[1]NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum.
Bible Passages: Psalm 119:1-16
Discussion Questions: Discuss a time when words and conversation helped you develop a relationship with another person. Have you ever had a time in your life when you grew spiritually because you were having such a rich experience with the Word of God? If so, describe that experience.
Food for Thought:
We read the Word of God so that we can know God better. The Bible is God’s love letter to His people, through which He communicates His heart and vision for our lives. When my wife and I started dating, we had meals together, took long walks and wrote notes -— activities all built around sharing words as the medium through which we could get to know each other better. Similarly, we grow in our relationship with God as we come to know Him through the Scriptures.
[2]Further, apart from Scripture, we could not know God Himself, since we would have no understanding of His message of salvation accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ. So, the Bible both establishes our relationship and helps us grow in relationship with God. Accordingly, notice that early in Psalm 119, seeking or knowing God is often associated with knowing the words of God.
— Psalm 119:2 — The keeping of God’s decrees goes hand-in-hand with seeking God with all of one’s heart.
— Psalm 119:7-8 — See how praising God with a sincere heart flows from being engaged with God’s “righteous judgments”? Understanding more of God’s righteous character through His words leads to praise.
— Psalm 119:10 — A heart conditioned by close relationship with God becomes a basis for continuing in the ways of God. In other words, as we grow in our understanding and our living of God’s Word, that truth shapes our hearts to love the living God, and hearts transformed in this way become a basis for persevering in God’s ways.
Love of God and the Word of God are mutually reinforcing. If you want to know God, grow in your understanding of His Word. If you want to endure in following His Word, a strong relationship with God is the foundation for a life well lived.
The Gospel Project
The Gospel Project is a Christ-centered curriculum that examines the grand narrative of Scripture and how the Gospel transforms the lives of those it touches. Through a three-year study plan, participants are immersed in the Gospel through stories, theological concepts, and calls to missions from Genesis to Revelation. Separate study plans for kids and students/adults ensure the proper focus and depth. The Gospel Project is designed to unify an entire church under a single Christ-centered curriculum. More information, free samples, and The Gospel Project blog can be found at gospelproject.com [3].
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool [4].