City Connect Group · Redeemer International Church, The Hague
Summer Bible Challenge 2026
2 July – 27 August · The Gospels & Romans
Welcome to the challenge
Read through the Gospels and Romans with your accountability partner this summer. Answer at your own pace — come back anytime from any device. Your responses are saved privately.
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Book 1
The Gospel of Matthew
Passages: Matthew 6 (Sermon on the Mount) · Matthew 11 (Rest for the weary) · Matthew 16 (Taking up the cross)
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In Matthew 6:26, what examples from nature does Jesus use to show God's provision, and in Matthew 11:29, what does He ask us to take upon ourselves to find rest?
Jesus deliberately points to birds and wildflowers — ordinary, everyday things — to anchor his teaching about anxiety. He is not minimising worry; he is relocating trust. The "yoke" in Matthew 11 was a common agricultural image his listeners understood immediately as the weight of daily labour.
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In Matthew 16:24–25, Jesus talks about denying yourself and losing your life for His sake. What is the spiritual paradox of finding your life by losing it?
This is one of the most counterintuitive statements in all of Jesus' teaching. The word "life" (psyche in Greek) carries the meaning of soul, self, and identity. Jesus is not calling for self-destruction but for a fundamental reordering of what you build your life around.
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What is one specific area of your life right now where anxiety is stealing your peace, and how can you actively surrender it to God this week?
There is no right answer here. The question is an invitation to honesty, not a test of spiritual performance. Jesus' point in Matthew 6 is practical: name the anxiety, bring it to God, and return to it as often as needed.
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Jesus describes Himself as "gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29). How does knowing His character change how you approach Him with your summer burdens?
In the ancient world, most people approached power with fear and performance. Jesus' self-description as "gentle and humble" was a direct contrast to how religious and political leaders presented themselves. This changes the posture we bring to prayer.
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Book 2
The Gospel of Mark
Passages: Mark 4 (Calming the storm) · Mark 8 (Following Jesus) · Mark 10 (The Servant King)
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In Mark 4:38, what is Jesus doing during the storm, and in Mark 10:45, what did the Son of Man come to do instead of being served?
Mark's Gospel is the most immediate and action-packed of the four. Notice what Jesus is doing in the storm — he is not anxiously managing the crisis. Mark 10:45 is the theological hinge of the whole Gospel: Jesus defines his entire mission in one sentence.
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Read Mark 8:36. What does it mean for a person to "gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul" in today's society?
Jesus asks this as a question, not a lecture. He is inviting the listener to do the maths honestly. What does the modern equivalent of "gaining the whole world" look like — career, status, security, approval? And what gets quietly traded away in the process?
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When unexpected storms or crises hit your life, is your first instinct to doubt God's care (like the disciples in chapter 4) or to trust His presence? Why?
Notice that the disciples had already seen Jesus perform miracles before the storm hit. Prior knowledge of God's power does not automatically produce trust in the moment. This is an honest question about how faith actually works in real time, not in theory.
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Since Jesus came to serve and give His life as a ransom, how can you practice "servant leadership" in your family or workplace over this summer break?
The original context of Mark 10:45 is striking: James and John had just asked for the top seats of power. Jesus' answer redefines greatness entirely. Summer is often when our regular structures loosen — a good season to practise this with fresh intentionality.
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Book 3
The Gospel of Luke
Passages: Luke 10 (The Good Samaritan) · Luke 15 (The Prodigal Son) · Luke 18 (The Persistent Widow)
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In Luke 10:33, who stops to help the beaten man, and in Luke 15:20, what does the father do when he sees his returning son from a distance?
Luke is the Gospel of the outsider and the unexpected. A Samaritan — despised in the eyes of the original audience — is the one who shows mercy. In Luke 15, the father runs. In the ancient Near East, a dignified patriarch did not run. Luke records the undignified urgency of God's love.
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Through the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1–8, what is Jesus teaching us about the nature of prayer and God's justice?
This parable works by contrast: if even an unjust judge eventually responds to persistence, how much more will a loving Father act on behalf of his children? Jesus is not saying God is reluctant — he is saying persistent prayer reflects genuine faith, not doubt.
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In the story of the lost son, do you currently relate more to the prodigal son (needing to return home) or the older brother (struggling with resentment and self-righteousness)? Why?
Most readers of Luke 15 identify with the younger son — but Jesus spends the second half of the parable entirely on the older brother, who never left home but is equally lost in his own way. Both are invited in. Neither earns it.
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Jesus ends the story of the neighbour by saying, "Go and do likewise." What is one practical, intentional act of mercy you can extend to an "inconvenient" person this summer?
The Samaritan did not plan his act of mercy — it interrupted his journey. Jesus' question shifts the frame from "who qualifies for my help?" to "what kind of person am I becoming?" Summer often removes the usual excuses of busyness.
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Book 4
The Gospel of John
Passages: John 3 (The New Birth) · John 10 (The Good Shepherd) · John 15 (The True Vine)
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According to John 3:16, what motivated God to send His Son, and in John 15:5, what is the absolute requirement for a branch to bear fruit?
John 3:16 is the most memorised verse in the New Testament, but it is easy to skim over the word "so" — the Greek houtos means "to this degree." The motivation is love, measured by what it cost. John 15:5 is equally absolute: apart from Christ, not "less" fruit — nothing.
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In John 10:10–11, what is the contrasting mission between the thief and the Good Shepherd? What does "life to the full" look like spiritually?
The Greek word for "full" here is perisson — beyond measure, overflowing. This is not a promise of a comfortable life. It is a promise about the depth of life available in relationship with Christ, even through difficulty.
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Are you currently trying to produce spiritual fruit and joy through your own hard work, or are you truly "remaining" in Jesus? How can you tell the difference in your daily habits?
The word "remain" (meno in Greek) appears eleven times in John 15 alone. It is not passive — it is an active, sustained connection. Branches do not try to produce fruit; they stay attached and fruit is the natural result. Where are you drawing your energy from?
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Jesus says His sheep listen to His voice (John 10:27). With the busy schedules of summer, what practical boundary can you set to quiet the noise and listen to Him?
Shepherds in the ancient world led from the front — the sheep followed a familiar voice. Recognising God's voice is a learned skill developed through consistent time in Scripture and prayer. Summer, with its different pace, is an overlooked opportunity for this.
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Book 5
The Book of Romans
Passages: Romans 5 (Peace and Hope) · Romans 8 (Life in the Spirit) · Romans 12 (Living Sacrifices)
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According to Romans 5:1, what do we have with God through faith, and in Romans 12:1, what are we urged to offer to Him?
Romans 5:1 uses "peace" (eirene) — not as an emotion but as a legal status. The hostility between humanity and God has ended. Romans 12 draws the logical conclusion: given all that God has done (chapters 1–11), the rational response is total self-offering.
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Romans 8:1 states there is now "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." How does this truth radically transform a believer's relationship with God compared to living under guilt?
"No condemnation" is a verdict, not a feeling. Paul places it at the start of chapter 8 — after three chapters of honest wrestling with sin and failure — as the resolution. It does not mean sin does not matter; it means the final verdict has already been declared in Christ.
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Romans 12:2 warns against conforming to the pattern of this world. In what specific area (such as money, social media, or lifestyle) do you find it hardest to resist the world's pressure?
The Greek word for "conform" (syschematizo) pictures being poured into a mould. The world shapes people constantly and unconsciously — through comparison, consumption, and ambition. The alternative is not withdrawal but renewal of the mind that changes how you see the world.
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Romans 5:3–4 says suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Reflecting on a recent trial, how have you seen God use a difficult situation to grow your faith?
Paul does not say we rejoice because suffering is pleasant; he says we rejoice in suffering because of what it produces. The sequence is specific: pressure creates endurance, endurance creates proven character, proven character produces a hope that does not disappoint.