Busy weekends make these much harder to get out….It’s fall lacrosse tournament season, and we have two traveling.
During last Sunday’s discussion, we were talking about the importance of a strong foundation in faith and, in particular, the importance of building that faith during ‘the good times.’ Several of us agreed that we seemed to drift from our faith when everything was going well in our lives, and that during a crisis, we turn to God. Instead of giving thanks, we take credit. This is not how it should be. In Special Operations, we live by Five Truths. (SOF Truths)
Truth 1: Humans are more important than hardware.
Truth 2: Quality is better than quantity.
Truth 3: Special Operations Forces cannot be mass-produced.
Truth 4: Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.
Truth 5: Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.
In regard to faith, we will focus on Truth 4, which is defined as:
“Creation of competent, fully mission-capable units takes time. Employment of fully capable special operations capability on short notice requires highly trained and constantly available SOF units in peacetime.”
Shouldn’t that be true of our faith also? Shouldn’t we be studying the Bible during the peaceful times in our lives, putting in the work, remembering scripture? I think it goes without saying. We never know when life will challenge us. We never know when great faith will be required. If we don’t have that highly trained capability already in place, we might not have the foundation to get through it. Here is this week’s study guide:
(For more on my faith journey and the reasons I generally didn’t write about faith, you can go here, here, and here. But as a reminder, the framework for this post is the discussion guide provided by our church about this Sunday’s service. As the discussion facilitator, I ask the questions, and in this post, you provide the answers.)
(Editor’s Note: When you see ‘Note’ below, these are not entirely my words but are largely derived from my Life Application Study Bible’s note section. I cannot take credit for them and am not that smart.)
Planted in the Word – Truth you can build on
Hebrews 1:1-2 (NLT)
Jesus Christ Is God’s Son
1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.
Note: The book of Hebrews describes in detail how Jesus not only fulfills the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament…God used many approaches to send his messages to the people, and it was hard for the Jewish people to believe…Jesus was God’s agent in creating the world.
- Why do you think our culture struggles so much with the idea of absolute truth or divine revelation, and how can we respond in love and confidence (truth and grace) when people say, “You live your truth, I’ll live mine”?
Are we living in a post-modern age? (Definition of postmodernism from AI: is a broad movement that rejects the idea of a single, universal truth and is skeptical of grand, overarching theories. It is characterized by a reaction against modernism, embracing skepticism, relativism, and subjectivity, and often uses irony, playfulness, and pastiche.)
2 Peter 3:15-16 (NLT)
15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
Note: Peter is speaking about Paul’s letters…False teachers intentionally mislead
Jeremiah 10:1-5 (NLT)
Idolatry Brings Destruction
10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not act like the other nations,
who try to read their future in the stars.
Do not be afraid of their predictions,
even though other nations are terrified by them.
3 Their ways are futile and foolish.
They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
4 They decorate it with gold and silver
and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
so it won’t fall over.
5 Their gods are like
helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”
Use the following scripture to refer back to question 1.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)
13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
Note: The word of God continues to work in the believers’ lives. And are sources of transforming power. The Bible is full of real and living power. Read it and encourage others to do so also…truly seek to learn.
- What helps you personally trust that the Bible is true and reliable? Have you ever experienced the Word of God actively “working in you”? What did that look like?
3 Reasons to Believe
- The early Christians simply believed God had spoken and didn’t get caught up in the complexity of the communication. They just believed and acted accordingly.
- Listening to and obeying God’s word is not optional for a Christian.
- If we believe that God of the universe has spoken, why would we not do everything that we can to Know and to Do what He has said?
Hebrews 2:1-4 (NLT)
A Warning against Drifting Away
2 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
Note: Listening to Christ means not only listening but obeying and carrying out his instructions…Don’t surrender anyone to casual belief. Christ is greater than the angels and encourages those who believe, even when they do not see.
- What are some ways we can drift from God’s truth without even realizing it? How can we position ourselves daily to “listen carefully” and obey what God has already spoken?
Link to this week’s service: