Week 6 - The Psalms and Proverbs

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Christian Life - Small Group Warm Up Question:

What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 16 ~ Psalm 17 ~ Psalm 18 ~ Proverbs 4

1.     When you were scared as a child, who or where would you run to? Why? How do adults handle scary or intimidating situations?  How does God want us to respond when we are overwhelmed?

2.     What do you think David meant by “You are my Lord, I have no good apart from you” (Psalm 16:2)?  How this connect with James 1:17?  How does James 1:17 describe God?  Why is it important to remember God’s blessing and character when you are in the midst of a difficult season?

3.     When you think of God’s deliverance of you from Hell (Sheol), how is that the ultimate deliverance?  Death is the #1 fear of mankind.  How should Christians think and feel about their own future death?

4.     What does Psalm 16:11 mean?  How does God do that?

5.     Why do we often try to take care of situations on our own and only seek God in prayer later on or when we’re more desperate for help?

6.     In what was do Christians suffer today?  What sort of enemies do we face in life?  How might Psalm 17 teach us to pray about our enemies?  Does that conflict or compliment what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”?

7.     How does focusing on our future in Heaven (Psalm 17:15) help us endure and persevere in the midst of suffering or persecution?

8.     What is your favorite verse of Psalm 18? Why?

9.     Why should verse 6 amaze us?

10.  What natural phenomenon does Psalm 18:7-8 seem to describe?  Why does that feel like an appropriate description of God’s wrath?

11.  What does it mean that the Lord “dealt with me according to my righteousness” (Ps 18:20,24) when we know we are saved by faith and not by works? (Galatians 2:16) How might this all connect with Revelation 20:12 when God tells us “the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done”?

12.  Who poured godly wisdom into your life?  What sayings or advice still stick with you today?

13.  How have you sought to pass wisdom on to others? To whom? Why is the passing on of wisdom such an act of love?

14.  Do you have a favorite verse from Proverbs 4? What makes it stand out to you?

15.  In general, how would wisdom lengthen “the years of your life” (Proverbs 4:10)?  Conversely, how would folly shorten your lifespan?

16.  What does it look like practically to “not enter the path of the wicked” nor “walk in the way of the evil” (Proverbs 4:14)?  In regard to technology and entertainment what steps should we take to protect ourselves?  To protect our children?

17.  What does “keep your heart with all vigilance” (Proverbs 4:23) mean?  Why is the “heart” so important to protect?

18.  Have you ever struggled with the words that come out of your mouth? (Proverbs 4:24) How have you found success in cleaning up your language?

19.  Have you ever struggled with controlling what your eyes are looking at? (Proverbs 4:25-26) How have you found success in guarding your eyes?

20.  How does Proverbs 4 summarize many of the daily battles we face?