Discuss and Apply Scripture in a Small Group

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 26, 2018

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27

My friend of 25 years, David, and I started a book club four years ago. We invited his son Nathan and Nathan’s business partner Mike to join us. Our group still meets every three weeks to get to know each other and to read and discuss ideas and biblical principles that contribute to successful living. We define successful living as peace with God, relationally healthy, financially generous and intentionally loving others. Our first book was Tony Dungy’s biography and our most recent is Patrick Morley’s revised, Man in the Mirror. The attractiveness of the lives we have studied compels us to model their “best practices” for living life. Scripture comes alive when applied.

Jesus took the time to explain the Scriptures concerning Himself. He knew the authority of God’s Word would validate that He came from God, He was going to God and He was God. Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is a tapestry of eternal truth predicting and illustrating the son of God who would be born in Bethlehem and who would be the suffering servant for our sins. The Lord knew the most important last words He could leave for His followers was a validation of who He claimed to be: the Christ who came to save us from our sins through His death on the cross.   

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Focus on the truth of Scripture with a small group grows us closer to God and to each other, while growing the fruit of unknown outcomes we can all enjoy together. We love others like Jesus when we make the Word of God priority in our learning and our discussions about life. Scripture tends to soak into our souls the more we saturate our discussions with Jesus and His Word. Also consider reading about men and women who have followed the truths of the Bible. Ideas and inspiration from faithful individuals ignite our imaginations to remain true to the truth.

Study Scripture, so you are not cavalier with the context, and so you can hear Christ’s calling. Study Scripture to grow in humility and grace. Study Scripture, not for information and ego’s sake, but for instruction, inspiration and intimacy. Sin can keep you from this book or this book can keep you from sin. Study to know His story and in the process better define your story!  

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).

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