MAY 29
IN THE SCRIPTURES
God speaks to us and reveals His character through the Scriptures. When we discover how to read and apply the Bible, we learn how to hear God’s Word to us. There are specific ways to engage the Scriptures in order to discover what God has for us.
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own, and get together with your running partner, life group, or friends and family to talk through what you are learning.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS=
1. Do people around you, who are exploring faith, see spiritual transformation in your life? If yes, what do they see? If not, where are you stuck?
2. What stood out to you from the message?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
a.) Make some observations about this passage (What does the text say):
-Who is talking?
-What is the circumstance?
-Any repeated phrases?
-What surprised you?
-What stood out to you?
b.) Make some interpretations (What does the passage mean)
-What questions do you have?
-Summarize the passage in 1-3 sentences – what are the main points?
-What do you learn about the nature and character of God as you read this?
-What do you learn about yourself and your choices?
c.) Now make some applications (what’s my response)
-How do you respond to what you are reading?
-How does this apply to your life?
-What is the central truth that you could put into practice from this?
-Who could you share this with for the sake of encouragement?
4. How are you intentionally pouring into your relationship with God? If you aren’t, what is one step you can take this week to connect for the first time or reconnect?
5. We can know God better than any person on this planet, because He is not bound by a human body and verbal communication- God is everywhere. We are never alone & He can put His thoughts in our minds! Do you believe this? Why or why not! Do you engage with Him like he fully available/ accessible?
6. Read Isaiah 43:1-3. God loves you, knows you, and He wants you to know him intimately (like a best friend or spouse). Do you think about God like this (like a divine being who knows you, loves you, and will fight for you!)? Why or why not?
-We can hear God more clearly in scripture by practicing these 5 things:
-Make time with God a priority.
-Reading the Bible and prayer go hand in hand.
-Apply what you have read to your life today.
-Dive deeper when there is doubt or confusion. (Include community!)
-Trust God even if you don’t understand something.
Which of these areas are you actively engaging in and finding life? Where are you struggling or have questions?
KEY SCRIPTURE
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Isaiah 43:1-3 But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
TAKE A NEXT STEP
- Looking to grow in connecting to God through scripture reading and meditation? Read this article from the Bible Project called “3 Easy Ways to Engage the Bible and Help to Get You Started”: https://bibleproject.com/blog/3-easy-ways-engage-bible-help/
2. Do you desire to learn how to recognize God’s voice more and grow closer in your relationship with Him? Our Hearing God Workshop is a Friday night and Saturday intensive as a way to kick start that goal and equip you to experience God and His voice in a greater way! Registration is $35 (Includes light snacks/coffee/water on both days, lunch on Saturday, and a training manual). Event runs Friday, June 24th 6:30-9:00pm & Saturday, June 25th 9:00am-4pm. Register at gatewaychurch.com/north
3. For the next 3 weeks, we are having a Serve Expo each Sunday. A great way to step into community here is to sign up to serve! It’s simple, fun, makes a difference – all while connecting you with other awesome Gatewayers! Go learn more on your campus this month! View Serve Teams and sign up: https://www.gatewaychurch.com/get-involved/