QT 26 Apr 18, Isa 45;7, God is sovereign over all things, even calamity

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
23	4/26	Isa 45:1-8	Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) — I form light and create darkness; // I make well-being and create calamity; // I am the Lord, who does all these things.	God is in charge, he brings all events to pass.	But God doesn't create evil or do evil. So when God says he creates calamity, we know that he has the authority to intervene but chooses not so, allowing the calamity to continue, and so in turn, becoming the author (the highest authority). For the believer, he works all things (including calamity) for good. But God does not sin against us. Nor does is rule over God's authority.	Father, thank you that you do see all things and you bring good out of it for the believer. I know I need to trust. I suppose I worry at times that I need some sort of calamity to cause me to seek you even more. Lord, I pray I would never take you for granted.

QT 25 Apr 18, Rom 9:11-12, Wrestling with God

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
23	4/25	Rom 9:1-13	Romans 9:11–12 (ESV) — 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”	God chose Jacob not because of works.	Esau lived for his appetite. Jacob lived to deceive, except that after almost 40 years, he realized that he was tired of living by deception to get what he wanted. He wrestled with God one night, actually closer to 40 years, and determined that to be blessed he would not let go of God. He wanted God above the things of the world that deception had gained him. He learned.	I wrestle with you Lord and my sins every day. Sometimes I obey, most days I feel I lose. I give in to pride or appetite or something that you have made clear to me that I should not do. Forgive me. Thank you for choosing me not on the basis of my works.

QT 23 Apr 18, Gen 50:20, We are not all his children and he only works for good for his children

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
22	4/23	Gen 50:14-21	Genesis 50:20 (ESV) — 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.	This is one of the best illustrations of Rom 8:28. God does not cause evil, but he sees it (he foreknows it), and he works to bring good out of it for his children.	We are not all God's children. We are all his creation, although few acknowledge that choosing to believe they are the product of random occurrences of nature. But, the only ones who are God's children are those whom he has adopted into his family, those who have believed in his Son, Jesus Christ. They are the only ones who are part of the family of God today.	Father, I thank you that I am a part of the family of God. I was bought, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. As the song continues, I am a joint heir with Jesus. Thank you for my sonship. I know I am undeserving on my own, and I know that the blood of Jesus has purchased this indescribable gift.

QT, 18 Apr 18, Gen 39:4 & 39:23, Do your best; let God take care of the position level

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
22	4/18	Gen 39:1-23	Genesis 39:4 & 23 (ESV) — 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. … 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.	Joseph did his job and he did it well, whether it was for the Captain of the guard or a demotion to the keeper of the prison. His attitude or work ethic did not change.	After managing and leading people for almost 20 years, I feel like I have been demoted these last 4 years. The job is good and pays better, but I miss the leadership of a project. Recently, I took a step back into a form of leadership. The important from the story is that I must do the best job, just where I am. Little did Joseph know that his demotion would result in the promotion to the highest position in the land. Do your best. Do a good job. Let God take care of the rest.	Father, forgive me for trying to make my own path. I trust you for what you will do in your time.

QT 16 Apr 18, Gen 37:33-35, When is experiencing grief too long and hurtful to the soul?

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
22	4/16	Gen 37:25-36	Genesis 37:33–35 (ESV) — 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. … 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted … his father wept for him.	The sin of the brothers caused great grief for Jacob. And his grief consumed him for many years. It was nearly 20 years later when he hears that Joseph is alive that he revives both emotionally and spiritually.	There is no denying that grief is hard and difficult. And, people need time to experience grief. But, grief can also consume a person so much that it eats away their life. It is a difficult thing to know, how long is too long? For each person it is different and I can't pretend to know the answer.	God give me wisdom when to be able to challenge someone that the grief has gone on too long. Help me to know. Help me to be sensitive.

QT 12 Apr 18, Gen 37:15-17, God will bring good out of evil, but it may take years to see the good

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
22	4/12	Gen 37:1-24	Genesis 37:15–17 (ESV) — 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.	Joseph met a man, unnamed, as he wandered in the fields. The man coincidentally had heard them say where they were going. Without that information, Joseph might never had been sold into slavery. God could have intervened, but he didn't.	The brothers acted immorally toward Joseph. They committed a sin by selling him, and then lying to his father. Usually when a sin is needed to cover up the act, that is a strong signal that the act was wrong. God allowed all of this to happen. God knew the final outcome. God knew how to bring good out of this evil thing (Rom 1:28), All the time, God is working good, even though the pain would last for years.	Father, help me to listen to you. Help me to see you working in my own life. I do not want to justify sin. I want to do the right thing.

QT 11 Apr 18, Rev 4:10-11, We are already brainwashed into the Babylonian worldview

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
21	4/11	Rev 4:6b-11	Revelation 4:10–11 (ESV) — 10 … the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”	The elders do two things. They cast their crowns and they recognize God's sovereignty and creative power. The crowns are a reward for the life we live upon earth for God's name. The crowns represent our labors and hard work for the kingdom.	In essence this is the exact opposite of the Babylonian world view of today. Men worship themselves. It is their labor (their crowns) that they cling too and use to exalt themselves. The world's crowns are science and invention. Because of the world's achievements, they believe they are worthy to receive glory and honor. The world believes we determine our existence and future. The world has denied God as the creator. Everything that is most important about worship, Satan has destroyed.	Father, forgive us for our arrogance and pride. Open our eyes to the truth about creation. Help us to realize how we have deceived ourselves. The problem is we want to be deceived. O Lord, have mercy on us. Convict us of our sin.

QT 9 Apr 18, Rev 4:3, The amazingly awesome throne room of God

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
21	4/9	Rev 4:1-6a	Revelation 4:3 (ESV) — 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.	The throne room of God is an amazing place. It is hard for the viewer to describe, but clearly the beauty and majesty of it is almost over whelming. Jasper is like a diamond reflecting other colors. It probably represents God's holiness. The carnelian is deep red and probably represents the blood of Christ.	We do not take God's presence seriously enough. To enter into the presence of God is a deeply serious matter. Yet, Jesus gives us the freedom to enter this awesome place to receive grace and mercy in our times of need.	Father, thank you for access to you. I can't imagine the incredible glory and majesty. I can only come humbly, covered in the blood of Christ, for otherwise I have no business being anywhere near the throne.

QT 6 Apr 18, Isa 6:9, Our blindness is the beginning of our judgment

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
21	4/6	Isa 6:8-13	Isaiah 6:9 (ESV) — 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’	Isaiah volunteers to go and give a very important message to the people. But the message is not a pleasant message. It is a message of judgment. They will hear but not understand. They will see but not perceive.	I believe this judgment is increasing on our world today. We think we are smarter and have figured out life, but we do not realize that we don't understand or truly perceive  what is happening. Our emotions and our rebellion have clouded our thinking.	God, have mercy on us. Wake us up to your truth. Open the eyes of the blink and the ears of the deaf. Help us to truly see Jesus.

QT 5 Apr 18, Isa 6:1, No matter how bleak the world seems, God is still on the throne

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
21	4/5	Isa 6:1-6	Isaiah 6:1 (ESV) — In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.	In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord. This is not an attempt to place an event chronologically, although it does that. These two distinct events are place here on purpose. The King died, but God still reigns.	It is easy to get discouraged when a great leader leaves or retires or goes home to the Lord. But God is still in charge. And while he may not intentionally direct people, he can work all things for good for his children (Rom 8:28). We need not be discouraged at leadership changes. God is still on the throne.	Thank you Lord that I need not be discouraged by world events or even the events in my own country. You are still on your throne, high and lifted up. Your train, which fills the temple, signifies that you are above all else in the universe. I need to trust in you and not in my feeble attempts to decipher life.

QT 4 Apr 18, Jer 32:16-27, God can accomplished his will any way he chooses

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
21	4/4	Jer 32:16-27	Jeremiah 32:27 (ESV) — “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?	God is not defined by circumstances or opportunities. God can do as he wants and as he chooses. God can make things appear out of nothing, let alone change circumstances if he chooses.	God is sovereign but that does not mean he causes or even ordains all the actions of mankind. God allows us to continue in our rebellion for a time. For believers, he promises to bring good out of the evil in the world, much of it not in his desire. We need not fear. There is nothing too hard for God, if he chooses to intervene.	Lord, for me, the issue is waiting upon you. I believe you can do whatever you choose. But, I also realize how undeserving I am. I realize your plans are often different than mine. And so I need to wait. Help me in my waiting.

QT 2 Apr 18, Exo 34:16, Diversity that draws us away from the one true God is dangerous

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
20	4/2	Exo 34:10-17	Exodus 34:16 (ESV) — .. and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.	There is a reason that God commands his children to marry believers. The worship of false idols is a disease that when brought into a home, can affect a whole family.	The use of whore is slightly distasteful and yet is an excellent choice. A whore wants the sexual satisfaction of a relationship where his/her appetite is satisfied outside the boundaries of God. A whore, while typically referring to a women, because women can give their bodies, can also refer to men in the context of faith, where we give our worship for the wrong type of satisfaction.	God, this world is still full of whores -- people who are selling all kinds of ideas, idols, and wares to draw us away from you. Because, you alone are the only one who can satisfy our inner self. The enemy is deceitful. I pray we would see through his deception.

QT 29 Mar 18, Ex 34:6-7, God is a God of Love and Wrath -- not One or the Other

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
20	3/29	Exo 34:1-9	Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV) — 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”	This is God's description of himself to Moses. God emphasizes his love and God emphasizes his wrath. He forgives and he punishes (visiting the iniquity). Sins can carry on for generations. In other words, there are no private sins. Our sin affects other people, and probably our family most of all. Forgiveness changes our relationship but not the consequences of our sin.	God does proved mercy often but not always. God is a loving Father and as such he knows when to apply mercy and when to discipline us for our actions. We need to trust in a Father's love, that he will do what is best for our long-term gain.	Father, I do so much appreciate your mercy and love. I thank you also that I am your child, not because of my creation, but only because of my belief in the savior. Help me to rely on your wisdom and trust in your wisdom and you lead and guide me along the path ahead. Thank you.

QT 28 Mar 18, Rom 11:35, No one can ever repay God (in any way too)

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
20	3/28	Rom 11:33-36	Romans 11:35 (ESV) — “Or who has given a gift to him // that he might be repaid?”	It is not possible to pay God back.	The very thought seems absurd. Who has ever given a gift to God that in any way repays him? We owe God our existence, let alone anything else that we might need to repay. For those who have believed in Christ, we owe him eternal life and forgiveness of sins that cost him his only son. There is no payment that could ever be appropriate. As the song says, "even if the whole world were mine, that would be a present far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my hear, my all."	Father, thank you again for all that you have done for me. Thank you for life. Thank you for opening my eyes to the gospel. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you for the free gift of salvation. Thank you!

QT 26 Mar 18, Isa 48:8-10, He does not give up on his children no matter how frustrating we can be

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
20	3/26	Isa 48:6-11	Isaiah 48:8–10 (ESV) — 8 You have never heard, you have never known, // from of old your ear has not been opened. // For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, // and that from before birth you were called a rebel. 9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger; // for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, // that I may not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; // I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.	God is frustrated with the people, and yet he plans to show them things that they do not even know yet. But they continue to deal treacherously with the revelation that has been given. They are rebels. But in his kindness he continues to work. They are being refined but are not refined. They are being tried by affliction but he is not finished. He restrains his anger despite our stubborn and hard heart.	And yet in all of this, he takes personal interest in us despite all our failures and rebellion. He loves us and does not give up on us. He will do what it takes to open our eyes to his truth and to transform us. He has not given up.	Lord, you remain faithful despite my failures. Have mercy on me. Thank you so much for your longsuffering toward me. Thank you. The words are inadequate to describe my emotion. Thank you.

QT 22 Mar 18, 1 Tim 1:18-20, We are engage in a war, not a single battle

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
20	3/22	1 Tim 1:12-20	1 Timothy 1:18–20 (ESV) — 18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.	Paul challenges Timothy to wage the good warfare or fight the good fight (in other versions). Warfare may be more appropriate, but it is not a single battle, but it is a series of battles. A fight is over at the end, but a war can continue for many battles. We may win one skirmish, but the enemy is preparing the next one just around the corner. Some have failed, and while God preserves us, God also disciplines us. When our lives fail to live up to our declaration, we are in danger of severe discipline.	There are a lot of battles, but I need to win one at a time. I can exercise self-control in two meals, but if I fail in the third, have I really won anything. I won two fights but lost the war. I need to exercise self-control in my appetite. I need to pray and ask God for help during those particular points in the day when I am most susceptible. I need to see them ahead of me and take steps to prepare.	Father, remind me and help me to prepare for the war not just the fight. Help me to carry obedience all through the day. Be gracious unto me I pray.

QT 21 Mar 18, Isa 40:18, We cannot liken God to anything in his creation

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
19	3/21	Isa 40:18-23	Isaiah 40:18 (ESV) —To whom then will you liken God, // or what likeness compare with him?	In this passage, the question is asked how one would liken God? It is then related how a person will buy a nice piece of wood, and then secure a craftsmen to expertly shape his image. The Psalmist's reply is that this is foolishness -- you can't even begin to imagine God let alone liken Him.	We are much more sophisticated in our images. We create them in our mind. One such image is like this: "God is a God of love. He does not hate. He does not kill people. He only does good things (where good is defined by the person)." The problem is that this description is not true and is far too limiting a description of the infinite God.	Father, forgive us for redefining you in our image. Forgive us for imagining that we can conceive you. Forgive us for believing we can comprehend or understand the mind of God. We need to stand in awe of the infinite, and be satisfied with what YOU have revealed to us about yourself in the scriptures.

QT 19 Mar 18, Isa 40:12, Though we are less than insignificant, God chooses to love, care, and be mindful of us

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
19	3/19	Isa 40:12-17	Isaiah 40:12 (ESV) — Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand // and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure // and weighed the mountains in scales // and the hills in a balance?	This verse and the verses that follow describe the immensity of God. The picture is intended to exceed our imagination. The conclusion of the paragraph is that the nations are a drop in a bucket to God, barely containing any significance.	And yet, who is man that you God are mindful of him? We are nothing in the grand scale of the universe, even less than nothing. And yet God loves us supremely. We are on his thoughts and we are loved.	Father, I am humbled by your attention. I cannot understand it. I can't fathom it. The understanding is beyond my comprehension. All I can do is fall on my face and so most feebly, Thank You Lord.

QT 15 Mar 18, Isa 40:6, Death is only the next step

Wk	Date	Passage	Key Verses(s) [Optional]	Basic Thing(s) Taught	Personal Insight(s) & Application(s)	Prayer Response
19	3/15	Isa 40:6-11	Isaiah 40:6 (ESV) — A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.	The point of the passage, which is explained more clearly in the following verses, is that man's physical life is temporal. It is like a flower, that is here for a season and then is gone.	But unlike the Babylonian world view of today, life does not end after a season. Physical life does end, but spiritual life begins with death. And physical life is restored after the rapture. The earth is renewed and we live back on earth in the millennial kingdom. This is true for the person who truly has experienced a life change by Jesus Christ. For EVERYONE else, the future is eternal destruction and separation from God.	Father, help me to not shrink back in sharing the truth message. It is absolutely true, and the world needs to hear it.