SESSION
1
THE BLAMELESS WAY
WHAT DOES
THE BIBLE SAY?
Psalm 119:1-8
1
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2
3
4
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
THE POINT
THE PASSAGE
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
7
Following God’s Word brings true joy.
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is a well-known
phrase in the Declaration of Independence. Thomas
Jefferson even called these “unalienable rights” given
by our Creator, but too many people want the liberty
to pursue happiness their way without any thought of
God. Yet God created us and knows what will bring us
contentment and joy.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
8
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Psalm 119:1-8
THE SETTING
Psalm 119 was meant to be prayed and sung to God,
and the author wrote it using a strict poetic form.
There are 22 stanzas of eight verses within the Psalm.
Each stanza is represented by a letter of the Hebrew
alphabet and begins with that Hebrew letter.
4 SESSION 1
For free online training on how to
lead a group visit
MinistryGrid.com/web/
BibleStudiesForLife
For free Midweek Options
for your group, visit
lifeway.com/BSFLWIN17Spoken
PREPARE
LEADER LIVE IT OUT
1
Prepare: While
you prepare for
this session, it is
critical to allow the
truth of Scripture
to challenge your
heart. God works
in our hearts as
we teach others
His Word.
2
Follow Up: Don’t
forget to text a
picture of the One
Conversation
section to parents
or post it on
Facebook and tag
them after the
session. This will
equip them for
further
family discussion.
LEADER LIVE IT OUT
Overflowing Joy | Philippians 1:3-11
The world sees our joy from the overflow of our personal relationship with Christ. There is no more miserable, tired, and
ineffective Christian than one who simply puts on a face of joy for the world to see without first experiencing the overflow
| Philippians
Overflowing
of
true joy in their Joy
own life.
Many Christians1:3-11
fail to live in joy because their lives are focused on the wrong things. Until we
place Jesus as our top priority and orient our lives toward serving others, we will only be as happy as our circumstances will
The world
seesofour
joy from
the overflow
ofto
our
allow,
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as joyful
as Jesus
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be.personal relationship with Christ. There is no more miserable, tired, and
ineffective Christian than one who simply puts on a face of joy for the world to see without first experiencing the overflow
ofYtrue
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allow,
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Culture
at the
end of
Session
Y Take a few moments to pray and list how you can reorient your life toward joy. Pray that God will open
your eyes to see where you need to place Him first, others second, and yourself third. Complete the
Culture section at the end of Session 1.
ONE CONVERSATION™
ONE CONVERSATION™
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11
Topic: Pray with Joy
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Too often prayer is limited to asking God to intervene in a crisis or fix a problem. To be sure, the
Bible is full of invitations for us to call on Him to work, but our prayers should also reflect the fact that God has already been at
Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 Topic: Pray with Joy
work and continues to work in our lives. When we reflect on His work in our lives and the lives of others, it should cause us to
rejoice and motivate us to continue praying joyfully for God’s work.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Too often prayer is limited to asking God to intervene in a crisis or fix a problem. To be sure, the
Bible is full of invitations for us to call on Him to work, but our prayers should also reflect the fact that God has already been at
THE
Prayer isto
anwork
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to experience
LIVE IT
OUT:
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student
hasof
been
encouraged
take us to
workPOINT:
and continues
in our lives.
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in our
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others,
it shouldtocause
practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out in the
•rejoice
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and motivate us to continue praying joyfully for God’s work.
to you?
•
What are some examples of temporary happiness versus
THEtrue joy?
POINT: Prayer is an opportunity to experience joy.
••
When
has someone’s
recognition
meant
a great
deal
What obstacles
hinder us
from building
deeper
relationships?
to you?
•
How
can our group build the kind of relationships Paul
• described
What are some
examples
in these
verses? of temporary happiness versus
true joy?
•
Why
are both knowledge and discernment necessary for
• loving
What obstacles
others likehinder
Christ?us from building deeper relationships?
•
How can our group build the kind of relationships Paul
described
in thesequote:
verses?
Discuss
the following
“[Prayer is] a constant fellowship, an
•
Why audience
are both knowledge
and1—E.
discernment
necessary for
unbroken
with the King.”
M. Bounds
1. E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer (New York: F. H. Revell, 1920), 66.
loving others like Christ?
Discuss the following quote: “[Prayer is] a constant fellowship, an
unbroken audience with the King.”1—E. M. Bounds
1. E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer (New York: F. H. Revell, 1920), 66.
Personal Study Guide.
Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live
LIVE
ITfaith
OUT:
Your
student
has been
encouraged
to in
take
out
their
with
Christ
personally,
in community,
and
practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out in the
their culture:
Personal Study Guide.
• CHRIST: Discuss with your student the gifts that God has
Here
aretosome
to live
given
him ways
or her.you
Becan
sureencourage
to includeyour
theirstudents
salvation,
hope,
out
their
with that
ChristGod
personally,
in community, and in
and
thefaith
purpose
has provided.
their culture:
• COMMUNITY: Encourage your student to memorize
• Philippians
CHRIST: Discuss
student
the gifts
has
1:6 andwith
prayyour
for the
work that
Christthat
hasGod
planned
given
him or her. Be sure to include their salvation, hope,
for
theirtofuture.
and the purpose
thatstudent
God hastoprovided.
• CULTURE:
Help your
orient his or her life placing
• Jesus
COMMUNITY:
student
as the focusEncourage
of each andyour
every
day. to memorize
Philippians 1:6 and pray for the work that Christ has planned
for their future.
• CULTURE: Help your student to orient his or her life placing
Jesus as the focus of each and every day.
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 5
ENGAGE
(15 MINUTES)
THE POINT FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
1
Engage: Begin
the session with
one or more of the
Engage Options
on the next
page (optional).
2
Discuss: Ask
students, “When
has good advice
saved you from bad
consequences?”
3
Guide: Call
attention to The
Point. Keep
coming back to it
throughout
the session.
4
Read: Summarize
the Bible Meets
Life for your group.
5
Pray: Transition
into the session
by praying that
your students
would begin to
understand the joy
that comes into
our lives when we
follow God’s Word.
6 SESSION 1
ENGAGE OPTIONS
LEAD WITH ACTION
Before students arrive, use masking tape to create a straight path across the room. Tell your students that
you are going to have a competition and will bring a prize for the winner (Starbucks, doughnuts, etc.).
Select volunteers in teams of two to compete for the prize. Depending on the number of volunteers,
you may need to create more than one path. Blindfold one student on each team and place them at the
start position. After blindfolding the students, take a box of obstacles (small stuffed animals, dog toys,
office supplies, etc.) and scatter them throughout the path. Explain that the blindfolded students will
have to make it down the path without touching any of the obstacles, and it’s the job of their teammate
to talk them through it. The first person to make it to the other side wins. After the game is over say, “It’s
amazing how following the right words can have a big impact on our lives. Today we are going to
talk about how following God’s Word is the only thing that can bring us true joy.”
LEAD WITH ATMOSPHERE
Make a playlist of your favorite “I’m always smiling” songs to play in the background as students are
arriving. They may be fun songs or songs that make you smile because the lyrics are centered in Scripture.
As student come in, place pictures of people known for their joy on tables or project them on the screen
(Chewbacca Lady, Nick Vujicic, etc.). Ask students what each of these people have in common. After you
discuss their joy say, “Joy is something that is hard to hide, and when we truly experience it, it
shows. Today we are going to talk about how following God’s Word brings true joy.”
LEAD WITH MEDIA
Search the Internet for “Laughing Chewbacca Mask Lady” and have a blast laughing with her. Tell your
students that they may remember this video from earlier this summer. Then search for “Chewbacca Mom
Interview” to see what she says was the best part of becoming a YouTube celebrity. Say, “What if we
delighted in God’s Word as much as this lady is delighting in this mask? Many Christians don’t
take the time to ‘delight’ in the Word and truly find joy in what it says about us and about God.”
NOTE: Always make sure you preview any video clip you show students and ensure that it is appropriate
for your church and ministry.
LEADER PACK ELEMENTS
If you have the optional Leader Pack, consider one of the following:
DVD: Play the Unit 1 Session 1 DVD opener to introduce the session and
get everyone on the same page.
Item 1: Engage students in the unit by using the Unit 1 Spoken Poster
to help introduce the Scripture.
Item 2: Consider using the Consequences Poster to get students
thinking about the session.
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 7
IMPART
(10 MINUTES)
THE POINT FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
1
2
3
4
5
Read: Invite a
student to read
the passage aloud.
PSALM 119:1-3
WHO IN YOUR LIFE HAS
SHOWN YOU THE TRUTH
OF THIS PASSAGE?
Discuss:
Encourage
students to discuss
examples in our
lives that illustrate
this truth.
?
Three important things are clear in this passage:
1. God’s Word transforms our character. Don’t confuse the blameless way with perfection. God’s Word
clearly teaches that only the grace of God through Jesus Christ saves us. A blameless life is one lived
according to God’s instruction. Being blameless is not trying to be perfect, it’s continually allowing God’s
Word to change our character and transform our hearts.
Read: Enlist a
few volunteers to
read the following
sections.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
SEEK SOMETHING WITH
YOUR WHOLE HEART?
?
Discuss: Lead
your students
into a deeper
discussion about
what it means to
seek something
wholeheartedly.
2. God’s Word leads to joy. Here the psalmist focuses
on the peace and happiness that comes from seeking
God and practicing His Word. Joy is an enduring
happiness that comes from building our lives on the
truth of God’s perfect Word. The incredible joy we
find in God’s Word comes from knowing it will never
change, leave us, or let us down. Even in the most
difficult times in our lives, we can be joyful because
God and His truth will never leave us.
3. God’s Word guards our steps. When we follow God’s Word obediently, it naturally directs our life
away from sin and the consequences that come with it. By living the life and purpose God created us for,
we avoid the entanglements sin brings into our lives.
David described what the blameless way looks like in Psalm 15. Take a moment
to read Psalm 15:1-5 as a group. List and then discuss three important areas of a
blameless life that are affected by God’s Word.
Do: Direct
students to read
the passage as a
group and discuss
how God’s Word
affects our lives.
8
8 SESSION 1
SESSION 1
THE POINT
FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
COMMENTARY
PSALM 119:1-3
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who
seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! PSALM 119:1-3
Verse 1. Joy comes from obeying God’s Word. Psalm 119 opens by describing people who are following God’s law
as happy or blessed. The Hebrew term translated happy or blessed denotes great joy or happiness. It suggests the
experience of good fortune or favorable circumstances, in this case resulting from one’s obedient relationship with God.
A person can be blessed either by pronouncement (God’s action), by doing what God commands (a person’s actions), or
as a combination of both.
In Psalm 119:1 God’s blessing is achieved by a person’s lifestyle, which is described as blameless. Being blameless means
to stand before God without having fault by living according to God’s instruction. It describes people who are totally
committed to God and living in obedience to His ways. In this context, walk has the meaning of a person’s lifestyle, how
that individual consistently lives his or her life. It is not enough merely to know what God says in His Word and know
how God desires for us to live. What we know God requires must be lived out in our daily lives.
Tip: Helping your students
see the depth found in
Scripture will lead them
closer to Christ, not farther
away. Don’t be afraid to
share what you’re learning
in the commentary.
The Hebrew term torah (instruction or law) is used to refer to all of God’s spoken
and written self-revelation to humanity, which we today refer to as the Bible.
True, deep-seated joy comes from living according to God’s Word.
Verses 2-3. Those whom God calls happy or blessed are those who keep His
decrees. The Hebrew term eduth (decrees) refers to the standard of conduct
communicated through the testimony of God, as related to who He is and His
purpose. In relation to God’s testimony, the term carries the idea of a witness as
to both the dependability of God’s standards and a warning for failing to obey
God’s high standards.
Those who consistently keep God’s decrees do so because they are seeking God with all their hearts. This seeking is a
consistent action. The Bible usually defines the heart as the center of a person’s innermost being—thoughts, emotions,
and will.
A person does no wrong by walking in God’s ways. This is not an isolated
act (or acts) of obedience, but rather a lifestyle of consistently following
God in obedience to His Word. Doing so serves as both a preventative and a
protection from transgressing against God and His will.
Before we can obey God’s Word, we have to know it (Ps. 1:2). Learning the
Bible is not enough. The act of learning and knowing God’s Word is an active,
transformative experience. The happy (blessed) individual is the one who lives
according to God’s instruction, obeys God’s decrees, seeks God with his or her
whole heart, and walks in God’s ways.
Tip: Help students to see
the difference between
disobedient actions and
a pattern of disobedience.
Our lives should always
be treading toward God,
even though we struggle
along the way.
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 9
IMPART
(10 MINUTES)
THE POINT FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
1
Read: Invite a
student to read
the passage.
PSALM 119:4-6
2
3
4
5
TRUE JOY.
Read: Enlist
a few volunteers
to read the
following section.
Joy isn’t optional here. Joy comes from keeping God’s Word, and we’re
commanded to obey it. Our obedience includes:
Engage: Remind
students of how
their social media
can provide
opportunities to
share their faith.
Recognizing Your Need (v. 5-6). The psalmist recognized that joy comes
from obeying God, but he admitted total dependence on God was needed to
accomplish it. Two things become clear:
Engage: Help your
students to fill in
two characteristics
of a life that is
totally dependant
on God.
Discuss: Ask your
group to discuss
the following
question about
honesty with God.
10 SESSION 1
Recognizing God’s authority (v. 4). The authority of God and His Word are
clearly seen in this passage. The word precepts reveals another side of God’s
Word. It refers to God’s clear and specific commands for His people. God’s
Word speaks to our lives clearly and specifically with authority.
1.
2.
We cannot
change our
sinful attitudes;
We can only
keep God’s
commands
by depending
on Christ.
#Psalm119
Honesty
. The psalmist desired a life marked by long-term
obedience but knew he wasn’t there yet. He was godly but knew he
had a long way to go in keeping God’s statutes. God isn’t asking us to be
perfect, He wants us to come as we are in honesty.
Request
. He knew he couldn’t live a
godly life on his own power. We cannot change our
sinful attitudes, habits, actions, and relationships;
we can only keep God’s commands by depending
on Christ.
HOW DOES KNOWING
WE CAN BE COMPLETELY
HONEST WITH GOD
AFFECT THE WAY WE
VIEW HIS WORD?
?
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE
9
COMMENTARY
PSALM 119:4-6
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I
shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. PSALM 119:4-6
Verse 4. God commands us to obey His Word. In the first three verses, the writer focused on those who seek to live
according to God’s Word and seek Him with all their hearts. At this point, the psalmist addressed God Himself, the
One who reveals His precepts, which He requires that all people diligently keep. The psalmist’s words reflect God’s
authority as the Creator to direct and instruct His creation (us). Since God made us, only God knows exactly how we
were created and designed to live, and only He has the ultimate authority to tell us how to live. This truth reveals and
reflects the permanent authority of the Bible, God’s Word (Isa. 40:8).
The Hebrew word translated precepts (piqqud) refers to particular rules governing thinking or acting. The word’s
background is related to the task of a commissioner or deputy to a king whose duty was to manage the details of the
various tasks (and people) for which he was responsible. God gives precepts to help us learn how to think and live in
ways that reflect His character and bring honor to Him.
The psalmist directed his readers to obey God’s precepts diligently. The Hebrew term
translated diligently has the meanings of exceedingly, to a great degree, and abundance.
Another aspect of the word’s meaning is force or vehemence (passion). In order to fully
obey God’s precepts, we must be intensely passionate about our relationship with God.
Being diligent requires us to know and obey God’s precepts consistently (Ps. 119:1-3).
Verse 5. The words if only imply a desire that is not completely fulfilled. The psalmist’s
desire was for his commitment to God and His Word to be singular and unshakable.
The intensity can be seen in the meaning of the Hebrew term from which the phrase is
translated. It means to be firmly established, to be fixed, or to be securely determined.
We cannot
change our sinful
attitude; We can
only keep God’s
commands by
depending on
Christ. #Psalm119
The Hebrew word choq, translated statutes or decrees, means what was clearly established, appointed, or enacted
such as a law, commandment, or decree. In relation to God, the term denotes binding commands or laws that God
requires His people to obey. The Hebrew word for obeying means to watch or to guard. The psalmist desired to keep
watch over his ways so as not to trespass against God’s Word, to guard (against breaking) God’s statutes. To reflect the
intensity of this prayer, many English translations of the Bible end the verse with an exclamation point.
Verse 6. This verse completes the conditional (if/then) thought begun in verse 5. To the extent we keep God’s
commands, we will not be ashamed before God. The psalmist emphasized all of God’s commands. So many people
(Christians and non-Christians) seem to think they can pick and choose what they want to follow from God’s Word.
God says that all His commands are important; who are we to argue with our Creator, the Creator of all the universe?
Are we smarter than God? Of course not!
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 11
IMPART
(10 MINUTES)
THE POINT FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
1
2
3
4
Do: Allow students
time to finish the
optional Action
Point (p. 10) in
the PSG.
Discuss: Review
this question with
your students.
Read: Ask a
student to read
the passage for
the group.
Engage: Explain
this section for
your students and
help them fill in
the blanks.
HOW CAN WE INCREASE
THE INFLUENCE OF GOD’S
WORD IN OUR LIVES?
?
PSALM 119:7-8
Believers who are committed to God’s Word know
that they must depend on Him. The psalmist shows
us two ways to depend on God’s presence and
obey His word.
1. Depend on God’s presence through praise (v. 7).
Truly praising God begins with His Word. This truth is
shown throughout Psalm 119. The psalmist continually
highlights the connection between learning God’s
Word and giving praise:
Verse 108:“Lord, please accept my willing
offerings of praise, and teach me Your judgments.”
Verse 164: “I praise You seven times a day for
Your righteous judgments”
Verse 171: “My lips pour out praise, for You teach
me Your statutes”
We learn to obey God’s Word by depending on His
presence through praising Him. The deeper we
understand God’s Word and allow it to transform our
lives, the more we will praise Him.
5
6
Read: Ask a
student to read
the section aloud.
Do: Direct
students to
complete the
Action Point.
Discuss your
answers as
a group.
12 SESSION 1
2. Depend on God’s presence through prayer (v. 8).
The psalmist made a determined decision to live in
obedience to God’s word. When we have the same
resolve, we can’t forget the second part of verse eight.
The psalmist admitted he couldn’t obey in his own
strength or resources, so he prayed that God would
empower him. He didn’t believe God would truly
abandon him (Heb. 13:5), instead he was expressing his
dependence on God’s presence to live obediently.
ACTION
POINT
Performers have some
crazy demands in their
contracts. Sometimes
it’s because they genuinely have strange requests,
and sometimes it’s because they’re making sure
the people setting up their equipment are paying
attention to the details. The band Van Halen used
to require every brown M&M’s be removed from
the candy bowls at every concert.2 If they arrived
at a concert location and the M&M’s were not
separated, they knew to double-check the heavy
equipment set up for safety. Similarly, when we
spend time allowing God’s Word to change our
hearts, it becomes evident in the way we live
our lives.
How does the way we live our lives match
what we know of God’s Word?
What are two ways we can increase the
influence of God’s Word in our lives?
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE
11
COMMENTARY
PSALM 119:7-8
I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
PSALM 119:7-8
Verse 7. Lean on God’s presence to obey His Word. The psalmist’s response to learning God’s Word was that he would
praise God. In this context, praise is the response of a person to someone greater than himself. This praise was done with
a sincere heart. The Hebrew term translated sincere or upright has the meaning of being straight or level in the sense of
not being twisted or crooked. In this context, it refers to being morally straight, upright, just, and pleasing to God. This
uprightness or sincerity is related to righteous behavior. As previously noted, the heart refers to the innermost part of
the person. The praise the psalmist gave to God came from the deepest, innermost part of himself.
The reason for the psalmist’s praise was his learning God’s laws. For a person, being righteous means that one’s thoughts
and actions are in accordance with God’s standards. It means being and acting like God—making the right decisions
and acting in the right ways. As righteousness is a quality of God, the righteous are those (and only those) who are
rightly related to God. For believers today, that relationship comes through their faith in Jesus Christ and His actions for
their salvation. The righteous behavior of believers flows out of their relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the
indwelling power of the Holy Spirit within them that empowers their righteous behavior.
The Hebrew word for laws (mishpat) refers to justice or judicial decisions which
serve as rules and precedents for other decisions. Why would the psalmist praise
God for His righteous laws? Perhaps the answer lies in the security that people need.
We need to know what is right and what is wrong so that we can do the right thing.
Since God is faithful (that is, always consistent) we can trust that His laws always
provide us with the right way to live. We need have no fear when we live according
to God’s ways (the first step of which is receiving salvation—through repentance
and placing faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins).
Tip: If you have several
students in your group
that don’t fit in, consider
copying a lesson from your
Leader Guide and asking
them to lead the group
one week while you assist.
Verse 8. The result of praising God for His righteous laws was a promise that the
psalmist would keep God’s decrees and a plea that God would not abandon him.
The word statutes or decrees is the synonym for God’s Word previously used in verse 5. The psalmist prayed that God
would never abandon him. Taken in the context of this verse, the psalmist was asking for God’s help in obeying His
commands (God’s Word). Furthermore, with his words he acknowledged that if God were to leave him, he would never
be able to keep God’s decrees.
As much as we desire to and attempt to keep God’s commands, we sometimes fail because of the stain of the sinful
nature in our hearts. Yet, we can thank God for sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins, and through the power of
His Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence, we can live lives of obedience (imperfect as they may be) to His Word.
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 13
IMPACT
(10 MINUTES)
THE POINT FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
1
2
Discuss: Read and
discuss the quote
with students.
LIVE IT OUT
Guide: The Christ
portion of the Live
It Out section
encourages
students to dig
deeply into God’s
Word and examine
their motives for
serving others.
Remember the
Bible Reading
Plan provides
students with a
custom reading
plan to stay in
God’s Word and
follows along with
each session.
“OBEDIENCE IS THE KEY TO REAL FAITH.”3
— CHUCK COLSON
BIBLE
READING
PLAN
Engage with God’s Word by reading the passages in this week’s
reading plan.
DAY 2
Briefly explain each passage in your own words and list
its importance.
P SA L M 1
DAY 3
P SA L M 119:1-8
DAY 4
Guide: As you
guide your
students through
the Community
section, remember
to emphasize the
importance of
community with
believers outside
of group.
P SA L M 119:9 -16
DAY 5
P SA L M 119:17-24
DAY 6
P SA L M 119:25-32
DAY 7
P SA L M 119:33-4 0
COMMUNITY
We need the believers around us to live in joy as we follow God’s Word.
Living blamelessly requires us to live in community. God’s Word says that
we sharpen one another just like iron sharpens iron. Discuss the following
with your group:
In which areas of my life do I need to change or grow?
How can we encourage and hold each other accountable this week?
When are we going to do it?
Who will be my partner this week?
12
14 SESSION 1
It’s tough to experience the joy God’s Word brings into our lives when we
only interact with it once a week for an hour in our small group. We may
see how important it is, but if we don’t engage in God’s Word consistently,
we rarely experience the joy we were made to experience. It’s like trying to
experience the benefits of brushing your teeth daily, while only brushing
them once a week. Make a commitment this week to:
DAY 1
P SA L M 112
3
CHRIST
SESSION 1
THE POINT
FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD BRINGS TRUE JOY.
IMPACT
4
Guide: The Culture
section equips
students to apply
this session to their
lives every week.
Help students see
themselves and
others through the
lens of God’s Word
to develop a lifestyle
of investing in others
for the gospel.
5
Pray: Close in prayer
asking God to begin
working in the hearts
of your students.
Pray that God reveals
the areas of their
lives that need His
power in order to
live obediently.
6
Follow Up: This
week connect with
your students by
texting them each
morning to let
them know you are
praying for them. If
they have prayer
requests, make sure
to let them know
you haven’t
forgotten them.
CULTURE
In Psalm 119:8, the psalmist agrees to keep God’s statutes, then tells God
to never abandon him. It can be easy for us to see this statement as a
bargain with God, while it is actually a confession of the author’s need
for God. The psalmist meant that keeping God’s commands would only
be possible with God’s power. A heart that is continually changed by
God’s Word grows increasingly aware of its need for His presence and
finds joy in the security of living from God’s acceptance. We don’t follow
God’s standards to keep Him from abandoning us, it is because God
does not abandon us that we are able to follow His commands.
In which two areas of your life do you need God’s power in
order to be obedient to Him?
1.
2.
Why is God’s power the only thing that can truly give me the
power to live in obedience to God’s Word?
How does realizing and living in God’s power and acceptance
free me from shame and fear?
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE
13
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 15