Welcome! Session 4: THE BIBLE October 10 & 11, 2015 Welcome to Session 4 of Believe. If there are any new members in your group, take a moment to introduce yourselves to each other. Getting Started Let s begin by reciting the Key Verse and Key Idea together as a group. Key Verse: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16 17) Key Idea: I believe the Bible is the Word of God and has the right to command my belief and action. Group Discussion Let s discuss our thoughts and feelings about the following declarations. Which statements are easy to declare with certainty? Which are more challenging, and why? I believe the Bible is absolutely true in matters of faith and morals. [2 Timothy 3:16] I believe the words of the Bible are words from God. [2 Peter 1:20-21] I believe the Bible has decisive authority over what I say and do. [Psalm 119:1-4] I believe the Bible is relevant to address the needs of contemporary culture. Discuss this week s Key Idea with these questions. Life Group 1. In what ways can the Bible inform and govern your decision making in the areas of business, family life, friendships, and recreation? The Bible is eternally relevant in helping us with life. > Its diversity touches every age, every situation. < There are wonderful stories for children, < deeply emotional psalms and confessions for those seeking God s comfort and guidance, < discourses to engage the deepest philosophical questions, < and the sayings of Jesus that help us confront the issues of life and death and eternity. Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 1
2. In what ways have you seen the Bible be specifically useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training? As the Bible s story of God s redemptive plan for humanity unfolds, many different characters are written about. > In those descriptions, the Bible provides a great deal of information about human behavior and tendencies. > Our own day-to-day experience shows us that this information is more accurate and descriptive of the human condition than any psychology textbook. 3. How has understanding the Scriptures changed the way you see the world? For the Christian, life is not simply an empty journey, a trip to acquire more toys until eventually it's all over. > From the pages of the Bible we read about our role in God's design and kingdom, and how our lives are touched with purpose and meaning. > At the end there is more than a gloomy extinction at the conclusion of a hectic life; what awaits us is a great reunion where we will meet Jesus face to face. 4. Many people are overwhelmed by the Bible, but it doesn t have to be that way. If you have any obstacles that get in the way of you reading and understanding God s Word, honestly confess them. Then spend some time as a group discussing ways to overcome these challenges. The Bible is the description God gave us about who He is and His desires and plans for humanity. > The most significant component of this revelation is the story of our separation from God by sin and God s provision for restoration of fellowship through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. < Our need for redemption does not change. < Neither does God s desire to reconcile us to Himself. ^ God s love story is found in the Bible. Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 2
Read Exodus 20:1-21 together and answer the following questions. 20 And God spoke all these words: 2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before [a] me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor s house. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. 20 Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. 1. How do the Ten Commandments reveal what is most important to God? In the Law, God gave the Israelites 613 specific commandments. All of them were based on the Ten Commandments, which is the summary of the Law that was recorded on stone tables and stored in the Ark of the Covenant. These laws related to God s holiness. God wanted a holy nation that would witness to a holy God. 2. How would the world be different if all of humanity was guided by the Word of God? Jesus said that the entire Law rests on two main commandments: (Matthew 22:36-40) > Loving God (shown in commandments 1-4) > Loving one another (shown in commandments 5-10) Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 3
Loving God and loving others are interdependent. > We can t do one without doing the other (James 2:10) > The more we love God, the more involved we must become in serving the needs of others. < If we want to love others, we need to ground that love in the love of God. > The Ten Commandments do not allow for an either/or approach to love. < God s people must love him AND love others. The two cannot be separated. 3. Discuss ways that the Bible has clarified misconceptions you had about God s character. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 The Voice (VOICE) Christianity is not merely a set of ideas and propositions. One can agree with all the truths in the Bible and still miss the power of God. Paul knows the brothers and sisters in Corinth might attempt to reduce Christianity to a new philosophy based on human understanding, but the power of God cannot be fully grasped by our eight-pound brains. We must approach God humbly as creations, not as those aspiring to fully explain the Creator of the universe. 6 However, in the presence of mature believers, we do impart true wisdom not the phony wisdom typical of this rebellious age or of the hostile powers who rule this age. Despite what you may think, these ruling spirits are losing their grip on this world. 7 But we do impart God s mysterious and hidden wisdom. Before the ages began, God graciously decided to use His wisdom for our glory. 8 This wisdom has not been grasped by the ruling powers of this age; if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. 9 But as the Scriptures say, No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love Him. 10 God has shown us these profound and startling realities through His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep mysteries of God. God handed down commandments to humanity because He loved us and knew we could not handle life without guidelines. He knew in order to live and love we needed these rules. > These rules actually bring us freedom. [Galatians 5:16 ] There is no problem with God s moral standards. > The Holy Spirit enables believers to carry out God s standards as summarized in the Ten Commandments. > Being guided by the Spirit means being able to obey the spirit of the Ten Commandments. > The Holy Spirit gives a believer new freedom to be the person God originally intended. < See chart on next page: Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 4
FREEDOMS FOR LIVING [From Word in Life Bible] Commandments Freedoms I Do not worship any except me. God is our helper. If we hold on to him, we can find freedom from anxiety about our future, our relationships, our well-being, and our happiness II Do not bow down and worship idols. God is our teacher. If we hold on to him, we will learn what is true and avoid being talked into that which is false. III Do not misuse my name. God is our friend. If we hold on to him, our prayers will not be futile, we need not try to force him to help us. Nor should we invoke his name in pursuit of our own self-interest. IV Remember that the Sabbath God is our master. If we hold on to him, we find fulfillment. We need not V Day belongs to me.. Respect your father and your mother. work ourselves to death. God is our Father in heaven. If we hold on to him, we will experience his love. We need not be bound by the disappointments of our human relationships. VI Do not murder. Gods is our protector. If we hold on to him, we can find freedom from competitiveness with our neighbor and instead act with love. VII Be faithful in marriage. God is the author of true happiness. If we hold on to him, we can find freedom to pursue true love rather than the caricatures of love promoted by our culture. VIII Do not steal God is our provider. If we hold on to Him, we can learn to give instead of take. We can find freedom from worry about our material well-being and instead work honestly with the abilities he has given us. IX Do not tell lies about others. God is the truth. If we hold on to him, we can learn to speak truth and engender trust. X Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. God is the giver of all good gifts. If we hold on to him, we can find freedom from greed and instead live with generosity, compassion, and self-respect. 4. How has the Bible given you a better understanding of who you are and your purpose in this world? The Ten Commandments are still relevant in today s culture. Jesus insisted that his followers honor them. What might it look like to fulfill those ancient commandments in today s work-place and home? The fact that Christ submits to his Father shows that submission need not carry a feeling of worthlessness. In fact, it shows that submitting in the ways that Scripture indicates is Christ like behavior, and worthy of honor. (Phil 2:1-11) Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 5
Case Study Use the following case study as a model for a real life situation where you might put this week s Key Idea into practice. Suzanne is a college student who attends your Bible study that meets at the local coffee shop on Thursday mornings. As the group discusses prayer requests, Suzanne expresses her need for wisdom in balancing her busy schedule. In the next seven days, she has to study for finals, write a research paper, and work four shifts in the university bookstore. A few days later, you call to check on her. She still sounds stressed but appreciates the call. Do you think you will be able to get everything done? you ask. Yes, I ve already taken two tests that went well, but I have one more that is really important. If I don t do well, I will have to take the class over again next semester. So, I m thinking about using one of my roommate s research papers from last year. I ll change up the words a little so it sounds like me, but it will allow me more time to study for my test. I know it s kind of dishonest, but I don t see any other way to get everything done. Using the Key Applications from this session, what could you say or do to help Suzanne find the answers to her questions? (See below.) FROM THINK, ACT, BELIEVE LIKE JESUS by Randy Frazee What God s Word says will come about, will come about. What God s Word says it will do in our life, it will do in our life. > If someone actually believed this about the Bible from their heart, how would they live differently? Key Applications: The Bible is the lens from which we view the world. Every one of us sees the world and each day unfold through a set of lenses. When we look over our shoulder, these spectacles form an image in our mind of the past. As we squint to see as far as the eye can see, these lenses will give us a vision of the future. God s Word informs what we think and feel about everything we encounter. We see the intervention of God in history, in our present lives, and on into the future as he continues to write his grand story. We are obligated and motivated to study the Bible to understand God s will for our lives. The apostle Paul wrote, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. ( Romans 12:2) The Bible forms the content of truth we seek to marinate our minds in. We seek to do as the psalmist suggests: I meditate on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97) The principles in the Bible must govern our lives, even when we don t fully understand or like what it teaches. In the book of Proverbs, we find this wise command: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:4-5) Renowned theologian Søren Kierkegaard challenges our false front: The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 6
The writer of Hebrews (4:12) tells us the Bible is sharper than any double-edged sword and penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Put another way, its words have a way of getting under our skin. The Bible is not a book of suggestions, but rather claims to be the very Word of God and invites you to let it rule and guide every aspect of your life. So, are you in or out? Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it has the right to command your belief and action? Closing Prayer: Share your prayer requests with one another. Ask God to help you put this week s Key Idea into practice. Randy Frazee Discussion Guide Page 7