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The safest place in the universe is to be surrendered to God. The Competition for Glory (vv. 1, 5) Vain is the Salvation of Man (vv. 5-13) With God We Shall do Valiantly (vv. 1-4, 13) Discussion Starters Monday—Why do we crave safety (and fear danger)? What can that craving sometimes lead us to do when it comes to trusting God? Tuesday—In what ways do we compete with God for glory? How does this affect our worship? How does it corrupt worship? Wednesday—What does verse 12 mean when it says “vain is the salvation of man”? What happens when we place our trust in ourselves or fellow man ..read more

God’s people can be content and find comfort in the midst of great affliction because God goes with them into that affliction and shields them from the danger—eternal wrath—by bearing it for them in love. David’s Confession (Psalm 23) Christ’s Declaration (John 4:31-34; 6:5-11; 10:11-18) Our Hope and Confidence Discussion Starters Monday—What does it mean that David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14)? Why is David calling God his shepherd, the highest compliment he can give? Tuesday—How is Psalm 23 connected to Psalm 22? Why is Psalm 23 the perfect psalm to follow Psalm 2 ..read more

When you are afraid, you can trust in the God who hears you and will deliver you. God Allows You to go through the Wilderness (vv. 1-7) God Hears You when you Weep (vv. 8-11) God is with You in the Wilderness (vv. 12-13) Discussion Starters Monday—What are the different things that people tend to fear? Which do you tend to fear the most? Tuesday—What does the wilderness represent in the Bible? How is it a fitting picture of the Bible’s description of life in this world? Wednesday—Why are the attackers said to work their wickedness “all day long”? Why are the enemies of God’s people abl ..read more

The resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day is God’s sign to assure us that salvation belongs to our God and has been accomplished. The Enemy at the Gate (v. 1; 2 Kings 18-19) The King at Death’s Door (vv. 1-7) The Sign of Comfort (vv. 8-11) Discussion Starters Monday—What are some of the bold claims of Christianity? Why is the resurrection a bold claim? Is it an important claim? Why? (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) Tuesday—What’s at stake if Hezekiah dies? What’s at stake if he dies without an heir? How does his life or death represent the future of the the people? Wednesday—What are s ..read more

Godly wisdom teaches us to recognize God’s love in his discipline and to give thanks for it. Consider the Steadfast Love of the Lord (vv. 1-3, 43) God’s Love Demonstrated (vv. 4-32) God’s Love Embodied (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31; cf. John 1:14) Walking in Wisdom (vv. 33-43) Discussion Starters Monday—Verse 43 tells us to consider the steadfast love of the Lord. What does it mean to consider something? Why does it take effort to understand God’s love? Tuesday—Why do each of the four episodes in this psalm say, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their dis ..read more

Sin is ugly and destructive, but we have a faithful Savior who stands in the breach ready to save all who repent and come to him. The Ugliness of Sin (vv. 6-33) Corporate (vv. 6-12) Impatient (v. 13-15; Numbers 11:1-15, 31-35) Jealous (vv. 16-18; Numbers 16:1-40) Idolatrous (vv. 19-23; Exodus 32:1-8) Rejects His Gifts (vv. 24-27; Numbers 13-14) Corrupts Others (vv. 32-33; Numbers 20:2-13) Polluted (vv. 34-39; Joshua 1-2) The End and Beginning of Sin (vv. 7, 13, 21, 40-43) The End—Exile (vv. 40-43) The Beginning—Forgetting (vv. 7, 13, 21) Hope for Prodigals (vv. 4, 2 ..read more

Heartfelt worship flows out of remembering who God is and what he has done in the past so that we might have confidence as we look to the future. Worship as it Should Be (vv. 1-6) What We Remember (vv. 7-45) Why We Remember Discussion Starters Monday—Read verses 1-6. How does it describe worship? Is this simply an external exercise or does it go deeper (v. 3)? Does this kind of worship come naturally to you or is it hard? Tuesday—What is it that makes worship hard? What do you need to combat this? What do you need more than anything if you are to praise and worship God with a joyful he ..read more

We do not suffer as those without hope, so our lives should be characterized by love while we await the return of our glorious Savior on the Last Day. Work of Faith (1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, 2:17-3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12) Steadfastness of Hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) Labors of Love (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, 3:1-5, 3:6-15) Discussion Starters Monday—What does it mean to “walk by faith, not by sight”? (2 Cor 5:7) Is it easy to do or hard? Why? Tuesday—How do 1 & 2 Thessalonians teach you to see (by faith) that you ..read more

In imitation of Jesus, every Christian is called to contribute and serve others as he or she is able—refusing to do so is a dereliction of duty. The Bible and the Poor (Deuteronomy 24; Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Matthew 5:42) A Gospel Issue (vv. 6-9) Rejecting Your Christian Identity (vv. 10-18) Discussion Starters Monday—How does God feel about the poor? How do you know? (Deuteronomy 24; Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Matthew 5:42) Is this your heart or do you need to grow in this area? Tuesday—What was the issue with some in Thessalonica? (v. 10) Why was this a gospel issue? (cf. Matthew 20:26-2 ..read more