Bible Study Questions and Notes

Small group Bible studies meet each week to discuss topics relating to the weekend service.  These study notes act as a guide for the Bible study participants.  Note that on weeks where there is a guest speaker or the Bible studies are not in session, there may not be a set of study notes posted.

Scripture passage: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (Pew Bible Page 991)
Speaker: Senior Pastor John Neufeld

If the church of Jesus Christ exists to hold high the truth, it naturally follows that we will be involved in the business of evangelism and missions.  But here is where it gets sticky.  Many of us feel uncomfortable when the issue of sharing our faith comes along.  One Christian said, “Why should I do evangelism?  It always destroys my friendships with non-Christians.”  But should it be that way?  Today we will learn how we can be active in God’s plan for reaching the world.

1.  Pray for different kinds of lost people

2.  Pray for political leaders and their decisions

3.  Live in such a way that mirrors the gospel

4.  Reflect on God’s heart for lost people

5.  Recognize the exclusiveness of your faith

6.  Understand and share the pathway that leads to God

7.  Be confident in God’s revelation, the Bible

BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS

“Reaching Out in Christ” (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

Senior Pastor John Neufeld

This week Pastor John spoke about the importance of deepening the evangelistic focus of our lives.   

Thinking – developing a biblical approach to all areas of life

1. Read 1 Timothy 2:1 – 2. 
   1. It is likely that when the Apostle Paul wrote these instructions, Nero was the emperor.  What kind of a person was Nero?  How might this have been a shock to the early church when they heard Paul’s instructions?
   2. Who is the mayor of your city?  Who is the MLA in your provincial riding?  Who is the MP in your federal riding?  Who are others in ‘high positions’ in our community that we should pray for? 

                                                               i.      What sort of things should we pray for these men and women? 

                                                             ii.      Why should we pray for them?  (see v. 2, 3) 

                                                            iii.      How does praying for them affect our attitude toward them? 

2. Read 1 Timothy 2:3 – 4  
   1. What types of people did Jesus reach out to, that good Jewish people of his day would have thought unlikely people to receive God’s salvation?  (see Luke 19:1 – 10; John 8:1 – 11; Luke 23:40 - 43) 
   2. Are there any groups of people that we sometimes (subconsciously) think do not deserve salvation?  How are they different than us when it comes to deserving salvation?  (see Romans 3:22 – 24)  How should we pray for them?  

3. Read 1 Timothy 2:5 – 7.
   1. If someone who was not a Christian were to ask you to explain God’s plan of salvation in 4 or 5 sentences, what would you say?  Take a few minutes to quietly write down some points and then share them with the group.  Consider using Paul’s words as a guide:  (i) There is only one God (ii) and there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ (iii) who gave himself as a ransom for all men.
   2. What would you say to someone who says that all religions lead in different ways to the same God? 

Being – growing in intimacy with God through spiritual disciplines 

1. Pray for our leaders with requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving.  Pray for their:

§         families – for a balance between the demands of public life and the needs of their families 

§         work – for wisdom in how to enact laws and administrate the government

§         integrity – to act in the best interests of their constituents and of the city / province / nation

§         salvation – that if they aren’t already believers, that they might come to a knowledge of God, through Jesus Christ

§         thankfulness – for the people that God has put in these positions, for the freedoms that we have, for the laws that make our nation run well

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