Bible Studies for Life - Fall 2019 Curriculum Sampler

FROM SUNDAY TO EVERYDAY A curriculum sampler for preschoolers, kids, students, and adults.

WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE? In a broad sense, the answer to that question is the same for you as it is for every other Christian regardless of their age, gender, nationality, or income level. God’s will for every Christian is discipleship—it’s for every Christian to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. God’s will is that Christians are transformed in their emotions, thoughts, and behavior to daily be more and more like Jesus.

This is the great task that all of us, as church leaders, have given our lives to—to make disciples of all nations. A big part of that task is providing a pathway for the children, students, and adults in our churches to walk on.

We are pleased to say that Bible Studies for Life can be a trusted guide on that pathway.

What you’ll find in Bible Studies for Life is not a haphazard grouping of Bible studies simply thrown together; instead, you will find a balanced, relatable, and age-appropriate discipleship plan that can shepherd people on their walk with God. Through several years of extensive research, LifeWay Christian Resources has identified eight attributes that are the most statistically significant spiritual markers which indicate ongoing spiritual growth. Bible Studies for Life is based around these eight attributes. Every year, a group walking through Bible Studies for Life will encounter biblical truth and life situations that are centered in these attributes, ensuring a balanced approach to discipleship.

MICHAEL KELLEY Director of Discipleship LifeWay Christian Resources

Bible Studies for Life for Kids and Students is based around the Levels of Biblical Learning®. This framework covers 10 biblical concept areas that kids and students can learn as they study God’s Word. The concept areas are presented through eight different age ranges, from infancy through the high school years, and reflect levels of understanding that follow how God designed them to learn. This framework ensures that biblical truth is presented to children and students at an age-appropriate level.

All lessons in Bible Studies for Life are presented in the context of real-life situations. In doing so, this discipleship plan reinforces that spiritual growth is not merely an intellectual exercise, but instead is lived out in the real lives of adults, students, and kids.

“ DISCIPLESHIP IS TOO IMPORTANT TO LEAVE TO CHANCE.” Discipleship is too important to leave to chance. Bible Studies for Life can be the kind of guide you need as a church leader as you seek to help people live out God’s will for their lives.

TABLE OF 4 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: KIDS 7 Letter from the Editor CONTENTS 8 The Basics 10 Levels of Biblical Learning® 12 How It Helps 14 How It Works 17 Preschool Leader Guide 24 Preschool Activity Pages 26 Preschool Take-Home Cards 27 Preschool Worship Hour 29 3rd–4th Grade Leader Guide 36 Kids Activity Pages 38 Kids Take-Home Cards 39 Kids Worship Hour 40 Kids and Preschool Resources 43 Three-Year Study Plan

44 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: STUDENTS 47 Letter from the Editor 48 Levels of Biblical Learning® 50 How It Helps 52 How It Works 54 Daily Discipleship Guide 65 Leader Guide 74 Student Products 76 Study Plan 77 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: ADULTS 79 Letter from the Editor 80 Discipleship Pathway 82 How It Helps 84 How It Works 86 Ordering Guide 87 Adult Personal Study Guide 96 Leader Guide 106 Daily Discipleship Guide 116 Leader Guide 120 Study Plan 121 Adult Resources biblestudiesforlife.com

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DISCIPLE KIDS FROM THE GROUND UP.

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

KIDS PREVIEW GUIDE

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG DISCIPLESHIP.

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FROM THE EDITOR WILLIAM SUMMEY Start with the end in mind.

It’s a phrase we often hear, but most of us feel too busy trying to juggle today’s tasks to even consider taking a step back, thinking about key goals, and developing a carefully thought-out ministry plan.

When a kids minister mentions this situation to me, I always point them to Levels of Biblical Learning®. This guide (which forms the foundation of Bible Studies for Life: Kids) provides a step-by-step discipleship plan that helps you ensure your kids are developing spiritually at a pace that matches their physical development. This research-backed outline means you don’t have to build your ministry strategy from scratch. You’ll be assisted along the way with Levels of Biblical Learning.

When it comes down to it, that’s the purpose of everyone on the Bible Studies for Life: Kids team.

We’re here to simplify your job so you can invest your energies into loving the kids and parents in your ministry. You’re not in this alone. When you use Bible Studies for Life: Kids, we’ll be right beside you through every session with teaching helps, parent resources, social media prompts, and bonus activities.

Discipleship doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t fall on your shoulders alone. As you consider which curriculum to teach your kids each week, I hope you’ll find one that helps you teach the way your kids learn best. My prayer is that your Bible study content will make your job easier and your ministry more effective. I believe Bible Studies for Life: Kids could be the answer.

As you look through this preview of Bible Studies for Life: Kids, consider the impact a step-by-step plan of discipleship will make on your preschoolers, kids, preteens, and kids with special needs. If you have any questions about using Bible Studies for Life: Kids to help your kids apply the Bible to their everyday lives, please reach out to me at william.summey@lifeway.com.

As I said before, my team and I are here to help.

“WE’RE HERE TO SIMPLIFY YOUR JOB SO YOU CAN INVEST YOUR ENERGIES INTO LOVING THE KIDS AND PARENTS IN YOUR MINISTRY”

William Summey william.summey@lifeway.com

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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THE BASICS OF BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: KIDS CHOOSE BROADLY-GRADED OR CLOSELY-GRADED STUDY MATERIALS! • • • • • • • • • •

Babies 1s & 2s 3s–Pre-K Kindergarten Babies–5s (broadly-graded) 1st–2nd Grade 3rd–4th Grade Preteens 1st–6th Grade (broadly-graded) Special Buddies (adaptable to different ages)

BRAND-NEW FOR 2019–2022!

View the study plan on page 43.

• Each year is organized around the 10 concept areas of the Levels of Biblical Learning®.

• The Levels of Biblical Learning are expanded through high school!

• All foundational Bible stories for preschoolers and kids are covered across three years.

• Never-before-seen leader resources bring the Levels of Biblical Learning to life for leaders.

• Updated story lines and characters for the Life Action and Bible Story video series keep preschoolers and kids engaged in videos.

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GIVE KIDS TRUTH YOU CAN TRUST.

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING® BUILD YOUR WISE DISCIPLESHIP PLAN.

As kids grow, their understanding of foundational truths grows with them.

LifeWay’s Levels of Biblical Learning is a helpful guide that addresses ten spiritual concept areas.

Each spiritual concept area is broken out into six separate stages of development to help leaders know they are teaching at appropriate comprehension levels.

Concept areas include: GOD JESUS

Levels

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE

of

SALVATION

BIBL A L IC LE A R NIN G

CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE FAMILY COMMUNITY & WORLD

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

Levels of Biblical Learning builds the framework for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Learn more at lifeway.com/lobl

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HOW IT HELPS 1 LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

LEADER BIBLE STUDY LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE John 4:46-54 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

UNIT VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22 WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22

Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority.

LIFEItPOINT does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, Jesus can heal signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles people. he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An official traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle.

He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live. The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he LEARNING traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him withJesus the healed sick people. news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered SCRIPTURE his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live.

REFERENCE This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love John 4:46-54 and power.

WEEKLY VERSE Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed Jesus did things no one a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His else could do. character and purposes?

Acts the 2:22 How can you help the kids in your group understand that Jesus has power to heal people, but not all people will be healed on earth?

UNIT VERSE Jesus did things no one else could do.

Acts 2:22 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

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UN I T 1, SESSION 1

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

LEADER BIBLE STUDY Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority. It does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An o cial traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle. He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live.

The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle. The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him with the news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live. This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love and power.

Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His character and purposes?

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

U

, S

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

1. Life Application of Bible Truth

Focus on foundational Bible stories with a weekly Life Point that shows kids how to honor God in real-life situations.

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

2. Reach Biblical Milestones LEADER BIBLE STUDY

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LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE John 4:46-54 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

UNIT VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22 WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22

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UN I T 1, SESSION 1

Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority. It does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An official traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle.

He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live. The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle.

The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him with the news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live.

This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love and power.

Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His character and purposes?

How can you help the kids in your group understand that Jesus has the power to heal people, but not all people will be healed on earth?

With the Levels of Biblical Learning® as a guide, help kids go deeper in their knowledge of spiritual concept areas and reach age-appropriate biblical milestones.

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

3. Engage in Discipleship STUDY THE BIBLE 1. BIBLE STORY » Show the “Unit 1 Banner.” Explain that during this unit, kids will hear

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about Jesus’ amazing power, shown through His many miracles.

» Explain that miracles are “real, unusual events that only God can cause to happen.” In Bible times miracles often were referred to as signs or wonders. Jesus performed miracles through the power of God to show people that He is God’s Son. » Open the Bible to John 4 and tell the Bible story.

Lead kids through a weekly practice of Bible study, Scripture memorization, and missional awareness—building a foundation of lifelong discipleship.

UNIT 1. SESSION 1

BIBLE STORY: JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

› Pack Items 1, 2: “Unit 1

Banner,” “Unit 1 Verse”

› Teaching Picture 1 › Music › Videos › soft ball

Jesus traveled to Cana, the town where He had done His first miracle when He turned water into wine at a wedding.

UNIT 11 Jesus Healed the Official’s Son A royal official heard that Jesus was in Cana. The official’s son was SESSION very sick, so he traveled several miles from Capernaum to Cana. The

BY THE NUMBER S official pleaded with Jesus. “Come and heal my son! He is about to die!”

Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe JOHN 4:46-54 Start with the first and print those letters on the line.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE He the town in Me.” Jesus traveled to Cana,Then writewhere the letters from the second and keep going.

Parents, today your child He turned After you The official did not give up. “Sir, please come down before my boy had done His first miracle when write all the letters, draw lines between the learned that Jesus has power water into wine at a wedding. letters to discover the words of the message. dies!” over sickness. When an official heard that Jesus was official royal A and came court royalofficial in the “Go. Your son will live,” Jesus promised. The royal believed 14 son was very in Cana. The official’s 7 11 pleaded for his son’s life, Jesus and left. sick, so6he traveled several God miles10 cle Jesus responded by healing 9 hep from Capernaum ira to Cana. The official As the official traveled home, his servants afar. with great fromhim himmet ght rou Jesus. “Come and heal my with pleaded news—his son was alive! The official asked, “What time did he get 8 son! He is about to die!”

1 3 better?” see signs yousth Jesus said, 2 “Unless 5 Jes 13 erf “His fever broke yesterday at one in the afternoon,” they replied. you will not believe and wonders,usp edm rof The official remembered that was the exact moment when Jesus in Me.” IT OUT LIVE not give up. “Sir, please come down before my did official The had told him, “Your son will live!” The official put his trust in Jesus, dies!” with your child that and because of the official’s faith, everyoneShare in his household believed boy Your son will live,” Jesus promised. The royal official believed “Go. Jesus can heal people in Jesus, too. because He has power over Jesus and left.

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son 1

Jes

2

— B A S E D O N J O H N sickness.

4 : 4 6 - 5Help 4 your child list people who are ill. Choose one or two to visit, send a card, or call.

2. REVIEW » Show the Teaching Picture and invite kids to name the miracle Jesus performed. (He healed the official’s son.)

UNIT VERSE This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

ACTS 2:22 CSB

usp

4

orm 12

owe

him with great news— As the official traveled home, his servants met did he get better?” his son was alive! The official asked, “What time they replied.

“His fever broke yesterday at one in the afternoon,” when Jesus The official remembered that was the exact moment put his trust in Jesus, and had told him, “Your son will live!” The official household believed in his in everyone faith, official’s the of because Jesus, too.

» Emphasize that Jesus wasn’t with the official’s son when he was healed.

2:22 Healing VERSE: Acts OF the son?” (Jesus WEEKLY BIBLE Words » Ask: “What evidence do we have that JesusLEVEL healed LEARNING BIBLICAL spoke the words at the exact moment that the son’s fever broke.) performed miracles

Jesus » Explain that the official had faith in Jesus’ power over sickness. through the power of God. » Lead the kids to stand in a circle. Play “Your Amazing Power, Jesus”

LIFE POINT: Jesus has power over sickness.

Look up these verses to find what the Bible says about God’s power to heal.

and invite kids to toss a ball around the circle while the music plays.

Periodically pause the music. Ask a Review Question to the child holding 1 Peter 2:24 ____________________ DAILY BIBLE READING _______________________________ the ball.

Sunday: Acts 2:22 _______________________________ » Option: Show the “Notebook Bible Story” video.

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UN I T 1, SESSION 1

Monday: Philippians 4:19 Tuesday: Revelation 21:4 Wednesday: Psalm 30:2 Thursday: Isaiah 40:29 Friday: Matthew 10:1 Saturday: Psalm 147:3

Gospel Power Jesus has

over physical sickness, like today’s Bible story

shows, and Jesus has

over the spiritual sickness all

people have. That is sin. Just like Jesus physically healed the official’s son, Jesus can spiritually heal people from their sin.

Psalm 147:3 ____________________ Sin separates people from God and deserves God’s punishment ________________________ IT FURTHER: Check out the Jesus Healed TAKE_______ Studies of death.

Bibletook of theJesus that punishment when He died on the cross. the Official's Son section ________________________ _______ for Life: Kids Family App. Psalm 103:2-3 ____________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

Jesus showed His over sin when He rose from the dead.

By responding to Jesus in faith, God can forgive your sin and

give you new life in Jesus.

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E GR A DE S 3 –4

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HOW IT WORKS

LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

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1. Weekly Life Points LEADER BIBLE STUDY LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE John 4:46-54 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

UNIT VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22 WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22

Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority. It does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An official traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle.

He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live. The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle.

The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him with the news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live.

This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love and power.

Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His character and purposes?

How can you help the kids in your group understand that Jesus has the power to heal people, but not all people will be healed on earth?

Each session reinforces Life Points that give kids a clear takeaway on how to apply the Bible to their day-to-day lives.

UNIT 11

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son

SESSION

8

UN I T 1, SESSION 1

UNIT VERSE

BY THE NUMBER S

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

ACTS 2:22 CSB

Start with the first Jes and print those letters on the line.

Then write the letters from the second usp and keep going.

After you write all the letters, draw lines between the letters to discover the words of the message.

1

2

14 6

ira

God 8

2

2. Creative Teaching Elements

Creative teaching elements including music, review games, Activity Pages, coloring pages, teaching pictures, hands-on activities, and videos engage learners however they learn best.

2

usp

7 10

ght

sth

1 5

edm

11

cle

9

Jes

rou

hep 3

13

rof

4

erf

orm 12

owe

Healing Words Look up these verses to find what the Bible says about God’s power to heal.

1 Peter 2:24 ____________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Psalm 147:3 ____________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Psalm 103:2-3 ____________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

Gospel Power Jesus has

over physical sickness, like today’s Bible story

shows, and Jesus has over the spiritual sickness all people have. That is sin. Just like Jesus physically healed the official’s son, Jesus can spiritually heal people from their sin.

Sin separates people from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. Jesus took that punishment when He died on the cross.

Jesus showed His over sin when He rose from the dead.

By responding to Jesus in faith, God can forgive your sin and give you new life in Jesus.

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E GR A DE S 3 –4

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3

UNIT 1. SESSION 1

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3. Family Resources

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Parents, today your child learned that Jesus has power over sickness. When an official in the royal court came and pleaded for his son’s life, Jesus responded by healing him from afar.

Family resources like One Conversation™ and Take-Home Cards equip parents to lead family discipleship at home.

JOHN 4:46-54 Jesus traveled to Cana, the town where He had done His first miracle when He turned water into wine at a wedding.

A royal official heard that Jesus was in Cana. The official’s son was very sick, so he traveled several miles from Capernaum to Cana. The official pleaded with Jesus. “Come and heal my son! He is about to die!”

Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe

LIVE IT OUT Share with your child that Jesus can heal people because He has power over sickness. Help your child list people who are ill. Choose one or two to visit, send a card, or call.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God.

in Me.” down before my The official did not give up. “Sir, please come boy dies!” royal official believed “Go. Your son will live,” Jesus promised. The Jesus and left. him with great news— As the official traveled home, his servants met did he get better?” his son was alive! The official asked, “What time they replied.

“His fever broke yesterday at one in the afternoon,” when Jesus The official remembered that was the exact moment put his trust in Jesus, and had told him, “Your son will live!” The official household believed in because of the official’s faith, everyone in his Jesus, too.

JESUS HEALED OFFICIAL’S SOTHE N John

WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE: Acts 2:22

4:46-54

LIFE POINT: Jesus has power over sickness.

Parents, today's lesson focus was from JESUS category of the

DAILY BIBLE READING

Levels of Biblic al Learning. Each child learned at the level

Sunday: Acts 2:22 Monday: Philippians 4:19 Tuesday: Revelation 21:4 Wednesday: Psalm 30:2 Thursday: Isaiah 40:29 Friday: Matthew 10:1 Saturday: Psalm 147:3

TAKE IT FURTHER: Check out the Jesus Healed the Official's Son section of the Bible Studies for Life: Kids Family App.

Take-Home Cards

that's right for them !

For more abou t

You

nger Kids: Jes us restored life .

Middle Kids: Jes us performed miracles through the power of God. Older Kids:

Jesus perform ed miracles becaus e He is God’s Son.

LOBL, go to www . lifeway.com/LO BL

PRESCHOOL

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: PRESCHOOL WORSH

THE WORLD Jesus Is Powerful GOD CREATED Promises God’sPAwesome GOD AT CHURCH WORSHI The Incredible Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

KIDS

Worship

4. Worship Hour

you need

4

An additional hour of worship JESUS IS POWERFUL Worship Session 1: Jesus Healed the Official’s Son reinforces lessons from Session 2: Jesus Calmed a Storm Session 3: Jesus Healed a Man Born Blind Bible study and helps kids Session 4: Jesus Walked on Water THE AMAZING POWER OF JESUS Session 5: Breakfast with Jesus and preschoolers cultivate a the Official’s Son Session 1: Jesus Healed Session 2: Jesus Calmed a Storm GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES lifestyle of worship.

Session 3: Jesus Healed a Man Born Blind Session 1: Noah

This case includes two DVDs with all of the videos you need for great sessions every week!

Session 2: Abraham and Sarah Session 3: Moses and the Israelites Session 4: King David

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORD OF GOD Session 1: God Told Jeremiah What to Write Session 2: Ezekiel Offered Hope Session 3: Daniel Interpreted the King’s Dreams Session 4: Prophets Told About Jesus

WWW.LIFEWAY.COM

FALL 2019

FALL 2019

FALL 2019

WWW.LIFEWAY.COM

GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES Session 1: Noah Session 2: Abraham and Sarah Session 3: Moses and the Israelites Session 4: King David

IP

THE INCREDIBLE WORD OF GOD Session 1: God Told Jeremiah What to Write Session 2: Ezekiel Offered Hope Session 3: Daniel Chose to Obey Session 4: Prophets Told About Jesus

Session 4: Jesus Walked on Water Session 5: Breakfast with Jesus

GOD TheCREATED Amazing Power THE WORLD of Jesus God’s Awesome Promises WORSHIP GOD AT CHURCH The Extraordin ary Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

PRESCHOOL BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: KIDS WORSHIP

This case includes two DVDs with all of the videos for great sessions every week!

KIDS

Worship

Worship

FALL 2019

Printed in the United States of America

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HELP THEM WALK IN TRUTH FROM THEIR VERY FIRST STEPS.

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

3S–PRE-K

PRESCHOOL LEADER GUIDE (Sample shown at 80% of actual size)

JESUS IS POWERFUL GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES THE INCREDIBLE WORD OF GOD

KIDS LEADER GUIDE FALL 2019

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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PRESCHOOL LEADER GUIDE

FEATURES Life Point → The Life Point indicates the primary point you will connect to the lives of your kids each week.

Level of Biblical Learning → Notice the icon and indication that this unit’s Level of Biblical Learning is Jesus. This statement also locates where we are on the Levels of Biblical Learning chart for this particular biblical concept.

Scripture Reference → This passage indicates where the Bible story will come from each session.

Weekly Verse → For those who want to go deeper, we provide memory verses for every week that go beyond the Unit Verse.

Unit Verse → The Unit Verse is the primary verse your kids will memorize this month, and it will be reinforced every session.

LIFE POINT Jesus can heal people.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

LEADER BIBLE STUDY LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus healed sick people.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE John 4:46-54 WEEKLY VERSE Jesus did things no one else could do.

Acts 2:22 UNIT VERSE Jesus did things no one else could do.

Acts 2:22 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

Suggested Use Date → We prepare the session for this date, but you can customize to fit your use plan.

Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority. It does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An o cial traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle. He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live.

The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle. The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him with the news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live. This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love and power.

Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His character and purposes?

Leader Bible Study → Each week provides a Leader Bible Study to help leaders prepare through a study of the passage they will be teaching.

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Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES GROUP TIME Sing together. Play and sing “Mighty Is He.” Play a “Which One?” game. Attach the sticky notes to opposite walls in the classroom. Ask preschoolers if they have ever skinned their knees.

Tell them they can move to the Yes note if they have and to the No if they have not. Ask if they have had other injuries or illnesses (headache, cold, splinter, stomachache).

Talk about the Life Point. Look at the poster and tell children that Jesus is powerful because He is God’s Son. Show and read today’s Life Point strip. Choose a child to attach the strip to the poster.

Tell the Bible story. Open your Bible to John 4. Mention that today’s Bible story is found in the Book of John. Say that someone in today’s Bible story needed help from Jesus. Tell the Bible story in your own words as you hold the open Bible.

Decide when to have group time; then select learning activities to use before and/or after group time.

Group Time → Each Group Time section features introductory activities, a Bible story, a review, activities connecting kids to the Life Point, and a time to practice the Unit Verse.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

—Based on John : One day a man who worked for the king came to talk to Jesus. The man’s son was sick and about to die. The man asked Jesus to come and heal his son.

“Come before he dies,” the man said.

Jesus said, “Go home. Your son will live.”

The man believed what Jesus said. He started to walk home. On the way home, he saw some of his workers. They told him that his boy was alive. The man asked when his son got be er.

“He began to get be er yesterday,” the workers said.

The man thought about the words Jesus said. The boy began to get be er at the same time Jesus spoke to him. The man knew that Jesus was God’s Son. Jesus spoke the words, and the boy was healed.

› Pack Items

, , : “Weekly Verses,” “Unit Poster” with Session strip, “Unit Word Cards”

Review the Bible story. Show the Teaching Picture and the word cards.

Mention that the man’s son was sick but Jesus made him well. Explain that a miracle is something amazing that only God and Jesus can do.

Tell children that Jesus had the power to perform miracles like healing people because He wanted people to know that He is God’s Son. Learn the Bible Verse. Open the Bible to the marker in Acts and read the verse. Pass the Acts 2:22 card around the group as you repeat the verse. When you say the reference, the child holding the card can hold it over her head. Pass the card and repeat the verse several times.

Pray. Thank God for sending His Son, Jesus. Thank God that Jesus is powerful and can heal people.

Wrap it up. Show the “Jesus Healed the O cial’s Son” video. Show the word miracle again. Encourage preschoolers to talk about what the word means. Say that healing someone is a miracle.

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› Teaching Picture › Music › Videos › Bible, sticky notes, tape, marker

› Print Yes on one sticky note and No on the other.

› Separate the word cards and gather these words: Jesus, miracle, sick, healed, Acts : .

› Place the Bible marker at Acts :

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PRESCHOOL LEADER GUIDE

BIBLE-LEARNING ACTIVITIES › Pack Items

, : “Weekly Verses,” “Unit Word Cards” (Jesus, healed)

› Kids Activity Page › Bible, snack-size

ziplock bags, adhesive bandages, co on swabs, individually packaged first aid wipes, markers

› Pack Item

: “Unit Verse Puzzle”

› Music › Bible, tape, puzzles about Jesus

› Pack Item

: “Unit Word Cards” (sick)

› Blocks, toy cars and emergency vehicles

› Bible, stopwatch,

hourglass timers (nonbreakable), electronic device’s timer app, wristwatch, kitchen timer, colored pencils, paper

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MAKE A FIRST AID KIT Place the verse marker in the Bible. Display cards and materials.

Allow children to use the markers carefully to decorate a bag. Older preschoolers may try to copy the words.

Talk about what each of the first aid supplies are used for. Gather a few, add them to the bag, and zip it closed. Suggest places a family might need to keep a first aid kit.

Lead preschoolers to complete the Activity Page and mention that Jesus can heal people. Talk about how God helps us to feel better when we are sick or hurt.

Open the Bible and read the verse. (Art)

PLAY A PUZZLE RELAY Place parallel tape lines on the floor about 15 feet apart. Separate the Unit 1 puzzle pieces and place, verse side up, along the far strip of tape.

Play “There’s No One Else Like Him.” Gather children in a line behind the tape. Instruct a child to hurry to the puzzle pieces, select one, and return. Send the next child. When all the pieces have been gathered, work the puzzle.

Read the verse and find it in the Bible. Remind children that Jesus can heal people.

Continue playing, using other puzzles about Jesus. (Games)

DRIVE EMERGENCY VEHICLES Encourage children to create roads with blocks and drive vehicles.

Point out vehicles that might be used to help people who are sick.

Show the word card and talk about the Bible story.

Remind boys and girls that Jesus healed the man’s son because He can heal people.

Ask children to tell about someone they know who is sick. Voice a prayer asking Jesus to make people better. (Blocks)

EXPLORE TIME Demonstrate how to use the timekeeping devices. Set alarms and count along with the seconds.

As preschoolers explore the devices, talk about the Bible story. Mention that the man learned that his son was well at the same time Jesus told him. Say that Jesus healed sick people.

Open the Bible to the Bible story. Lead children to point to Jesus’ name.

Say the verse with boys and girls. Turn to Acts 2:22 to find the verse.

Set a timer. Challenge children to draw a picture until the timer sounds.

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES LIFE POINT Jesus can heal people.

PLAY OUT A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR Print checklists and clip to boards. Set up chairs and arrange supplies to resemble a doctor’s o ce.

Show a child how to use the checklist to indicate how he is feeling.

Provide doctor supplies and allow children to play out a visit to the doctor.

Say that doctors can help people when they feel sick or are hurt.

Doctors can help them feel better, but they cannot heal people with their own power.

Look at the Teaching Picture. Tell parts of the Bible story and remark that the man asked Jesus to heal his son; he went to see Jesus because he believed Jesus can heal people.

Help a child find the Bible story in a Bible. Point to Jesus’ name.

(Dramatic Play)

› Teaching Picture › Printables: “Checkup

→ Each Bible Learning Activities section provides 6–7 activities that can be set up in stations around the room. Pick as few or as many as you need.

Checklist”

› Bible, toy doctor kits,

clipboards, pencils, bandage wrap, baby dolls

› Pack Item

PLAY A MATCHING GAME Separate the cards and place facedown on the floor or a table.

Choose a few cards. Lead children to arrange them by matching the pictures (end to end). Continue taking turns selecting cards and adding them to the line.

Talk about the di erent types of transportation shown.

Say that missionaries are people who travel to di erent places to tell about Jesus. Look at the Missions pictures and talk about the people shown.

Say that people all over the world need to learn that Jesus is God’s Son. Pray and ask God to help missionaries tell people about Jesus. (Puzzles)

: “Transportation Domino Tiles”

› Printables: “Unit Missions”

› Printables: “Jesus Healed

PLAY WITH PEOPLE FIGURES As children color the page, talk about the Bible story. Remind them that Jesus can heal people.

Play out today’s Bible story. Select figures to be Jesus, the man, the worker, and the son. Look at the coloring page to help guide play.

Find the verse in the Bible and point to it. Ask children to repeat the verse a few times.

CLEAN UP Play “We Can Work” as the children begin to clean up. O er choices about what items will be cleaned up first. Continue until the work is done. Thank boys and girls for helping.

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the O cial’s Son” Coloring Page

› Bible, crayons, people figures

› Music

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PRESCHOOL LEADER GUIDE

UNIT 1 SESSION 1 Bonus Teaching Hour for s–Pre-K

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON TRANSITION/GROUP TIME

SNACK Include the children in the distribution of the snack. Ask for one or more volunteers to pray. Lead preschoolers to clean up after the snack. Thank them for their help.

ROOM

YOUR TEACHING PARTNERS

MOVE TO GROUP TIME Welcome preschoolers to group time and ask a volunteer to tell about a time when she has been sick. Comment that when we are sick, we might visit the doctor or take medicine that helps us feel better.

TALK ABOUT THE BIBLE STORY INTRODUCE THE BIBLE STORY: BASED ON JOHN :

DATE OF USE

Comment that in today’s Bible story, a man’s son was sick. Ask boys and girls to listen to hear what the man did to help his son. Open your Bible to John 4 and tell the story.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus healed sick people.

SUMMARIZE THE BIBLE STORY A man asked Jesus to come heal his son who was sick.

Jesus told the man to go home because his son would be healed.

The man believed and traveled toward his home. On the way, his workers met him and told him that his son was feeling better.

The workers told the man what time it was when the man’s son began to feel better; it was the same time Jesus spoke to him.

The man knew Jesus was God’s Son and that Jesus can heal people.

LIFE POINT Jesus can heal people.

UNIT VERSE Jesus did things no one else could do. Acts 2:22 WEEKLY VERSE Jesus did things no one else could do. Acts 2:22

REVIEW THE BIBLE STORY What was wrong with the man’s son?

What did the man ask Jesus to do?

How did Jesus answer him?

Who has the power to heal people?

EMPHASIZE THE LIFE POINT Remind children that Jesus can heal people.

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FEATURES SING TOGETHER Sing to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”: Jesus did things no one else could do, No one else, no one else; Jesus did things no one else could do.

Acts two twenty-two.

SAY THE BIBLE VERSE Find the Weekly Verse in the Bible. Say it, and ask volunteers to repeat it after you. Clap as you sing the song again to recall the verse.

PRAY Ask for prayer requests. Pray that Jesus will help sick people to feel better. Thank God that Jesus healed the boy in today’s Bible story.

Thank God for still healing people today.

BIBLE LEARNING ACTIVITIES Emphasize during the activities: Jesus can heal people.

1. Build a hospital. Show pictures of hospitals on a smartphone or tablet. Invite a child to stack blocks to construct a hospital.

Talk about why people go to the hospital.

Encourage preschoolers to talk about their experiences, if any, in visiting people at the hospital. Say that doctors know what to do to help people feel better. Say that Jesus can heal people—make them well with only His words or His touch. Pray if a child knows of anyone who is sick and ask Jesus to make people better.

2. Paint with cotton swabs. Squirt washable paint into disposable bowls. Show a child how to dip a cotton swab into the paint and swipe the swab onto construction paper to create designs. Keep wet wipes nearby for easy cleanup. Mention that people sometimes use cotton swabs to clean skin when it is hurt. Talk about the Bible story.

Recall the way Jesus spoke the words and the man’s son was healed. Say the Bible Verse with boys and girls: “Jesus did things no one else could do.”

3. Mark a Bible. Cut several strips of wide ribbon. Allow preschoolers to decorate the ribbon with markers. Help a child open a Bible to Acts and find the page where the verse can be found. Point to the verse and say it. Mark the Bible with the ribbon. Invite a friend to open the Bible to the marked page at Acts 2:22 and repeat the verse.

Talk about the amazing thing that Jesus did. If a child brought his own Bible to church, help him mark the verse in it with a ribbon.

4. Play with a medical kit. Provide a toy medical kit and other medical supplies.

Show how to wrap a leg or sling an arm.

Encourage children to pretend to be doctors, nurses, parents, or patients. Recall the way the boy was made well by the words Jesus spoke. Remind children that Jesus can heal people. Help a child turn the pages in a Bible to John 4 and find the Bible story. Point to Jesus’ name.

→ Each Transition Time provides an hour of further teaching on the same topic and a Bible story for churches who keep preschoolers a second hour.

CLEAN UP Invite children to clean up their activities. Give each child a specific task to do. Thank children for their work.

PLAY “IT HURTS HERE!” Gather children and talk about di erent parts of the body where someone could be sick or hurt. Call out ailments (sore throat, stubbed toe, headache, stu y nose, skinned knee, tummy ache). Encourage boys and girls to touch the body part as you mention it. Increase your speed as children play. Mention that Jesus loved the man and healed the man’s son. Say that Jesus healed sick people. Call out another body part. Lead preschoolers to touch that part and say the Bible Verse.

DISMISS Help children gather their papers and belongings. Thank them for coming. Remind parents to review the Bible story on the Kids Activity Page.

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PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY PAGES/ONE CONVERSATION

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PRESCHOOL

ACTIVITY PAGES/ONE CONVERSATION (Sample shown at 72% of actual size) (front of page) → Newly updated design appeals to preschoolers. → Fun activities engage preschoolers to go further into the Bible content and life application. (back of page) → Goes home with parents each week to help them follow up and engage kids at home about each week’s Bible story, Life Point, Unit Verse, and Level of Biblical Learning.

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PRESCHOOL TAKE-HOME CARDS

PRESCHOOL TAKE-HOME CARDS (Sample shown at 100% of actual size) → Take-Home Cards now feature the Levels of Biblical Learning for each age group as well as the fun activities preschoolers have come to know and love.

Take-Home Cards

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON John 4:46-54

Parents, today's lesson focus was from JESUS category of the Levels of Biblical Learning. Each

Younger Preschool: Jesus helped people because He loved them.

Middle Preschool: Jesus healed sick people.

Older Preschool: Jesus performed miracles.

child learned at the level that's right for them!

For more about LOBL, go to www.lifeway. com/LOBL

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PRESCHOOL WORSHIP HOUR

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: PRESCHOOL WORSHIP

GOD CREATED THE WORLD Jesus Is Powerful God’s Awesome WORSHIP GOD AT Promises CHURCH The Incredible Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

PRESCHOOL WORSHIP HOUR → Features worship songs with motions. → Preschoolers will be introduced to a new Bible story video called “Bible Story Time with Miss Lindy.”

The same loving librarian from their preschool Bible study will visit again during worship to tell this week’s Bible story in an exciting, new way.

PRESCHOOL

Worship

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“I WAS VERY GLAD TO FIND SOME OF YOUR CHILDREN WALKING IN TRUTH, IN KEEPING WITH A COMMAND WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE FATHER.” 2 JOHN 4 CSB

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3RD & 4TH GRADE

3RD-4TH GRADE LEADER GUIDE (Sample shown at 80% of actual size)

THE AMAZING POWER OF JESUS GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES THE EXTRAORDINARY WORD OF GOD

KIDS LEADER GUIDE FALL 2019

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KIDS LEADER GUIDE

FEATURES Life Point → The Life Point indicates the primary point you will connect to the lives of your kids each week.

LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

Level of Biblical Learning → Notice the icon and indication that this unit’s Level of Biblical Learning is Jesus. This statement also locates where we are on the Levels of Biblical Learning chart for this particular biblical concept.

Scripture Reference → This passage indicates where the Bible story will come from each session.

Suggested Use Date → We prepare the session for this date, but you can customize to fit your use plan.

Unit Verse → The Unit Verse is the primary verse your kids will memorize this month, and it will be reinforced every session.

Weekly Verse → For those who want to go deeper, we provide memory verses for every week that go beyond the Unit Verse.

Leader Bible Study → Each week provides a Leader Bible Study to help leaders prepare through a study of the passage they will be teaching.

LEADER BIBLE STUDY LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE John 4:46-54 SUGGESTED FOR THE WEEK OF September 1

UNIT VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22 WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

Acts 2:22

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JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

UN I T 1, SESSION 1

Jesus’ love for people and His powerful acts on their behalf mean He is much more than a superhero. It means He is the Son of God! Only with the power of His heavenly Father could He love so deeply and act with such authority. It does not get more super than that. The Bible calls His super powers miracles, signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. John calls the seven miracles he records about Jesus signs. John’s Gospel points to life-changing faith decisions. You will know a miracle (or sign) by an immediate and powerful action of God that reveals His character or purposes.

An official traveled quite a distance to see Jesus. The man’s son was dying. He begged Jesus to come back with him and heal his son. Jesus was aware of the people around Him who were there to see another miracle.

He addressed the crowd, acknowledging they did not believe; they just liked the show. Seeing the father’s belief, Jesus assured him that his son would live. The father did not seek a public spectacle but a private miracle.

The man had faith that when he returned, his son would be healed. As he traveled back and before he arrived home, his servants met him with the news that his son’s fever had left him. Upon further revelation he discovered his son’s healing happened the very moment Jesus said his son would live.

This was no coincidence; instead, it was a divine confirmation of God’s love and power.

Jesus performs miracles today. When and where have you witnessed a miracle? How have you seen God’s action? What does it reveal about His character and purposes?

How can you help the kids in your group understand that Jesus has the power to heal people, but not all people will be healed on earth?

Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES Practice Bible Skills → Practice Bible Skills provides a way for kids who arrive early to go deeper in using the Bible.

PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS » Scramble the “New Testament Book Cards” and place them facedown in a stack. » Give each player a pencil and paper for scorekeeping. » Lead each player to choose a card, find the book in the Bible, and record a point value on his paper. Before each round, explain how kids will earn points.

• Round 1: book number (John equals 4 points; Revelation equals 27 points) • Round 2: number of chapters in the book • Round 3: page number where the book begins • Round 4: page number where the book ends • Round 5: number of letters in the book name » After each round, direct kids to return their cards to the stack. Scramble the cards before playing again. » Guide kids to add up their points and declare a winner.

› Pack Item 3:“New

Testament Book Cards”

› pencils › paper (1 sheet per person)

Introductory Activity → Get kids started with Introductory Activities that connect with the Life Point of the day’s Bible passage.

Missions Emphasis → Use the weekly Missions Emphasis to teach kids about a specific missionary who shares the gospel on the mission field.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY » Form pairs of kids. Guide each pair to choose an imaginary superpower,

› Option: “Jesus

Healed the Official’s Son” coloring page (Printables)

but not to tell anyone what power they chose. » Invite pairs to pantomime their superpowers for the other kids to guess. » Briefly discuss which imaginary superpowers kids chose and why. » If no one mentions it, suggest what it might be like to have the power to heal others or themselves. Talk about why a healing superpower could be helpful or dangerous. » Explain that while superpowers are imaginary, the power to do miracles comes only from God. In this unit kids will hear about the amazing power of Jesus. Today kids will learn that Jesus has power over sickness.

MISSIONS EMPHASIS » Explain that billions of people today do not know that God loves them.

› Videos

God calls us to help others understand Him.

» Encourage kids to watch the “God’s Heart” missions video to learn ways that they can have a part in sharing the gospel with everyone, everywhere. » Show the “God’s Heart” missions video.

BIBL E ST U DIES FOR L IFE 3R D & 4T H GR A DE

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KIDS LEADER GUIDE

STUDY THE BIBLE 1. BIBLE STORY » Show the “Unit 1 Banner.” Explain that during this unit, kids will hear about Jesus’ amazing power, shown through His many miracles.

» Explain that miracles are “real, unusual events that only God can cause to happen.” In Bible times miracles often were referred to as signs or wonders. Jesus performed miracles through the power of God to show people that He is God’s Son. » Open the Bible to John 4 and tell the Bible story.

BIBLE STORY: JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

› Pack Items 1, 2: “Unit 1

Banner,” “Unit 1 Verse”

› Teaching Picture 1 › Music › Videos › soft ball

Jesus traveled to Cana, the town where He had done His first miracle when He turned water into wine at a wedding.

A royal official heard that Jesus was in Cana. The official’s son was very sick, so he traveled several miles from Capernaum to Cana. The official pleaded with Jesus. “Come and heal my son! He is about to die!”

Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe in Me.” The official did not give up. “Sir, please come down before my boy dies!”

“Go. Your son will live,” Jesus promised. The royal official believed Jesus and left.

As the official traveled home, his servants met him with great news—his son was alive! The official asked, “What time did he get better?”

“His fever broke yesterday at one in the afternoon,” they replied.

The official remembered that was the exact moment when Jesus had told him, “Your son will live!” The official put his trust in Jesus, and because of the official’s faith, everyone in his household believed in Jesus, too.

—BA SED ON JOHN 4:46-54

2. REVIEW » Show the Teaching Picture and invite kids to name the miracle Jesus performed. (He healed the official’s son.)

» Emphasize that Jesus wasn’t with the official’s son when he was healed. » Ask: “What evidence do we have that Jesus healed the son?” (Jesus spoke the words at the exact moment that the son’s fever broke.)

» Explain that the official had faith in Jesus’ power over sickness. » Lead the kids to stand in a circle. Play “Your Amazing Power, Jesus” and invite kids to toss a ball around the circle while the music plays.

Periodically pause the music. Ask a Review Question to the child holding the ball. » Option: Show the “Notebook Bible Story” video.

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UN I T 1, SESSION 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES → Each Study the Bible section features the Bible story, a review, an activity connecting kids to the Life Point, and a time to practice the Unit Verse.

LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

3. LIFE ACTION » Lead the kids to sing “Your Amazing Power, Jesus.” » Explain that while Jesus has the power to heal all people, not all people

REVIEW QUESTIONS

› What was the first

miracle that Jesus did at Cana? (He turned water into wine.)

are healed physically on earth.

» Emphasize that it is impossible for people to understand why Jesus heals some people physically and does not heal others. » Communicate the importance of having faith in Jesus’ ability to heal people and trusting Jesus even when we don’t understand why some people are not healed physically on earth. Sometimes God waits to provide full healing until a believer is with Him in heaven. » Be sensitive to kids who may have lost a parent or loved one to illness.

Help kids understand that no matter the outcome of an illness, they can trust Jesus. » Offer kids an opportunity to share about people they know who are sick and in need of physical healing. » Lead kids to pray for the people mentioned. Praise God for Jesus’ amazing power over sickness. » Option: Show the “Mooseberry Life Application” video.

4. UNIT VERSE » Read the “Unit 1 Verse” together. » Draw attention to the first phrase. Emphasize that Jesus was fully man, yet fully God. Jesus had amazing power to perform miracles, including healing. » Invite a volunteer to choose a key word from the verse. Then lead kids to create a hand motion to go with that word. Motions do not have to relate to the word, but kids need to use the same motion. » Direct the kids to repeat the verse, inserting their hand motion. » Guide kids to add motions to additional words and repeat.

› Why did a royal official

search for Jesus in Cana? (to ask Jesus to heal his son)

→ New, easy-to-read design! → Icons provide a visual for an easier way to recognize different sections of the teaching plan.

› Why didn’t Jesus go to

the official’s house? (He had the power to heal the official’s son from a distance.)

› Who met the official as he traveled home? (the official’s servants)

› When did the servants

say the son’s fever broke? (At one in the afternoon—the same moment Jesus said, “Your son will live.”)

› What happened

because Jesus healed the official’s son? (The official and everyone in his household believed in Jesus.)

BIBL E ST U DIES FOR L IFE 3R D & 4T H GR A DE

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LIVE IT OUT

CHOICE 1 › Kids Activity Pages

› pencils › different-colored

heavyweight paper (1 sheet per person)

› markers › adhesive bandages

CHOICE 1 GET-WELL CARDS » Guide kids to complete “By the Numbers” and “Healing Words” on their Kids Activity Pages.

» Lead kids to retell today’s Bible story. Emphasize how Jesus showed His power over sickness when He miraculously healed the official’s son.

» Invite kids to make get-well cards to remind someone sick that Jesus has power over sickness.

» Distribute sheets of heavyweight paper and instruct kids to fold them in half.

» Guide the kids to arrange bandages on the front of the paper in the shape of a cross.

» Direct the kids to write an encouraging message inside the cards, such as today’s Life Point or the words of Philippians 4:19.

» Suggest the kids give their cards to people who are sick. If kids don’t know someone sick, collect the cards and coordinate delivery to the sick by someone in your church responsible for making hospital visits. » Lead the kids to pray for the people who will receive the cards. » Remind the kids that Jesus has amazing power, including power over sickness.

CHOICE 2 › Kids Activity Pages

Kids Activity Pages.

› pencils › 2 identical first-aid kits › masking tape–Tape a

» Lead kids to retell today’s Bible story. Emphasize how Jesus showed His

› 2 boxes–Place the boxes

» Remind the kids that Jesus has the power to miraculously heal people

start line on the floor at one end of the room. at the opposite end of the room.

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CHOICE 2 FIRST AID RELAY » Guide kids to complete “By the Numbers” and “Healing Words” on their power over sickness when He miraculously healed the official’s son.

» Show kids the first-aid kits. Discuss the contents and talk about how God created our bodies to heal.

from sickness. Explain that sometimes God uses medication, medically trained people, and medical supplies to heal people. » Invite the kids to run a relay race to remember that Jesus has power over sickness. » Form two teams and guide them to line up behind a start line. » Place the contents of each first-aid kit in a box at the opposite end of the room. » Place the empty kit at the front of each team’s line. » Players will run, select an item from their team’s box, state any sickness that Jesus has the power over, run back, and place that item in the first-aid kit. » The first team to move all its items into its kit wins. » Remind the kids that Jesus has amazing power, including power over sickness.

UN I T 1, SESSION 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES → Live It Out features three Bible-learning application activities to help kids apply the Life Point to their own lives.

LIFE POINT Jesus has power over sickness.

CHOICE 3 GOD’S PLAN MEMORY GAME » Guide kids to complete “By the Numbers” and “Healing Words” on their Kids Activity Pages. » Remind kids that all people are born with sin. Restate that Jesus has the power over the spiritual sickness of sin because He is the promised Savior. » Invite kids to play a game to remember how Jesus spiritually heals people from sin. » Show the “God’s Plan Memory Game” cards and the “God’s Plan for Me Poster.” Explain that the words and symbols on the cards match those on the poster. Suggest the kids refer to the poster as they play the game. » Place all the cards facedown on a table or the floor. Kids will take turns turning over two cards at a time. If the cards match, according to the poster, that child will keep those cards and his turn continues. If the cards do not match, he will turn the cards over and the next player will select two cards, trying to make a match. » As kids make matches, take a moment to discuss what the cards teach about the gospel. » Continue until kids match all the cards. Invite kids to count their cards and declare a winner. » Emphasize that Jesus has power over sickness, including both physical sickness and the spiritual sickness of sin.

CHOICE 3

› Pack Items 4, 5: “God’s Plan Memory Game,” ”God’s Plan for Me Poster”

› Kids Activity Pages › pencils

WRAP UP » Pray, praising Jesus for His power over sickness. » Give kids Take-Home Cards and One Conversation™ pages.

BIBL E ST U DIES FOR L IFE 3R D & 4T H GR A DE

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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KIDS ACTIVITY PAGES/ONE CONVERSATION

UNITN11

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son

SESSIO

UNIT VERSE

BY THE NUMBERS

This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

1

Start with the first Jes and print those letters on the line.

Then write the letters from the second usp and keep going.

After you write all the letters, draw lines between the letters to discover the words of the message.

2

14 6

ira

God 8

2

usp

sth

7 10

ght

1 5

edm

11

cle

9

rou

Jes

hep 3

13

ACTS 2 :22 CSB

4

erf

rof

orm 12

owe

Healing Words Look up these verses to find what the Bible says about God’s power to heal.

Gospel Power Jesus has

1 Peter 2:24

____________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

Psalm 147:3

____________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

over physical sickness, like today’s Bible story

shows, and Jesus has

over the spiritual sickness all

people have. That is sin. Just like Jesus physically healed the official’s son, Jesus can spiritually heal people from their sin.

Sin separates people from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. Jesus took that punishment when He died on the cross.

Jesus showed His

over sin when He rose from the dead.

Psalm 103:2-3 ____________________

By responding to Jesus in faith, God can forgive your sin and

_______________________________

give you new life in Jesus.

_______________________________ B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E GR A DE S 3 –4

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

3

KIDS UNIT 1. SESSION 1

ACTIVITY PAGES/ONE CONVERSATION (Sample shown at 72% of actual size)

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Parents, today your child learned that Jesus has power over sickness. When an official in the royal court came and pleaded for his son’s life, Jesus responded by healing him from afar.

LIVE IT OUT Share with your child that Jesus can heal people because He has power over sickness. Help your child list people who are ill. Choose one or two to visit, send a card, or call.

LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Jesus performed miracles through the power of God.

JOHN 4:46-54 Jesus traveled to Cana, the town where He had done His first miracle when He turned water into wine at a wedding.

A royal official heard that Jesus was in Cana. The official’s son was very sick, so he traveled several miles from Capernaum to Cana. The official pleaded with Jesus. “Come and heal my son! He is about to die!”

Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe in Me.” The official did not give up. “Sir, please come down before my boy dies!”

“Go. Your son will live,” Jesus promised. The royal official believed Jesus and left.

As the official traveled home, his servants met him with great news— his son was alive! The official asked, “What time did he get better?”

“His fever broke yesterday at one in the afternoon,” they replied.

The official remembered that was the exact moment when Jesus had told him, “Your son will live!” The official put his trust in Jesus, and because of the official’s faith, everyone in his household believed in Jesus, too.

(front of page) → Newly updated design appeals to kids → Fun activities engage kids to go further into the Bible content and life application (back of page) → Goes home with parents each week to help them follow up and engage kids at home about each week’s Bible story, Life Point, Unit Verse, and Level of Biblical Learning.

WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE: Acts 2:22 LIFE POINT: Jesus has power over sickness.

DAILY BIBLE READING Sunday: Acts 2:22 Monday: Philippians 4:19 Tuesday: Revelation 21:4 Wednesday: Psalm 30:2 Thursday: Isaiah 40:29 Friday: Matthew 10:1 Saturday: Psalm 147:3

TAKE IT FURTHER: Check out the Jesus Healed the Official's Son section of the Bible Studies for Life: Kids Family App.

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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KIDS TAKE-HOME CARDS

KIDS TAKE-HOME CARDS (Sample shown at 100% of actual size) → Take-Home Cards now feature the Levels of Biblical Learning for each age group as well as the fun activities kids have come to know and love.

JESUS HEALED THE OFFICIAL’S SON

Take-Home Cards

John 4:46-54

Parents, today's lesson focus was from JESUS category of the Levels of Biblical Learning. Each child learned at the level that's right for them!

Younger Kids: Jesus restored life.

Middle Kids: Jesus performed

miracles through the power of God. Older Kids: Jesus performed miracles because He is God’s Son.

For more about LOBL, go to www. lifeway.com/LOBL

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

KIDS WORSHIP HOUR

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: KIDS WORSHIP

GOD THE WORLD TheCREATED Amazing Power of Jesus God’s Awesome Promises WORSHIP GOD AT CHURCH The Extraordinary Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

KIDS

KIDS WORSHIP HOUR → NEW! For the first time, Kids Worship Hour will feature text for a second Bible story for those churches who would like to teach a new story during Worship Hour. → Features a new series called “Real Life Conversations” hosted by the same Bible Storytellers kids came to know and love in previous quarters of Worship Hour. Kids will dive deeper into life application in a fun and exciting way. → Includes choreographed music videos.

FALL 2019

Worship

biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

→ Preview videos, music, and more at biblestudiesforlife.com/kids

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KIDS AND PRESCHOOL RESOURCES 3RD & 4TH GRADE

Choose print or digital versions!

Quick Start Kit The Quick Start Kit includes everything you need to get started with one class:

THE AMAZING POWER OF JESUS GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES THE EXTRAORDINARY WORD OF GOD

• 13 session plans • Easy-to-follow teaching plans • Leader Guide includes specific ways kids can apply the concepts they learn • Activity Pages engage preschoolers and kids in learning and help parents apply biblical concepts throughout the week at home • One Conversation overview makes it easy for parents to have spiritual discussions with their preschoolers and kids

KIDS LEADER GUIDE FALL 2019

Print 3RD & 4TH GRADE

UNIT 11

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son

SESSION

3s–PRE-K

2

14 6

ira

JESUS IS POWERFUL

God 8

GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES THE INCREDIBLE WORD OF GOD

2

GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES

usp

sth

7 10

ght

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11

cle 1

5

9

rou

Jes

4

erf

rof

2

14

ira

God 8

12

2

owe

This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

1

6

orm

UNIT VERSE

BY THE NUMBERS Start with the first Jes and print those letters on the line.

Then write the letters from the second usp and keep going.

After you write all the letters, draw lines between the letters to discover the words of the message.

AC TS 2 :2 2 C S B

hep 3

13

Jesus Healed the Official’s Son

SESSION

This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.

1

THE AMAZING POWER OF JESUS

UNIT 11

UNIT VERSE

BY THE NUMBERS Start with the first Jes and print those letters on the line.

Then write the letters from the second usp and keep going.

After you write all the letters, draw lines between the letters to discover the words of the message.

usp

sth

7 10

ght

edm

11

cle 1

5

9

rou

Jes

hep 3

13

AC TS 2 :2 2 C S B

4

erf

rof

orm 12

owe

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORD OF GOD

Healing Words Look up these verses to find what the Bible says about God’s power to heal.

Jesus has 1 Peter 2:24

____________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

Psalm 147:3

____________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

KIDS LEADER GUIDE FALL 2019

Leader Guide Features easy-to-use, low-prep lesson plans.

Order one per leader.

40

____________________

_______________________________ _______________________________

official’s son, Jesus can spiritually heal people from their sin.

Sin separates people from God and deserves God’s punishment

Psalm 147:3

of death. Jesus took that punishment when He died on the cross.

_______________________________

Jesus showed His

By responding to Jesus in faith, God can forgive your sin and

_______________________________

give you new life in Jesus.

Kids Activity Pages Engage kids in class and help parents apply biblical concepts throughout the week at home. Order one for each child and extra for visitors.

____________________

_______________________________

over sin when He rose from the dead.

Psalm 103:2-3 ____________________

Gospel Power Jesus has

1 Peter 2:24

over the spiritual sickness all

people have. That is sin. Just like Jesus physically healed the

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E GR A DE S 3 –4

Leader Pack Filled with resources that make teaching easy, including visual aids, games, and fresh, realistic teaching pictures that bring the Bible story to life. Order one per class.

Look up these verses to find what the Bible says about God’s power to heal.

over physical sickness, like today’s Bible story

shows, and Jesus has

_______________________________

KIDS LEADER PACK FALL 2019

Take-Home Cards

Healing Words

Gospel Power

3

over physical sickness, like today’s Bible story

shows, and Jesus has

over the spiritual sickness all

people have. That is sin. Just like Jesus physically healed the official’s son, Jesus can spiritually heal people from their sin.

Sin separates people from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. Jesus took that punishment when He died on the cross.

Jesus showed His

over sin when He rose from the dead.

Psalm 103:2-3 ____________________

By responding to Jesus in faith, God can forgive your sin and

_______________________________

give you new life in Jesus.

_______________________________ B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E GR A DE S 3 –4

3

Kids Activity Pages/ Take-Home Cards Combo Pack Activity Pages for 3s through Preteens are available with Take-Home Cards at a reduced price.

Order one for each child and extra for visitors.

biblestudiesforlife.com

D

GRADES 1-6

Take-Home Cards

Take-Home Cards

TITLE TITLE TITLE

ENHANCED CD QTR. YEAR

Preschool and Grades 1–6 Life Action DVDs Weekly videos introduce kids to the Bible story in a fun, exciting way.

Enhanced CD Loaded with songs, coloring pages, early arriver activities, and helpful print items for each session.

Take-Home Cards for Preschool Include a matching game and flash cards that reinforce lessons learned in Bible study. Order one for each child and extra for visitors.

BSFL_PostCard_2018-19.indd 11

3/8/18 10:02 AM

Postcards Let absent kids know you missed them with these themed postcards.

Levels of

Life Verse Cards Set of 10 cards filled with the memory verses and Unit Verses for the entire year.

3/8/18 10:02 AM

BSFL_PostCard_2018-19.indd 7

Books of the Bible Posters Colorful posters help kids learn fun Bible facts about each book.

Take-Home Cards for Kids Include games and Bible facts that reinforce lessons learned in Bible study. Order one for each child and extra for visitors.

B L L EI B L I C A G A R NIN

Levels of Biblical Learning & Teacher Helps Bring the Levels of Biblical Learning alive for leaders as they use Bible Studies for Life each week.

Free App The LifeWay Kids App is a kiosk app that includes games, Bible stories, and family activities for each curriculum. Select Bible Studies for Life for fun games and engaging activities that complement weekly sessions and reinforce Bible learning.

Download the LifeWay Kids App from the App Store or Google Play today!

Preview videos, music, and more at biblestudiesforlife.com/kids biblestudiesforlife.com • 1.800.458.2772 • LifeWay Christian Stores

41

KIDS AND PRESCHOOL RESOURCES

Help preschoolers and kids develop a lifestyle of worship.

KIDS

Worship This case includes two DVDs with all of the videos you need PRESCHOOL for great sessions every week!

THE AMAZING POWER OF JESUS Session 1: Jesus Healed the Official’s Son Session 2: Jesus Calmed a Storm Session 3: Jesus Healed a Man Born Blind Session 4: Jesus Walked on Water Session 5: Breakfast with Jesus GOD’S AWESOME PROMISES Session 1: Noah Session 2: Abraham and Sarah Session 3: Moses and the Israelites Session 4: King David

FALL 2019

Worship

WWW.LIFEWAY.COM

FALL 2019

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORD OF GOD Session 1: God Told Jeremiah What to Write Session 2: Ezekiel Offered Hope Session 3: Daniel Interpreted the King’s Dreams Session 4: Prophets Told About Jesus

FALL 2019

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: KIDS WORSHIP

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE: PRESCHOOL WORSHIP

GOD CREATED THE WORLD Jesus Is Powerful God’s Awesome WORSHIP GOD AT Promises CHURCH The Incredible Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

GOD THE WORLD TheCREATED Amazing Power of Jesus God’s Awesome WORSHIP GOD AT Promises CHURCH The Extraordinary Word of God LOVING MY FAMILY

KIDS

Worship

See page 27 for details.

Printed in the United States of America

Add on this second hour of learning to worship through music, reinforce the Bible story, memorize Scripture, emphasize missions, and bring the Bible to life through age-appropriate activities and videos.

Preview videos, music, and more at biblestudiesforlife.com/kids biblestudiesforlife.com • 1.800.458.2772 • LifeWay Christian Stores 42

See page 39 for details.

THREE-YEAR STUDY PLAN FOR PRESCHOOL AND KIDS

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

Fall 2019 Amazing Power of Jesus God’s Awesome Promises Incredible Word of God

Fall 2020 Obedience to God Follow Jesus’ Example Family Matters

Fall 2021 We Can Trust God He Is God Showing God’s Love to Others

Winter 2020 Celebrate Jesus’ Birth A Powerful and Loving God Trusting God

Winter 2021 The Savior is Born Good News for Everyone What Does the Church Do?

Winter 2022 Born in Bethlehem Jesus the Teacher Worshiping and Serving God

Spring 2020 Jesus, the Great Teacher Jesus Is the Savior!

Tell About Jesus

Spring 2021 People Followed Jesus Jesus Is Alive!

The Bible, God’s Word

Spring 2022 I Can Choose Jesus, Messiah and Savior A Helper from God

Summer 2020 Worshiping God Making Choices In the Beginning

Summer 2021 Jesus Is God’s Son God’s Plan for Creation God Is in Control

Summer 2022 Becoming a Christian God Will Provide Love Your Family

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“Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”

– Ephesians 5:15-16

V E PR

W E I

GU

I

E D

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

FROM THE EDITOR Living in a relationship with God is foundational to our lives as followers of Jesus. It’s not just knowing about God. It’s not simply doing the right things. It’s about loving God with all we are and allowing that to impact every area of our lives. Relationships are built on communication, and God has graciously revealed Himself through the Scriptures. With Bible Studies for Life: Students, our goal is to help students know God as we connect His Word to their lives in an intentional way. We’ve recently made a few updates to Bible Studies for Life: Students curriculum, and we now have what we think is our best resource yet!

Here are a few of the features: • Clean, simple design that is easy to follow and visually compelling.

• Great questions to create plenty of opportunities for students to engage.

• Daily devotionals to help students engage with God throughout the week.

• Weekly training videos to help leaders feel more prepared and confident.

• Live It Out section that challenges students to apply biblical truths.

• Built on the framework of Levels of Biblical Learning, an organized method of helping students grow in understanding truths foundational to our faith.

Bible Studies for Life: Students is an incredible resource for your student ministry.

We want to inspire your leaders and students to love God more deeply and to apply God’s Word to their daily lives. As they live out their faith, we believe they’ll find that following Christ impacts not only their lives, but the culture around them. Thank you for considering Bible Studies for Life: Students.

Grace and Peace!

Jeff Belcher

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

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As students grow, their understanding of foundational truths grows with them.

Leaders who are well-equipped lead well. Levels of Biblical Learning provides an easy-to-understand guide to levels of spiritual development for teenagers. The knowledge of how students grow in their understanding of these concepts will help ensure age-appropriate discipleship for middle and high schoolers.

God has a plan for every person, and we can know His plans by understanding and applying the truth of Scripture.

High School

God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and people were created in His image and as His crowning achievement to live in relationship with Him and reflect His glory.

Why Levels of Biblical Learning?

Levels of Biblical Learning was developed to provide leaders, parents, and student pastors with visible milestones related to biblical knowledge from middle to high school-aged students. These milestones revolve around 10 core concepts:

God

Creation

Jesus

Church

Holy Spirit

People

Bible

Family

Salvation

Community and World

God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and people were created to live in relationship with Him.

Middle School

God has a plan for every person, and He wants us to understand His plans for us.

Learn more about Levels of Biblical Learning

lifeway.com/levelsofbiblicallearning

HOW IT HELPS

LIVE IT OUT

COMMUNITY

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Among the greatest gifts God has given us to deal with worry are Christian friends. When we deal with difficult things alone, we’re likely to worry more. However, when we allow others to share in our struggles, God has a way of easing our worries.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

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Think of someone you trust and write down his or her name. Go to this friend and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you fail to trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

GOD JESUS

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

CONFESS In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

CHRIST

CULTURE

Day One

1 TIMOTHY

There are all sorts of false ide concerning the Christian faith. people think that in order to h with God, we only need to bel if we share those “pass this on blessing” posts, surely God w with us. The early church deal issues. Some taught falsely th such as remaining unmarried a from certain foods, were nece However, the true gospel mak requirements. In order to be a Christ, we need to nourish our with the truth of Scripture, foll reveals to us, and share the go The blessings associated with earned, but given by God as e love and grace.

What’s the best way to rec false teaching?

In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

What does this passage say?

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

MEMORIZE Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week.

Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

Why is it so important to truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man?

11 What story will you tell?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

FAMILY How does this passage prompt me to pray?

COMMUNITY & WORLD

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50

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Bible Studies for Life

9

10

Session 1

1. BALANCED

2. RELATABLE

•B ible Studies for Life helps students understand that life and faith are not separate by starting with a life circumstance so students see the connection between theology and application.

• Each session uses real-life circumstances, as well as cultural context, to help students see how God’s Word applies not only to their lives but also to the lives of peers and others.

•D aily devotions included in the Daily Discipleship Guide help students incorporate spending time in God’s Word on their own into their day-to-day lives.

• The Live It Out section challenges students to apply ideas from each weekly session in their relationships with Christ, their church family, peers, and in reaching those around them who do not know Jesus.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

1

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell.

People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow.

A Centered Life

The

POINT

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Bible Studies for Life

Y 4:6

eas floating around . For example, many have a relationship lieve in Him—and n and you’ll get a will be super happy lt with similar hat human works, and abstaining essary for salvation. kes no such a good servant of r hearts and minds ow the things God ospel with others. h salvation aren’t expressions of His

cognize

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

A lot of people today spend their time on things that are totally pointless. For instance, when your TV remote is dead, how many times do you push the buttons before you’ll install new batteries? This is a silly illustration, but the truth is we often waste a lot of time and energy on pointless activities. Even worse, instead of believing the truth, we believe silly stories about life and eternity. This leads to destruction, but the way to experience victory is to put away all this foolishness, and instead, like a prime athlete, to train ourselves in godly thinking and living.

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

4

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

MATTHEW 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

Some people never worry about anything. They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

5

6

Session 1

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Day Three

Day Four

Some people are gifted athletes, and others are amazing musicians or artists. One thing they all have in common is that to become great, a lot of time and energy had to be invested into practicing. When we devote ourselves to training, there is real value in this. After all, our bodies, gifts, and abilities—all good things in our lives—are gifts from God. Therefore, we’re to steward them well. However, these talents in and of themselves are worth only so much—their value is limited to our earthly lives. Ultimately, what matters is that we are godly. Some people think following God means missing out on a lot of what life has to offer. That God’s law is a list of thou-shalt-not joy-killer fun-stealers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Living for God certainly allows us to experience true joy in the present life. But that’s not all. Living for God is also an investment in eternity.

This passage refers to a specific kind of physical training—namely, disciplining ourselves in terms of what we eat and how we express ourselves within marriage. False teachers said these were requirements for salvation, but Paul (who wrote this letter to Timothy) clearly pointed out that this isn’t true. However, he also acknowledged that there may be a little value to these things. Our fleshly appetites will tempt us to sin, and to practice disciplines of abstaining—such as fasting—can strengthen our willpower muscles and help us to resist future temptation. However, the true benefit isn’t found in the discipline itself, but in the result of the discipline—godliness. When we live by faith in Jesus and in obedience to Him, we will experience blessings in every way, not only today, but for all of eternity.

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

5

7

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

7

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

"Labor" and "strive" don’t necessarily sound like fun-loving, light-hearted ideas. And they’re not!

For some reason, people sometimes think faith in God leads to a life that’s free of problems and filled with pleasures. However, this isn’t necessarily the case—at least not right now. One day, this earth and all its issues will pass away, the Lord will establish a new heaven and earth, and our lives will be free from sin and pain. But until then, we’re involved in a spiritual war, and as soldiers in God’s army, our hope in God compels us to labor and strive toward godliness. What’s at stake is not only our own souls, but the lives of those we point to Christ.

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness?

point out the

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

Bible Studies for Life

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12

Session 1

3. AGE-APPROPRIATE •L evels of Biblical Learning provides the framework for Bible Studies for Life to ensure that students grow in understanding truths from God’s Word that are foundational to our faith, at an age-appropriate level.

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

51

HOW IT WORKS

LIVE IT OUT

COMMUNITY

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Among the greatest gifts God has given us to deal with worry are Christian friends. When we deal with difficult things alone, we’re likely to worry more. However, when we allow others to share in our struggles, God has a way of easing our worries.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

Day One

1 TIMOTHY

9

There are all sorts of false ide concerning the Christian faith. people think that in order to h with God, we only need to bel if we share those “pass this on blessing” posts, surely God w with us. The early church deal issues. Some taught falsely th such as remaining unmarried a from certain foods, were nece However, the true gospel mak requirements. In order to be a Christ, we need to nourish our with the truth of Scripture, foll reveals to us, and share the go The blessings associated with earned, but given by God as e love and grace.

Think of someone you trust and write down his or her name. Go to this friend and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you fail to trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

GOD

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

JESUS

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

CONFESS In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

CHRIST

CULTURE In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

2

What does this passage say?

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

MEMORIZE Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week.

Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

Why is it so important to truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man?

11 What story will you tell?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

FAMILY How does this passage prompt me to pray?

COMMUNITY & WORLD

8

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

9

10

Session 1

1. CLEAR

2. INTERACTIVE

•S tudents connect with the content through clear biblical engagement, applicable teaching, and a compelling design.

• Each session uses interaction, discussion, and reflection to help students engage with Scripture and with one another in meaningful ways.

• The design is clean and modern, engages students visually throughout every session, and makes it easy to follow the important content.

• The content helps students engage personally with Scripture.

•E very session begins with The Bible Meets Life, which connects God’s Word to real-life situations relevant to students’ lives.

52

Bible Studies for Life

• Compelling group questions promote discussion among group members across a wide range of age levels.

Students are challenged to reflect on biblical truth and evaluate how their lives align to the standards set forth in Scripture.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

What’s the best way to rec false teaching?

1

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell.

People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow.

A Centered Life

The

POINT

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Bible Studies for Life

Y 4:6

eas floating around . For example, many have a relationship lieve in Him—and n and you’ll get a will be super happy lt with similar hat human works, and abstaining essary for salvation. kes no such a good servant of r hearts and minds ow the things God ospel with others. h salvation aren’t expressions of His

cognize

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

A lot of people today spend their time on things that are totally pointless. For instance, when your TV remote is dead, how many times do you push the buttons before you’ll install new batteries? This is a silly illustration, but the truth is we often waste a lot of time and energy on pointless activities. Even worse, instead of believing the truth, we believe silly stories about life and eternity. This leads to destruction, but the way to experience victory is to put away all this foolishness, and instead, like a prime athlete, to train ourselves in godly thinking and living.

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

4

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

MATTHEW 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

Some people never worry about anything. They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

5

Session 1

6

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Day Three

Day Four

Some people are gifted athletes, and others are amazing musicians or artists. One thing they all have in common is that to become great, a lot of time and energy had to be invested into practicing. When we devote ourselves to training, there is real value in this. After all, our bodies, gifts, and abilities—all good things in our lives—are gifts from God. Therefore, we’re to steward them well. However, these talents in and of themselves are worth only so much—their value is limited to our earthly lives. Ultimately, what matters is that we are godly. Some people think following God means missing out on a lot of what life has to offer. That God’s law is a list of thou-shalt-not joy-killer fun-stealers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Living for God certainly allows us to experience true joy in the present life. But that’s not all. Living for God is also an investment in eternity.

This passage refers to a specific kind of physical training—namely, disciplining ourselves in terms of what we eat and how we express ourselves within marriage. False teachers said these were requirements for salvation, but Paul (who wrote this letter to Timothy) clearly pointed out that this isn’t true. However, he also acknowledged that there may be a little value to these things. Our fleshly appetites will tempt us to sin, and to practice disciplines of abstaining—such as fasting—can strengthen our willpower muscles and help us to resist future temptation. However, the true benefit isn’t found in the discipline itself, but in the result of the discipline—godliness. When we live by faith in Jesus and in obedience to Him, we will experience blessings in every way, not only today, but for all of eternity.

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

5

7

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

7

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

"Labor" and "strive" don’t necessarily sound like fun-loving, light-hearted ideas. And they’re not!

For some reason, people sometimes think faith in God leads to a life that’s free of problems and filled with pleasures. However, this isn’t necessarily the case—at least not right now. One day, this earth and all its issues will pass away, the Lord will establish a new heaven and earth, and our lives will be free from sin and pain. But until then, we’re involved in a spiritual war, and as soldiers in God’s army, our hope in God compels us to labor and strive toward godliness. What’s at stake is not only our own souls, but the lives of those we point to Christ.

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness?

point out the

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

Bible Studies for Life

11

12

Session 1

3. INTENTIONAL • Every session is designed to make an impact in students’ lives to equip them to positively influence their culture.

• Session content places the lens of God’s Word on relevant issues and events happening every day.

• The Live It Out section challenges students to apply God’s Word to their lives personally, in their communities, and in the world around them.

• Daily devotions expand on ideas from group sessions and help students engage with scriptural truth throughout the week. biblestudiesforlife.com/students

53

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (Sample shown at 82% of actual size)

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

54

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

1

FEATURES 1

1\ C lean design and modern aesthetic helps students engage with Scripture.

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

2\ C lear flow guides students throughout the session, making it easy to engage with the content.

3\ E ach session is built around one central point, which is repeated on each spread throughout the session.

4\ C omplete Scripture

A Centered Life

The 3

POINT

gives students a full view of the passage being studied.

2

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-34 4 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more

for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

5

55

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

2

1

2

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell.

People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

1

Some people never worry about anything. They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key.

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

4 4

6

56

LEVELS 4 OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

Session 1

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES 1\ H eavily interactive

3

content helps students study Scripture and grow in community discussion.

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

2\ T he Bible Meets Life is written directly to students to begin with a personal tone and direct connection through real-life situations.

3\ S ocial media options

5

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

4 When has God provided for you in an

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

unexpected way?

5 How can remembering God’s faithfulness

help you deal with worry?

encourage students to share their faith publicly.

4\ Levels of Biblical Learning, which helps students grow in understanding foundational spiritual truths, is introduced at the beginning of every session.

7

5\ Powerful discussion questions, reflective activities, and interactive opportunities throughout help students understand and connect with God’s Word.

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

6\ Progress bar on the bottom of the page creates an app-like aesthetic throughout.

6

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

Bible Studies for Life

7

57

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

LIVE IT OUT 1

2

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

CHRIST GOD JESUS

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

CONFESS In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

MEMORIZE Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week.

Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

FAMILY COMMUNITY & WORLD

8

58

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

COMMUNITY

1\ T he Levels of Biblical Learning statement is explained within the context of the session— students will learn how foundational truths apply in real life.

Among the greatest gifts God has given us to deal with worry are Christian friends. When we deal with difficult things alone, we’re likely to worry more. However, when we allow others to share in our struggles, God has a way of easing our worries.

9

Think of someone you trust and write down his or her name. Go to this friend and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you fail to trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

2\ L ive It Out section encourages students to live out God’s Word in their personal relationships with Christ, in their communities, and in the world around them.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

CULTURE In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

11 What story will you tell?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

9

59

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

DAILY DEVOTIONS

3

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

1

Day One

1 TIMOTHY 4:6 There are all sorts of false ideas floating around concerning the Christian faith. For example, many people think that in order to have a relationship with God, we only need to believe in Him—and if we share those “pass this on and you’ll get a blessing” posts, surely God will be super happy with us. The early church dealt with similar issues. Some taught falsely that human works, such as remaining unmarried and abstaining from certain foods, were necessary for salvation.

However, the true gospel makes no such requirements. In order to be a good servant of Christ, we need to nourish our hearts and minds with the truth of Scripture, follow the things God reveals to us, and share the gospel with others.

The blessings associated with salvation aren’t earned, but given by God as expressions of His love and grace.

What’s the best way to recognize false teaching?

What does this passage say?

What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

Why is it so important to point out the truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

How does this passage prompt me to pray?

10

60

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES 1\ E ach week includes

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

five days of additional daily devotions to keep students engaged in God’s Word throughout the week.

Day Three 2

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

2\ T hese devotions

A lot of people today spend their time on things that are totally pointless. For instance, when your TV remote is dead, how many times do you push the buttons before you’ll install new batteries? This is a silly illustration, but the truth is we often waste a lot of time and energy on pointless activities. Even worse, instead of believing the truth, we believe silly stories about life and eternity. This leads to destruction, but the way to experience victory is to put away all this foolishness, and instead, like a prime athlete, to train ourselves in godly thinking and living.

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

encourage students to remain in God’s Word beyond group time and provide opportunities to dig deeper into the weekly lessons.

Some people are gifted athletes, and others are amazing musicians or artists. One thing they all have in common is that to become great, a lot of time and energy had to be invested into practicing. When we devote ourselves to training, there is real value in this. After all, our bodies, gifts, and abilities—all good things in our lives—are gifts from God. Therefore, we’re to steward them well. However, these talents in and of themselves are worth only so much—their value is limited to our earthly lives. Ultimately, what matters is that we are godly. Some people think following God means missing out on a lot of what life has to offer. That God’s law is a list of thou-shalt-not joy-killer fun-stealers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Living for God certainly allows us to experience true joy in the present life. But that’s not all. Living for God is also an investment in eternity.

3\ T he Seven Arrows of Bible Reading direct students through seven questions that encourage a deeper engagement with God’s Word.

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

11

61

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Day Four

1 TIMOTHY 4:8 This passage refers to a specific kind of physical training—namely, disciplining ourselves in terms of what we eat and how we express ourselves within marriage. False teachers said these were requirements for salvation, but Paul (who wrote this letter to Timothy) clearly pointed out that this isn’t true. However, he also acknowledged that there may be a little value to these things. Our fleshly appetites will tempt us to sin, and to practice disciplines of abstaining—such as fasting—can strengthen our willpower muscles and help us to resist future temptation. However, the true benefit isn’t found in the discipline itself, but in the result of the discipline—godliness. When we live by faith in Jesus and in obedience to Him, we will experience blessings in every way, not only today, but for all of eternity.

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

"Labor" and "strive" don’t necessarily sound like fun-loving, light-hearted ideas. And they’re not!

For some reason, people sometimes think faith in God leads to a life that’s free of problems and filled with pleasures. However, this isn’t necessarily the case—at least not right now. One day, this earth and all its issues will pass away, the Lord will establish a new heaven and earth, and our lives will be free from sin and pain. But until then, we’re involved in a spiritual war, and as soldiers in God’s army, our hope in God compels us to labor and strive toward godliness. What’s at stake is not only our own souls, but the lives of those we point to Christ.

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness?

How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

12

62

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

“Until you have given up your self to Him, you will not have a real self.”

– C.S. Lewis

“Making disciples of Jesus is the overflow of the delight in being disciples of Jesus.”

– David Platt

ART/QUOTE or Call out to preview PAGE

LEADER GUIDE (Sample shown at 74% of actual size)

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY LEADER DISCIPLESHIP GUIDEGUIDE

Fall 2019

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

65

LEADER GUIDE

1

1

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

A Centered Life

The

2

POINT

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-34 3 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?

25

seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But 28

4

66

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

FOR LEADERS

1\ T he opening pages

(15 minutes)

of the Leader Guide correspond directly with the Daily Discipleship Guide.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT

4

Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

Message to Leaders

2\ T he central point around

Because of the curse of sin upon creation, we will, without a doubt, face all sorts of uncertainties, pressures, and troubles throughout our lives. When we depend on ourselves to deal with these, we’ll find we often fall short, and this produces a great deal of worry. However, if we depend on God to provide for us, we’re released from our worries and moved to deeper faith in Him. Among all the ways the Holy Spirit ministers to us are:

3\ The Scripture passage

which the session is centered is made clear.

is included in every session to give the leader a view of the full context.

comforting us when we experience fear and worry. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to live in obedience to God, even when it’s difficult.

4\ L eaders are given

As you lead students through this session, help them identify the role of the Holy Spirit in their living by faith, in their experiencing God’s comfort, and in their living a life of obedience.

insights into how the Levels of Biblical Learning statement will apply throughout the session.

Engage Option 1 5 Create two large targets (similar to a dartboard) on the floor using tape, and ask students to get into two teams. Give each team a set of plungers, and challenge them to throw the plungers at the targets for points. Each plunger that sticks to the target earns points. Say, “There are many distractions in this world, but if Christ is at the center of our lives, we can experience the blessings of being a part of God’s kingdom.”

Engage Option 2 Place a large poster board in the middle of the room and have students sit in a circle around the board. Ask each student to write down something that takes up a lot of their time (e.g., school, sports, video games, TV, etc.). Say, “We should evaluate our lives daily to make sure we are centered on Jesus and not losing sight of His will for our lives.”

Engage Option 3 Search the Internet for “Jesus-Centered Life - YouTube - You know Jesus.” Play the video as you begin the session. Say, “Our lives should be centered on Christ making Him the priority above all else.”

5\ Three engage options to begin the session, including optional group activities or visual illustrations to introduce the central point each week.

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/ BSFLsimplicityFall19

LEADER PACK ELEMENTS If you have the optional Leader Pack, consider the following: ITEM 1: Introduce students to the unit by displaying the Unit 1 Simplicity poster.

NOTE: Always make sure you preview any video clip you show students and ensure it is appropriate for your church and ministry.

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

5

67

LEADER GUIDE

1

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Some people never worry about anything.

They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key.

THE SETTING Directly following His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began doing ministry in Galilee, the northern, rural region of Israel. As He performed miracles, multitudes began to follow Jesus. On this particular occasion, with His disciples seated next to Him, Jesus shared the truth of God’s message with the many who were present. The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most well-known sermon ever preached, and it contains many practical truths related to life and faith, including how we are to deal with the worries we face.

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes!

If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky.2

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Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

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FEATURES

IMPART (30 minutes)

1\ The Leader Guide contains the same Bible Meets Life material as the Daily Discipleship Guide, allowing leaders to easily engage with students.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

2\ T he main session

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? MATTHEW 6:25-30 When I played baseball in high school, I primarily played third base, but I also pitched from time to time. After one particular game, my arm was really sore, and a trip to the doctor revealed that I had an overuse injury. The answer—rest.

No baseball! This seemed like the end of the world to me. But my dad, who was wiser and older (and I trusted him more than anyone in the world), came to me with a simple message which helped me more than I realized—“It’s going to be all right, buddy.”

content is contained in concise and conversational sections within the Impart pages of the Leader Guide.

3\ All questions are numbered identically in the Leader Guide and the Daily Discipleship Guide to help leaders direct students as they follow along.

Leader: Ask students, “When have you had trouble understanding the perspective of someone older and wiser?” Also consider sharing your own example.

People tend to worry about a lot of things, and this is a picture of our hearts.

When our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual, we end up with the wrong state of mind, which leads to anxiety and worry. The problem is not when we have a concern for our physical needs, but when we let the physical take priority over the spiritual. Jesus was clearly telling us during the Sermon on the Mount that life is more than food and clothing.

However, when we struggle or face uncertain circumstances, simply putting worry away seems tough—even impossible. But it’s important that we recognize who spoke these words. The command came from the mouth of the Creator. The One who put the stars in place, who controls the oceans, who holds the world in the palm of His hand.

He is the One who said, “Don’t worry!”

When I couldn’t play baseball, I was devastated, but my dad knew better than I did what the future held, and he was right. Similarly, when we worry, it’s because we fail to see the big picture. We choose to focus on earthly things, and we fail to trust God as we should. But Jesus reminds us we have a heavenly Father who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers, and He loves us even more than these. In spite of our sinfulness, the Creator of the universe— who has the power to take care of us—values us deeply. This wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry.

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DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 6)

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Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

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LEADER GUIDE

IMPART THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:31-32 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. MATTHEW 6:31-32 Without Christ, our minds are consumed with living the American dream—having the best and being the best. We look for identity and meaning in the things of this world. Great shoes, popularity, and remarkable talent aren’t bad things. In fact, they can be good things when we use them for God’s purposes. However, when we seek personal worth in these, even if we do achieve all we set our hearts on, we’ll find we come up empty. None of these things truly satisfy, and we’re left hungry for more. It boils down to a matter of trust, and without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place.

VERSE 32: According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, more generally it refers to those who are outside the family of God. Those who are lost have every reason to worry about life. God is the source of all we need, and those with no trust in God have to trust in their own abilities to provide for their needs.

When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that He will meet our earthly needs, such as food and water, clothing and shelter. He’s also met our greatest need. Because of our sin, we were separated from God and deserving of His punishment. So He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin, which we could never pay. Without Jesus, we would have endured God’s wrath for eternity, but He provided the answer because of His great love.

Because of Jesus, we can trust God hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20).

Because He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills,” we can trust He will provide (Ps. 50:10).

Because He always pursues our best interest, we can trust He will take care of us (Lam. 3:25-26).

If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is we do not have to remain faithless! When we experience God’s faithfulness, our trust in Him grows and our worries tend to disappear. So get to know Jesus. Trust Him with your life. Make the choice to put away worry in light of the fact that you are a beloved child, and God is faithful.

1 Make the choice to put away worry.

You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

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DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 7)

3 4 5

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

List some ways people deal with worry in their lives.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

FEATURES

IMPART

1\ Tips and brief commentary give leaders great advice and insights for leading the sessions and engaging students.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. MATTHEW 6:33-34 My family lives in Baltimore, and we’re about two and a half hours away from the beach. Every year, we drive over with our kids, and one of their favorite things to do is collect seashells. Sometimes, the beaches are lined with shells of all shapes and colors. However, most of the time, we have to really hunt to find large, complete shells.

When we think of seeking, what often comes to mind is hunting for hidden things.

However, this isn’t what Jesus meant when He told us to “seek first.” The word Jesus used for “seek” means to desire and pursue. We are not seeking something hidden. We are pursuing the things God has clearly revealed, and we are called to do so with passion and as a matter of the highest priority.

Leader: Ask students, “When have you experienced ‘seeking’ after something, perhaps something hidden?”

VERSE 33: Jesus used the Greek word “zeteo” for seek—to desire or crave; reason about how to acquire the object of our desire.

When we worry, there is no benefit whatsoever. A lot of the things we worry about never even happen, and all the worry was for nothing. And when tough situations do happen, instead of making it better, the worry usually makes it worse. Jesus taught that we are to refuse to worry about tomorrow—it doesn’t help anyway. Instead, we should concern ourselves with today, specifically, setting our hearts on Christ. We can think about tomorrow … tomorrow.

This does not mean that if we seek God wholeheartedly, we will have whatever we want—at least, not in an earthly sense. In many parts of the world, there are countless believers who truly love Jesus and live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity, but they do promise God’s provision.

Jesus also wasn’t teaching that we shouldn’t plan for the future.

We are to be diligent about preparing for what may come and putting ourselves in a position to honor God for our whole lives. However, we must also accept that the future isn’t in our control. God is sovereign, and seeking Him first means doing our part to live in obedience and trusting Him with the rest.

All people seek joy and fulfillment. God hasn’t hidden it from us—instead, He’s made it available in Jesus! If we set our hearts on earthly treasures, they will ultimately be destroyed or stolen. However, when our treasure is in heaven—when our greatest desire is God and His kingdom—we can trust that He’ll take care of everything else in our lives.

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 7)

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What does Jesus promise in these verses?

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

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LEADER GUIDE

LIVE IT OUT

(10 minutes)

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

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LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

CHRIST GOD

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Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

JESUS

HOLY SPIRIT

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE FAMILY

CONFESS

MEMORIZE

In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week. Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

COMMUNITY & WORLD

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Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

LIVE IT OUT

1\ Leaders have access

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to the same Levels of Biblical Learning and Live It Out sections as students to easily guide them in applying the truths of Scripture.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

COMMUNITY

2\ The Levels of Biblical

Among the greatest gifts God has given us to deal with worry are Christian friends. When we deal with difficult things alone, we’re likely to worry more. However, when we allow others to share in our struggles, God has a way of easing our worries.

Learning statement is explained within the context of the session— leaders will help students see how foundational truths apply in real life.

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Think of someone you trust and write down his or her name.

Go to this friend and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you fail to trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

3\ The Live It Out section provides leaders with intentional ways to help students apply God’s Word personally, within Christian community, and in the world around them.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

CULTURE In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

11 What story will you tell?

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STUDENT PRODUCTS LEADER GUIDE The Bible Studies for Life: Students Leader Guide gives leaders clear direction and support by equipping them to lead discussion and disciple students. Each session provides commentary aimed at helping leaders better understand the Bible passages they are teaching.

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE The Daily Discipleship Guide helps each student engage with God’s Word in an intentional way during group study, as well as on their own.

Includes five days of short devotionals to keep students engaged in God’s Word on their own throughout the week.

LEADER PACK The Bible Studies for Life: Students Leader Pack is a useful tool to help leaders prepare, present, and support the group study each week. Details on how each item enhances the group experience are included in the Student Leader Guide. The Pack includes: a DVD-ROM with 3-to-5-minute videos to introduce and illustrate the point for each session throughout the quarter, posters, PowerPoint® templates, and PDF files of Live It Out and One Conversation™ for each session.

biblestudiesforlife.com/students 74

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

DIGITAL

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell.

People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

Some people never worry about anything. They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key.

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

MATTHEW 6:31-32

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6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

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What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

List some ways people deal with worry in their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

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Session 1

MATTHEW 6:33-34

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1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

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8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

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ANNUAL DIGITAL BUNDLE Provides all the resources students and leaders need for an entire year of study.

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD An eBook that contains the same content as the Daily Discipleship Guide and Leader Guide, making reading and interacting with the session perfect on the go.

Fall 2019

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

APP Contains the same content as the Daily Discipleship Guide for both iOS and Android devices.

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Bible Studies for Life helps students understand that life and faith are not separate. By starting with real-life circumstances, students are challenged to see the connection between theology and application.

Levels of Biblical Learning provides the overall framework for the three-year Bible Studies for Life study plan. This framework helps to ensure that students grow in understanding foundational biblical truths at an age-appropriate level.

Over the course of the study plan, Bible Studies for Life will challenge students to apply these biblical truths in their relationships with Christ, their church family, their peers, and in reaching others around them who do not know Jesus.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE STUDY PLAN, VISIT BIBLESTUDIESFORLIFE.COM/STUDENTS

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Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

A DU LTS

Preview Guide

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

COLOSSIANS 2:6-7

CSB ÂŽ

FROM THE EDITOR It’s important to know what God reveals through His Word, but knowledge by itself falls short. God desires for His truth to transform our thoughts, our attitudes, and our actions. And when our study of God’s Word meets us right where we live, we’re on the road to growing in Christ.

That’s discipleship—and that is the ultimate goal of Bible study.

Discipleship is the driving force behind Bible Studies for Life.

Discipleship is a lifelong journey toward Christlikeness, and Bible Studies for Life is our companion on this journey. As we dig into the gospel, the history, the doctrines, and the issues facing the men and women in the pages of Scripture, Bible Studies for Life keeps circling through the attributes of a disciple, taking us ever further down the path of discipleship.

In this preview guide, we want to introduce you to the resources

THE BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE TEAM

that take you on this journey. You’ll discover two essential starting points—a Personal Study Guide and a Daily Discipleship Guide.

Ken Braddy, Manager

Either option looks at the same passages and focuses on the same

Lynn Pryor, Team Leader

aspects of discipleship, but each approaches it in slightly different

Brian Gass, Adult Editor Amber Vaden, Daily Discipleship Guide Content Editor Chris Johnson, Senior Adult Content Editor Tim Lynch, Commentary Content Editor Curtis Honts, Commentary Content Editor Lee Bailey, Production Editor

ways. You can choose which path best serves your group as they journey toward Christlikeness.

Bible Studies for Life has been transformative in my life and in the lives of those I lead. I am confident it will do the same for you.

Dawn Woods, Production Editor Darin Clark, Graphic Design Specialist

Lynn Pryor Team Leader lynn.pryor@lifeway.com

biblestudiesforlife.com/adults

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DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY Our Bible Studies for Life Philosophy

Discipleship is the lifestyle of walking with God. As church leaders, we need to give followers of Jesus a pathway to walk on as they become more like Jesus and advance His kingdom. The Discipleship Pathway is built on three characteristics:

CENTERED ON THE GOSPEL True discipleship not only begins with the gospel, it’s fueled and refreshed by the gospel on a moment-by-moment basis. The Discipleship Pathway, therefore, never moves beyond the gospel.

EXPANDING IN SCOPE True discipleship is expansive in nature, both in us and through us. God’s work expands in us as we personally become more like Jesus in thought, mind, and action. God’s work also expands through us as we seek to bring others on the pathway with us.

DISPLAYED IN REAL LIFE True discipleship results in practical change. Those walking the Discipleship Pathway will behave differently because they are being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Every pathway has signposts—markers to show a person’s progress on the pathway.

Our research has identified eight signposts of discipleship that our Bible Studies for Life: Adults studies are built upon. These are lifestyle patterns that ought to be growing in ever-increasing measure the longer a person walks the pathway of discipleship.

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HOW IT HELPS 1

TH E PO I NT

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

TH E B I B LE M E ETS LI F E Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can.

Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city. The list goes on and on.

I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “whatif” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my father never comes to know Christ?

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? I do. Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ . . . well, that changes everything.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

A Centered Life 14

S E S S ION 1

THE P OINT

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

Matthew 6:33-34 33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

“Seek first.” The word Jesus used for “seek” is zeteo, which means to desire and pursue.

We are not seeking something that is hidden; instead, we are pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority.

Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

Question 4:

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

Question 1:

What are some things you never worry about anymore?

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E

This does not mean that if you seek God wholeheartedly, you will have whatever you want. Consider how that idea of prosperity plays out in other parts of the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty.

Jesus’ words do not promise American prosperity but God’s provision. He takes care

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of His children. Seeking God gives us proper perspective.

Jesus promised that each day will have enough trouble of its own. We cannot escape the troubled day, but we can escape worry.

Today, focus on Christ. Make Him first. We can think about tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow.

Jesus was not speaking against planning or preparation for the future. My wife and I have four children and we are planning for their future. We have started college funds, we pray for their salvation, we pray for their purity, we pray for the right friends to enter their lives, and we pray for their spouses. After we plan, prepare, and pray, we leave the unknowns of the future in the hands of our Father. Without a focus on Christ, it’s easy to be terrified of what this world will do to our sweet children.

We have a decision to make: will we be paralyzed by fear of tomorrow’s unknowns, or will we choose to seek the kingdom of God? It’s a daily choice to trust the sovereign and loving God who sits on His throne.

Question 5:

How can our group help one another prioritize the kingdom of God?

S E S S ION 1

1. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE • Each study starts with an issue we face and shows how we address it from God’s Word.

• The entire study is focused on one key point that connects the Bible to our lives.

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2 THE POI NT

WH AT DO E S TH E B I B LE SAY ?

Matthew 6:25-30 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?”

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In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to a wrong state of mind which leads to anxiety and worry.

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life.” Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are hearing these words from the mouth of the

Creator. The Creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who controls the oceans, the One who holds the world in the palm of His hand was telling us, “Do not worry!” You would think that would be enough to cure us of worry, but it often isn’t.

When we worry, it’s because we have allowed our minds to focus and live in disbelief.

But what do we actually achieve if we attain all these things? Sitting right next to us in our nice homes is a void, a hopelessness, and a lack of peace. None of these things truly satisfy; we’re left hungry and thirsty for more. It boils down to a matter of trust: without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place.

Trust should be placed in God who does what is best for us.

Consider how God provided for our greatest need. We are sinners in need of a Savior. God saw that need and sent His Son, His greatest treasure. God provided the perfect lamb for imperfect people. And we didn’t have anything to do with that provision!

Matthew 6:31-32

Question 3:

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

A lack of trust produces a life of worry.

According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. This group of lost people has every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need.

When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that our greatest need was met. And since God has taken care of our biggest need, we can trust Him to take care of all our needs!

God does not have a hearing problem. He hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20).

God does not have a providing problem. He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10).

God does not have a timing problem. He provides what we need when we need it (Prov. 3:5-6).

Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves.

Question 2:

What kinds of things cause people to worry?

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Many of these things are not inherently bad—a nice home, a new car, a big salary—but we tend to let these things define us. Our trust is in our own ability to perform in order to get what we need or want.

understand why God would love them when they are so flawed and sinful. But Jesus painted a wholly different picture of our heavenly Father as One who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers yet loves us so much more. In spite of our sinfulness, God loves and values us deeply. That wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry.

31 “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Problems begin to arise in our lives when we allow our concern for physical needs to take priority over our spiritual needs. Jesus was clearly telling us that life is more than that.

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

So why shouldn’t we worry when life seems overwhelming with so many unmet demands? Verse 26 tells us why, and the reason is tied to the great value we have in the eyes of our Father. Sometimes it’s truly hard to comprehend that God loves us as His children. Some of us have not had the greatest father figures, and some of us have had no fathers at all. Others cannot

If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. He called us “You of little faith.” Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is that we do not have to stay faithless!

Without Christ, our minds are consumed with living the American dream. Accumulation is the name of the game. We seek the things of this world to give us identity and value.

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S E S S ION 1

B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E

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Engage

THE POI NT

CENTERED IN CHRIST Reflect on the common areas of life listed below. Consider the circles as levels of concern in your life. Place the letter beside each word from the list onto the circle that represents its importance based on the amount of attention you give it.

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

LIV E IT OUT How will you actively seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Consider the following applications: Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

3

Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

It may feel at times as if worry is inevitable and you’re drowning in anxiety. Worry may have a way of worming its ugly head into your life, but it doesn’t have to consume you.

Make a daily decision to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

A. Work B. Family Time C. Recreation D. Rest E. House Maintenance F. Church Life G. Christ H. Other: _______________ If Jesus is not in the center, offer a prayer of repentance and commitment to give Christ Lordship in your life.

“We sin not because we do not love Christ at all but because we don’t love him above all.”

BRYA N C H A PEL L

1 Roni Caryn Rabin, “Worried? You’re Not Alone,” New York Times, May 9, 2016, http://well.blogs.nytimes. com/2016/05/09/worried-youre-not-alone.

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2. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

3. LIVE IT OUT

• In a conversational tone, the Bible is studied for what God has said about the life issue.

• The overall study is broken into bite-sized content to strengthen our ability to understand the meaning of the passage.

• Questions are used during the group study to guide the discussion of God’s Word.

• A single activity engages our thinking on a different level as we seek to connect the Bible to life.

• Three specific application ideas are provided—there’s something for everyone.

• One idea is relatively easy, especially for those new to the faith or new to the group.

• The other application ideas call for more commitment.

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HOW IT WORKS STU DY TH E B I B LE 15 MINUTES

Matthew 6:33-34 33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:33-34 on page 18 of the PSG.

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RECAP: The word Jesus used for “seek” is zeteo, which means to desire and pursue. We are not seeking something that is hidden; instead, we are pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority. Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

ALTERNATE QUESTION:

How can we follow Jesus’ wisdom not to worry about tomorrow yet still plan for the future?

GUIDE: Use the Commentary for the verses on the next page of this Leader Guide to explain what Jesus meant by the “kingdom of God.” DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 18 of the PSG: “What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?”

RECAP: This does not mean that if you seek God wholeheartedly, you will have whatever you want. Consider how that idea of prosperity plays out in other parts of the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise American prosperity but God’s provision. He takes care of His children. Seeking God gives us proper perspective. Jesus promised that each day will have enough trouble of its own. We cannot escape the troubled day, but we can escape worry. Today, focus on Christ. Make Him first. We can think about tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow.

DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 18 of the PSG: “How can our group help one another prioritize the kingdom of God?” DO: Direct group members to Engage with “Centered in Christ,” on page 19 of the PSG (page 25 in this Leader Guide) to help them reflect on their own priorities and make application.

GUIDE: Refer back to “The Point” for this session: “When your life is centered in Christ, you will find all you need.”

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1. GROUP PLAN Clear directives and simple instructions are provided to help the leader guide a discussion based on Scripture.

•T he five discussion questions from the Personal Study Guide are referenced, and alternate questions are provided.

•T he leader is instructed in how to use Engage from the Personal Study Guide as a part of the group study.

•L eader Pack posters and handouts—designed to generate questions and further discussion—are referenced in the group plan.

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2 T H E P OIN T

LIVE IT OUT

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

Matthew 6:33-34 Commentary [VERSE 33] We make the best use of our lives when we have a target. We can take aim at the target with our thoughts, words, and actions. In that way, we can make a difference each day. What’s our aim in life?

If it isn’t worrying about what we need, then what’s the center of our lives? Jesus asserted that our target is the kingdom of God. He directs us to seek it. In other words, it’s the target we aim for each day.

Believers are “already but not yet” people. We’ve already given our lives to Christ and live in the absolute certainty we belong to Him. Furthermore, we readily rejoice in the confidence He will never leave us and heaven is our home. But we’re not there yet. Neither have we arrived at complete spiritual maturity yet. We’re making progress, but we have not finished the journey. Thus, each day finds us centering our lives in Christ so we will be useful citizens of the kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom composed of people who belong to Him. Knowing Him better and serving Him more faithfully is what we seek to do each day.

As Jesus helped us identify the target of our lives, He directed us to His righteousness. Being righteous means being right with Him. Being right with Him begins by trusting in Him. That was true for Abraham (Gen. 15:6), and it’s true for us too (Rom. 4:16-25).

Accordingly, when we seek His righteousness, our thoughts turn to living by faith in Him. When we set God’s kingdom and righteousness as our daily target, we learn to place our lives in His hands in complete trust that He’ll provide what we need. As our trust in Him grows stronger, we see our troubles with worry subside. Instead, we’re more centered on the Lord Himself.

Jesus assured us that when we take the path He directed in this verse, everything in our lives will fall into place. We’ll learn to see more clearly what we need and trust Him more completely to make it available for us. That’s when we’re able to live in the confidence He’ll never fail us.

5 MINUTES

[VERSE 34] Once more, we’re drawn to the first word in the verse: therefore. It challenges us to reflect on what He has taught about centering our lives in Him. It prompts us to put into practice what we’ve learned. He guides us to think simply and clearly about tomorrow. Jesus knows we tend to get anxious about what we need today but do not have on hand. He’s also fully aware we let ourselves get worried about what we’ll need tomorrow too.

We can become consumed with anxiety over what may or may not happen when the sun rises in the morning. Then we burden ourselves with stress as we ponder the notion of tomorrow’s coming with all the uncertainties about what it’s going to hold for us.

GUIDE: Direct group members to page 20 of the PSG. Encourage them to choose one of the following applications to carry out this week.

>

Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

>

Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

>

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

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Wrap It Up

Jesus helped us put tomorrow in its proper perspective by bringing up God’s wisdom that’s both simple and profound at the same time. Tomorrow’s trouble will meet us then. When or if we’re confronted with it, the Lord will be there. He’ll get us through it by supplying what we need so we can deal with it. Because we’re Christians, we’re citizens of the kingdom of God. As kingdom citizens, we can count on His presence. He will work in us to sustain us, strengthen us, empower us, and help us with whatever we need. While we can rest assured of His provision, we’re even more grateful for the assurance of His care. With that assurance, we can rest in Him and not be anxious about what tomorrow will bring our way.

TRANSITION: Read or restate the final paragraph from page 20 of the PSG. It may feel at times as if worry is inevitable and you’re drowning in anxiety.

Worry may have a way of worming its ugly head into your life, but it doesn’t have to consume you. Make a daily decision to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

PRAY: Conclude by thanking the Lord for meeting all of our needs in His time and in His way. Ask Him for the faith to set our hearts on the kingdom of God and the faith to trust in Him daily for everything else.

What matters is today. Yesterday has left; tomorrow might never arrive. We only have today. Trusting Him for what we need today makes good sense for growing believers. Living with simplicity means we don’t allow ourselves to become victims of worry about tomorrow. Instead we take to heart the reality of His presence today and the certainty of His care for us so we can live for Him in the present.

We have no better choice than to center our lives in Christ by trusting Him today and tomorrow.

Free additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra B I B L E S T U DI E S F OR L I F E

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S e S S ion 1

2. COMMENTARY

3. APPLICATION

Commentary gives the leader a deeper understanding of the people, places, and Bible customs mentioned in the passage.

Group session ends with Live It Out, challenging group members to live out the point of the study.

Three practical suggestions are provided.

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ORDERING GUIDE e ADU LTS ipleship Guid Daily Disc FALL 2019

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1: Study Simplicity: tment Conten Finding Life in a Busy 2: Study Know How to God’s Will

STUDY BEFORE AND LEARN/DISCUSS AT THE GROUP MEETING

LEARN/DISCUSS AT THE GROUP MEETING AND STUDY AFTER

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

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Includes daily devotionals. Order one per group member, including the leader.

SEE PAGE 87 FOR SAMPLE SESSION.

SEE PAGE 107 FOR SAMPLE SESSION.

LEADER GUIDE Order one per leader.

LEADER PACK

SEE PAGE 96 FOR SAMPLE SESSION.

Provides a variety of visual aids, promo videos for each study, and customizable Leader Guide content.

LEADER PACK Provides a variety of visual aids, promo videos for each study, and customizable Leader Guide content.

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ADULTS GROUP BOX Includes 10 Personal Study Guides, 1 Leader Guide, 1 Leader Pack, 1 Advanced Bible Study, 1 Biblical Illustrator, and a free Wordsearch Bible digital library.

SEE PAGE 121 FOR EXPANDED DESCRIPTIONS AND ADDITIONAL OPTIONS.

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SIX-SESSION BIBLE STUDY BOOK

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1

ADULT PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE

A Centered Life

(Sample shown at 80% of actual size)

FEATURES 1 Opening question is an icebreaker that is easy for anyone to answer. In fact, there is no wrong answer.

It’s designed to get people talking and sharing life stories that will enhance the group experience as the study continues.

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Question 1:

What are some things you never worry about anymore?

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PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE

TH E PO I NT

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

1

TH E B I B LE M E ETS LI FE Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can.

Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city. The list goes on and on.

I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “whatif” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my father never comes to know Christ?

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S E S S ION 1

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Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? I do. Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ . . . well, that changes everything.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

FEATURES 1 This section connects the study to our discipleship and aspects of everyday life.

WHAT DO E S TH E B I B LE SAY ?

Matthew 6:25-30 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?”

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2

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to a wrong state of mind which leads to anxiety and worry.

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life.” Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are hearing these words from the mouth of the

Creator. The Creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who controls the oceans, the One who holds the world in the palm of His hand was telling us, “Do not worry!” You would think that would be enough to cure us of worry, but it often isn’t.

When we worry, it’s because we have allowed our minds to focus and live in disbelief.

2 The studies are written in a conversational tone, crafted to dig into God’s Word without being dry or academic.

3 Questions are also referenced in the Leader Guide.

Problems begin to arise in our lives when we allow our concern for physical needs to take priority over our spiritual needs. Jesus was clearly telling us that life is more than that.

Question 2:

3

What kinds of things cause people to worry?

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T H E P OI N T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

So why shouldn’t we worry when life seems overwhelming with so many unmet demands? Verse 26 tells us why, and the reason is tied to the great value we have in the eyes of our Father. Sometimes it’s truly hard to comprehend that God loves us as His children. Some of us have not had the greatest father figures, and some of us have had no fathers at all. Others cannot

understand why God would love them when they are so flawed and sinful. But Jesus painted a wholly different picture of our heavenly Father as One who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers yet loves us so much more. In spite of our sinfulness, God loves and values us deeply. That wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry.

Matthew 6:31-32 “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

31

A lack of trust produces a life of worry.

According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. This group of lost people has every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need.

Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves.

Without Christ, our minds are consumed with living the American dream. Accumulation is the name of the game. We seek the things of this world to give us identity and value.

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S E S S ION 1

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FEATURES 1 Bulleted points make

Many of these things are not inherently bad—a nice home, a new car, a big salary—but we tend to let these things define us. Our trust is in our own ability to perform in order to get what we need or want.

it easy for a group leader to reference them as he/she leads the group.

But what do we actually achieve if we attain all these things? Sitting right next to us in our nice homes is a void, a hopelessness, and a lack of peace. None of these things truly satisfy; we’re left hungry and thirsty for more. It boils down to a matter of trust: without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place.

Trust should be placed in God who does what is best for us.

Consider how God provided for our greatest need. We are sinners in need of a Savior. God saw that need and sent His Son, His greatest treasure. God provided the perfect lamb for imperfect people. And we didn’t have anything to do with that provision!

Question 3:

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that our greatest need was met. And since God has taken care of our biggest need, we can trust Him to take care of all our needs!

1

God does not have a hearing problem. He hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20).

God does not have a providing problem. He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10).

God does not have a timing problem. He provides what we need when we need it (Prov. 3:5-6).

If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. He called us “You of little faith.” Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is that we do not have to stay faithless!

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T H E P OI N T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

33

“Seek first.” The word Jesus used for “seek” is zeteo, which means to desire and pursue.

We are not seeking something that is hidden; instead, we are pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority.

Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

Question 4:

1

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

This does not mean that if you seek God wholeheartedly, you will have whatever you want. Consider how that idea of prosperity plays out in other parts of the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty.

Jesus’ words do not promise American prosperity but God’s provision. He takes care

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of His children. Seeking God gives us proper perspective.

Jesus promised that each day will have enough trouble of its own. We cannot escape the troubled day, but we can escape worry.

Today, focus on Christ. Make Him first. We can think about tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow.

Jesus was not speaking against planning or preparation for the future. My wife and I have four children and we are planning for their future. We have started college funds, we pray for their salvation, we pray for their purity, we pray for the right friends to enter their lives, and we pray for their spouses. After we plan, prepare, and pray, we leave the unknowns of the future in the hands of our Father. Without a focus on Christ, it’s easy to be terrified of what this world will do to our sweet children.

We have a decision to make: will we be paralyzed by fear of tomorrow’s unknowns, or will we choose to seek the kingdom of God? It’s a daily choice to trust the sovereign and loving God who sits on His throne.

Question 5:

How can our group help one another prioritize the kingdom of God?

S E S S ION 1

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2

FEATURES

Engage

1 Questions are

CENTERED IN CHRIST

specifically designed to get the group talking to stimulate interaction and enhance community.

Reflect on the common areas of life listed below. Consider the circles as levels of concern in your life. Place the letter beside each word from the list onto the circle that represents its importance based on the amount of attention you give it.

2 Engage is a short, intuitive activity to help connect the Bible to your life.

A. Work B. Family Time C. Recreation D. Rest E. House Maintenance F. Church Life G. Christ H. Other: _______________ If Jesus is not in the center, offer a prayer of repentance and commitment to give Christ Lordship in your life.

“We sin not because we do not love Christ at all but because we don’t love him above all.”

BRYA N C H A PEL L

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FEATURES 1 Live It Out offers

T H E P OI N T

three clear ideas on how you can apply the point of the study to your life.

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

1

LIVE IT OUT How will you actively seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Consider the following applications:

2 Space is provided for the individual to write additional thoughts and how he/she will specifically live out the point of the session.

Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

It may feel at times as if worry is inevitable and you’re drowning in anxiety. Worry may have a way of worming its ugly head into your life, but it doesn’t have to consume you.

Make a daily decision to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

2

1 Roni Caryn Rabin, “Worried? You’re Not Alone,” New York Times, May 9, 2016, http://well.blogs.nytimes. com/2016/05/09/worried-youre-not-alone.

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S E S S ION 1

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“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” ROMANS 12:1-2

CSB ®

LEADER GUIDE B i b l e

S E S S ION 1

A Centered Life

S t u d i e s

For use with the Personal Study Guide

f o r

(Sample shown at 70% of actual size)

L i f e

The Point When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

The Passage Matthew 6:25-34

1

The Bible Meets Life Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can. Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city. The list goes on and on. I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “what-if” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass?

What if my father never comes to know Christ?

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? I do. Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ . . . well, that changes everything.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

The Setting A large crowd gathered on a mountainside and listened to Jesus as He taught His disciples about following Him. His instruction came to be known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). He taught His disciples about how He intended for them to live as believers. That’s why He instructed them regarding how to give, pray, and fast (6:1-18). Then He instructed them on how to deal with their possessions (vv. 19-24) and how to live without worry (vv. 25-34).

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FEATURES T H E P OIN T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

1 The Bible Meets Life gives a clear connection between life and how the Bible addresses the issues we face.

G ET I NTO TH E STU DY LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item 1, the “Worry” poster. As your group arrives, have pens available and instruct members to record on the poster the kinds of things they tend to worry about.

Responses can be less serious items but should also include a few very real issues that can lead to worry. Once everyone has arrived, discuss the responses and take a vote to determine the top three issues. Circle those top three issues on the poster.

DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 13 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG): “What are some things you never worry about anymore?” Allow time for each person to respond.

2

5 MINUTES

2 These studies make

Want to know about biblical culture, people, archaeology, and history?

Biblical Illustrator has articles that tie to each session in this study at lifeway.com/BI.

it easy for new leaders to facilitate a group discussion.

GUIDE: Direct group members to “The Bible Meets Life” on page 14 of the PSG. Introduce the importance of centering our lives in Christ by reading or summarizing the text—or by encouraging group members to read it on their own.

LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item 2, the “Simplicity” poster, to introduce the major theme of this study, along with the special focus of each session.

GUIDE: Call attention to “The Point” on page 14 of the PSG: “When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.”

ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): In advance, print out a photo or show a video clip displaying the Big Dipper pointing toward the North Star. Ask members if they recognize the constellation and if they can pick out the North Star. Point out how ancient seafarers used this star to guide their travels. Invite discussion about how Jesus is our North Star. If we stay focused on Him and His kingdom, everything else falls into place.

NOTE: A link to a photo may be found at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra.

PRAY: Transition into the study by asking the Lord to help the group direct our attention to Him and hear from Him during this study so that we can center our lives in Christ.

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LEADER GUIDE

STU DY TH E B I B LE 1 10 MINUTES

Matthew 6:25-30 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.

30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?”

25

READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:25-30 on page 15 of the PSG. GUIDE: Use the Commentary for the verses on the next page of this Leader Guide to explain the comparisons Jesus made to the birds of the sky and the grass of the field.

RECAP: In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to a wrong state of mind which leads to anxiety and worry.

ALTERNATE QUESTION:

2

What’s the relationship between faith and worry?

DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 15 of the PSG: “What kinds of things cause people to worry?”

RECAP: Sometimes it’s hard to truly comprehend that God loves us as His children. Some of us have not had the greatest father figures, and some of us have had no fathers at all. Others cannot understand why God would love them when they are so flawed and sinful. But Jesus painted a wholly different picture of our heavenly Father as One who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers yet loves us so much more. In spite of our sinfulness, God loves and values us deeply. That wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry.

TRANSITION: Not only does Jesus say that we should not worry, but in the next verses we learn that we should trust God to do what is best for us.

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FEATURES T H E P OIN T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

1 Each session addresses 6 to 12 verses, allowing the group to go deeper.

Matthew 6:25-30 Commentary [VERSE 25] As we approach this verse, we’re drawn to its first word. Therefore catches our attention and urges us to grasp the reason Jesus wanted people to listen closely to what He was about to say. Beginning in Matthew 5:1, Jesus engaged people with His instruction about how He intends for His disciples to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. As He taught, He underscored a variety of concerns we face as we serve Him. In Matthew 6:25, He brought up our tendency to worry. Jesus showed us how Christians who struggle with worry can overcome it.

He challenged followers not to worry. Of course, He wasn’t implying Christians have His permission to be irresponsible or not try to take care of ourselves or the people in our lives. Rather, He confronted our inclination to be obsessed with anxiety over some of the basic needs in life. Granted, we need food and clothing. However, obsessive anxiety about these needs robs us of the quality of life He intends for us to enjoy as God’s people.

[VERSE 26] What’s the best way to handle worry?

Jesus taught us to take a long look into the sky.

When we do, we’ll find birds flying everywhere, and not a one of them seems concerned about what they’ll eat. They don’t give attention to planting seeds or harvesting grain. They’re free from care because the Father cares and provides for them.

Jesus raised an important question for believers when anxiety hovers over us, overshadowing us with a sense of uneasiness and fear. God values birds.

But aren’t we more valuable to Him? He feeds birds because they matter to Him. He’ll certainly provide for us because we matter to Him even more.

[VERSE 27] But Jesus didn’t stop there. He asked another question. It’s a question that gets to the heart of our fretful anxiety. With this question, Jesus connected worry with our life span. Will our worry help us to live longer? Will it give us one additional moment of life? If it doesn’t, it’s a gigantic waste of our time and energy.

Worry won’t change anything. Who can forget the old saying that worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. Rocking back and forth in the chair gives us something to do. But it really doesn’t get us anywhere. Likewise, worrying will consume our thoughts, imprison our emotions, and take away the joy in our lives.

2 The opening question is an icebreaker that is easy for anyone to answer and gets the group comfortable talking together.

[VERSE 28] After addressing our essential need for food, Jesus turned our attention to clothes. In our day, clothes protect us when we face terribly cold or awfully hot weather. In Jesus’ day, the harsh climate made the need for clothes even more critical.

Again, Jesus took us outdoors to help us to overcome obsessive worry. He encouraged us to take some time studying how God adorns a field full of wildflowers. However, we won’t find any of the flowers working diligently to make themselves beautiful. Their beauty appears effortlessly. They obviously don’t give a minute of their time to working in the meadow where they bloom.

[VERSE 29] King Solomon ruled over Israel with tremendous success. The Lord gave him wisdom to rule well. Because of his wisdom, his power and wealth grew exponentially. He led the kingdom to extend its reach far and wide. With his buildings alone, Solomon rendered more than enough breathtaking beauty for everyone to see. But as Jesus confirmed, what Solomon produced didn’t approach the splendor provided by a field full of flowers.

[VERSE 30] Jesus led us to observe the way God adorns the grass of the field. At the same time, He guided us to notice how long it lasts. Beautiful flowers fade quickly. Before long, the plants start to shrivel in the heat; then they’re gone. They’re tossed in a furnace as food for a fire. When we reflect on their splendor that stays only for a little while, we marvel at the way God goes to so much trouble for His creation. The issue at the heart of worry isn’t whether God will care for us. Rather, it’s whether we will trust Him to do it.

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STU DY TH E B I B LE Matthew 6:31-32

10 MINUTES

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

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READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:31-32 on page 16 of the PSG. RECAP: A lack of trust produces a life of worry. According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. This group of lost people has every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need.

Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves.

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GUIDE: Use the Commentary for the verses on the next page of this Leader Guide to explain further what Jesus meant by “the Gentiles.”

ALTERNATE QUESTION:

What are some ways people deal with worry in their lives?

DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 17 of the PSG: “When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?”

SUMMARIZE: When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that our greatest need was met. And since God has taken care of our biggest need, we can trust Him to take care of all our needs! Highlight the main points from page 17 of the PSG.

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God does not have a hearing problem. He hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20).

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God does not have a timing problem. He provides what we need when we need it (Prov. 3:5-6).

God does not have a providing problem. He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10).

If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. He called us “You of little faith.” Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is that we do not have to stay faithless!

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TRANSITION: The next verses further demonstrate that we must seek the things of God above all else.

S e S S ion 1

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FEATURES T H E P OIN T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

Matthew 6:31-32 Commentary [VERSE 31] Jesus didn’t intend to shame us or punish us with His assertion about the weakness of our faith in Him. He’s not interested in hurting us. Instead, He wants to shape our perspective. Gently but firmly, He works in us so we’ll grow spiritually toward maturity in our relationship with Him. For that reason, we do well to interpret His statement about our small faith as an appeal instead of a reprimand. He’s interested in taking us from living with worry to walking by faith.

Jesus helps us to move in that direction by teaching us about centering. He instructed us not to center our lives on what we need. When we make that mistake, we nourish the bad habit of worrying over what we haven’t gotten and how we can get it. We underscore that we’re not centered properly by what we keep on saying about what we lack.

As Jesus showed, the problem with worry doesn’t stop with what we’ll eat. It comes into the question regarding what we will drink too. Again, worry cultivates despair as we center our thoughts on what would happen if we didn’t have enough. Our fear of being thirsty gives way to doubt about where we’ll get water. The same problem in our thinking shows up when we ask questions about what we will wear.

When our concerns swirl around whether we’ll have enough clothing, we open the door to anxiety.

Ultimately, we come face to face with a hard reality about worrying. When we center our lives on ourselves and our needs, we prove we have lost sight of the Lord. By the same token, if we determine we’re going to trust Him, we center our lives in Him and the assurance of His care. If we center on our needs, we worry. However, if we center our lives in Christ, we learn to walk by faith. We take critical steps away from futile and frustrating anxiety toward fruitful and fulfilling faith.

[VERSE 32] Jesus intended for His disciples to be characterized by faith in Him instead of anxiety over what they needed but didn’t have yet. Such a character trait would make Christians distinctly

1 Alternate questions

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give you an option—a way to customize or expand your group discussion.

different from people with no relationship with Him. When Jesus mentioned Gentiles, He had in mind people who didn’t know Him or how He worked.

They devoted themselves fully to the pagan deities of their day, but they didn’t live by faith in those idols. Rather, they lived in fear of them. They thought the idol they worshiped had to be appeased. If the deity was displeased with them, they could expect its wrath to be poured out on them. For that reason, they tried to please the idol at every juncture.

2 Transition statements help you move smoothly through the study.

Idolaters didn’t live by faith in the idol. Quite the opposite, they were terrorized by it. They had little or no hope that an idol would provide them with something to eat and drink or clothes to wear.

Instead, they depended only on themselves when it came to getting what they needed to live. For that reason, they looked for ways to gather up their own food, clothes, and anything else they needed. That reflected their troublesome habit of centering their lives on what they needed to get for themselves.

3 Newly expanded commentary coincides with the verses studied on the facing page.

When we think about the idol worshipers of Jesus’ day, we understand more about His insistence that we trust Him to supply what we need. Instead of a lifeless idol, we serve a living Lord who came into our lives when we received His gift of salvation. Since the day He saved us, He’s been helping us so we will grow from spiritual infancy to maturity.

Centering our lives in Christ nourishes our trust in Him. We come to rest in the certainty that He’s faithful to provide us with anything and everything that will enable us to serve Him effectively. According to Jesus, our heavenly Father has a firm grasp of what’s going on with us and what we need.

Therefore, we can settle into the simple certainty that He’ll provide. We have no need to let worry drive us to be fretful over what we need and how we’ll get it. Rather, we allow our faith in Him to center us and assure us He loves us, cares for us, and provides for us because we’re His children. When we center our lives in Him, we live in the confidence that everything else in our lives will fall into place.

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STU DY TH E B I B LE Matthew 6:33-34

15 MINUTES

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

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READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:33-34 on page 18 of the PSG.

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RECAP: The word Jesus used for “seek” is zeteo, which means to desire and pursue. We are not seeking something that is hidden; instead, we are pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority. Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

GUIDE: Use the Commentary for the verses on the next page of this Leader Guide to explain what Jesus meant by the “kingdom of God.”

ALTERNATE QUESTION:

How can we follow Jesus’ wisdom not to worry about tomorrow yet still plan for the future?

DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 18 of the PSG: “What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?”

RECAP: This does not mean that if you seek God wholeheartedly, you will have whatever you want. Consider how that idea of prosperity plays out in other parts of the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise American prosperity but God’s provision. He takes care of His children. Seeking God gives us proper perspective. Jesus promised that each day will have enough trouble of its own. We cannot escape the troubled day, but we can escape worry. Today, focus on Christ. Make Him first. We can think about tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow.

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DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 18 of the PSG: “How can our group help one another prioritize the kingdom of God?” DO: Direct group members to Engage with “Centered in Christ,” on page 19 of the PSG (page 25 in this Leader Guide) to help them reflect on their own priorities and make application.

GUIDE: Refer back to “The Point” for this session: “When your life is centered in Christ, you will find all you need.”

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FEATURES T H E P OIN T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

1 Clear directions and terms are used to help you lead your group.

Matthew 6:33-34 Commentary [VERSE 33] We make the best use of our lives when we have a target. We can take aim at the target with our thoughts, words, and actions. In that way, we can make a difference each day. What’s our aim in life?

If it isn’t worrying about what we need, then what’s the center of our lives? Jesus asserted that our target is the kingdom of God. He directs us to seek it. In other words, it’s the target we aim for each day.

Believers are “already but not yet” people. We’ve already given our lives to Christ and live in the absolute certainty we belong to Him. Furthermore, we readily rejoice in the confidence He will never leave us and heaven is our home. But we’re not there yet. Neither have we arrived at complete spiritual maturity yet. We’re making progress, but we have not finished the journey. Thus, each day finds us centering our lives in Christ so we will be useful citizens of the kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom composed of people who belong to Him. Knowing Him better and serving Him more faithfully is what we seek to do each day.

As Jesus helped us identify the target of our lives, He directed us to His righteousness. Being righteous means being right with Him. Being right with Him begins by trusting in Him. That was true for Abraham (Gen. 15:6), and it’s true for us too (Rom. 4:16-25).

Accordingly, when we seek His righteousness, our thoughts turn to living by faith in Him. When we set God’s kingdom and righteousness as our daily target, we learn to place our lives in His hands in complete trust that He’ll provide what we need. As our trust in Him grows stronger, we see our troubles with worry subside. Instead, we’re more centered on the Lord Himself.

Jesus assured us that when we take the path He directed in this verse, everything in our lives will fall into place. We’ll learn to see more clearly what we need and trust Him more completely to make it available for us. That’s when we’re able to live in the confidence He’ll never fail us.

[VERSE 34] Once more, we’re drawn to the first word in the verse: therefore. It challenges us to reflect on what He has taught about centering our lives in Him. It prompts us to put into practice what we’ve learned. He guides us to think simply and clearly about tomorrow. Jesus knows we tend to get anxious about what we need today but do not have on hand. He’s also fully aware we let ourselves get worried about what we’ll need tomorrow too.

We can become consumed with anxiety over what may or may not happen when the sun rises in the morning. Then we burden ourselves with stress as we ponder the notion of tomorrow’s coming with all the uncertainties about what it’s going to hold for us.

2 References to the Personal Study Guide keep you from needing to juggle between two books.

Jesus helped us put tomorrow in its proper perspective by bringing up God’s wisdom that’s both simple and profound at the same time. Tomorrow’s trouble will meet us then. When or if we’re confronted with it, the Lord will be there. He’ll get us through it by supplying what we need so we can deal with it. Because we’re Christians, we’re citizens of the kingdom of God. As kingdom citizens, we can count on His presence. He will work in us to sustain us, strengthen us, empower us, and help us with whatever we need. While we can rest assured of His provision, we’re even more grateful for the assurance of His care. With that assurance, we can rest in Him and not be anxious about what tomorrow will bring our way.

What matters is today. Yesterday has left; tomorrow might never arrive. We only have today. Trusting Him for what we need today makes good sense for growing believers. Living with simplicity means we don’t allow ourselves to become victims of worry about tomorrow. Instead we take to heart the reality of His presence today and the certainty of His care for us so we can live for Him in the present.

We have no better choice than to center our lives in Christ by trusting Him today and tomorrow.

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LIVE IT OUT 5 MINUTES

GUIDE: Direct group members to page 20 of the PSG. Encourage them to choose one of the following applications to carry out this week.

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Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

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Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

>

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

Wrap It Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the final paragraph from page 20 of the PSG. It may feel at times as if worry is inevitable and you’re drowning in anxiety.

Worry may have a way of worming its ugly head into your life, but it doesn’t have to consume you. Make a daily decision to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

PRAY: Conclude by thanking the Lord for meeting all of our needs in His time and in His way. Ask Him for the faith to set our hearts on the kingdom of God and the faith to trust in Him daily for everything else.

EXTRA! Free additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra 24

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T H E P OIN T

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

E N GAG E Centered in Christ. Reflect on the common areas of life listed below. Consider the circles as levels of concern in your life. Place the letter beside each word from the list onto the circle that represents its importance based on the amount of attention you give it.

A. Work B. Family Time C. Recreation D. Rest E. House Maintenance F. Church Life G. Christ H. Other: ___________ If Jesus is not in the center, offer a prayer of repentance and commitment to give Christ Lordship in your life.

BO N US CO NTE NT ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): In advance, prepare four or five nametags with words like the following: work, family, church, community, financial needs. Ask for volunteers to wear the nametags and “represent” that priority by shouting out concerns or demands that apply to that area of our lives. Ask for another volunteer to wear a blindfold and listen for yet another volunteer who represents Christ to whisper their name through the noise. Have fun with the exercise, playing like “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” or “Marco Polo.” After a few minutes, invite members to talk about how they deal with all the demands seeking their attention and how they have learned to focus on Christ.

ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Use a puzzle competition to illustrate the idea of a life “fitting into place” when we are centered in Christ. Bring two 50-piece puzzles to your gathering. Prior to the gathering, complete the border around one of the puzzles. Then divide your group into two teams and challenge them to complete their puzzle as quickly as possible. You might offer a prize to the winning team. Help group members make the connection that centering our lives in Christ is even better than starting a puzzle with the borders already connected.

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Introducing

THE DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE Because life doesn’t just happen on the day your group meets.

The Daily Discipleship Guide, a new group option, makes it easier to apply God’s Word to your life all week long. Your group may prefer this resource over the Personal Study Guide/Leader Guide model for a number of reasons:

Aligns Daily Bible Study with the Group Experience Instead of studying beforehand, you attend the group and then build upon what you learned using five daily devotionals.

Guest Friendly Everyone who comes to the group starts on the same page. So guests, and even participants who’ve been absent for a while, won’t feel like they’ve missed anything because they didn’t study before the meeting.

Easier to Train New Leaders The leader material is in the back of the Guide—so leaders in training can just follow along with you without needing a different book.

Great for Discipleship Groups Group members that meet in smaller groups for deeper discipleship will love the Talk It Out section. This gives them more questions to discuss about that week’s study.

Works with Phones or Tablets An eBook version is also available, for those who prefer a paperless approach to Bible study.

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| A Centered Life

(Sample shown at 80% of actual size)

FEATURES 1 Each session begins with an issue and leads us to consider what God’s Word says on the matter.

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TH E B I B LE M E ETS LI F E Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can. Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city.

The list goes on and on. I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “what-if” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my father never comes to know Christ?

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control?

I do. Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ ... well, that changes everything.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

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GROUP TIME 2

THE POINT: When your life is ___________ in Christ, you __________ all you need.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to anxiety and worry.

Matthew 6:25-30 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?

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Don’t __________________ .

Jesus’ words are unmistakable: “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life” (v. 25). Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying.

God loves and cares for each one of us. Jesus illustrated this truth by focusing on two of our most basic needs: food and clothing. The birds in the sky are fed and provided for and the wildflowers are clothed. The birds and the flowers have no concern, and since we’re loved so much more deeply, why should we have any concern? Jesus was clear: don’t worry about things we shouldn’t be worrying about. Worry saps our energy. Worry steals hours from our day—and days from our lives. Worry reveals a lack of faith and trust in God.

Matthew 6:31-32 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

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FEATURES 1 The group member’s

Trust God to do what is ________ for you.

A lack of trust produces a life of worry. According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who isn’t a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. Those without Christ have every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need. Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves.

Engage

2 Each session

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GOD IS ABLE

experience begins with the group time.

No pre-meeting study is required.

revolves around one central idea.

What are some ways God has proven Himself worthy of your trust? Use the prompts below to record your answers in the spaces provided.

3 The group time

How has God provided for you financially? ___________________________________

is interactive, encouraging the group member to engage deeply with the passage.

How has God provided for your security? ____________________________________ How has God provided for you relationally? __________________________________

Matthew 6:33-34 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

4 Each session includes an activity that engages thinking on a different level.

Seek the __________ of _________ above all else.

“Seek first” (v. 33). The word Jesus used for “seek” is “zeteo,” which means to desire and pursue. We aren’t seeking something that’s hidden; instead we’re pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority.

Verse 33 takes us back to Jesus’ earlier words in this chapter: “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (vv. 19-21).

Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we’re called to be consumed with a desire for God and the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11).

As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

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THE POINT |

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

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LI V E IT OUT How will you actively seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Consider the following suggestions: Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promises to provide.

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

2

TA LK IT OUT Want to go a step further? Gather with two or three Christ-followers of the same gender. Read Matthew 6:25-34, then use the following summary and questions for a deeper discussion.

A lot of things press for our attention each week. Good things. Important things. As a result, we can often feel pulled in multiple directions because everything is crying to be the priority and focus of our lives. Wouldn’t it be great if we had only one thing to focus on? Jesus said there is—His kingdom and righteousness—and when this is our focus, everything else falls into place.

Does Jesus’ command in verse 25 feel easy or difficult to obey? Explain.

Is there someone or something (a spouse, a child, a house, a job, and so forth) that you’re currently worried God will never provide for you?

What are some ways you currently seek after God and His righteousness?

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FEATURES

DAILY STUDY

1 Live It Out: Session

DAY 1: We can trust God because He’s our Creator who holds all authority.

Read Matthew 6:25.

Jesus’ words in this verse are powerful, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that we’re hearing these words from the mouth of the Creator. The Creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who controls the oceans, the One who holds the world in the palm of His hand is telling us, “Don’t worry!” You would think that would be enough to cure us of worry, but it often isn’t. The phrase “to worry” refers to a state of mind we choose. When we worry, it’s because we’ve allowed our mind to focus on and live in disbelief.

Worry won’t change anything. Who can forget the old saying that worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. Rocking back and forth in the chair gives us something to do, but it really doesn’t get us anywhere. Likewise, worrying will consume our thoughts, imprison our emotions, and take away the joy in our lives. But it won’t do anything to solve the problems in life that’s pressing down on us. No, worry won’t change anything because it can’t. But God can.

In the space below, draw a symbol that represents an area of your life that generates significant worry. Confess to God ways that your worry reflects a lack of trust in Him, then place this area of your life fully in His hands.

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2 Talk It Out: Discipleship continues as group members gather during the week with two or three people to encourage and challenge each other in their growth and discipleship.

3 Daily Study: Group members continue to engage with the study with five days of devotions.

Discipleship occurs on a daily basis as they dig further into the passage.

Each day includes ideas for personal reflection and action.

“A lack of trust produces a life of worry.”

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

concludes with three suggestions for application. One is relatively easy, ideal for those new to the faith or new to the group. The other two call for progressively more commitment.

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THE POINT |

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

DAY 2: We can trust God because He loves us.

Read Matthew 6:26-30.

What’s the best way to handle worry? Jesus taught us to take a long look into the sky. When we do, we’ll find birds flying everywhere, and not a one of them seems concerned about what they’ll eat. They don’t give attention to planting seeds or harvesting grain. Neither do they appear to be interested in gathering and storing food just in case of an emergency. They’re free from care because the Father cares and provides for them.

So why shouldn’t we worry when life seems overwhelming with so many unmet demands?

The reason is tied to the great value we have in the eyes of our Father. Sometimes it’s hard to truly comprehend that God loves us as His children. Some of us haven’t had the greatest father figures, and some of us have had no fathers at all. Others can’t understand why God would love them when they’re so flawed and sinful. But Jesus painted a wholly different picture of our heavenly Father—One who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers, yet loves us so much more. In spite of our sinfulness, God loves and values us deeply. We can confidently place our trust in God because of His unconditional love for us.

When you step outside today, pause to notice the birds and wildflowers in your community. Thank God for these visible reminders of the depth of His love for us.

DAY 3: We can trust God because He alone gives meaning and lasting peace.

Read Matthew 6:31-32.

Without Christ, it’s easy for our minds to be consumed with living the American dream.

Accumulation is the name of the game. We seek the things of this world to give us identity and value. Many of these things aren’t inherently bad—a nice home, a new car, a big salary—but we tend to let these things define us. Our trust is in our ability to perform in order to get what we need or want.

But what do we actually achieve if we attain all these things? Sitting right next to us in our nice homes is a void, a hopelessness, and a lack of peace. None of these things truly satisfy; we’re left hungry and thirsty for more. It boils down to a matter of trust: without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place. Trust should be placed in God who does what is best for us.

In your Bible, underline the phrase “your heavenly father knows that you need them” (v. 32) as a reminder that God knows and provides for all your needs.

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DAY 4: We can trust God because He has already provided for our greatest need: a Savior.

Read Philippians 4:19.

Consider how God provided for our greatest need. We’re sinners in need of a Savior. God saw that need and sent His Son, His greatest possession. We were separated from God, so Jesus lived the sinless life we couldn’t live, only to be crucified on a cross as atonement for our sin.

When we place our faith in Jesus, the Son of God, we’re trusting that our greatest need will be met. And since God has taken care of our biggest need, we can fully trust Him to take care of all other needs!

God doesn’t have a hearing problem. He hears our requests (Psalm 66:18-20).

God doesn’t have a providing problem. He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10).

God doesn’t have a timing problem. He provides what we need when we need it (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Re-write Philippians 4:19 in your own words in the space below.

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THE POINT |

When your life is centered in Christ, you find all you need.

DAY 5: We can trust God to help us grow in spiritual maturity.

Read Matthew 6:33-34.

Believers are “already but not yet” people. We’ve already come to Christ and live in the absolute certainty we belong to Him. Furthermore, we readily rejoice in the confidence He will never leave us and heaven is our home. But we’re not there yet. Neither have we arrived at complete spiritual maturity yet. We’re making progress, but we haven’t finished the journey.

Thus, each day finds us centering our lives in Christ so we will be useful citizens of the kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom composed of people who belong to Him. Knowing God better and serving Him more faithfully is what we seek to do each day.

When we set God’s kingdom and righteousness as our daily target, we learn to place our lives in His hands in complete trust that He’ll provide what we need. As our trust in Him grows stronger, we see our troubles with worry subside. Instead, we’re more centered on the Lord Himself and being obedient to what He calls us to do. Being in His company and enjoying His presence matters to us more than anything else and His kingdom becomes our priority.

Consider your plans for the future (both immediate and long-term). Ask God to reveal any areas where you’re putting your personal “kingdom” above His kingdom. Be ready to make adjustments to seek His kingdom first.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

M ATTHEW 6:33

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“I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

JOHN 10:10

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Leader Guide

SESSION 1

Included in the Daily Discipleship Guide

A Centered Life

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LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item #1, the “Worry” poster. As your group arrives, have pens available and instruct members to record onto the poster the kinds of things they tend to worry about. Responses can be less serious items but should include a few real issues that can lead to worry. Once everyone has arrived, discuss the responses and take a vote to determine the top three issues. Circle those top three issues on the poster.

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DISCUSS: What are some things you never worry about anymore?

RECAP (PAGE 7): Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can. Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city. The list goes on and on. I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “what-if” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my father never comes to know Christ?

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? I do.

Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ … well, that changes everything.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

GUIDE: Direct attention to The Point on page 8. Invite group members to fill in the blanks. THE POINT: When your life is CENTERED in Christ, you FIND all you need.

LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item #2, the “Simplicity” poster, and give a brief overview of the six session titles in this study.

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FEATURES STU DY TH E B I B LE

1 Step-by-step

GIVE BIBLICAL CONTEXT: A large crowd gathered on a mountainside and listened to Jesus as He taught His disciples about following Him. His instruction came to be known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus taught His disciples about how He intended for them to live as believers. That’s why He instructed them regarding how to give, pray, and fast (6:1-18). Then He instructed them on how to deal with their possessions (vv. 19-24) and how to live without worry (vv. 25-34).

RECAP (PAGE 8): In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to anxiety and worry.

READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:25-30 on page 8.

GUIDE: Direct your group’s attention to the following heading on page 8: Don’t WORRY. RECAP (PAGE 8): Jesus’ words are unmistakable: “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life” (v. 25). Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying.

God loves and cares for each one of us. Jesus illustrated this truth by focusing on two of our most basic needs: food and clothing. The birds in the sky are fed and provided for and the wildflowers are clothed. The birds and the flowers have no concern, and since we’re loved so much more deeply, why should we have any concern? Jesus was clear: don’t worry about things we shouldn’t be worrying about. Worry saps our energy. Worry steals hours from our day—and days from our lives. Worry reveals a lack of faith and trust in God. DISCUSS: What kinds of things cause people to worry? [ALTERNATE: What are some lies that cause worry to increase?]

instructions with clear directives walk the leader through the process of facilitating a group study and discussion.

2 The supplemental Leader Pack (available as a separate purchase) is referenced. The Pack includes both visual posters and teaching aids to enhance the group experience.

3 Group experience is built around five discussiongenerating questions.

READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:31-32 on page 8.

GUIDE: Direct your group’s attention to the following heading on page 9: Trust God to do what is BEST for you.

RECAP (PAGE 9): A lack of trust produces a life of worry. According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who isn’t a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. Those without Christ have every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need. Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves.

DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity, God Is Able, on page 9, on their own. If time allows, invite volunteers to share their responses.

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LEADER GUIDE (included in the Daily Discipleship Guide)

God Is Able: What are some ways God has proven Himself worthy of your trust? Use the prompts below to record your answers in the spaces provided.

How has God provided for you financially? ___________________________________ How has God provided for your security? ____________________________________ How has God provided for you relationally? __________________________________ DISCUSS: When has God provided for you in an unexpected way? [ALTERNATE: What are some ways people deal with worry in their lives?]

READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:33-34 on page 9.

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GUIDE: Direct your group’s attention to the following heading on page 9: Seek the THINGS of GOD above all else.

RECAP (PAGE 9): “Seek first” (v. 33). The word Jesus used for “seek” is “zeteo,” which means to desire and pursue. We aren’t seeking something that’s hidden; instead we’re pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority.

Verse 33 takes us back to Jesus’ earlier words in this chapter: “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (vv. 19-21).

Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we’re called to be consumed with a desire for God and the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11).

As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.

DISCUSS: What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first? [ALTERNATE: What does Jesus promise in this passage?]

DISCUSS: How can our group help one another prioritize the kingdom of God?

LI V E IT OUT ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Use a puzzle competition to illustrate the idea of a life “falling into place” when we’re centered on Christ. Bring two 50-piece puzzles to your gathering.

In advance, complete the border around one of the puzzles. Then divide your group into two teams and challenge them to complete their puzzle as quickly as possible. Help group members make the connection that centering our lives on Christ is like starting a puzzle with the borders already connected.

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FEATURES 1 The leader is

SAY: “How will you actively seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Consider the following suggestions.”

provided answers to any blanks on the Group Time pages.

GUIDE: Direct group members to review the three bulleted statements under Live It Out on page 10. Call on volunteers to share (1) which of these statements is something they want to pursue further, or (2) ways this study will transform their prayer life this week.

2 Commentary gives

Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.

the leader a deeper understanding of the people, places, background, and interpretation of the passage.

Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promises to provide.

Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

GUIDE: Invite each person to gather with two or three Christ-followers of the same gender this week for a deeper discussion, using Talk It Out (page 10) to guide their discussion. Encourage group members to spend time each day in God’s Word with the devotions found in the Daily Study section (pages 11-14).

3 Leaders can use this section to prepare.

PRAY: Close with a prayer. Praise God for being the One who holds all authority and is over all things. Ask for wisdom as you seek to center your life on Jesus each day.

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D I G D E E PE R Use the commentary below as you prepare to lead the session.

[VERSES 25-26]: In these verses, Jesus challenged His followers not to worry. He confronted the inclination to be obsessed with anxiety over some of the basic needs in life.

Granted, we need food and clothing. However, obsessive anxiety about these needs rob us of the quality of life He intends for us to enjoy as God’s people.

Next, Jesus raised an important question for believers when anxiety hovers over us, overshadowing us with a sense of uneasiness and fear. God values birds, but aren’t we more valuable to Him? He feeds birds because they matter to Him. He’ll certainly provide for us because we matter to Him even more.

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[VERSE 28]: After addressing our essential need for food, Jesus turned our attention to clothes. In our day, clothes protect us when we face terribly cold or awfully hot weather. In Jesus’ day, the harsh climate made the need for clothes even more critical. Without proper clothes, a person living in Israel ran the risk of being hurt or even dying because of the extreme temperatures. That’s why appropriate clothing was always a chief concern.

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FALL Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life. . . . . . . . . . . .Obey God and Deny Self How to Know God’s Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seek God

WINTER Answers to Tough Questions: Defending What You Believe . . . . Share Christ When Life Gets Hard: Big Questions About Pain & Suffering. . . .Exercise Faith

SPRING Holy Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Engage with Scripture Dealing with Messy Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Build Relationships

SUMMER Living with Hope in a Broken World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Live Unashamed Why Do I Need the Church?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Serve God and Others

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A FAMILY OF RESOURCES NEW

A DU LTS Daily Discipleship Guide FALL 2019

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CSB

Leader Pack The Leader Pack helps leaders prepare, present, and support the group study each week. Details on how each item enhances the group experience are included in the Leader Guide. Each Pack includes: • A variety of posters and other visual aids • A CD-ROM that contains: - Videos to introduce and promote each six-session study - PDFs of the visual aids (so you can show them on a tablet or PowerPoint®) - Leader Guide content in a customizable format Adults Group Box Now you can get everything you need for a great Bible study experience by ordering this one item. You save money, and you save time by only having to order and deliver one item per leader, instead of 14. The Box includes a Quick Start Guide that explains how all the items work together:

Study 1: Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life

• 10 Personal Study Guides (CSB) • 1 Leader Guide (CSB) • 1 Leader Pack • 1 Advanced Bible Study • 1 Biblical Illustrator

Study 2: How to Know God’s Will

Daily Discipleship Guide (includes Leader Guide) This is an alternative to the Personal Study Guide/Leader Guide model. Instead of studying before the meeting, participants discuss the study at the meeting and then reinforce the learning all week long through five daily devotions. Available translations: CSB or KJV. (13 sessions) See page 107 or learn more at biblestudiesforlife.com/DDG Personal Study Guide This core resource helps group members prepare before the meeting, facilitates discovery during the session, and encourages application after group study time. It provides Scripture, commentary, thought-provoking questions, key word study, and a life application section called Live It Out. Study Guide options available for Adults, Senior Adults, and Young Adults. Translation options include CSB, NIV, and KJV. (13 sessions) Leader Guide This core resource provides simple directions to show the leader what to read, when to guide the group, when to invite discussion, and how to transition between Scripture passages. It also offers commentary for each section of Scripture to give the leader a better understanding of the passage. And the Leader Guide corresponds to session content in the Personal Study Guide, so flipping between books is never required. Leader Guide options available for Adults, Senior Adults, and Young Adults. Translation options include CSB, NIV, and KJV. (13 sessions)

• Free Wordsearch Bible Digital Library (a great added value!)

• 1 Quick Start Guide • A total 12% savings over purchasing items separately

Advanced Bible Study Get additional insights into the Scripture. This resource’s verse-by-verse commentary format puts an emphasis on Scripture passages and other relevant information. A Teacher Guide is also available for leaders who want to be well prepared to teach. It includes an additional creative teaching idea to illustrate a truth from the passage. CSB (13 sessions) For more information, visit LifeWay.com/Advanced Herschel Hobbs Commentary This commentary is similar to Advanced Bible Study in its attention to greater detail. It is KJV-based but interacts with all major, modern English translations.

This is ideal for leaders who are looking for additional perspective.

(13 sessions) For more information, visit LifeWay.com/Hobbs Biblical Illustrator This quarterly resource features articles on biblical archaeology, customs, and locations, as well as fascinating photographs and maps. You can make every group meeting more interesting by sharing the stories, facts, and images you discover in Biblical Illustrator.

For more information, visit lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator

DIGITAL OPTIONS

For those who prefer to study using a computer, phone, or tablet, we offer digital editions of our resources. A Bible Studies for Life eBook is also available for Adults, Young Adults, Advanced Bible Study, and Herschel Hobbs Commentary at LifeWay.com, iTunes, and Google Play.

FREE LEADER HELPS Get additional support at biblestudiesforlife.com/adultextra

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DE DOMINGO A TODOS LOS DÍAS

GROW THE CHURCH TOGETHER WITH ESTUDIOS BÍBLICOS PARA LA VIDA. All ages, in Spanish and English, will be able to connect the Word of God to their lives.

Estudios Bíblicos para la Vida is developed from the English language study but with a Spanish speaker’s perspective. Bible Studies for Life helps you: • Know God’s Word through trustworthy Bible study content • Create biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies • Engage culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues

CRECE LA IGLESIA JUNTOS CON ESTUDIOS BÍBLICOS PARA LA VIDA. Todas las edades, en Inglés y Español, podrán conectar la Palabra de Dios a sus vidas.

Estudios Bíblicos para la Vida está desarrollado del currículo de estudio en Inglés pero con una perspectiva Latina. Estudios Bíblicos para la Vida te ayuda a: • Conocer la Palabra de Dios mediante un confiable contenido de estudio bíblico • Desarrollar una comunidad bíblica a través de grupos de estudio conversacionales y cautivantes • Interactuar con la cultura con visión misionera al descubrir lo que dice la Biblia sobre los asuntos de la vida real

LIFEWAY.COM/VIDA

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