'How are your roots? Investing in hope according to His word' by Mal Calladine - January 13th 2019
Looking at the hidden roots we send out to find water for our soul. If 'Hope for the Coming Year' is the goal, where can we invest in Hope… ‘according to His Word’? A study in the Psalms, especially the BIG one - 119.
Questions and discussion starters
You can read through the verses listed below (in the order of the structure of the talk) to re-familarise yourselves with the passages referenced on Sunday…
In your journey, what has most worked for you as a way of devotionally engaging with the bible? & what hasn't? (inc what worked for a short season? & what worked for longer?)
Where in your life do you most need a promise of Hope ‘according to His Word”? If you were to write out that promise in a sentence, what would it be? Does that sentence remind you of a specific bible verse?
You could then sensitively pray for each other & declare the scripture you are reminded of (“putting my Hope in Your word’)
What could you do that helps you engage more with His Word in this season? Who could you do that with or be more accountable to? Could you have a weekly memory verse challenge as a group? Or a different kind of ‘Word Challenge’ together?
You could do a more in-depth study on the scriptures referenced on Sunday:
Romans 5: 3 - the goal is Hope (‘suffering leads to perseverance, perseverance character, & character hope’. )
Psalm 1: 3 & Jeremiah 17: 7-8 sending out roots
Psalm 131 how do we get calmed, quiet & content like a baby? By putting our hope in the Lord
Psalm 130: 5 how hope? ‘in His word I put my hope…’
Psalm 119 – the benefits of His Word
v9,11: purity
v28: strengthening (from sorrow)
v32: understanding
v35: delight
v37,50: preserving life, as a comfort in suffering (& v107)
v65: good / blessing
v99: more insight
v114: a refuge & shield
v133 guidance / ‘directing my paths’
v165 peace
Romans 10: 17 (& 8-10) faith comes from hearing the ‘live word’ that we then own & speak out (ears, heart, mouth)
And finally… As an act of commitment, you could pray together to the concluding prayer in Psalm 119: vv 169-17
169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 May my supplication (requests) come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
171 May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous.
173 May your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord,
and your law gives me delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.
And may our goal together as a church in 2019 be the request in v74:
“may those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word”
Recommended reading:
Bible App (Youversion) – subscribing to daily verse & using highlights (you need to subscribe for this feature)
“How to read the bible for all its worth” – Fee & Stuart