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 YOU curriculum.
Bible Passage: Psalm 119:17-24
Discussion Questions:
- What helps us hear God’s voice above all the other distracting voices in this life?
- How has knowing God through His Word helped you face challenges in life?
- What is required if we are to intentionally internalize God’s Word?
Food for Thought:
Reading the Bible daily will do more to help you grow spiritually than any other choice you can make. It is the foundational spiritual discipline that all the others build on. Beyond the immediate benefit of encountering God when you read the Bible, the understanding that develops over a lifetime of reading the Word provides a framework for all other spiritual disciplines. Your understanding of God’s will, as revealed in the Bible, helps you distinguish between God’s voice and other influences.
Read Psalm 119:17-18. Psalm 119 is an amazing piece of Hebrew poetry. The psalm has 22 sections –
one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119:17-24 is the third section (called the Gimel section after the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and it radiates with passion for God’s Word. The composer pleaded for God’s favor so that he could “live” and “keep your Word.” The verbs rendered “live” and “keep” are both tied to obedience. The goal was not merely to know or understand God’s instruction; it was to live it, keep it and obey it.
The psalmist did not view his obedience as a difficult obligation. Nor was he punching a spiritual time clock while daydreaming about something more enjoyable. The psalmist did not view God’s Word as a means to merely make his life better. The Lord’s instruction was his reason for life.
Living God’s way is not usually the easiest path, but it is always the best path. It requires that believers go against the grain of the sin-filled culture that surrounds us, which often means we will experience contempt and endure insults. Other times it means we will face outright persecution, but we can withstand all these things as we trust God and live in obedience to His Word.
YOU
YOU is committed to providing a complete Bible study experience for small groups and classes. Every session is written through an urban and multiethnic lens that provides relevant, engaging and applicable studies that not only encourage and equip people, but also motivate them to mission. This flexible, non-dated, all-in-one quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional downloadable online teaching resources, visit Lifeway.com/YOU.
Other ongoing Bible study options offered by Lifeway for all ages can be found at Lifeway.com/SundaySchool.
