Below are found the suggested answers for the insert for the message presented on August 10, 2014. The answers for the Message Based Discussion Questions are suggestions to initiate further thought and discussion, not prevent it.  May this be a blessing to dig deeper into Scripture and apply farther into life.

What is important in life?

1) Trust in the Lord Jesus and do good works 6:17-19

• Two warnings:
• not to be _haughty/proud_____
• not trust in __riches________
• Trust in __the living God_____________________

What does it look like?

• do good______________________________
• ______________ready to give______________________
• ______________willing to share____________________
• ______________be rich in good works_______________

2) Guard what is entrusted to you to bless others 6:20-21

• What does it look like to guard what is entrusted?
  • Review, meditate, recall, discuss
• What happens when people do not guard it?
  • Will suffer in the angelic conflict, overcome with sin and life.
• Where else has this been seen in this letter?
  • 1:6, 19; 4:1; 6:3, 21

Trust in the Lord, not riches, for blessing and do good for others!

• Your calling in life is to bless others 1 Peter 3:8-12
• You can do it by giving away what God has given you.
• Passion for the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus is the Important Point Ps. 63:3

Message Based Discussion Questions

1) If you could receive 10 million dollars, what would you do with it?

• Pay off all debt
• Replace broken things
• Help those in need at church and on the mission field

Digging deeper:

2) What are different types of tests in life? _prosperity/poverty_ _health/ relationships__ Why is the prosperity test more difficult to handle than a suffering test or poverty test? What Scripture would you use to explain your answer?

• The prosperity test is more difficult, because we tend to rely on the prosperity than on God. When suffering or in poverty, there is less to rely upon, so we turn our eyes on the Lord.
• Luke 12:18; 1 Tim. 6:9,10, 17-19

3) Was Job very prosperous? In what ways (Job 1)? _yes, he had ten children, herds of animals and servants__ What do you know from Job’s life that demonstrated that he handled the test better than how his friends handled Job’s tests?

• God told Job to take God’s words like a man and learn from the words and grow from the experience.
• Job defended himself in a positive way, until he became self-righteous. God affirmed him and directed him to offer a sacrifice for his friends Job 42.

4) Are there tests in a marriage? _yes__ How do time, talents and treasures become tests in marriage? How would you use this passage to help a couple see how to apply the principles to their marriage?

• Time – both have equal amounts of time, but at different times, each may have more than the other, so he/she can do good, be ready to give and willing to share the time. That may be seen in doing the dishes, cutting the grass, or taking care of a project for the other person, who might be struggling with a less amount of time.
• Talents – both have talents, but each have different talents that can be shared with the other so that as a couple the marriage prospers and more can be done, within the roles assigned by God. Love gives of self the talents that will help the other person.In all three categories, love does not withhold from the other. It takes the opportunities to do good, abound in good works, be ready to give to others and willing to share. There are a gazillion ways that this can be applied in life.
• Treasures – that is/or should be equally shared and used to honor the Lord, each other and then those outside of the marriage.

Making application from the message to life:

5) How would you disciple a young person who has not entered the work force to apply these truths with practical life principles to his/her culture?

• He doesn’t enter the work force for himself. He enters in order to bless the world around him (Gen. 2:15) by creating order and harmony (1 Cor. 14:40) and helping others in their walk with the Lord (Luke 6:27-35).
• As he would enter, then guard the morals and Biblical truth, so that the greed, selfishness and immorality of the work place does not infect his good standards.

6) How do you know the Lord Jesus is a person’s focus in his life? What are several things that will be true?

• He will be less concerned about things, than about people growing in the Lord Jesus (1 Pet. 3:15; Matt. 28:19-20)He will talk about the Lord Jesus more than the common and empty things of life (1 Tim. 6:21)
• He will love and forgive when he is offended (Eph. 4:31-32)
• He will spend time in the Word and be characterized by a life that is explained only by the Spirit’s presence (Eph. 5:18-20)
• He will have a passion for wanting to worship with those who call upon the name of the Lord (2 Tim. 2:22)

7) If you were going to make a prayer of commitment, maybe even write it out, what would you write so that the Lord Jesus is the priority of your life?

• See the example from the message.