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?