SUMMER 2018 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE WHY ARE WE HERE? NEHEMIAH: BUILDING A LIFE OF SERVICE

SUMMER 2018 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE WHY ARE WE HERE? NEHEMIAH: BUILDING A LIFE OF SERVICE

THE ULTIMATE STAIN REMOVER The Internet offers us myriad life hacks little tricks and tips to ease cleaning, cooking, repairing, and so forth. These typically describe simple actions we can do to correct a problem such as removing a stain from clothes or carpet. Of course, some stains are easier to remove than others. But what do we do with the stain of sin, those marks of a ruined life? Different religions and worldviews offer their own life hacks, but none of these will work except one. Only the death of Jesus Christ on the cross has the power to remove our sin. Why? The penalty for our sin is death, and because Jesus is the only one who ever lived perfectly and without sin, He is the only one who could step in and be our substitute. He can remove our sin because He had no sin of His own. God approved Jesus death for us by raising Him from the dead. When we choose to trust Christ, His death removes our sin and His resurrected life ensures eternal life for us. If you would like to be forgiven and have eternal life in Christ, repent of your sins and put your faith in Him. Admit to God you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you. Turn from the sin that has kept you from God and accept Jesus gift of forgiveness. Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Express your repentance and faith by praying something like this: Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins. I m sorry for all the wrong I ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus name, Amen. Share your decision to follow Jesus with a pastor or those in your Bible study group. Get involved in a church that will help you grow in your faith. Be baptized as an expression of your faith. 2

Contents Why Are We Here? SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF Introduction... 10.... June 3 Session 1 Why Are We Even Here?... 13 June 10 Session 2 Why Are We in This Mess?... 21 June 17 Session 3 Why Can t We Fix It?.... 29 June 24 Session 4 Why Did Jesus Come?... 37 July 1 Session 5 What Should We Do Now?... 45 July 8 Session 6 What Happens Next?... 53 Article A Night at Sea.... 61 Tithing July 15 Special Focus An Obedient Response to a Gracious God... 64 Article God Owns It All... 75 Nehemiah: Building a Life of Service.. Introduction... 78 July 22 Session 1 Pray... 81 July 29 Session 2 Plan... 89 August 5 Session 3 Persist... 97 August 12 Session 4 Protect.... 105 August 19 Session 5 Prioritize.... 113 August 26 Session 6 Praise... 121 Coming in Fall... 130 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 3

Don t miss this! Social Media The App Connect with a community of Bible Studies for Life users. Post responses to questions, share teaching ideas, and link to great blog content. Facebook.com/BibleStudiesForLife Get instant updates about new articles, giveaways, and more. @BibleMeetsLife Bible Studies for Life is also available as an ebook. The ebook is opened and read with the Bible Studies for Life App, which is free from the ios App Store and the Google Play Store. Commentary Dig deeper into Scripture with the Bible Studies for Life: Advanced Bible Study. This resource features in-depth Bible exposition on the passages studied in this book. One Con versation Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide Volume 5, Number 2 Summer 2018 Eric Geiger Senior Vice President, LifeWay Resources Lynn H. Pryor Team Leader R. Brian Gass Content Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Content Editor by email at brian.gass@lifeway.com; mail to Content Editor for Bible Studies for Life: Adults, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234; or make comments on the Web at BibleStudiesforLife.com. Printed in the United States of America. Bible Studies for Life: Personal Study Guide (ISSN: 2330-1988; Item 005562227) is published quarterly by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2018 LifeWay. For ordering or inquiries, visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234. 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, email orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. 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 lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. CSB All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Bible Studies for Life: Adults often lists websites that may be helpful to our readers. Our staff verifies each site s usefulness and appropriateness prior to publication. However, website content changes quickly so we encourage you to approach all websites with caution. Make sure sites are still appropriate before sharing them with students, friends, and family. One Conversation helps parents connect with their students and kids by talking about what they re learning in their different Bible study groups. One Conversation makes it easy for parents to engage their children in spiritual conversation. One Conversation is available at blog.lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife/one-conversation. 4 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

A Word from Our Team The Bible Studies for Life Team One of the great joys I have each week is teaching the Bible study sessions we develop as a team. The men in my class have steadily moved toward transparency with one another as we wrestle with the transformational questions that help guide our study. The first question, which we sometimes call the icebreaker, sets the table for our discussions by asking a question each person can easily answer. We each get to hear our own voices, making it easier to engage later when the questions become more personally challenging. This summer we look forward to a study that examines some questions everyone asks, regardless of background or worldview; questions like: Why are we even here? or Why are we in this mess? In our study, we ll see how the Bible answers each of those questions. We ll also consider the life of Nehemiah, a man who showed us what a life of ministry and service looks like. We are all called to serve, so let s use this study of Nehemiah to consider God s call on our own lives. We pray the studies in this book will challenge you and also lead you into a deeper walk with Jesus Christ. Enjoy! Brian Gass Editor @RBrianGass BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 5

My g roup's prayer requests 6 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

My g roup's prayer requests BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 7

My g roup's prayer requests 8 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

My g roup's prayer requests BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 9

WHY ARE WE HERE? 10 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

A good question deserves a good answer. Kids are inquisitive, aren t they? God gave us an innate desire to learn, and kids are quick to ask questions. Why is the sky blue? Why do I have brown hair? Why do I have two eyes if I only see one thing? Why don t crabs have eyebrows? Why did swear words get invented if we re not allowed to say them? As we get older, the why questions change. We contemplate the world around us and our place in it. We wonder if God exists. We think about life in new ways and our questions change but we still question everything. And somewhere along the way, we come to the most basic question of all: Why are we here? Whole philosophies have sprung out of a quest to answer that question. Friends might offer their opinions. Thankfully, the Bible answers the basic questions of life. We re not left to guess or hope we get it right. In this study Why Are We Here? we will look at six of these questions and see what answers the Bible provides. We don t have to struggle to find purpose and meaning in life. The answers are just ahead. Ken Braddy Ken provides leadership to the teams that create LifeWay s ongoing studies like Bible Studies For Life. He served as an education pastor for eighteen years. Married to Tammy for thirty-one years, they have two grown sons. Ken has co-authored four books on Sunday School and small groups, including 3 Roles for Guiding Groups, and teaches a weekly Bible study group at his church. Follow his blog at kenbraddy.com. 11

Why Are We Here? Session 1 Why Are We Even Here? Genesis 1:1-5,26-31 Session 2 Why Are We in This Mess? Genesis 3:1-7,14-19 Session 3 Why Can t We Fix It? Deuteronomy 5:32-33; Galatians 3:10-12,19a,24-25 Session 4 Why Did Jesus Come? Luke 1:68-79 Session 5 What Should We Do Now? Acts 2:37-47 Session 6 What Happens Next? Revelation 21:1-8 12

1 WHY ARE WE EVEN HERE? When have you seen something in nature and thought That s amazing!? QUESTION #1 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 13

THE POINT God created us to live in fellowship with Him. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE My favorite courses in college were Astronomy I and II. At one point during Astronomy II, the professor told our group to go to the outskirts of town and reassemble at an out-of-the-way park but not before 9:00 p.m. He had a surprise for us. That night we observed parts of the Milky Way galaxy through powerful telescopes owned by the university. The sky was pitch black. The stars were bright. It was incredible to see the vastness of the countless stars beyond, yet in that moment I felt smaller than ever before. In those moments when we feel small maybe even insignificant questions about the deeper meaning of our small lives can surface. Who am I in this vast, immeasurable universe? Do I randomly exist because human life accidentally developed from single-celled organisms? Why are we even here? The Bible is clear why we re here. In fact, the Bible begins with the explanation of our existence. God created us with design and purpose. He created us to live in fellowship with Him. 14 SESSION 1

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Genesis 1:1-5 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day. First days are important. The first day of school. The first day of a new job. The first day a newborn comes home from the hospital. The Bible begins with the first day of creation. Created is translated from the Hebrew word bara, which is used consistently to refer to new activity, and God is always the subject of the new activity. If you asked me, What is the Bible about? I would simply say, It s about God. We see in the first five verses of the Bible God s name is emphasized six times. The Hebrew word Elohim is translated God and calls attention to His transcendence and power. You can see His greatness and power in these verses: God created the Spirit of God was hovering God said God saw God separated God called (vv. 1-5). What aspect of creation often leads you to recognize the power and majesty of God? QUESTION #2 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 15

THE POINT God created us to live in fellowship with Him. These opening verses teach us some important truths about God. God existed before there was a universe. God appears in the very first sentence. Hebrews 11:6 tells us the person who draws near to God must believe He exists, and God rewards those who seek Him. His reality and existence are not in doubt. God created the heavens and the earth. Although science has attempted to explain the origins of both the earth and the universe, the Bible declares that God is the One who brought everything into existence. God created the heavens and earth simply by speaking them into existence. Scholars refer to this as creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing. God did not take existing matter and form the earth; He simply spoke it into existence. God created order, separating light and darkness. God also performs this kind of work in the spiritual realm; He distinguishes between those who live in His light and those who choose to live in sinful darkness. (See 1 Thess. 5:5.) God showed His authority by naming portions of His creation. In Hebrew culture, naming someone or something was a sign of authority over it. (See Deut. 3:14; 2 Kings 23:34.) God declared His lordship over creation through the act of naming it. The night I viewed the stars with my astronomy class became a worshipful experience. The vastness of the universe became real to me in a way I d never experienced before, and I had a new appreciation for God s power. Are we here because of an accident? No. Are we the product of millions of years of evolution? No. We are here because God chose to create. We are here by His design. 16 SESSION 1

DESIGN AND PURPOSE List three things that help you see God s role in our design. Next list three things that have helped you recognize your purpose. Finally, write a prayer of thanks to the God who created us to live in fellowship with Him. Design: Purpose: Prayer: "The heavens were made by the word of the L ORD, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth." PSALM 33:6 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 17

THE POINT God created us to live in fellowship with Him. Genesis 1:26-27 26 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. We did not evolve from less complex organisms over millions of years. The creation of human life was instantaneous and was the crown of God s creative work. He first made a place that could sustain human beings by creating the earth and putting its elements in order. (See Gen. 1:1-25.) Then, God created humanity. People are made in God s image. The image of God has been understood in a variety of ways, and most commonly in a spiritual sense: we were created to have a relationship with God. Since these verses focus on the role of humanity over the rest of creation, we can also understand the image of God to mean we are meant to be His representatives. How does being created in the image of God affect the way you see yourself and others? QUESTION #3 People are made to rule over animals. Humans made in God s image are capable of thinking, discerning, and making choices as God s ruling representatives. In caring for God s creation, including its creatures, we should seek to use not abuse or misuse what God has provided us. People are made to rule over the earth. God has blessed the use of the planet s renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. God gave all of us the responsibility to care for the earth; at the same time we are to use the earth s resources for the betterment of humanity. Every aspect of creation including who we are as males and females made in the image of God is not merely good. God concluded it was very good indeed (1:31). 18 SESSION 1

Genesis 1:28-31 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth. 29 God also said, Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth everything having the breath of life in it I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. What does it mean that both male and female were created in the image of God? QUESTION #4 What does the creation story teach us about God? QUESTION #5 God created us to live in relationship with Him, and He did not leave us in the dark to guess or figure out what we are to do. After pronouncing a blessing over them, God gave Adam and Eve five commands to obey: be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue the earth, and rule over all the creatures on the earth. Implied in the first three commands are the blessing of marriage and the family. The first institution created by God was neither the church nor the state; it was the family. The family is precious to God, and it is where people have many of their deepest needs met. We are also to subdue and rule (v. 28) the earth and its creatures. The Hebrew people lived in an agrarian society and had a reverence for the sanctity of life. Caring for their animals welfare was part of the Hebrew culture. As Solomon said, The righteous cares about his animal s health (Prov. 12:10). The stewardship of earth and its creatures is a privilege. These commands did not go away after sin entered our world. We are still to take charge of the earth, but it requires hard work. Ruling over creatures also comes with its own set of unique challenges. The work can be exhausting, but it can also be very rewarding. God blesses us as we take charge of what He s given us and we do it in a way that honors Him. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 19

THE POINT God created us to live in fellowship with Him. LIVE IT OUT God created us to live in fellowship with Him. As you go about your life this week, do one of the following as a way to live out that truth: Remember your Creator. Ecclesiastes 12:1 encourages us to Remember your Creator. When you gaze at the night sky this week, remember that God spoke every star and planet into existence, and thank Him for His creativity and power. Memorize Matthew 6:26. Consider the birds of the sky: They don t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren t you worth more than they? God cares more for you than He does a sparrow. Repeat this verse when you re tempted to think He s no longer on your side. Begin a relationship with God. God created you for a purpose and to relate to you. His Son, Jesus, died for you. Talk with your group leader or pastor about beginning a relationship with God. You don t have to wonder or guess why you re here. You were created to live in fellowship with God. My thoughts 20 SESSION 1