The Applause of Heaven - Max Lucado [52]
3. Read at least three of the following scriptures: Numbers 6:24-26, Psalm 29:11, Luke 1:76-79, John 14:27, 16:33, Romans 5:1, I Corinthians 14:33, Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 2:14-17, and Philippians 4:7. According to these passages and to chapter 14, what is the ultimate source of peace?
4. Read James 3:13-18. What are some of the "prerequisites" for peacemaking? What must happen inside us before we can be peacemakers?
5. Read Matthew 10:34-39. Are there times when peacemaking in the larger sense involves accepting conflict rather than avoiding it? Does it ever involve initiating conflict? If possible, give a biblical or contemporary example.
6. Is it enough simply to plant seeds of peace? Are there ways we can nurture them and help them grow?
7. Is the "push for power" a basic part of human nature? Can it ever be a positive thing? How can we avoid it?
8. How does power relate to peacemaking? Can power ever be used in the service of peacemaking? Why or why not?
9. Write down the names of three people in your life who could use a word or act of peace from you. Beside each person's name, write an idea for a "seed" of peace. Finally, write down a specific date and time to plant your seed and commit to that schedule. If you are meeting in a group, be prepared to share your "peace seed" (not necessarily the results) at the next meeting. If you are on your own, consider sharing your peace initiatives with a friend and asking to be held accountable.
Session 9 • Chapters 16 & 17
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of God.
I. According to chapter 16, why did John send word to ask Jesus if he was really the Messiah?
2. Name a situation in which you have felt persecuted for doing what was right. What was the outcome of your experience?
3. What are some of the explanations you've heard for times when God seems silent? Which explanations seemed most satisfactory? Which didn't satisfy you?
4. Do persecution and "God's silence" always go hand in hand, or are they two separate things? Why do you think so?
5. What are some ways (subtle and overt) that Christians are persecuted "because of righteousness"?
6. Read Proverbs 21:2 and Jeremiah I7:9. What do these passages suggest about how we can interpret the bad things that happen to us? If we are in trouble, how can we be sure that our persecution is "because of righteous- ness"-that we are in trouble for the right reasons?
7. Chapter 17 states, "God has never turned away the questions of a sincere searcher." Do you feel comfortable with this idea of questioning God? Why or why not? When you get to heaven, what are some questions you want to ask him?
8. The Book of job is another biblical account of a person who suffered from God's seeming silence in the face of injustice. When struck with numerous, undeserved afflictions, he, too, questioned God. But Job's questions were different, as were the answers he received and the outcome of the story.
• Read Job 3:23, 7:20-21, 10:2-7, 13:20-24, 24:1-12. What questions did job ask God?
• Read Job 38:1-21, 40:1-14, and 42:1-6. What was God's answer? How was it similar to Jesus' answer to John? How was it different?
9. Write down the three characteristics of Christ's kingdom that are implied in Jesus' answer to John. In what ways have you seen these characteristics continuing in your lifetime?
10. Chapter 17 relates this beatitude back to the first one, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," which also states "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Why do you think the phrase was repeated? How does being poor in spirit relate to being persecuted for the sake of righteousness?
I I. Read Jesus' familiar model prayer cited in Matthew 6:9-13.