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Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Gospel Foundations

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is from Gospel Foundations Volume 1: The God Who Creates (Genesis), Session 1 God Creates. Fill out the form at the end of this post by Friday, September 7th at 11:59pm to enter for a chance to win this free resource!

How Creation Points to Jesus

In the beginning…

These three words serve as a launching pad. They set the stage for the story of everything that comes next. They serve as the foundation for all we know, experience, love, and understand. And yet, these three words lose their meaning without the next word we find in Scripture:

In the beginning, God…

God was there at the beginning of the storyline of Scripture—and so was the Son of God, which the New Testament makes explicit:

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15-17

Why did God create? Was it because He was lonely? Because there was something deficient in Himself? To fulfill some need that He had? Far from any of these reasons. God created not because He was lacking but because He was overflowing—spilling over with the perfect fellowship between the three Persons of the Trinity from the very beginning.

It’s not uncommon for people to misunderstand the nature of the Trinity—one God in three Persons—to mean that at creation, God was the Father, then in Bethlehem, God became the Son, and then in the Book of Acts, God became the Holy Spirit. This is not true and is actually an ancient heresy called modalism. Contrary to this, the Bible teaches that God has always and eternally existed in these three distinct Persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even more, the Bible teaches us that God created everything through the Son and for the Son.

These New Testament verses from the Book of Colossians work in concert with the account of creation from Genesis to show us this truth. This passage of Scripture teaches that Christ was “before all things,” which indicates that He is eternal. Christ is not created; He is the eternal Creator. Whenever the beginning took place, He was already there making everything become a reality. In John 8:58, while debating with the Jewish leaders, Jesus made it clear that He was preexistent and divine: “Before Abraham was, I am.” Christ not only created all things but He also maintains the entire cosmos. He sustains the order in the universe. He holds it all together. Doesn’t this give you hope? If He holds the universe together, surely He can hold our lives together as Christians!

Whenever we are tempted to give up hope, to feel like we can barely “hold it together,” like the world is spinning out of control, we ought to remember that God is God and we are not. Jesus holds everything together by the power of who He is!

Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God, the only One who rules wisely over creation, perfectly relates to God and others, and through His work, earns our everlasting rest. By the Son, for the Son, and through the Son, all things exist and hold together.

It is through Jesus that all things were created; it is through Jesus that all things hold together; and it is for the glory of Jesus that everything exists. The most basic implication this truth has for us is that we, like everything else in creation, exist through and for Jesus. It would be a drastic mistake for us, then, to read the story of the Bible as if we were the main character in Scripture. We are not. We are supporting players, and we only find true meaning and purpose when we align our lives with God for the glory of Jesus rather than trying to find how He fits into ours.

When we read the Bible, then, we should not be asking primarily how this passage or text relates to me and my story. Instead, we must read Scripture as the revelation of God that we might know Him and His Son. Consequently, our question shifts from asking what these verses say about me and my life to what this passage says about God and His story, and then how we fit into that overall narrative.

Jesus is the main character in Scripture. He is the center of the story. Everything revolves around Him. He is the perfect image of the invisible God, the only One who rules wisely over creation, perfectly relates to God and others, and through His work, earns our everlasting rest. By the Son, for the Son, and through the Son, all things exist and hold together.

This article is an excerpt from Gospel Foundations Volume 1: The God Who Creates (Genesis), Session 1 God Creates. Gospel Foundations takes groups through the storyline of scripture in one year.  Learn more and preview three free sessions at lifeway.com/gospelfoundations. Fill out the form below before tomorrow night at 11:59pm for an opportunity to win a free bundle of this resource. The bundle includes 10 Bible Study Books and 1 Leader Kit.
Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Explore the Bible

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is from Explore the Bible: Galatians—Experiencing True Freedom in Christ by James Merritt. Fill out the form at the bottom of this post by 11:59pm on Friday for a chance to win 10 Bible Study Books and a Leader Kit for this resource! 

Explore the Bible: Galations

Walking with the Spirit

People who are transformed by God’s grace give evidence of godly character. After conversion the Holy Spirit immediately goes to work in the life of a believer to transform him or her into the image of Christ. In Galatians 5 Paul described what it means to walk with the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Paul emphasized that the Galatians were called to be free from the law. This freedom could have led to immoral living. However, they weren’t to use their freedom “as an opportunity for the flesh” (v. 13). If they were truly brothers and sisters in Christ, the Galatians would use their freedom to serve one another through love. The opposite of living in the flesh is a life of godly love. Life in the flesh is selfish, but freedom allows us to put others’ needs ahead of our own needs (see v. 14).

Yield to the Holy Spirit on a Daily Basis

Paul encouraged people who had genuinely met Christ to “walk by the Spirit” (v. 16). The desire of the flesh is strong. The word desire can mean “lust, longing, or craving.” Although unbelievers are dominated by the flesh, Christians can also be susceptible to the flesh if they yield to its mastery. Trusting Christ for salvation doesn’t mean the flesh is once and for all eradicated. Sanctification is a process of spiritual growth as we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.

The Works of the Flesh Lead Us Away from God

The works of the flesh Paul listed include sexual sins (see v. 19), religious perversion (see v. 20), and societal sins (see vv. 20-21). Those who habitually practice the works of the flesh “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (v. 21).

The Holy Spirit Produces Fruit in the Lives of Believers

Not surprisingly, love is the first fruit Paul listed as produced by the Spirit. God Himself is love (see 1 John 4:8), so only the Holy Spirit can produce this quality. The Spirit also produces joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul proclaimed that the law isn’t against the fruit of the Spirit. Legalism might oppose these qualities but not the law. The law can encourage these qualities, but it can’t create them in a person. Only the presence and power of the Spirit can produce this fruit.

Believers Keep in Step with the Spirit

People who live by the Spirit should also keep in step with the Spirit. The term “keep in step” (v. 25) means “to get in line with someone or something.” Legalism breeds pride because it trusts in our own ability. The Galatians who were pursuing God through legalism wouldn’t admit their need for the Holy Spirit’s enablement. In addition, a legalistic spirit promotes selfish motives that advance a person at the expense of relationships with the Lord and others. Therefore, following the Spirit prevents believers from provoking one another like the legalists who had caused division in the Galatian church. Finally, following the Spirit doesn’t lead us to envy one another. People who live by the Spirit have no reason to constantly compare themselves to others.

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from the Bible study, Explore the Bible: Galatians—Experiencing True Freedom in Christ by James Merritt. Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers®. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. 

 

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Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Smallgroup.com

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is from smallgroup.com! The excerpt is from the study “Indivisible” which is based on the movie coming in October 2018. At the end of this post there is a link to sign up for a chance to win an annual subscription of smallgroup.com where you can find this study. 

Indivisible Session One: Divine Purpose

The film Indivisible is the real life story of Major Darren Turner and his wife Heather. Darren shared about his and Heather’s early commitment to their agreed purpose in their own marriage: “Heather and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had called us together for one another, and His plan and purposes. Joining the military as a chaplain was a mutual decision for us. We knew that God would use us both to minister together as well as separately to reach those that had volunteered to die for us, if called upon.”

Notice that Darren clearly stated that God had first called him and Heather together for one another. But then he added their mutual decision to follow God’s specific will in their marriage and how they could serve Him both individually and together. For example, when Darren is stationed stateside on a base, as he still is active duty today, he and Heather often serve together to minister to military families. But when Darren was sent to Iraq, he ministered to the soldiers there, while Heather served the wives and children left behind at the base.

There is great satisfaction in being in God’s will in your marriage, while also discovering together a divine purpose that He offers specifically for the calling, gifts, and talents of each individual.

Even though the idea of something being “indivisible” is most often associated in our society with the United States Pledge of Allegiance, we can see from this passage that the nation’s forefathers did not create this concept, but rather God Himself, for His divine purpose of marriage. When the Pharisees were quizzing Jesus on the topic of marriage one day, He connected His teaching back to this Genesis passage.

To offer a simple analogy of being indivisible, becoming “one flesh,” or “joined together,” imagine tearing off two equal-sized pieces from a roll of duct tape. Separate, the two sections are very sticky. In fact, you have to be careful that they don’t bond to something prematurely before you apply them for their intended purpose. If you carefully connect their sticky sides, matching up corner to corner, pressing together all the way around both, you will effectively no longer have two pieces of tape—but one single unit. They have fully bonded to one another. If you try to separate them, you cannot successfully divide the two, but only destroy both for they are now truly indivisible. This is a great visual to represent God’s purpose for the “one flesh” concept in marriage.

The biblical concept of marriage as an indivisible “one flesh” includes what God does in the hearts, souls, lives, and gifts—both individually and corporately—of any couple that calls Him “Lord.” He creates an internal as well as an external oneness that doesn’t exist in the same manner outside of the two partners working together. This is indeed a spiritual mystery that only He can create.

We must recognize the life that our marriages give by being brought together for the purpose of bringing glory to the Lord. As biblical marriage comes further under attack, Christ followers should commit to placing their focus on creating oneness that can only be explained by the presence and power of Almighty God.

Pray specifically for the marriages in your group, asking God to create deeper indivisible bonds in, by, and through Him. Pray for the marriages in your church, neighborhoods, and other circles of influence to find God’s purpose.

This is an excerpt from session one of “Indivisible.” This study is based on the movie coming in October 2018. Get this study on smallgroup.com

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Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Gospel

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is “What’s He talking About” from Gospel: Recovering the Power of Christianity At the end of this post there is a link to sign up for a chance to win a free giveaway of this resource!

WHAT’S HE TALKING ABOUT?

Parables are intended to teach one main principle or point. Today we’ll focus on Matthew 13:1-23. Here Jesus taught a parable to a crowd and then explained it to His disciples. He didn’t always explain His parables as He did here, so this passage provides great insight for us. In the well-known parable of the sower, Jesus talked about four different types of soil. He then acknowledged that the seed represents the gospel, and the different types of soil represent the different types of people who hear the gospel message.

The first person hears the gospel, but the evil one comes like a bird and snatches away what has been sown. The second excitedly hears the gospel, but because he doesn’t allow it to take root, he returns to his former idols when he faces hardship. The third person hears and believes, but the gospel gets choked out by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. The fourth person has the gospel rooted deeply in his soul; as a result, he produces much fruit over his lifetime.

Jesus’ point is that the evidence of a life transformed by the gospel will be revealed over a lifetime. Notice the three enemies of planting and growing the gospel in someone’s life.

1. The first is Satan. Jesus was acknowledging a real enemy who pursues and attacks people who hear and respond to the gospel.

2. The second enemy of the gospel is the failure to count the cost of following Christ. When tribulation occurs “because of the word” (v. 21), this person falls away. Following Christ for a while is convenient in many cases. But when functional saviors come into conflict with the gospel, many people drop Jesus for something else they think will solve their problem.

3. The final enemy may be the most potent in the church. The “worries of this age” look like anxiety, and the “deceitfulness of wealth” (v. 22) sounds like the promise that money provides security and happiness.

These enemies circle believers, waiting to pounce. But they don’t prevail against the those who yield themselves to the gospel and allow it to take root in their souls and wield authority in their lives.

Excerpted from Gospel: Recovering the Power of Christianity. Published by LifeWay Press®. © 2018 J. D. Greear. Used by permission.

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Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Bible Studies for Life

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is “The POINT” from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum. At the end of this post there is a link to sign up for a chance to win a free giveaway of this resource!

The POINT

Welcoming others goes beyond a friendly handshake.

We naturally gravitate to the people we know best and who are like us. It’s easier to interact with people with whom we share a common interest or background. But a problem arises when those friendships drive us to overlook or ignore others, or worse, to show preferential treatment. Jesus, on the other hand, loves all people the same—and we’re called to do likewise. We must learn to embrace people with open arms.

The Book of James was written to Christians who were undergoing persecution. James wrote this letter not only to encourage them to remain strong during those difficult times, but also to remind them that faith and obedience are linked together.

It’s in this context that James addressed the issue of partiality. These Christians claimed to believe the gospel and follow Jesus, but apparently they were not treating people equally in their congregations. The particular example James lifted out involved people coming into the congregation who had the appearance of wealth. Apparently such a person with his nice clothing and polished appearance was given a place of prominence in the church, even if it meant pushing aside someone who was clearly not wealthy. According to James, this was an evil thing to do. This is true for at least three reasons:

  1. Partiality neglects the image of God in fellow humans. When we show favoritism to one person or group of people over another, we are—whether we realize it or not—subtly neglecting the truth that all human beings have been created in the image of God. Because all of us have been created in God’s image, every one of us is worthy of honor and dignity. When we remove some of that honor and dignity, even if it seems like a small thing, we are doing more than exercising our preference for one group or another. We are denying the image of God in the neglected party.
  2. Partiality sees others as objects to be used. Why might we show favoritism? In James’ illustration of the rich man and the poor man in the fellowship, the reason is simple: we can get something from the rich man. By showing favoritism, we might get some of his money; a greater reputation because we are associated with a person of prominence; or his approval which would increase our self-esteem. Whatever the case, we are hoping to gain something from him, which means we are using that person rather than serving and loving him. While we might trick ourselves into believing that showing partiality just means someone gets a little something extra from us, as if we are making the sacrifice, it’s really the other way around; our focus is on ourselves and what we might potentially gain.
  3. Partiality sets us up as judge. Favoritism is a big deal because it sets us up in the place of God. We are determining someone’s worthiness based on some preconceived notion based on the person’s clothes, money, reputation, or whatever. But we are not equipped to make this judgment. Indeed, only God can look at the heart. When we show partiality, therefore, we are putting ourselves in place of God. We are judging the worth of another.

For discussion: What are some ways we might be tempted to show favoritism today?

This article is an excerpt from Welcome Home: Connecting and Engaging People in Your Church, a six-session study in the Fall 2018 Bible Studies for Life. Learn more about this ongoing curriculum and preview one month for free at biblestudiesforlife.com.

Fill out the form below before tomorrow night at 11:59pm for an opportunity to win a free Bible Studies for Life: Adult Group Box. The Box contains 10 Personal study guides; 1 Leader Guide, and various other leader resources.

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Church Leadership

Links We Love

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If You Have to Choose Between Clarity and Creativity – Eric Geiger

Clarity and creativity are both admirable qualities. People seek both when creating a resource, when delivering a message, when leading a team, and when designing ministry strategy. Authors, artists, songwriters, communicators, ministry leaders, and a plethora of other people desire for their work to be both clear and creative.

Stop Defending Yourself Against Jesus – Michael Kelley

It’s an incredibly difficult thing to say, “I’m sorry.”

Those two words are packed with self-humiliation, responsibility, and acceptance of our own weakness and fallacy. And, of course, that’s why it’s so difficult. Our difficulty in uttering those two words, without self-justification and explanation and blame shifting reveals just how strong our impulse of self-defense is.

Scripture and the Christian Man – LifeWay Men

We become men of God by first loving the Word by believing what it says, and putting it into practice in daily life. Obedience in the Christian life is only possible because we’ve been born again. The result of being born again is that we will love God, His Word, and His people. Daily reading the Word will result in being men of integrity, in private and in public. Duplicity in our lives will be replaced by transparency and authenticity in our home life and at Church.

Household of Faith – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

“The rules are there for a reason.” Have you heard that before? I used to work in a residence hall on a university campus and some of their rules were rather interesting. As I flipped through the policy manuals outlining student conduct, employee expectations, and other rules, I saw a curious rule. I asked, “Why is there a rule forbidding access to the subbasement of the building? Why would this rule be in the book?” The answer: It’s there for a reason. One year a couple of adventurous male students found their way into a machine room, discovered the door leading to the subbasement, and concocted a plan to dig a tunnel under the building so they could visit the female-only wing on the opposite side. Rumors swirled concerning the tunnel and the students’ subterranean exploits. Sure enough, during the inspection of their dorm rooms, some small digging tools and muddy clothes surfaced. Their tunneling expeditions were brought to an end and a new rule was put in place. I was given a similar explanation in regard to the rule concerning access to the roof, as some students who loved to climb attempted to rappel from the building. Rules are there for a reason.

5 Ways Leaders Can Grow in Self-Awareness – LifeWay Leadership

Without self-awareness, a leader is stuck. In fact, the biggest hindrance to a leader’s development is not intelligence or work ethic but a lack of self-awareness. While self-awareness helps us understand what areas of leadership need focus and development, knowing ourselves is something we struggle with. We all have blind spots, areas of struggle we are challenged to see in ourselves. So how can leaders grow in self-awareness…

Church Leadership

3 Reasons to Get to Bible Study Week at LifeWay Christian Stores

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Decades ago, the month of August was sort of seen as the “last gasp” of summer. Vacations were still happening, pools were still populated, and the AC was still running at full blast. That’s because most schools didn’t actually begin until the last week in August, or even after Labor Day.

But times? They are a-changin’. Some of those things are still true, but increasingly August has become less of an ending of summer and more the start of fall. For churches and groups, this means that August is ramp up time.

This is when groups of all times start their planning and preparation for a new cycle. In an effort to help that planning and preparation happen well, we are pleased to host the first ever “Bible Study Week” in all LifeWay Christian stores August 6-11. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of if you lead a group, or if you are in charge of the group ministry for your church.

Specifically, here are three reasons why you should make the effort to get to a LifeWay store near you during Bible Study Week:

1. Grow as a leader.

People are busy. It’s a fact of life. As a result of our increasingly overcrowded schedules, many churches don’t have the same opportunity they once did to train the leaders for their Group Ministry. To help with this, we are pleased to offer compact training opportunities during Bible Study Week.

This training – “How to Lead a Bible Study Group” – will be offered three times during Bible Study Week:

  • Monday, August 6 at 7 pm
  • Wednesday, August 8 at 11 am
  • Friday, August 10 at 10 am

This practical training will be a great refresher course for a seasoned leader, or a helpful jump start to give you confidence if you are a leader for the very first time.

2. Join the community.

Leadership at any level can feel lonely at times. That’s why it’s important to be reminded that you aren’t the only one taking the initiative to help people around you grow spiritually. Making time to come to Bible Study Week at LifeWay will be encouraging to you in this respect. You’ll find associates there who are your biggest fans, eager to help equip you for ministry.

And through the training workshops offered, you’ll be able to sit in a circle with people who have taken on the same task as you are. Not only will you learn some of the best and helpful leadership practices, you’ll be able to interact and dialogue with others.

3. Choose the right study.

One of the most difficult parts of leading a group can be knowing what to center that group on. After all, there are tons of potential Bible studies you can lead your group through. As part of choosing the right one, you might ask things like:

  • Can I trust the content?
  • Who is the author?
  • Will this resource really meet our needs?
  • Is there a video that goes with this study?

This week, all those questions can be answered. In addition, to try and make resourcing your group as affordable as possible, we are offering a special “buy one get one free” Bible study book sale for nine different Bible studies that we are confident can help you make disciples.

If you’re a group leader, mark your calendar for August 6-11. We hope to see you soon in a LifeWay store near you.

Click here for the full details of Bible Study Week.

Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Gospel Foundations

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is from Gospel Foundations Volume 2: A Wandering People (Exodus–Judges), Session 1 God Hears His People. At the end of this post there is a link to sign up for a chance to win a free giveaway of this resource!

From Gospel Foundations Volume 2: A Wandering People (Exodus–Judges), Session 1 God Hears His People

Read Exodus 3:11-15.

In the Old Testament, a name was much more than the means by which you could address someone. A name was a description of a person’s character.

Even at this relatively early point in the Bible’s story, we’ve seen the significance of names many times. God had already changed the names of Abram, Sarai, and Jacob.

When they encountered God, the fabric of their identities was altered and God signified this change by changing their names. But while we have seen the importance of the names of people, we have not seen the importance of God’s name to this point. Even in the foundational covenants God established with Noah and Abraham (Gen. 9:9; 17:2,7), He never explained the meaning of His name—“the Lord,” or “Yahweh.” Then came Moses’ dramatic encounter with Yahweh at the burning bush.

Having been raised in the epicenter of Egypt, Pharaoh’s house, Moses knew about the many gods of that ancient land, each with a name revealing something about him or her. Among these were Horus, the falcon-headed god of the sky and the pharaohs; Isis, the goddess of magic, motherhood, and fertility; and Ra, the sun god and creator. But what was the meaning of the name Yahweh?

There was good reason for Moses’ question about God’s name. Though the Israelites were already familiar with the name Yahweh (Gen. 12:8; 26:25; 28:13), they had been enslaved for centuries without any word from this God. Perhaps Moses was voicing the curiosity of many of his kinsmen when he asked the Lord about His name, wondering, “What does Your name signify?” In other words, Moses was asking in light of these long years of suffering, “Who are You?”

Perhaps you can identify with that. Perhaps you too know the feeling of reading in the Bible the promises of God to the believer in Christ and then looking closely at your life circumstances and wondering who is this God who would make such claims. It’s during such times when we also might look to God and ask about His true identity: “Are You really the God I’ve read about? Are You really the God who promises never to leave or forsake me? Are You really the God who works all things for good?”

Yahweh’s reply to Moses in verses 14-15 points to His identity as the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. The Lord had made an everlasting promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Gen. 17:4). God had also told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for four hundred years but that He would set them free from slavery (Gen. 15:13-14). Now to Moses, God expressed that the meaning of the name Yahweh would be connected forever with His fulfilling the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Even though Yahweh appeared in connection with a burning flame in a bush, He revealed Himself to Moses as a personal Being, not an abstract force. God makes promises and then He keeps them. He is “to be remembered in every generation” by the name Yahweh, the covenant-keeping King of His people who is always true to His word. This is His name, and His name can be trusted.

From Gospel Foundations Volume 2: A Wandering People (Exodus–Judges), Session 1 God Hears His People

This article is an excerpt from Gospel Foundations Volume 2: A Wandering People (Exodus–Judges), Session 1 God Hears His People. Gospel Foundations takes groups through the storyline of scripture in one year.  Learn more and preview three free sessions at lifeway.com/gospelfoundations. Fill out the form below before tomorrow night at 11:59pm for an opportunity to win a free bundle of this resource. The bundle includes 10 Bible Study Books and 1 Leader Kit.

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Thursday Giveaway

Thursday Giveaway: Bible Studies for Life

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Each week on Thursdays we highlight a trustworthy discipleship resource that can help you in your mission to make disciples. This week’s post is “God is Our Shepherd” from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum. At the end of this post there is a link to sign up for a chance to win a free giveaway of this resource!

God Is Our Shepherd

Maps are good to direct you from one place to another, but you need to study them before leaving on a trip. If you don’t know the route well, you will need to stop periodically and double-check the map.

GPS is better, but you still have to pay attention. You must glance continually at the screen to get a visual on how soon a turn is coming or listen intently to the verbal instructions.

The best way to travel is with someone who knows the route well. A guide can anticipate things and remind you to “get in the left lane” or “be prepared for a sharp turn.” They often know shortcuts that the GPS is not clever enough to know. A guide can also provide “color commentary” as you travel, telling you interesting tidbits about places along the route.

Let’s admit it: we all need a guide to get through life. Even when we think we have things figured out, life inserts a roadblock and the journey changes. But God does for us just as a shepherd does for his flock. God is our Good Shepherd who guides us on the right path and in the right direction.

King David very well may have written Psalm 23 during the latter years of his reign as Israel’s king. It clearly has the ring of personal experience. It testifies to a faith tested by trials and a life mellowed and matured by the passing of years.

David had experienced conflict—both internal and external—including wars; family division; and personal disappointments, discouragement, and despair. He faced issues that would equal or exceed anything we might experience today. His hands had been soiled by the murder of Uriah. His adulterous relationship with Bathsheba had ignited family fighting that led to ongoing conflict among family members. David experienced sin and the deep sorrow its consequences bring; he knew the pain of one son’s death and the rebellion of another who tried to take his kingdom.

Yet this psalm affirms that, through it all, David knew God as his tender Shepherd. The imagery in this psalm may go back to David’s childhood experience of tending sheep. As a shepherd boy, David was deemed an unlikely candidate to become the king of Israel. It is significant that David the great warrior was drawn to a simple but assuring depiction of God as a gentle Shepherd caring for the needs of His flock.

The profound impact of Psalm 23 is not discovering that God cares like a Shepherd, but the intimacy of the truth that He is my Shepherd. It is my Shepherd who “lets me lie down in green pastures”; who “leads me beside quiet waters.” David knew he belonged to the Lord and that gave him calm assurance in the midst of trials.

When we are walking through dark valleys of doubt, discouragement, and difficulty, how good it is to know God is with us! The reality that our Shepherd is Sovereign God assures us that we will not only survive, we will thrive. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, declared that He had come “so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). We can live in victory no matter what circumstances and challenges life may bring our way.

How have you seen God’s goodness and faithful love at work in your life?

How will a relationship with the Good Shepherd make a difference in your life?

If you are rushed and harried, it may be that you aren’t taking time for the Shepherd to feed you and restore your soul. Slow down and spend time in His Word. Make changes to your schedule to ensure more quality time in God’s Word.

Excerpted from Ken Hemphill, Bible Studies for Life: God Is… © 2018 LifeWay Press®. Used by permission. Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright 2018 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Click here and fill out the form before tomorrow night at 11:59pm for an opportunity to win a free bundle of this resource. The bundle includes 10 Bible Study Books and 1 Leader Kit.

Church Leadership

The Top Four Studies for Your Group This Fall

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It happens every autumn. Vacations are over. Everyone is back to work, back to school, and back to church, which makes it a great time to get back to basics. Give your groups a few refreshers on the fundamentals of our faith with these four Bible studies.

The Gospel 

Gospel: Rediscovering the Power of Christianity by J. D. Greear

Are you trying to be more patient? More generous? More … religious? It’s time to learn to simply abide in Jesus. When you are captivated by the love of Christ, the natural results are patience, generosity, kindness, self-control, selflessness, and much more. The gospel is the power of God and the only true source of joy, freedom, and audacious faith. Through this revised Bible study, discover ways to let the gospel work in your heart the way religion never has and never could. (8 sessions)

Faith vs. Works

James: Faith/Works by Matt Chandler

The Book of James is filled with practical wisdom for Christians, calling us to live out genuine faith through good works. In our own ability, we cannot stand in the face of adversity. Without faith we could never find the strength to trust God. We would never be able to see above the trials we meet and to keep our eyes focused on the King while counting our trials as joy. This is the essence of James. We don’t work to be saved; we work because we are saved. (13 sessions)

Discipleship

Kingdom Disciples: Heaven’s Representatives on Earth by Tony Evans

There is a missing force in Christianity today—discipleship. Its absence has led to weak believers, disintegrating families, ineffective churches, and a decaying culture. Without discipleship we lack what we need to fully live as heaven’s representatives on earth. The power, authority, abundance, victory, and impact God has promised will come about only when we understand and align ourselves with His definition of discipleship. This study calls believers and churches back to our primary, divinely ordained responsibility to be disciples and to make disciples. Only when we take this assignment seriously will the world see heaven at work on earth. (6 sessions)

Christian Growth 

Unstuck: Fresh Traction for Common Struggles by James MacDonald

We’ve all been there. Things are not changing, are not getting better, or may even be getting worse. You can get stuck in a pattern of addiction (thinking) or in a place of temptation. You can feel mired in your marriage. You can be depressed. And getting unstuck isn’t easy, especially when you feel emotionally bogged down. But God has given us His Word to meet us where we are. Use this study to discover God’s ever-present help for people who are stuck, feel stuck, or have already gained traction and want others to benefit from the biblical principles that set them free. (6 sessions)