September 8: Discovery Questions (based on Revelation 2:1-17)
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1. When you hear the word, faithful, what person in your life comes to mind? Why?
Ask two people to read aloud Revelation 2:1-17, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
2. The church in Ephesus was doing a lot of things right. What were they doing wrong (2:4)?
3. Facing poverty, slander, and persecution, how would you have felt if you had been a member of the church in Smyrna in John’s day (2:9-10a)? How would the Lord’s words of encouragement (2:10b-11) have helped you personally?
4. As a follower of Christ, what does it mean to be poor, yet rich (2:9)?
5. In John’s vision of Christ (1:12-16), he saw “a sharp, double-edged sword” coming out of Jesus’ mouth. In his words to the church in Pergamum, Jesus described himself as “him who has the sharp, double-edged sword” (2:12).
6. Living in a city where Satan had a stronghold (2:13), the Christians in Pergamum remained true to Christ and steadfast in the faith. But while grounded in their own understanding, they also seemed to tolerate false teaching by others (2:14-16). How is this kind of tolerance dangerous even within a firmly grounded church?
7. Commenting on Revelation 2:17, lesson writer Mark Scott says about the church in Pergamum, “If they repented, they would experience fresh bread (i.e. manna) and a new identity (white stone with a new name written on it).”
8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Revelation 3:1-22. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
The public failure of famous Christians doesn’t prove that God’s power isn’t real. Instead, it reveals to us where we should and shouldn’t expect to find the most remarkable displays of God’s power.
We can be flexible about many things, but in Scripture God has given us bedrock, unbending truths that don’t change no matter how much time passes or culture shifts.
The public may have lost confidence in higher education more generally, yet I believe we may be entering another golden era in Christian higher education.
Someday we will lay down our WOMBATs and our treasured accomplishments. What will matter most then? Clinging to Christ and the cross.
For the Christian, a new year means another growth step to take, another goal to set, and more fruit to bear in God’s kingdom.
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