Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[LadyLionness]

LadyLionness,

Question not related to Bible study but I am curious.  Are your explanations your own words or from the side notes of the Devotional Bible by Max Lucado that you posted?

Some are my own words... but most are the commentaries from the John MacArthur Study Bible, the John Maxwell Leadership Bible, the Max Lucado Devotional Notes or the King James Version Life Application Study Bible.
 
When I teach the word of God, I prefer to use resources that I know have been through numerous rounds of editing and revision by experts to ensure that I don't led anyone on the wrong path with my own opinions or views.
 
I have also included some online materials as well, but I am more careful when I use these as I am uncertain of the level of scrutiny that the information have went through.

[LadyLionness]

Which one of the three would you say it's more helpful?  I'm not new to studying the Bible but I want to be resourceful for some friends.  I'm not going to do any actual Bible studying with them...just clarifying things for them if/when they come to me.  Like you, I don't want to mislead anyone.

For helping friends and family, I like the Life Application Bibles... it takes each verse and give some background, explanations, and then a brief "how it applies to us." 
 
For indepth Bible study, I like the John MacArthur Study Bible a lot.  It has a lot of information, a lot of details... more than the other Study Bible... such as the NIV or KJV Study Bibles... these commentaries are not as detailed... but... a friendly warning... with the John MacArthur Study Bible... you have to really really like studying b/c I didn't like it at first... you read here, and it points there and then there... so you have to follow it everywhere to really get the full meaning... if you look at my notes for the Beattitudes, you will see what I mean... lolz.
 
Just for pure enjoyment reading... I really really really like the Max Lucado Devotional Bible... and at the moment... I can't put the John Maxwell Leadership Bible down if I start reading it... hehehe... so...
 
Sorry... more info than you needed or asked for ... 

[LadyLionness]

Dear Heavenly, Father, we come before you today to be in your presence, to ask for your blessing and to be in your Word.  Please be with us and give us the knowledge and wisdom that only you can give us.  All this we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:1-5
Jesus' statement "Judge not" is agaisnt the kind of hypercritical, judgmental attitude that that tears others down in order to build oneself up.  It is not a blanket staement against all critical thinking, but a call to be discerning rather than negative.  Jesus said to discern false teachers, and Paul taught that we should exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1,2) and trust God to be the fianl judge (1 Cor 4:3-5).
 
Jesus tells us to examine our own motives and conduct instead of judging others.  The traits that bother us in other s are often the habits we dislike in ourselves.  Our unbroken bad habits and behavior patterns are the very ones we most want to change in others.  Do you find it easy to magnify other's faults while ignoring your own?  If you are rady to criticize someone, check to see if you deserve the same criticism.  Judge yourself first, and then lovingly forgive and help your neighbor.
 
 

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:6
 
Pigs were unclean animals according to God's law.  Anyone who touched an unclean animal became  "ceremonially unclean" and could not go to the Temple to worship until the uncleanness was remved.  Jesus says that we should not entrust holy teachiens to unholy or unclean people.  It is futile to try to teach holy conepts to people who don't wan tto listen and will only tear apart what we say.  This does not mean we should stop giving God's Word to unbelievers, but that we should be wise and discerning in what we teach to whom so we will not be wasting our time.
This principle is why Jesus Himself did not do miracles for the unbelievers.  This is to be done in respect to what is holy, not merely out of contempt for the dogs and swine.  Nothering here contradicts the principle in Matt 5:44.  That verse governs personal dealings with one's enemies; this principle governs how one handles the gospel in the face of those who hate the truth.  This is necessary to discern dogs and swine from one's own brethen.

[LadyLionness]

Matt 7:7, 8
Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God.  People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found.  But knowing God takes faith, focus, and follow-through, and Jesus assures us that our effort will be rewarded.  Don't give up in your efforts to seek God.  Continue to ask him for more knowledged, paitence, wisdom, love, and unerstanding.  He will give them to you.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:11
Jesus is showing us the heart of God the Father.  He is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, and we don't have to beg or grovel as we come with our requests.  He is a loving Father who understands, cares, and comforts.  If humans can be kind, imagine how kind Gid, the Creator of kindness, can be. 
 
Jesus himself used the expression, "If ye then, being evil" to contrast sinful and fallible human beings with the holy and perfect God.
 
If earthly fathers give what their sons need, will not God give to His sons what they ask?

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:13-29
This closing section of the Sermon on the Mount is a gospel application.  Here are two gates, two ways, two distinations, and two groups of people; two kingds of trees and two kinds of ffruit (vv. 17-20); two groups at the judgement; and two kinds of builders, building on two kinds of foundations.  Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way which leads to life.
 
Both the narrow gate and the wide gate assumed to provide the entracne to God's kingdom.  Two ways are offered to people.  The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise.  It represents true salvation in God's way that leads to life eternal.  The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteouness, with no single way, but it leads to hell, not neaven.
 
The gate way to eternal life is narrow... this does not mean it is difficult to become a Christian, but that there is only one way to live eternally with God and only a few that decide to follow it.  Believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven, because he alone died for our sins and made us right with God.  Living his way may not be popular, bt it is true and right.  thank God there is one way!
 
Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him. Salvation is by grace alone, but is not easy.  It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentence, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingess to obey His will and Word.
 

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:15
 
False prophets deceive not by disguising themselves as sheep, but by impersonating true shepherds.  They promote the wide gate and the wide way.  Jesus says to beware of those whose words sound religious but who are motivated by money, fame, or power.  You can tell who they are because in their teaching they minimize Christ and glorify themselves.
 
False doctrine cannot restrain the flesh, so false prophets manifest wickedness.    <will be back to expound on this... READ:  2Peter 2:12-22>.
 
 

[LadyLionness]

Dear Lord,
 
Thank you for the time you have given us.  There is so much to learn and so little time.  We are grateful for all that you have given us and for the message that you have inspired to be written for us.  Father, your love is so great and unfathomable.. . we love you and worship you in our hearts, mind, and soul.  Lord, I pray that you will help us to understand your words and live them out in our daily lifes and to teach it to our children and those around us.   All this I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.  Amen.

[LadyLionness]

Dear Heavenly Father,
 
Thank you so much for this day.  There is so much to do and so little time.  Father, I pray that you be with us this day and help us to not just learn more about you and your will, but also to be with us and help us to accomplish all that we need to do and help us to glorify you and your name.  All this I pray in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
 

Jesus exposed those people who sounded religious but had no personal relationship with him.  At "that day" (the Day of Judgement), only our relationship with Christ - our acceptance of Him as Savior and our obedience to him - will matter.  Many people think that if they are "good" and sound religious, they will be rewarded with eternal life.  In reality, fiaht in Christ is waht will count at the judgement.
 
The faith that says but dose not do is really unbelief.  Jesus was anot suggesting that works are merritorious for salvation, but that true faith will not fail to produce the fruit of good works.  This is precisely the point of James in chapt 1, verse 22 through 25 and verse 2:6 that we had studied a while back.
 
 

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 7:26-27
Like a house of cards, the fool's life crumbles.  Most people do not deliberately seek to build upon a false or inferior foundation; instaed, they just don't think about their life'spurpose.  many people are headed for destruction, not out of stubborness but out of thoughlessness .  part of our responsibility as believes is to help others stop and think about where their lives are headed and to point out the consequences of ignoring Christ's message.
 
Only the one built on the foundation of obedience to God's Word stands, which calls for repentance, rejection of salvation by works, and trust in God's grace to save through His merciful provision. 
 
You might want to go back and re-read James 1:22-25.

[yubnag]

What is faith at work?

Isn't helping others enough? From what I understand, people do the Lord's work 'cause they are called to do so? What if I never get that calling or if I can't understand, don't believe,  that there is a calling for me, what does that make of my faith?

[LadyLionness]

While there were a lot of things in chapter 7, not too many things jumped out at me in chapter 8, so unless there is something you want to discuss in chapter 8, I will talk about these verses and then move on.
 
Matthew 8:19 - 22
 
Following Jesus is not always easy or comfortable.  Often it means great cost and sacrifice, with no earthly rewards or security.  jesus didn't have a place to call home.  you may find that following Christ costs you popularity, friendships, leisure time, or treasured habits.  But while the cost of following Christ is high, the value of being Christ's deciple is even higher.  Discipleship is an investment that lasts for eternity and yields incredible rewards. 
 
Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow him.  He made sure they counted the cost and set aside any conditions they might have for following him.
 
AND believe it or not, He knows us better than we know ourselves... even though we have chosen to follow him and  might think we are ready to serve as the young man in these scriptures, Jesus knows when we are NOT ready yet and so and puts things in the way to keep us still in the wilderness until we are ready to go and set aside our conditions before he really call us into service.
 
Just remember that while we may not be of service to him yet, the decision to follow him should not be put off, even though other loyalties compete for our attention.  Nothing should be palced above a total commitment to living for Christ.  And for now, maybe the only commitment he is asking from you is to study His Word and to abide in him so that he can produce fruits through you.