Everything in our world changes every few years. New inventions change every aspect of daily living much faster than one decade or one generation. So how can we trust that the Bible is still reliable, relevant, and trustworthy as a manual for living?
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
Leader: This section is designed to get discussions started, examine God’s truth, and apply it to our week. Life Group leaders should not assume everyone in their group is a Christ follower. Because they are participating in a Life Group, they must have some openness to knowing more, exploring. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and let Him lead you as well.
1. Tell us where you get the most input in your free time: TV, news channels, newspapers, podcasts, novels, books, music, or other?
2. All Scripture is breathed out by God. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Discuss the inspiration of Scripture. Is this something that you easily accept? Notice the words “breathed out” and “inspiration” and how they relate to Scripture. If you would love to learn more about the reliability of the Bible and read it with confidence, check out Josh McDowell’s videos here, either in group or on your own. Focus on the “Can I Trust the Bible?” section.
Leader Note: Breathed and inspire are both related to lungs. The Word of God comes from the breath of God. We breathe out when we form words... and He breathed/inspired the authors to write what He wanted them to write.
3. Scripture provides Godly wisdom. Read James 3:13-18. We were challenged this week to compare the world’s wisdom to the wisdom of God. List attributes of both kinds of wisdom, as found in these verses. Now, share one source of each kind of wisdom that you routinely take in?
Leader Note: Worldly wisdom: bitterness, jealousy, ambition, boastfulness, lying, disorder, vile practices. Godly wisdom: meek, evidenced by good works, pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere, righteousness, and they are known as peacemakers. Examples might be things like podcasts (can be godly or worldly) or news, or novels and sitcoms as opposed to the Bible or other Christian books.
4. Scripture speaks to us. Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and James 1:23-24. Focus on the last half of the Timothy verse. What does the Bible do for us? How does it do this? Discuss the “mirror” analogy. Have you experienced extremely specific information from God’s Word to your life, situation, sin, or despair?
Leader Note: The Bible can teach us, convict us (reproof), correct us, and train us how to live a holy (righteous) life. The speaker asked us to ask God about these four aspects each time we read the Word: “God, what do You want to teach me? How are You convicting me or correcting me? How does this passage show me how to live for You?” The mirror is exactly as if you look in the mirror, see broccoli in your teeth or notice that you have “bedhead” but walk away without repairing either of these issues. We can “notice” we are off the mark when we read Scripture. It is not until we DO what the Word of God says and make the changes we know He wants us to make, that we become followers of God and “doers of the Word.”
5. Scripture transforms us. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. Why does God leave us in this world after we become Jesus followers? One of the reasons is found in this verse. What can we find in the Scriptures? How does that change us?
Leader Note: One of the reasons we are left here is to be transformed into the image of Christ. We behold God—His character, His glory, His righteousness, and His commands—when we read His Word. As the Spirit brings the Word to life in our lives, we are transformed. If we allow it, we move from “glory to glory” as we become more like Jesus.
6. This Week: As you pick up a book or turn on a movie, commit to applying the James 3:17 test for wisdom. If you are a bit cynical or skeptical that the Word of God can withstand the test of time, that it is truly reliable for this generation, check out all the videos found in question two!
Deeper
Leader: This section is designed for further use in your Life Group or for personal study. These can also be used as discussion points and ways to stay connected with your group throughout the week. Encourage your group to take time daily to walk through these questions.
If you have time, read the entire story of King Josiah, found in 2 Kings 22:1-23:30 and 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:27. Or look at specific sections and answer the questions below.
7. Read 2 Kings 22:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 34:1-3. What do you notice about his age and the descriptors? What project did he begin in the time before his actions of 2 Chronicles 34:3.
Leader Note: It appears that when Josaih was 18, he truly began to seek God. God immediately led him to restore the temple, the house of God. The next section of the 2 Kings passage will explain why he acted to undo the pagan rituals and altars!
8. Read 2 Kings 22:8, 10-11, 23:1-3. What was found? What immediate responses did this provoke? How does this remind you of the power of the Word of God?
Leader Note: There was an immediate sense of importance, a gravitas about finding the Book of the Law. It was so important that they immediately took it to the king’s “chief of staff” (Shaphan), and he took it immediately to the king. Josiah tore his clothes and wept before the Lord in repentance (see also 2 Kings 22:18-19). The Word of God is powerful and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16b, ESV)
9. Read 2 Kings 23:1-3 and 2 Chronicles 34:3-7. What is the transformative power of the Word of God? What does it translate into? How can you see 2 Timothy 3:16 and James 1:23-24 acted out in this Old Testament account?
Leader Note: Just as we discussed, the reading of the Book of the Law resulted in teaching, conviction and repentance, correction on what should and should not have been happening, and a desire to live righteously from then on out (as in 2 Timothy). That resulted in action doing when they saw their sin (the James passage).