Dear Bible Readers,

For those of you who are reading just the NT this year, how do you like the help that the acrostic SPACE PETS gives you. Is it helping you think through practical applications? Does it help you look for the "God Truths" in the passage? Remember you can use that same acrostic anytime you read the Bible to help you glean more out of it.

For those of you in to the WB, this week is significant reading. You will be finishing the life of Jesus for the last time in the gospels. This week you will be going through the last hours of Jesus life again. I am just going to give you a quick time line of his last day to help you realize the intensity of it:

I hope that chart helps you put all the pieces of the last day of Jesus together. You might want to do the same thing with the last words of Jesus, the parables of Jesus, the people he appeared to after the resurrection, and other events in the life of Jesus.

The end of the week we will be going back to the OT and begin reading in I & II Kings. This is the history of the nation of Israel from the time of Solomon to the exile. The main theme of these two books is the kingship of Israel and her continued covenant relationship with God.

The rest of the OT, after the books of Kings, doesn't follow in chronological order. Kings is in a sense the skeleton for the rest of the OT. Most of the rest of the books of poetry, history, and prophets are written about the same time as I 7 II Kings. It covers about a 250 - 300 year time period. Understanding the books of Kings helps one understand the context of other books in the OT.

There will be many kings named in the books of Kings, as well as prophets. The nation of Israel will divide into two countries; Judah and Israel. It becomes confusing to sort out who is who. It gets very confusing after I Kings 12. I am going to tell you something that helped me: I read the rest of the books with three highlighter markers in my hands - one color for the kings of Judah, one color for the kings of Israel, and one color for the prophets. I would highlight the names with the appropriate color and that helped we sort things out better. I hope it will help you too.

Good reading this week!

DAY ONE, MAY 21 - JOHN 15-17
Chapter 15
NOTE: These are some of the final words of Jesus to his disciples. Final words often are the ones that a person considers the most important. Why do you think the truths of this chapter are some of Jesus' most important words?
Who (or what) is the gardener, the vine, the branches, and the fruit?
What are the four different amounts of fruit baring and what do you think it might represent?
What does the gardener do with each stage of fruit baring and what is his purpose in doing so?
What does it mean to remain in the vine?
What promises are there to those who remain in the vine?
What command(s) does Jesus give?
What practical things can you do to remain in the vine?
What warning does Jesus give to believer regarding how the world will treat them?
Who is the counselor, the Spirit of Truth?
Chapter 16
Why is Jesus telling the disciples these things?
What comfort do you have from today's reading?
What new things is Jesus telling them about the Holy Spirit?
If the Bible is hard for you to understand sometimes, what comfort and promise if found in these verses?
Why is it good that Jesus goes away?
What truths about prayer are found in these verses?
What truths about Jesus are found in these verses?
What truths about peace are found in these verses?
Chapter 17
This chapter is Jesus last recorded prayer before he died. It is in three sections: prayer for himself, his disciples, and others (really it is for us).
What are the things that Jesus prays for himself?
In verse 6-19, what are some of the things Jesus prays for the disciples?
How must the disciples have felt as Jesus prayed so intently for them?
What does Jesus pray for the believers through out time?
What does Jesus really want for you and how does that make you feel?

DAY TWO, MAY 22 - JOHN 18-19
Chapter 18
How many people came to arrest Jesus?
What happens to everyone when Jesus called himself, "I AM?"
Don't you think that would make them think twice about going through with this?
Where do the guards take Jesus first?
Where is Peter through out all of this and what happens to him?
How have you acted in a way contrary to the way you really believe?
How are the priest and guards acting outside the way they were taught in the OT laws?
What are some of the ironies you find in this chapter?
What happens when Pilot questions Jesus?
Chapter 19
Describe what continues to happen in Pilot's court?
What must Pilot have been feeling?
How do people often feel when they are confronted with Jesus but don't want to believe?
How is the truth about Jesus proclaimed even in his death?
How does Jesus care for others even in his turmoil?
How do we see Divine control and timing through out this whole event?
How do you acknowledge God's care and timing in the midst of your circumstances?
How do Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus finally make their allegiance to Jesus public?
How have you made your allegiance to Jesus public?

DAY THREE, MAY 23 - JOHN 20-21
Chapter 20
How many appearances of Jesus are recorded in this chapter?
Describe each one.
How do you think Mary felt when Jesus said her name?
How do you feel when you heard (sense) Jesus saying your name?
What were the first words recorded here that Jesus said after his resurrection?
Often first words hold the most significance to someone. What do you think they meant to the disciples?
What happens to Thomas?
What is his proclamation about Jesus?
What is your proclamation about Jesus?
What is the purpose of the book of John?
How does that verse help one gain assurance of their faith and the fact they can know they are going to heaven?
Chapter 21
Where were the disciples and what were they doing?
Where they catching anything?
What changes that?
What does Peter do when he sees Jesus?
How excited are you to see Jesus?
How does Jesus help Peter to feel his forgiveness for betraying Him?
What commission does Jesus give with the forgiveness?
Does Jesus ever expect us to remain idol after he forgives us?
What incident shows that each person will be treated in his/her own way at God's discretion?

DAY FOUR, MAY 24 - I KINGS 1-2
Chapter 1
Who tries to be king?
According to verse 6, what might have contributed to Abonijah arrogance at thinking he should become king?
How has positive discipline in your life helped shape your character for more godly things?
Who had David said would be the next king? Who is his mother? What do you remember about her?
What was another factor that David neglected that might have contributed to Abonijah taking matters into his own hands? HINT: verse 21, 24, 30, 35
What confirmation do you find here that Solomon is supposed to be king?
Chapter 2
What blessing and charge did David give to Solomon?
After reading the whole chapter, what do you think Abonijah's real intentions and attitudes were?
What actions did Solomon take to insure that the throne was firmly in his grasp?
What actions much you take to make sure your are solidly in the will of God?

DAY FIVE, MAY 25 - I KINGS 3-6
Chapter 3
Solomon sought God through sacrifice and God appeared to him. How do you need to seek God and His presence?
What did God ask Solomon?
How would you answer if God asked you the same questions? (Often our answers show were our heart is)
Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added." How is that truth modeled here?
What do you seek?
How does the story at the end of this chapter show Solomon's wisdom?
Chapter 4
How was Solomon's reign different in nature than David's?
Describe Solomon.
Chapter 5
Why wasn't David able to build the temple even though he really wanted to?
Why was Solomon able to build the temple?
Where did Solomon get the lumber for the temple?
How did Solomon treat the king, and people who helped him?
How do you treat others?
Chapter 6
How many years after Egypt was this?
What had the nation of Israel been using up to this point?
Describe the temple Solomon built.
Try and find a chart that shows the layout of the temple.
What was interesting to you about the temple?
What promise does God give to Solomon and the people?

DAY SIX, MAY 26 - I KINGS 7-8
Chapter 7
What did Solomon's palace look like?
Describe the detail work of Huram.
What do you think all of this must have looked like?
How much time, money, effort, and detail do you put into the things of the Lord?
Chapter 8
CHALLENGE QUESTION: What does it say is in the Ark? What does it symbolize? HINT: What did God make with Israel at Mt. Sinai (it wasn't just a list of rules)?
What does the cloud in verse 10 symbolize?
What do the blessing, dedication, and prayer of Solomon say about his heart in relationship to God?
How does Solomon show he is concerned for all people (a worldview)?
What prophecies do you see in this prayer?
How big was the sacrifice?
How great is your desire to worship and praise God?

DAY SEVEN, MAY 27 - I KINGS 9-11
Chapter 9
Often after a great adventure and mission we have a let down and need to be renewed by God. God appears to Solomon a second time after his mission is completed.
What does God say to Solomon?
How would this renew Solomon?
For those of you who know the Bible, what happens to the temple and why?
What are some of Solomon's other achievements?
Chapter 10
What does the Queen of Sheba see when she comes to Israel?
To whom does she give the credit?
Describe the wealth of Solomon.
Chapter 11
What was Solomon's weakness?
What did God say about that issue?
What happened to Solomon as a result of his wives?
How was Solomon's heart different in his old age than in his youth?
What are your weaknesses and how could they lead to your heart being compromised for God?
What will you do about it?
What is the consequence from God due to his sin?
Who did God raise up to rebel against Solomon's family?
NOTE: God doesn't take disobedience to him lightly. He wants to be our all in all. When we make him that he promises to take care of the rest. But when we don't, there are consequences.

YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THESE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR ANY BIBLE READING:

Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.

Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
     S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
     P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
     A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
     C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
     E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
     P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
     E - Errors to avoid?
     T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.