***Thank you for taking part in The Salvation Army Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge!* **

***Thank you  for taking part in The Salvation Army Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge!* ** We are now in the final week,  and so I hope you have enjoyed the opportunity to read Scripture together and consider what it has to say. Please do check out the resources below - and may God bless you. Phil Layton                 Click here to visit Bible-Believing Christians.org.uk (browse this site for books and resources for churches, study groups, and personal devotions)   Wherever you worship, feel free to make use of these songs, and let us know how you get on!   We Believe We believe the Holy Bible Is God's word, inspired, divine. May its pages so inspire us Love with heart, soul, strength and mind. God Almighty, awesome Saviour; By His work His power is known Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, May God's love through us be shown. ( chorus) We believe in the Holy Bible, And our faith is in the Lord We believe Christ died to save us, Life eternal is our reward. We believe our sin and weakness Would keep us from God's design Jesus died to make us worthy, I am God's and He is mine! Jesus' death saves all who trust Him, Born again through faith by grace, Daily trusting and obeying, 'Til at last we see His face. We believe in resurrection, Christ will come to take us home. Set apart a holy people, Til our work on earth is done. Sin and death no more may sting me God is just, in Him we trust, God, Creator, Judge, Redeemer Praise His name the First and Last. 'We believe' is a sung theology. For use with the tune Blaenwern (without chorus) or, preferably with a completely new and contemporary styled tune which has proved to be popular, easy to remember, and which places proper emphasis where required. (This is a free resource - download music below) Our hope is that this offering will help church-goers to recite and absorb our basic doctrines in order to inspire confidence and reassurance in a world where such things are being seriously challenged....and the accompanying new majestic music really has added such a huge amount to this, turning it into an act of worship and witness that can be easily accessed by all. Click here to download the words (.doc format) Click here to download the piano music (pdf format) Click here to download the brass band music (pdf format) Click here to download a backing track (mp3 format) Click here to watch a video of this song being used in a Baptist church in Kirkcaldy.     ‘I want a holy heart’ Suggested Tune: 86  ‘Fewster’ I want a holy heart, dear God, A heart from sin kept free, A heart of gratitude for all You did at Calvary. To have a holy mind I yearn, A mind both quick and pure, To reason for the hope I have And in my trials be sure. More strength I need as on my way New dangers I shall meet; Keep pure my actions and each day Temptation I’ll defeat. I pray, dear God, my soul to keep Along the path You tread, Saved by Christ’s blood, and Spirit filled, By Your Word now be fed. My heart and mind are offered, Lord, For You to use as best, With all my strength and all my soul, To live in holiness.                                                  Phil Layton Based on the most important commandment: Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30     All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17

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Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 30

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 30: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters

Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read
150 popular chapters from the Old Testament within 7 months,

reading just 5 chapters per week.  

Monday, November 24 , 2014 --- Jonah 03 --- Jonah obeys God’s calling and preaches in Nineveh

-        V4, can you imagine the fear and nerves Jonah had to overcome in order to preach such a message? What do you think will have helped him to do this?...the lesson of the last four days?...respect for God?...concern for the people?

-        V4, what stops us (or motivates us) in telling people about the need to repent and trust in Jesus?

-        V10, if we truly believed our sharing of the Gospel of Christ would/could lead to someone’s eternal salvation and place in heaven, would we be more likely to do it?...are you concerned enough to tell people (strangers, colleagues, and those you love) about the future judgment and need for forgiveness and salvation?

 Tuesday, November 25 , 2014 --- Jonah 04 --- God tries to teach Jonah a lesson in compassion

-        V1, do you sometimes feel resentment or jealousy when good things happen to other people?...how can we learn to respond with a genuine, loving joy?

-        V2, according to Jonah’s words, why did he run away from the mission God had given him?

-        V6-8, God uses nature to teach and nurture Jonah. To what extent do you think God can (or does) use nature today?

-        V10-11, How is God comparing the plant to the people of Nineveh?

Wednesday, November 26 , 2014 --- Zechariah 12 --- They will look on the One they have pierced and mourn

-        How would you summarise this chapter as a whole?

-        V3, 6, & 8, When we read ‘On that day…’ within this context, when is this to take place?

-        V10, Whose words are being recorded in this chapter?...Is it God’s words (v1)?...And who is v10 referring to?...Is this chapter further evidence of the divinity of Jesus? 

Thursday, November 27 , 2014 --- Malachi 3 --- God is a perfect Judge

-        V5, When the Lord comes again it will be as Judge to put us on trial. Has anyone lived without ever breaking God’s Law (10 commandments), is anyone innocent, or are we all guilty?...What do guilty lawbreakers deserve, heaven?...Why did Jesus come?...How can we be forgiven by the Judge and walk ‘free’?

-        V10, How seriously do you consider your financial giving to the ministry of God’s Kingdom and mission? 

Friday, November 28 , 2014 --- Malachi 4 --- The final chapter of the Old Testament!

-        In this final chapter of the Old Testament, the Israelites are reminded to keep remembering the Law of Moses. How essential is it to remember the Law (10 commandments) when proclaiming the Gospel of salvation?...Is it possible for someone to ask forgiveness and salvation when they don’t know what they need to be forgiven for, and what they need to be savedfrom?

-        How apt is it that following this last chapter of the Old Testament, which speaks of Judgement, we are then introduced to the New Testament with it’s primary theme of a Saviour?

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 29

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 29: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters

Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read
150 popular chapters from the Old Testament within 7 months,

reading just 5 chapters per week.  

Monday, November 17 , 2014 --- Isaiah 55 --- ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found’

-        V6-7, Is there a similar sense of ‘urgency’ within our mission to share the Gospel of salvation? 

-        V8-9, Are we comfortable with the idea of not being able to fully comprehend who God is, and how His will unfolds?...If so, is there any reason at all for us not to trust and obey His instructions?
 

Tuesday, November 18 , 2014 --- Daniel 3 --- Three faithful friends face a fiery furnace! 

-        This is a probably a very familiar story. Therefore take extra care when reading through this chapter, and try to discover parts of it which you have never noticed or considered before.

-        Try and imagine if you were a Jew at the time, how brave would you be to do what is right before God and in the face of such opposition?

-        v29, God has turned a disastrous situation into one which glorifies Him and will undoubtedly have led others to trust in Him. How can this turn-around of events encourage us when we face major difficulties due to our faithfulness to God?
 

Wednesday, November 19 , 2014 --- Daniel 6 --- Daniel gets dumped into a den of lions!

-        This is a probably another very familiar story. Therefore take extra care when reading through this chapter, and try to discover parts of it which you have never noticed or considered before.

-        Note the similarities to the story we read in chapter 3.

-        V26-27, yet again, God has turned a disastrous situation into one which glorifies Him and will undoubtedly have led others to trust in Him.   Do you think we should intentionally and purposely look for positive ‘outcomes’ when our faith is under fire?

Thursday, November 20 , 2014 --- Jonah 01 --- Jonah disobeys God’s call to preach in Nineveh.

-        V1-3, Jonah decides not to obey God’s call. Can we identify with him?

-        Are you called by God to tell others about Him? (Perhaps even just where you are?)

-        V1-3, Jonah tries to escape from the presence of the LORD. Do we sometimes think a change of location and circumstance will help us avoid our responsibility to do what God asks?

-        V7, Do you think ‘casting lots’ is a legitimate way of finding truth, or that in this instance God simply made use of this method to identify Jonah to the others?

-        V9, Jonah gives his testimony. When was the last time you told someone about your trust in God?

-        V12, Was Jonah being selfless here? Why not throw himself off the ship? Or was he hoping to die as part of his escape from his calling, and at the same time avoid responsibility for taking his life?

-        V16, the combination of the inadequacy of their own efforts, the fearful circumstance they were in, the testimony of Jonah and the experience of the storm becoming calm seems to have persuaded the others on the ship into trusting in the Almighty God. Can such a combination of ingredients be used in our ministry today?...if so, how much of this relies on us?

-        V17, is there any mention of a whale?

-        V17, was this any ‘great fish’, or was it one specially ‘prepared’ by the LORD?...What might this mean?

-        V17, is there any reason to believe that this did not happen literally?
 

Friday, November 21 , 2014 --- Jonah 02 --- Jonah prays to God from inside the great fish.

-        V1, is there any place or time in which we cannot pray to God?

-        V9, “salvation comes from the LORD’…why is it important to know this?

-        V10, Do you believe this story of being swallowed/vomited by a fish really happened?...why/why not? 

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge week 28

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge 5 May 2014 to 28th November 2014 Week 28: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters

Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read
150 popular chapters from the Old Testament within 7 months,

reading just 5 chapters per week.  

Monday, November 10 , 2014 --- Isaiah 9 --- ‘…to us a child is born…and the government will be on His shoulders’

-        V6-7, These verses come within a passage which sometimes appears to be prophesying the birth of Jesus, and at other times appears to be looking ahead to His future reign at His second coming. This is known as ‘dual referencing’, but do passages like these help us to understand how some of the Jewish leaders around during Jesus’ time were confused as to whether He really was the Messiah or not?...Is it understandable that some were looking for Him to be their Saviour from sin, whilst others were looking for Him to be a ruler and King? 

Tuesday, November 11 , 2014 --- Isaiah 35 --- The joy of the redeemed and the Way of Holiness

-        At what point in time do you think Isaiah is writing about?

-        V8-9, Why do you think that only the ‘redeemed’ can walk on the ‘Way of Holiness’?

-        V9-10, How can we ensure that we are among the ‘redeemed, and ‘rescued’? 

Wednesday, November 12 , 2014 --- Isaiah 40 --- ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’

-        V3-5, a bit more ‘dual referencing’, between the 1 ^st and 2^nd coming of Christ. If these words are prophetic of the ministry of John the Baptist, then is it possible that there may be many more Scripture references within the Old Testament prophets which we are yet to understand how they have been (or will be) fulfilled?

-        How can you help ‘prepare the way for the Lord’ in your environment/context?

-        V6-8, What do these verses teach us about ourselves?...what do they teach us about the Bible?

-        V14, do we sometimes get beyond ourselves and end up telling God what would be best, instead of relying on His perfect will?

-        V28-31, How can these verses be of use to you, or passed on to someone you know to help them? 

Thursday, November 13 , 2014 --- Isaiah 52 --- ‘Our God reigns!’

-        V7, How can you bring good news and proclaim salvation to your community?

-        V13-15, Who is this talking about? 

Friday, November 14 , 2014 --- Isaiah 53 --- ‘A prophecy of the suffering Messiah’

-        When you read this chapter through, is there any doubt that it is a prophecy about Jesus?

-        Find out how many years before Jesus’ crucifixion this prophecy was written.

-        How might this prophecy be used to help us believe in the Bible, to share its message with confidence, and be sure that it is far more than just another ‘holy book’?

-        V4-5, Why did Jesus have to take the punishment for our sin?...Couldn’t God have just simply forgiven us without such a sacrifice?...How does God’s perfect justice and eternal judgment fit into this equation?....What does it mean for those who do not accept that Jesus paid the penalty?