Wisdom/Loving Your Enemy
Who was the wisest man in the Bible, and how did he gain his wisdom?
Solomon
He asked God for wisdom.
What is the tool we are given to know when we sinned, or that what we are doing/did is wrong?
Conviction
Why do we worship?
Because God deserves it.
He is worthy of all of our praise.
What is spiritual warfare?
The attacks that the Devil uses against us to try to turn us away from God, fall into sin, and feel hopeless/alone.
What does "Guarding Your Heart" mean?
Monitoring what you consume that will affect your heart, which will affect your life, so we need to be careful about what we allow into our hearts.
This comes from music, movies, shows, social media, books, friends, etc.
Who wrote the most books of the Bible?
Paul - 13 books.
What is the difference between Knowledge and Wisdom?
Knowledge is simply knowing something.
Wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge, and how things that we know about can/do affect our lives.
Example - Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing you don't put a tomato in a fruit salad.
How is the way God sees us different from how people usually see us?
People/the world sees us by our worst. By our failures and mistakes.
God sees us by the potential and purpose that he created us to have.
The devil knows us by our name, but calls us by our sin. God knows our sin, but calls us by our name.
When/where should we worship?
Always and everywhere.
Worship goes further than the walls of Church.
Everything we do can be worship if we do it to glorify God.
What different kinds of spiritual warfare attacks are there?
Demonic possession
Physical illness
Temptation
Mental and emotional distress/pain
Why is it important to guard our hearts?
What we allow into our hearts shapes our words, thoughts, actions, habits, hobbies, and all of our lives.
What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35 "Jesus wept"
What is the first step in gaining wisdom?
Hint - It's not reading reading the Bible or Prayer
The first step in gaining wisdom is acknowledging that you need wisdom in the first place which sparks from fear of the Lord.
This is what leads you to turning to God for wisdom.
Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Forgiveness is hard because it costs us something.
What is our cost of forgiveness?
It costs pride.
It costs the satisfaction of being right.
It costs the potential benefits of holding something over someone's head.
Why is Biblical Doctrine so important in Worship Music?
It is important that while worshipping God, we represent God correctly.
This is why songs like "Reckless Love" are controversial. God's love isn't reckless, though it seems like that to us.
This is called Anthropopathism.
What Biblical figure did we talk about to see spiritual warfare, and why is this account so significant?
Job
We see that Satan has to ask permission to do anything against us, so we know the enemy will never be able to do something that isn't a part of God's plan.
What is FOMO and why is it so dangerous?
Fear Of Missing Out
FOMO can lead us to doing things that we know are wrong, that we wouldn't otherwise do.
Which book of the Bible talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit?
Acts
What is the only way we can truly love our enemies?
Turn our anger over to God, and pray for them.
We as humans are angry vindictive people, so it is only by using God's strength and Grace that we can truly love our enemies.
Who is the example from the Bible we used to show that no matter our mistakes, God can use us for great things?
Peter
He denied Jesus, used violence to defend Jesus, rebuked Jesus when he talked about how he would die, yet Peter was used by God to do great things in his name.
What is the difference between Worship Music and Christian Music?
Christian music is music that involves God, but is also about us, the world, or things in the world.
Worship music is focused only on God, and glorifying God.
Why do we not need to fear spiritual warfare?
Jesus already won he ultimate victory for us. Christ already defeated death.
Is FOMO always bad? Defend your answer.
No... FOMO can lead you to not wanting to miss out on going to Church, reading your Bible, worshipping, etc.
What did Jacob give Joseph that sparked jealousy among his brothers, and what did they do in retaliation?
A coat of many colors.
They sold Joseph into slavery.
Why is it so important that we love our enemies?
If we only love people that also love us, then what is our love worth?
God forgives us for all of our sins, so who are we to hate those who do wrong to us here on earth?
Name 3 People like Peter who made big mistakes in the Bible, but God still used them for great things.
Paul/Saul
David
Moses
Jonah
Why is it important to Worship even when we are in low points in our lives?
Our worship is bigger than our circumstances, because God is bigger than our circumstances.
Remember Paul and Silas while they were in prison. They sang worship through the night, and God rescued them from prison.
What is our defense against spiritual warfare given to us in Ephesians?
The Armor of God.
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit
Prayer
How do we guard our hearts? What are the steps we discussed?
Ask better questions... Will this draw me closer to God?
Replace, not just remove... Don't leave an empty hole from something bad, otherwise it will be filled with something else bad eventually. Instead, fill it with something good.
Invite God into your inner life... We need God's strength and wisdom to practice true discernment and to truly guard our hearts.
Who was the first Christian martyr?
Stephen
If God already has a plan for our lives, why do we need to pray?
God has a path, but we are in the dark unless we ask God where the path is. When we ask God for guidance, he sheds light on where he wants us to go.
It's like walking through trails in the woods at night. The path is there, but it's dark and we don't know where the path is.
Who is the guy who invented Dynamite and later the Nobel prizes?
What does the Hebrew word "Avad" mean?
To work or to serve.
This word is used in the Old Testament to show that work can feel like an obligation/punishment, or it can feel like worship and flourishing. It depends on perspective, and who we are doing it for... ourselves or God.
What does the phrase, "For every it is written there is a, for it is also written." come from, and what does it mean?
It comes from Jesus being tempted in the wilderness when Satan tried to twist scripture against Jesus, and Jesus responds by using scripture himself.
It brings attention to how even today, people will bend and twist the scriptures to fit their own agenda by taking it out of context. But we know that the Bible works as a whole, so for every verse that they twist and use incorrectly, there is another verse to defend our faith.
What is temporary worldly joy and why is it dangerous?
It is all of the things that we chase in the world, money, success, power, addictions, relationships, etc.
All of these things have tremendous potential to distract us or pull us away from God.
All of these things are also temporary, and leave us wanting more. When the only joy and satisfaction that isn't fleeting comes from God.
What are the five main sections of the Old Testament?
Law
Historical
Wisdom/Poetry
Major Prophets
Minor Prophets