Week 12 - The Psalms and Proverbs
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Christian Life - Small Group Warm Up Question:
If you could change something in your past, what would it be?
Psalms & Proverbs
Psalm 34 ~ Psalm 35 ~ Psalm 36 ~ Proverbs 8:22-36
1. When is it easy to praise God? When is it hard to bless God? How can we learn to “bless the Lord at all times” so that “his praise shall continually be in my mouth”? (Psalm 34:1). Why is such a God-ward focus so transforming in our day-to-day lives?
2. What is your habit of “seeking” the Lord? What distractions get in your way? What methods or techniques have helped you to be more consistent or focused in your time with Him? (Psalm 34:4). Why is time with the Lord the key to being “delivered…from all my fears”?
3. Can you think of a Bible story when someone’s face glows or radiates from an encounter with God? (Exodus 34, Matthew 17:2). In what ways are our faces “radiant” and will “never be ashamed” (Psalm 34:5) when we look to Jesus in saving faith? Who is someone you know who radiates the love of Jesus? How do you want to better radiate the love of Jesus?
4. Read Psalm 34:6. How does the Lord save the “poor man” from “all his troubles”? How are we all ultimately “poor”?
5. In Psalm 35 we read a lot of military language. Even if we never physically fight against a military enemy, how is this imagery helpful for us spiritually?
6. What do you think it feels like to have someone constantly pursuing you with malicious intent? What would it feel like to experience God’s salvation from such an enemy? How do you feel when you think about what Jesus has done to deliver you from Satan and his demons? (Psalm 35:4-10)
7. When people repay us “evil for good”, what does that feel like? (Psalm 35:12) Why is loving our enemies such a powerful witness? Why is it so tempting to take vengeance instead of trusting the Lord’s justice?
8. What are some practical ways we can intentionally honor God “all the day long”? (Psalm 35:28)
9. Read Psalm 36:1-4. Did you experience this when you were lost? How did the Lord change you when He saved you?
10. Read Psalm 36:5-6. Why are these comparisons of God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments being made? Why are they compared specifically to the heavens, clouds, mountains, and great deep? How do these verses encourage your faith?
11. How have you experienced the “steadfast love” of God? (Psalm 36:7-10) Who is someone who has been an example of “steadfast love” to you? How do you seek to be a source of “steadfast love” to others?
12. Why do you think God describes the personified wisdom as existing “before the beginning of the earth”? (Proverbs 8:23).
13. In what ways does this description of personified wisdom sound a whole lot like Jesus? Read Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1-3, & Hebrews 1:3.
14. How have you experienced God’s blessing by listening to His commands (Probers 8:32-34)?
15. How have you injured yourself when you didn’t seek the Lord (Proverbs 8:36)?
16. Why is unbelief ultimately a hatred of God? Why is it so serious as to result in Hell? (Proverbs 8:36)
17. What do you like about the Proverbs so far? Are you struggling with the Proverbs any? If so, how?