Discussion Questions for Faith Lessons

 

CHAPTER ONE: Lessons About Temptation

 

  1. Why is it important to remember that God gave permission to Adam and Eve to eat of any tree of the garden except one? (see. Page 7).  With all this freedom to enjoy why do you think Adam and Eve were drawn to the one forbidden tree?  What does this tell us about human nature?
  2. The author contends that Eve was “sloppy with the truth” (p. 8). How do we avoid falling into the same error? What disciplines can we develop to avoid such problems?
  3. What examples can you give from our present day of Satan tempting people to a) doubt God’s Word and b) turn to a different authority?
  4. In the list of the consequences of rebellion, which consequence surprised you? What ideas were new?
  5. The author suggests that the covering with skins was much more significant than we normally think. Do you agree with his ideas? Why or why not?
  6. Are there additional “lessons” you would add to those on pages 16-17?

 

CHAPTER TWO: Lessons on Doing What is Right

  1. What expectations did you have when your child(ren) were born?
  2. How do you think Adam and Eve thought life would change when Cain was born?
  3. What are the two popular interpretations of the rejection of Cain’s offering? Which do you favor? Why?
  4. What foolish choices did Cain make in this downward spiral of sin?  List the choices that led to his downfall.
  5. Why is an acknowledgment of wrong an important part of getting right with God?
  6. The author talks about the abortion debate on the top of page 27.  The author would consider himself “pro-choice” but “anti-abortion”. How can both be true? Does his argument make sense to you?
  7. The author lists three reasons people refuse to follow and serve the Lord (p. 28).  Which reason do you see most often? Give some specific examples.
  8. Do you believe Cain could have been forgiven and restored?

 

CHAPTER THREE: Lessons in Faithfulness

  1. If Noah lived today, what kind of man would he be? How would he conduct his business? What would his home be like? What kind of neighbor would he be?
  2. Imagine that you are one of Noah’s neighbors.  What would you think? How would you defend your assessment of Noah? (i.e Why would you think he was crazy?)
  3. When have you felt like like you were being ridiculed for your obedience?
  4. When have you found yourself in “the waiting room”? What was it like? How did you survive?
  5. The author gives two principles on page 39. Which one do you think needs to be stressed more in the Christian Community today? Why do you think so?

 

CHAPTER FOUR: The Lesson of Grace

  1. What is the contemporary answer to the question, “How do I get to Heaven?”
  2. Why do so many people miss the facts of Abraham’s background? Do you think the story is better or worse for this information?
  3. What do we mean when we say that God initiated our salvation?
  4. What do we do and say that sometimes conveys to the world around us that we have somehow “earned” God’s grace?
  5. What is the difference between being blessed because of our obedience and being blessed in our obedience?
  6. If someone asked you what he or she needed to do in order to “be blessed”, what would you tell him or her?
  7. How has your understanding of the gospel changed as a result of this chapter?

 

CHAPTER FIVE: Lessons in Failure

  1. What other Biblical failures can you come up with in addition to those mentioned by the author on page 51?
  2. List some other “Egypts” that people might turn to rather than trusting the Lord? What would you say to those who might say, “Abraham was only doing the logical thing?” What is wrong with this conclusion? What was the most “logical” thing for Abraham to do?
  3. How is rationalization moving toward Egypt?
  4. How would you have felt if you were Sarah? What would you think about your marriage? Your husband? Your husband’s faith? His sanity? How would you feel about yourself?
  5. Of the three steps to take after a failure on page 56, which do you think is the most difficult? Why?
  6. Why do you think this story of Abraham’s life is often overlooked? Why is it so important for us to hear?

 

CHAPTER SIX: Lessons on Making Wise Choices

  1. In what ways does “stuff” complicate your life? How would life be better if you had less “stuff”?
  2. What kinds of things can we do to simplify our lives?
  3. What are the “right” questions to ask when making major decisions in your life?
  4. The author lists his “creed” for living on page 66.  Go through each stage and consider the implications of each. How would this creed help you

·        After a sudden death of someone you loved?

·        During a time of financial reversal?

·        When you were facing a life-threatening surgery?

·        After a disheartening diagnosis?

·        After a spouse walked away?

·        After you were laid off from your job?

·        After a tough day?

 

CHAPTER SEVEN: Lessons in Assurance

  1. What would most people think if you told them that you KNEW you were going to Heaven?
  2. Under what circumstances would a person who believed they were going to Heaven be misguided? Under what circumstances would they be correct?
  3. Do you believe God wants us to have assurance of salvation? Why or why not?
  4. How does the author respond to those who say the doctrine of assurance will invite lawlessness?
  5. Do you agree that a gospel that makes our salvation “contingent” is really a gospel of works rather than grace?
  6. What is the message of the smoking firepot? Read through this section in Genesis 9.
  7. What would you say to someone who said, “How can I be sure that I am going to Heaven when I die?”

 

CHAPTER 8: Lessons About Trying to Help God

  1. Share a time when you tried to “help God”. 
  2. Do you agree with the statement “Abraham and Sarah felt they were simply drawing logical conclusions from the evidence before them”? What was it that Abraham and Sarah did not consider?
  3. When have you experienced a delay that led to God’s blessing? What did this teach you about God’s timing?
  4. What were the consequences of the decision of Abraham and Sarah to bring Hagar into the picture? What are the consequences we as a country facing because of decisions to disregard what God has said.
  5. What does God’s dealing with Hagar teach you about God?
  6. Of the four suggestion listed on page 85, which do you think is the hardest to follow? The easiest?

 

CHAPTER 9: Lessons in the Laughter

  1. What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?
  2. What are the three types of laughter?
  3. Think about the practical implications of the rhetorical question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” How does that change your perspective on the struggles of your life?
  4. What reasons do you have for joyful laughter?
  5. Name three creative ways to tell your children (small or grown) that you love them

 

CHAPTER 10: Lessons About Praying for Others

  1. Why is finding time for prayer so difficult?  (Don’t give the “canned” answer here, “things more faster now” etc. . . . push past the excuses.)
  2. Why is empathy an important part of intercession?  Do you think it is try that our society has numbed us?
  3. When does honest expression become sinful?
  4. What is the difference between a general prayer and a specific prayer?  Give some examples.
  5. What would you say to the person who says, “God has not answered my prayers”?

 

CHAPTER 11: Lessons About Judgment

1.      Why has the issue of a final judgment become so offensive to people?  In what sense is divine judgment a requirement if God is truly good?

2.      Check out the author’s comments about homosexuality in footnote 11.  Do you agree with his assessment?  Read his statement on page 103.  Do you agree that we sometimes get so focused on the issue of homosexuality that we miss the broader message of this passage?  What is the broader message?

3.      What evidence can you think of that point to how the righteous have lowered their standards?

4.      What does God’s judgment on Sodom teach us about what the final judgment will be like?

5.      How does Luke 10:8-15 change our focus? What is the preeminent issue?

6.      What change will you make in your life as a result of this chapter?

 

CHAPTER 12: Lessons About Repeated Sin

  1. When you sin “again”, how do you feel? What does it make you conclude about yourself?  What questions do you ask?
  2. Why do people need to be told “believers sin”?
  3. What would you say now to someone who says, “Those people at the church are all hypocrites.  I watch them in church and they act so holy, but during the week they aren’t any different than anyone else”?
  4. What do people (what do you) do to avoid taking responsibility for your own behavior?
  5. How is what the author says about God’s grace different from those who dismiss their sin by saying, “Oh, if I sin I can just confess it and God will forgive me.”
  6. Why is identifying the sin completely so important in confession?
  7. Of the five suggestions for overcoming repeated sin, which do you think is the most ignored?

 

CHAPTER 13: Lessons about Difficult Times

  1. What is the greatest test you have ever faced?
  2. Which of the suggested reasons for God’s testing do you find most plausible for the case of Abraham and Isaac?  Which one may explain why you are going through some of the tests you are going through?
  3. If we understand that the trials may have come into our lives for one of the reasons mentioned, how should we best respond to those times of testing?
  4. Why do you think we hesitate to obey the Lord immediately? (e.g. we don’t love God as much as we thought; we think God might be wrong in what He is commanding).  Be honest.
  5. The author says, “Sometimes effective discipleship begins with subtraction.” (p. 128) What does this mean?  What kinds of things might need to be subtracted from our lives?
  6. What does the fact that Abraham and Isaac were on Mount Moriah have to do with the significance of their act?
  7. What is the one lesson from this chapter that will help you the most? 

 

CHAPTER 14: Lessons About Loss

  1. What has been the most significant loss of your life?  How did you handle that loss?
  2. Why is it important to force yourself to remember not only a person’s death, but also their life?
  3. What are some ways you can help your family remember your life?
  4. Why do you think so many people are uncomfortable with grief?
  5. What is the significance of where Abraham buried Sarah?
  6. How can you best help someone who is grieving?  What helped you the most in your time of grief?

 

CHAPTER 15: Lessons on God’s Sovereignty

1.      Do you know anyone who has twins? Are they similar or different?

2.      What place does our effort play in salvation? 

3.      The author lists three lessons on page 142.  Which of these lessons is the most helpful to you?

4.      Of the three views of God’s involvement in history (p. 143), which do you think is the correct view?

5.      What difference does it make to our lives that God is in control? What difficulty does this raise? How would you respond to those difficulties?

6.      Describe how some “little things” could have a major impact in our life.

 

CHAPTER 16: Lessons About Justifying Sin

  1. Do you think it is fair to conclude that Isaac and Rebekah were functioning by the principle that the end justifies the means?  Why or why not?
  2. The author gives this principle: “God does not need our sin to fulfill His promises!” He lists five examples of difficult decisions we face.  List several other situations that would tempt us to justify our sin.
  3. Why is it that some “good things” gain no reward?
  4. Several examples are given of “good results achieved by the wrong methods” (p. 151-152). Do you agree with the examples given?  What additional examples might you list?  (Work hard at applying the truth of Scripture!)
  5. How can you recognize when you are rationalizing sin in your own life?

 

CHAPTER 17: Lessons About Sowing and Reaping

  1. What aspect of the Rachel and Leah story do you find most bizarre?  What questions would you like to have answered?
  2. Why is it important to recognize that even some of the most revered members of the faith were sinners just like you and I?
  3. What is the principle of “sowing and reaping”?  Why is it dangerous to conclude that everything that happens to a person is a result of something they did either good or bad?
  4. What encourages you about the story of Rachel and Leah?
  5. Who DO you identify with most in the story?

 

CHAPTER 18: Lessons About Wrestling With God

  1. Share a time when you “wrestled with God.
  2. ”Look at the details of the story.  Which misunderstandings are cleared up in your mind?  What questions were answered?
  3. Why do you think so many people want to suggest that God has nothing to do with the hard times of our lives?  Do you find it comforting or discomforting that God sometimes chooses to wrestle with us?
  4. Why is it so easy to focus on the circumstances of life and forget the condition of our heart?
  5. How does this particular account point us to God’s grace?

 

CHAPTER 19: Lessons About the Wickedness Around Us

  1. What happened in Genesis 34?
  2. Why does the author suggest that one of the reasons for this sordid account is a lack of commitment?
  3. What evidence in this account shows that the value system of the family of Jacob had become distorted?  What evidence do you see in our society that God’s values are being discarded?  What evidence do you see in the church?
  4. How might things have been different if Jacob had assumed leadership in this situation?  What should Jacob have done?
  5. Which practical suggestion do you find the most compelling?  Why?

 

CHAPTER 20: Lessons on How Not to Raise a Family

  1. Imagine you were one of the brothers of Joseph.  How would you feel when Joseph showed up in his coat?  How would you feel as you listened to the dreams of Joseph?
  2. What are some ways we may inadvertently show favoritism to one child over another?
  3. Define envy, jealousy and resentment.
  4. What assumptions encourage envy, jealousy and resentment?
  5. Imagine you are Joseph in this situation.  What would you say to your brothers? How would you find faith to trust God when your world was falling apart?

 

CHAPTER 21: Lessons About Compromise

  1. What are the details of the story?
  2. How does the story point to the danger of compromise in life?
  3. What are some indicators that we are giving in to compromise?
  4. Trace the progression of compromise on pages 194, 195.  What are some other examples of this progression?
  5. What does this passage say to those who have fallen?

 

CHAPTER 22: More Lessons on Combating Temptation

  1. What reasons would Joseph have to despair?
  2. What decisions did Joseph make in this difficult circumstance?
  3. Why would Joseph be especially vulnerable to sexual temptation?
  4. What are the five steps to resisting temptation? Which is the hardest?  Which is the most important?
  5. Why is it so important to accurately count the cost of giving in to temptation?

 

 

CHAPTER 23: Lessons About Facing Disappointment

  1. What things did Joseph have to be disappointed about?
  2. Why is it so important to realize that disappointment is a part of life?
  3. What are the three ways of responding to a disappointing circumstance? Give examples of each applied.  Can you think of any Biblical illustrations of each?
  4. Why does “focusing on others” help us survive the disappointing times?
  5. What is it about the disappointing times of life that present a unique opportunity for faith?

 

CHAPTER 24: Lessons for the Good Times

  1. What would you call “blessings” in your life?
  2. Why are good times often more difficult on our faith than the difficult times?
  3. What are the steps for keeping your head in the good times?
  4. In what ways might apparent blessings really become a curse?
  5. What is the blessing we should be seeking?

 

CHAPTER 25: Lessons About Planning for the Future

  1. What plans are you making for the future?
  2. Why is it just as important to plan for our spiritual future as it is to plan for our material future?
  3. Explain the obstacles to planning for the future? (p.227)
  4. What is the S.A.M. method of setting goals?  Give some examples for financial planning.  Give examples in planning for your spiritual future.
  5. Why is it important to deal with the hurts of the past?  What are some specific ways we can do this?

 

CHAPTER 26: Lessons About How God Changes Hearts

  1. The author writes, “Many call themselves Christians, but further examination shows that they have not come to the Christ of the Bible but the Christ of their own imaginations.”  What does that statement mean?  How could a person think they were a believer but really not be?
  2. What are some ways God might use to get someone’s attention?
  3. Why is confronting our sin so important before a change of heart can take place?  Why is it such a painful procedure?
  4. The Max Lucado quote on page 243 suggests that the person who finds joy is the one who begs for mercy.  Why is that so?

 

CHAPTER 27: Lessons About Repentance

  1. Why is repentance a prerequisite to salvation?
  2. What is false repentance?
  3. Why might somebody want to be a Christian without repenting? How might some of our contemporary approaches to witnessing encourage this “false belief”?
  4. What are some true signs of repentance?
  5. What does the need for repentance imply for the way we evangelize?

 

CHAPTER 28: Lessons on Forgiveness

  1. What is the most difficult aspect of forgiveness for you?
  2. What are the most difficult offenses to forgive?
  3. What is the primary reason the Bible gives for the necessity of forgiveness?
  4. What is relationship between forgiving and forgetting?
  5. What advice would you give to the person who says they “can’t” forgive?

 

CHAPTER 29: Lessons on Integrity

  1. Define Integrity
  2. Give some examples from our contemporary society of a lack of integrity.
  3. How does Joseph evidence integrity in his dealings?
  4. What are some simple ways to show integrity in our lives? What are some simple ways we might destroy integrity?
  5. What are some ways to cultivate integrity? What suggestions would you add to those given by the author? Which suggestions do you find most valuable? Why?

 

CHAPTER 30: Lessons on Providence

  1. Define Providence.
  2. Why are attempts to “defend God” by saying, “God had nothing to do with this” and other statements like this, really offensive to the nature of God?
  3. What are the considerations we must keep in mind in order to understand God’s Providence?
  4. What affirmations do the doctrine of Providence make?
  5. What are the practical implications of the doctrine of Providence?  What does it mean for your daily life?