be dedicated to him. Achan, though, stole a fine Babylonian robe, 5 pounds of silver and a tiny 1.25 pound wedge of gold from Jericho. Then Achan hid them underground in his tent.

2.	God had people throw stones at Achan until he died. (What a shameful, painful way to die.) God also had Achan’s sons and daughters, his animals, his tent, the stolen goods and all that he owned taken away to the Valley of Achor where the bodies were burned. People stacked a large pile of rocks over the remains as a huge visual cue not to do what Achan had done.

3.	God tells us about Achan because he loves us. He does not want the greed that comes naturally to us to separate us from him forever and ruin us. So God warns us severely. Yes, Achan made a good confession when he was caught, but it was too little, too late. We pray, “God, keep me from the love of money.”

4.	John says if we love the world, no love for the Father is in us. It’s either/or—no half-way.

5.	John’s other main reason not to love the world is that the world and its desires are fleeting, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Believers in Jesus live already now. We will live with God In his glory eternally too. What could compare?

6.	The rich ruler did not want to follow Jesus because Jesus told him first to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Jesus told the ruler this, in part, to prove that he had not kept all of God’s commands as the he had claimed. He did not want to put God first (the first commandment). He did not love God above all things. And, he did not love his neighbor as himself. 

7.	It is impossible for me to be saved by my own good works. It is like a camel going through the eye of a needle. Only God is able to save me from my sin and guilt.