Bible Studies

Reading assignment for this lesson: Matthew 7:6-29, Mark 1:21-28, 6:2, Luke 4:31-37, 6:31, 6:43-49, 13:22-30, John 7:14-15, 7:46

This lesson concludes Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus teaches about prayer and God's love for us and states the famous Golden Rule. He concludes with warnings against false teachers, self-deception and hypocrisy.

1. What does Matthew 7:6 mean? (See Matthew 13:45-46, Mark 7:24-30, 2 Peter 2:22, Revelation 22:14-15.)

2. Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:9-13). Does this mean God will give us anything we ask for in prayer? (See Deuteronomy 3:23-28, Matthew 6:5-8, 10, Luke 20:47, John 9:31, Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, James 4:2-3.)

3. How do Matthew 7:7-11 and Luke 11:9-13 demonstrate God's love for us?

4. The "Golden Rule" (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31) is one of the most famous of Jesus' sayings. What would the world be like if everyone lived by the Golden Rule?

5. What does Jesus' saying about the Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14, Luke 13:23-24) tell us about entering the kingdom of God and eternal life?

6. A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one who falsely claims divine inspiration. According to Jesus, how can we detect false teachers of religion? (See Matthew 7:15-20, 24:11-12, Luke 6:43-45, Deuteronomy 13:1-3, Acts 20:29-30, Romans 16:17-18, 2 Corinthians 2:17, 1 Thessalonians 2:2-6, 5:21, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Peter 2:1-2, 1 John 4:1.)

7. Can you think of groups or individuals who profess to speak from the Bible or speak the Word of God, but who are, in reality, promoting a political, commercial, malicious, prejudicial or personal agenda?

8. What is the meaning of Matthew 7:21-23 and the parallel in Luke 6:46 and Luke 13:26-27?

9. The Sermon on the Mount concludes with Jesus' Parable of the Two Builders (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49). A parable is a simple story that helps us understand a spiritual or moral concept. The plain facts of a parable story are usually meaningless in themselves. It is by analogy with the story that we gain an understanding of the spiritual or moral lesson of the parable. What lesson can we draw from this parable?

10. How did the crowds of people react to Jesus' teachings? (See Matthew 7:28-29, Mark 1:22, 6:2, Luke 4:31-32, John 7:14-15.)

11. How would you summarize the Sermon on the Mount?

12. Is it possible to live up to the standards Jesus set for us in the Sermon on the Mount?

13. What was the most important thing you learned from the Sermon on the Mount?