(1) Read Deuteronomy 8:10-18 and take notes. What are the dangers of financial security? How should God’s people overcome this danger?

(2) Read Psalm 127 and take notes. What aspects of this poem reflect the teachings of the book of Genesis? What is the basis of security and well being?

(3) Read Job 39:1-40:5 and take notes. What characteristics of God do his set of rhetorical questions point to? What are the implications of these things for Job? What does Job’s response reflect?

(4) Read Luke 18:18-30 and 19:1-10 and take notes. What do the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus have in common? What is different between how the Lord approaches these two? Why do you think this is? Why did the rich young ruler have to “give it all” to get in but Zacchaeus only have to give half? How can you explain this apparent double-standard?

(5) Read Luke 5:1-12 and 13-21 and take notes. What is the basic drift of 5:1-12? Why is the story of the rich fool juxtaposed against these teachings? Read Luke 5:22-31, 32-34 and take notes. What is the basic drift of 5:22-31? Why is the instruction of 5:32-34 juxtaposed against this? What are the implications of these teachings collected together as they are?