Is The Bible Still Relevant? | Family Bible | Week 3
Opening
Start your group time by asking what parts of the Bible are the most comfortable and familiar. Which parts do they avoid or not know what to do with?
Overview
The Bible is for God’s family, about God’s family, to transform God’s family until Christ’s return. The Bible contains everything we need from God to live a spiritually mature and missional life as followers of Jesus, but we often find the Bible to be unhelpful or unapproachable. This dissonance can be caused by our thinking the Bible is about us instead of for us. We can also fall into the trap of only using the quarter of the Bible found in the New Testament or wanting to understand the Bible without putting in the work necessary to understand an ancient text.
These roadblocks hinder our ability to use the Bible with maturity and wisdom, ultimately blocking transformation in our families and communities. We need to anchor ourselves in humility, embracing the fact that God’s story does not start or end with us. We need to anchor ourselves in purpose, knowing that while the Bible was not written to us, it does include us. And we need to anchor ourselves in love, remembering that God’s purposes are always rooted in love and reconcilitation.
Discussion Questions
- How familiar are you with the whole Bible?
- What is one small step you could take towards learning more of the Bible?
Practice
2 Timothy 3 14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Read the passage out loud slowly. Compile a list of the ways that the Bible has equipped you for the good work God has given you. How are you remaining faithful to what you have been taught? Discuss how you handle your doubt while remaining faithful. As a group, how can you become more skilled at handling the Bible well and understanding the story of God?
Closing
Pray for a deep love for Scripture to be nurtured in your group life.