FALL 2015 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR STAND STRONG: BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON GOD S PROMISES GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

FALL 2015 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR STAND STRONG: BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON GOD S PROMISES GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

Contents FALL 2015 VOL. 3, NO. 1 BIBLE STUDY SESSIONS STUDY THEME: Stand Strong: Building Your Life on God s Promises 10 Suggested for week of: September 6 Session 1 God s Promise of Faithfulness...12 September 13 Session 2 God s Promise of Eternal Life....26 September 20 Session 3 God s Promise of Provision...36 September 27 Session 4 God s Promise of Answered Prayer...46 October 4 Session 5 God s Promise of Victory...56 October 11 Session 6 God s Promise of a New Home.... 66 STUDY THEME: Game Changer: How to Impact Your World 80 Suggested for week of: October 18 Session 7 Develop Conviction...82 October 25 Session 8 Pray Fervently....92 November 1 Session 9 Stand Courageously.... 102 November 8 Session 10 Live Humbly.... 112 November 15 Session 11 Confront Sin.... 126 November 22 Session 12 Act Faithfully.... 136 November 29 Session 13 When Opposition Strikes.... 150 3

Contents continued FEATURES Lasting Joy.... 2 A Word from Ronnie... 5 My Group s Prayer Requests....6 Bound to a Promise...................22 Life in the Royal Court of Babylon....76 What If This Is As Good As It Gets?....122 Keep the Fire.... 146 Coming In Winter.... 162 This Personal Study Guide is designed for senior adults ages 70 and up. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter, and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway. com/doctrinalguideline. Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adults Personal Study Guide (ISSN: 2330-9814; Item 005075046) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2015 LifeWay Christian Resources. Printed in the United States of America. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, call (800) 458-2772, or write LifeWay Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. ERIC GEIGER Vice President, LifeWay Resources RONNIE FLOYD General Editor LYNN H. PRYOR Team Leader JEFFREY HOLDER Content Editor KEN BRADDY Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies MICHAEL KELLEY Director, Groups Ministry 22 Send questions/comments to: Content Editor Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adults Personal Study Guide One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, Tennessee, 37234-0175 or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. 4

A WORD FROM RONNIE Life can be challenging, can t it? When circumstances around me are uncertain, I find it reassuring to know that God is with me. Throughout the Bible, God has given us many promises promises we can count on, regardless of what happens. The study written by Jonathan Falwell, Stand Strong: Building Your Life on God s Promises, looks at six of those promises. These promises will give you the help and hope you need to overcome life s difficulties. God s promises don t just help us endure our challenges. God calls us and empowers us to make a difference! Rob Zinn has written the study Game Changer: How to Impact Your World. As you look at the lives of several men in the Book of Daniel, you can discover how to live with uncompromising conviction to stand boldly for Christ. Yes, life can be challenging, but God has given you a Bible study group to walk with you. Your group can be a place of great encouragement and growth. Jump into these studies and discover together what God provides to face life s challenges head-on. General Editor TWITTER: @ronniefloyd www.ronniefloyd.com 5

MY GROUP'S PRAYER REQUESTS 6

MY GROUP S PRAYER REQUESTS 7

MY GROUP'S PRAYER REQUESTS 8

MY GROUP S PRAYER REQUESTS 9

STAND STRONG: BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON GOD S PROMISES 10

Life is tough. None of us is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. Even followers of Christ face difficult days. Wouldn t it be great to know we have a constant source of strength and encouragement to depend on, no matter how difficult life may become? I have good news. A constant source of comfort, encouragement, strength, and promise is available! God has given us His Word to help us navigate this exciting and sometimes challenging journey called life. The Bible is filled with promises that come directly from the heart of God to encourage us no matter what we might be facing. Through those promises, we can see how connected God truly wants to be to His children. God s promises reveal just how much He loves us. God never promised this life would be free from trouble, but He did promise to walk with us every step of the way. With God on our side, we can stand strong. Jonathan Falwell Jonathan is the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. His passion is changing the world by developing Christ-followers who love God and love others. Jonathan is married to Shari, and they have four children. Jonathan would love to hear from you at pastor@trbc.org. 11

SESSION 1 GOD S PROMISE OF FAITHFULNESS What comes to mind when you hear the word faithful? 12 session 1 QUESTION #1

THE POINT God is faithful in every circumstance. THE PASSAGE Psalm 89:1-2,5-8,15-18 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Dogs are traditionally known as man s best friend. There s nothing quite like the loyalty of a four-footed friend. He ll bring you the paper, greet you at the door every time you come home, and stick close when you re in your favorite chair. We may often wish our two-footed friends were as dependable. We ve all lived long enough to be left hanging by failed promises. We ll have your car ready for you tomorrow. The repairman will be at your house by 8:00. We ll be by to visit this weekend. But whether the broken promise is a slight irritant like forgetting to call a friend back or a devastating blow like a shattered marriage vow when we experience enough broken promises, we may begin to question anyone s ability to remain faithful. The good news is God never forgets or neglects His promises. Our God is always faithful. No matter how difficult life becomes, God will always be by our side, and His love for us will never waver. Psalm 89 is a wonderful reminder of God s faithfulness a reminder that gives hope in the most hopeless of situations. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6 13

THE POINT God is faithful in every circumstance. Psalm 89:1-2 1 I will sing about the Lord s faithful love forever; I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. 2 For I will declare, Faithful love is built up forever; You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens. Psalm 89 is a fresh reminder of the greatness of our God. It also highlights the closeness of God. The psalm tells us God is always near; He is always ready to meet us in our need. If God s only qualities were His might, greatness, and power, He wouldn t necessarily be of much comfort to us in our times of need. But knowing that God is mighty, great and powerful and He is ready to put every one of those attributes to work for us should make us shout for joy. God doesn t have to do anything for us, but He is there for us because of His love His faithful love. Even in the midst of our worst pain, we can find joy in God s power and closeness to us. We can rely on both God s power and closeness because He is faithful! What would make you lift your voice as loudly as possible to tell others how much someone loves you? When I was in middle school, a friend told me a girl in my class actually liked me. As you can imagine, this was a pretty big deal for an awkward middle school kid. I was pretty happy about this situation, and I wanted everybody to know it. Why? I wanted to make sure everyone knew somebody out there valued me. Psalm 89:1-2 leads us to recognize God s love is something to shout about. His love is not a middle school type of love. Nor is it the self-centered kind we see depicted by Hollywood. God s love is what Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13. It is a love that never fails. The God of the universe sees value in you! His love for you goes to the end of the universe and back. 14 session 1

Isn t that kind of love worth celebrating? In our culture, we are relentlessly bombarded with superficial relationships that are readily tossed away over seemingly insignificant conflicts and misunderstandings. But God s love for us will never end, no matter what we might do. We can count on God s love and faithfulness even when all seems lost. The psalmist wrote in verse 1 that he would forever tell the world of God s faithfulness. The Hebrew word for faithfulness used in this verse is emuwnah, which means firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness. In other words, God s love will always remain strong, will always remain steady, and most importantly, will always remain! We see God s faithfulness in His rule over heaven. In verse 2, the writer penned, You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens. Since God s sovereign rule over the universe is consistent and steadfast, we certainly can count on Him in our own lives. God s love remains no matter how difficult our journey might be or how challenging any crisis for today might seem. God s faithful rule over all creation means He can be trusted with whatever we are facing. God is faithful. What are some everyday reminders of God s faithfulness to you? QUESTION #2 15

THE POINT God is faithful in every circumstance. Psalm 89:5-8 5 Lord, the heavens praise Your wonders Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? 7 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiring than all who surround Him. 8 Lord God of Hosts, who is strong like You, Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds You. KEY WORDS: The holy ones (v. 5) In the Old Testament, holy ones is a reference to angelic beings. In the New Testament, it refers to believers, who are called saints (literally, holy ones ). Hosts (v. 8) Hosts is another term for armies. The heavenly hosts are the armies of heaven. One evening as I was driving home with my family, one of my children yelled from the back seat, Look at that moon! The moon that night was larger and significantly brighter than I had ever noticed before. The moon seemed to illuminate the roads even more than the headlights on the car. I found out later this was a phenomenon called the super moon. This occurs when a full moon happens to coincide with a perigee moon; that is, when the moon makes its closest approach to earth, causing the moon to appear as much as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter. I couldn t help thinking that night that we live in such an 16 session 1

amazing universe. It s mind-boggling to realize God spoke it all into existence with just a word. That s a powerful God! Here s a great truth: the same God who created this breathtaking universe the One who hurled the sun, moon, and stars into space is the same God who loves you! Even as the heavens call His people to celebrate God s glory and power, His faithful love should also be a cause of great celebration. Psalm 89:5-8 shows us the universe declares God s faithfulness even as it declares His awesome power. The heavens praise Your wonders (v. 5). Why? Because nothing and no one is more deserving of praise than the One who created it all. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands (Ps. 19:1). Everything we see in this world and beyond is a testament to the power of Almighty God; simply by gazing into the world around us, we should always be reminded of God s matchless ability. Recognizing God s power, love, and grace is central to understanding the meaning of life. When have you felt a strong sense of God s majesty and power? QUESTION #3 DIGGING DEEPER God s faithfulness is an eternal characteristic which leads Him to enter into covenant with His people. His faithfulness makes Him different from all created beings, pointing to His place as the unique God. His faithfulness forms the foundation for our praise. It is also the foundation for the messianic hope through David s line. Alton H. McEachern, Note on Psalm 89:1-49, GOD, Faithfulness, in The Disciple s Study Bible, gen. ed. Trent C. Butler, (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1988), 704. 17

THE POINT God is faithful in every circumstance. Read again these words from verse 5: The heavens praise Your wonders. Even the majesty and beauty of the universe pale in comparison with God! Verses 6-7 clearly state that nothing can compare with the majesty of God. The heavens declare His faithfulness and praise Him. The world was shaped by His very hand and gives witness to His greatness. Be encouraged in knowing that the same God who created it all is the One whose strength and faithfulness we can count on when we need it the most. God is faithful. What is the connection between God s majesty and God s faithfulness? QUESTION #4 Psalm 89:15-18 15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence. 16 They rejoice in Your name all day long, and they are exalted by Your righteousness. 17 For You are their magnificent strength; by Your favor our horn is exalted. 18 Surely our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. KEY WORD: Horn (v. 17) Horn is a symbol of power taken from the animal kingdom. In biblical poetry and apocalyptic language, horns are used to symbolize persons of power, usually kings. 18 session 1

Up to this point, the psalmist had declared the importance of celebrating God s love and faithfulness. But what good is talking about the love and faithfulness of God if you ve never experienced His love and faithfulness? Every couple of years in the United States we go through election cycles to decide who will lead our government. During the campaign season, we inevitably hear myriad promises from the candidates about what they will do to make our city, state, or country and our lives better. But too often those campaign promises fade away after the election is over. And when the next election rolls around, we find ourselves wondering: Did that senator really make our country better? Did that governor make my life better? When people don t keep their promises, we can become discouraged and angry. We ve all had people let us down. We re often hurt when somebody fails to keep a promise. We might even begin to wonder if we can trust anyone anymore. If you find yourself in that mind-set, I have good news! God can always be trusted. God is always faithful. God always keeps His promises. How do we move toward trusting God in every circumstance? QUESTION #5 19

THE POINT God is faithful in every circumstance. In verses 15-18, we see that when we trust God s faithfulness and choose to live in His presence, we will experience great comfort and joy. When we live in His presence, He exalts us and imparts His righteousness to us. God did all this for us through Jesus Christ. In His faithful love, God sent Christ to forgive us, redeem us, and bring us back to Him. As a result, happiness and joy are sure to follow. We find encouragement, comfort, strength, and joy by walking in the presence of God. We can experience the faithfulness of God when we are fully connected to Him and His will for our lives. When we know God and are diligent in seeking His will, we will forever be grateful for His faithfulness. As a follower of Christ, we are given the great privilege of knowing His joy, walking in His presence, and being exalted by His righteousness just as He promised. GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS Underline one situation below. What experience of God s faithfulness in your life could you relate to encourage the person facing that challenge? A man in his 50s has lost his job. He is very worried about finding new work at his age. A mother s final chick has left the nest. She s feeling lost and purposeless. A recent college graduate cannot find that perfect job after several months of trying. A friend s spouse has died, and the grief and loneliness are overwhelming. A family member s health, and consequently, his/her independence, is rapidly declining. 20 session 1

LIVE IT OUT When we ve lived a long time, we have the advantage of being able to look back over many years to see how God has been faithful in every circumstance, both good and bad. How will this study help you face life this week or help you lead another person to experience God s faithfulness? Begin to see His faithfulness. Perhaps you have never taken the time to consider how God has been faithful to you. This week, take note of at least one way God s faithfulness has become evident to you. Perhaps you will see it in a relationship, a special need met, or simply in His waking you up in the morning. Write down what you discover. Thank Him each day. See His faithfulness every day. Make a daily habit of writing down how God has been faithful to you each day. You may note some of the same things each day, and some days may have unexpected blessings. Keep a record as God brings these to mind. Review them before bedtime, and thank Him for His constant care in every circumstance. Be a channel of His faithfulness. Help a person who is in need to catch a glimpse of God s faithfulness. Do what you can to meet a need in his or her life. Stay in touch regularly to provide comfort and fellowship, and any material assistance required. Enlist others, if necessary, to continue ministering to this person as long the need exists. 21