Men's Bible Study 5/30/07

1 Corinthians 7 Men and Women
Note: Much of this passage refers to marriage. None of us are married, so it may be difficult to relate the topics to our own lives, but should any of you get married in the future, there you go.

Context: Paul writes this chapter of his letter in to address the sexual immorality in the culture of the Corinthians

v.1-2 Paul states that it is better not to marry and he discusses his reasoning later in the letter. However, because the Corinthians lusted, Paul tells them to seek marriage so that their desires may satisfied in a more edifying manner.
v.3-6 Husband and wife should not deprive each other of sex. Doing so might lead one to seek sex outside of the marriage. Paul then states that all men are not gifted with being single.

Being Content with Your Situation and Calling
v.8-9 If you are married, you can be content. But if you are burning, it is better for you to seek marriage.
v.12-16 If you are married to a nonbeliever, you can still be content. How do you know if you will not be the one to save your spouse? If they leave you because of your faith, do not despair, you at least tried.
Discusson: Is it better to have your intended spouse convert before marrying them? Doing so does help to ensure that they are not seeking God only because of you. However, should you already be married, or if you married and then converted to Christianity but your spouse did not, you have the added responsibility of ministering and evangelizing to your spouse to make sure their heart is right. Either way, the Christian spouse has the responsibility of trying to provide a holy Christian lifestyle to his family.

v.17-24 The section seems to be a slight tangent from the marriage centered chapter. Nonetheless, the same lesson applies. Be content with your situation in life. Do not worry about small matters, like circumcision. This particular section holds true in a culture where Jews called for circumcision.
v.25-28 If you are single, be content. If you are married, be content. There is no pressing reason to change your status. However, marriage comes with added responsibilities.

Added Responsibilities of Marriage
v.29-35 In marriage, there is danger of you focusing more on pleasing and attending to your spouse than God. Be careful
Responsibilities in Ephesian 5:22-33
Husbands should love their wives as themselves. Just as God looks out for our best interests, so should husbands tend to their wifes. Husbands should instruct their wives in the Word. Likewise, wives should submit and respect their husbands. Just as Christ is the head of the Church, husbands are the head of the family.

Girls' Bible Study 16th May 07

*led by kristina and kristen!! thank you!!*

Twelve Extraordinary Women
Mary Magdalene

Mark 16:9
Her background (Jesus drove out 7 demons from her)

What is a demon-possessed life like?
- miserable, no hope of being cured
- outcast of society

Seven demons -- Why seven?
- Luke 11:24-26 (how eveil spirits work)
- Luke 8:1-2

Devoted follower of Jesus -- She even followed him to the cross (John 19:25). She know where Jesus' body was buried. John 19:38-42 (hasty preparation of His body before the Sabbath). Mark 15:47-16:2 (She made sure that He was given a proper and respected burial).

John 20:1-18

verses 1-9
- "we" (verse 2) -- Mark 16:1
- linen was folded -- sign that the tomb was not robbed.
- She was anxious -- went before sunrise

Luke 24:9-12
The diciples don't understand

verses 10:18
- do not hold on to Him -- still sinful? task not done yet; do not cling, not do no touch
- John 10:3 -- He calls His people by name, and they know His voice
- she was the first to see him after he resurrected -- EXTRAORDINARY!! why? her faithfulness, her devotion (verse 15)
-"my father, your father, my God, your God" (verse 17) -- good news of reconciliation

Application:
What has God saved you from in your past, or how is He working in your life? How have you responded, or how should you respond?

Men's Bible Study

2 Timothy 4
How do you evangelize?

What is sound doctrine?
The core teachings of the Word. No add-ons. No supplements. No worldly ideas.

Discussion: What are things we tend to add on to doctrine? What doctrine do we replace with worldly ideas?

How do you fight the good fight?
1. Remain faithful
2. Glorify God through your actions
a. it can be many things, so long as your intent is to glorify God. The idea is that God has saved you and that you should now want to to make such salvation count. What is your purpose on Earth? Was it only to be saved? Your purpose is to spread the word and minister to those around you.
3. You can substitute the word "glory" for "fame." Make God famous.
4. The more you live the life God was you to, the more likely you will be persecuted.

Application:
Do you want to be remembered as the guy who liked football? Do you want to be remembered as the jerk?

Or do you want to be remembered as the one who served God wholeheartedly, proclaiming His Name in every nation?

Men's Bible Study

Bible Study of 5/9/07

SPIRITUAL ADVICE

Proverbs 2
Solomon is providing advice on how to heed wisdom
This includes:
1. Meditating on God's Word
2. Exercising discretion
3. Listening to advice
4. Praying for wisdom
5. Sexual Purity
6. Moral Integrity
7. Do not let those who rejoice in sin influence you.

Application:
How should you have your outlook on life? What things should you do? What should your
intent concerning actions be?

Matthew 5:43-48
Advice for how you should treat people around you. How your wisdom applies to others
1. We should strive to be holy like. v.48

Application:
Suppose someone hurts your friends/family, what would you do? How should you react?
1. If we showed love to everyone, such tragedies might not have happened.
2. We should show forgiveness to someone if they hurt friends/family
3. Perhaps it would be easier to forgive if we understood what they were going through

Matthew 12:46-50
Who is Jesus' family?
Other Christians. We are all one family. This unity should dictate how we treat each other.

End Discussion Topic:
How the moral teachings of the Bible are summed up in Proverbs

Thanks to Justin Li for leading.

AACF Freshmen Girls’ Bible Study, 9th May 2007

(Led by Melissa Goto and Petrina Loh)

Twelve Extraordinary Women

Rahab

Historical Background

• Rahab was an Amorite
• She was not only an Amorite, but a prostitute
• Deuteronomy 18:12 “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.”
• Deuteronomy 20: 17-18 “Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.”
• 1 Kings 21:26 “He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.”

Joshua 2

break into four groups:
verses 1-7
verses 8-14
verses 15-21
verses 22-24

In groups, answer these questions:
What is interesting in this passage?
What’s extraordinary about Rahab or her circumstance?
Think of one topic/question for our bible study to discuss

How has God prepared Rahab to believe the spies?
Fear from hearing the testimonies (verse 11).
She feared God more than she feared her government.
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”
Fear partially motivated her faith.

Is Rahab’s lie justified?
“I see no need to try and justify Rahab’s lie. Was it necessary for a greater good? Certainly not. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego might have escaped punishment by lying too. And they might have argued convincingly that it was for a “greater good.” But there is no greater good than the truth, and the case of truth can never be served by lying. Shadrach and friends told the truth—in fact they seized the opportunity to glorify God’s name — and God was still able to save them from the furnace. He certainly could have saved Rahab and the spies without a lie.
Still, that isn’t the point of Rahab’s story. There’s no need for clever rationalization to try and justify her lie. Scripture never commends the lie. Rahab isn’t applauded for her ethics. Rahab is a positive example of faith.”
(Twelve Extraordinary Women, 59)

Why a scarlet cord? Significance?

1. Symbol of the Passover
2. Blood of Jesus

Wasn’t significant to Rahab à just a simple way of discreetly marking out her house from the other houses in Jericho.

God made use of her profession for good.

• Good location (Right at the wall, good observation spot).
• Willingly open doors to strangers.
• Most men abused her, but spies did not; Gained her trust.
• Used to lying.
• Hiding place.

Why did God make use of this prostitute? Why Rahab?
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Give examples from Rahab’s story that revealed this.
How about us? Can anyone give specific examples?
Psalms 145:6 “They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.”
Mark 2:17 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Joshua 6:16-25

• The spies were faithful à deal that Rahab made with them (Joshua 2:17, Joshua 6:22).
• Because of this, she had more faith.
• She and her household lived in Israel (Joshua 6:25). We can see her extraordinary courage. New environment, new people, new government, new religion; she came out of her comfort zone instead of sticking to the status quo because of FAITH; she trusted the spies.
• She married an Israelite: Jesus was in her family line (Matthew 1:5)

How does Rahab’s life apply to our lives?

• She was a sinful person that God is able to use.
• God can make any bad things good.
• Hebrew 11:31 “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
• James 2:24-26 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” Faith motivates action. Not that our works are perfect, but that we have faith. Even when we do “bad works” God uses if for his good.
• 1 John 2:3 “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.”

“FAITH: Faith is the most solid possible conviction or belief based upon divine assurance, not on empirical evidence. A degree or measure of faith is a gift from God to every person. In other words, every person has some ability to believe, and it is only when that ability is exercised by an act of the will that a person can experience the fruits that arise from having faith. Faith is activated in the human heart by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and the grace of Jesus Christ.”
(Twelve Extraordinary Women Workbook, 34)

“Rahab was not redeemed by any meritorious works she did. She did not earn God’s favor by any good deeds. Remember, even what she did do right — harboring the spies — was morally tainted because of the way she handled it. She lied. But she is not given to us as an example of the power of human works. She is not a lesson in self-improvement. She is a reminder that God by His grace can redeem even the most horrible life. Why is it important that we remember always that “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship” (Ephesians 2:8-10)?”
(Twelve Extraordinary Women Workbook, 37)

Application:
What part of your faith is God calling you to take action in?
What is something really practical you can do this week to live out your faith? Be specific. Something you don’t do on a regular basis, but challenging.

(Break into small groups!)

Manly Men Bible Study, 3rd May 2007!

Reconciliation

1 Samuel 26: 1-25

Qualities of men of God

• Faithfulness (David believed God would solve this conflict)
• Mercy (David spares Saul’s life)
• Righteousness (Pursuit of being righteous. Admits may be at fault)
• Humility (David never places himself above Saul)
• Forgiveness- “forgiving-ness” according to Jeff. LOL. (David must first forgive)

Application

• Be faithful to God. In resolving conflict it’s how God wants to see it resolved.
• Be merciful
• Humility as a sign of good will, do not assert authority over the other.

TEXT:

Saul feels wronged and pursues David. To me seems unjust. But how did David respond?

v. 8 David is in Lord’s favor. He has the opportunity to take “eye for an eye”

v. 9 But doesn’t take revenge
why?
1 possible interpretation Romans 14:1-4
not judge fellow brothers?
Saul- weak. But David recognizes that Saul is still anointed by God.
David- stress

v. 12. God always delivers David’s enemies to him.

v. 15-16 Jeff’s only criticism- David taunts Abner- Sign of not being humble. But Matt Ku brought up that David does sometimes have a streak of ego.

v. 17-19 Shows his humility
Contrasting fear of God vs. fear of man
David appeals to Saul by Appealing to God.
Acknowledges he may be in the wrong.
Doesn’t accuse Sault but his advisors.

v. 20 Saul is still anointed by God (right now)
If Saul sees david as a traitor, then he isn’t part of God’s covenant
David is saying Saul is blowing this situation out of proportion.
Metaphor is humbling
David doesn’t point out what Saul’s doing wrong, but simply asks Saul to question his motives.

v. 21 Fruits of humble reconciliation.
By being humble, Saul is able to look past his anger and david’s faults.
Saul says “I have sinned” not blaming david

v.22 Handing Spear back, giving back his loyalty
1 interpretation of asking servant to come: Cautious
2nd (Albert Hsu’s): David is saying he’s not worthy to hand the spear back to Saul himself.

v. 23 Respect of God’s authority and authority figure.
Still shows loyalty to his king who “wronged” him.

v. 24 By David reconciling with Saul, he can come to the throne of God. (N. T. reference)
And deliver me from all trouble, not just himself with Saul. At first I thought David was using himself as an example for Saul to follow. But rather, David was Exemplifying God’s forgiving nature in this and hopes God would do the same with him.

Ephesians 4:26- don’t let the sun go down w/out making reparations.

Ultimately reconciliation with Humility and Blessing of God, then the end will result with the person in conflict blessing the other.

Much thanks to Jeff-fairy for the bible study.
(And to Andrew for taking notes and typing them up!)
(And to Petrina for making it pretty and posting it! hehe)

Girls' Bible Study 2nd May 2007

Twelve Extraodinary Women

The Samaritan Woman

John 4:1-42

Why didn't the Jews associate with the Samaritans?
Samaritans' religion was considered a cult.

Genesis 33:19
Jacob brought that piece of land

"sixth hour"
She was shameful, didn't want to come with others were there.

John 4:7
Usually men didn't talk to women in public, and Jews didn't talk to Samaritans.

John 4:10
Jesus came not to save the Jews, but everyone.
Jesus turn her question back to her.

John 4:11
She takes what he says literarily

"our father Jacob" (John 4:12)
They are all related.

Jesus knows everything: good and bad.
He got her to think about her sins, shows that she can't hide it.
He didn't judge her, but wanted her to change and repent.

John 4:19-20
Conflict between what Jews believe and Samaritans believe.
It's who you worship, not where you worship that is important.

John 4:24 "worship in spirit and in truth"

Three things Jesus went over in his conversation with the Samaritan woman:

1. Living water/Eternal life
2. God forgives you no matter what
3. Place of worship doesn't matter

Why does Jesus talk about Food and Water?

• Practical things turned into spiritual metaphors
• at their level: very simple things people can understand

Harvest: Sower and Reaper
Encouragment even if we don't see the harvest.

Why didn't the disciples ask Jesus why he talked to the woman?

• Disciples were not there to question Him, but to follow Him.
• Disciples were sinners too

John 4: 25-27
Jesus bluntly said that He is the Messiah.
Significance in revealing to her?

Jesus uses her and reveals to her.
She didn't know much, but was able to go into town and tell everyone (her response).
She didn't care about hiding from people now, had to tell everyone.

John 4:39
Power of her Testimony
"he told me everything I ever did"

How does this woman's live and what Jesus said relate to us?

• Urgency of the gospel
• Nothing to boast about
• She instantly goes out, does not wait to become "better." She lets God just use her as she is.
• We have to trust that God has the power to transform anybody.

*snaps for April and Nicole for leading!!*