NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum.
Bible Passages: Luke 4:14-19, 22, 24-27
Discussion Questions: What Scripture have you read and gained such an understanding that it changed your life and your walk with Christ? Have you experienced a situation where you wanted to do something big for God and felt small or like your contribution didn’t matter? How were you able to act on what you wanted to do?
Food for Thought:
Our actions follow what we believe. What we believe is based on what we’re taught and what we experience. When we believe something, we will talk about it, stand up for it, and share it with anyone who listens. We feel empowered to do so.
What we believe defines who we are. Do you really believe the Gospel has the power to change lives? If so, how has the Gospel changed your life? A basic fact is that the Gospel is the most powerful message in the world — a message we just can’t keep to ourselves.
Luke 3 closes with Jesus praying while being baptized. The pinnacle for the event came when God acknowledged His Son, told Him how pleased He was, and the Holy Spirit came over Jesus. That had to be an amazing experience. To be on an incredible high like that and then be led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil had to be a crushing blow for Jesus.
In Luke 4:14, Jesus returned home to Galilee in the “power of the Spirit.” He started teaching in the synagogues and was widely acclaimed. There was definitely something different about Him. Something had changed. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you,” so when the Spirit fell on Jesus in chapter 3, He was anointed and received the power as well. Jesus was coming into His own. He was walking the path that was set and designed for Him by God the Father, and He was being noticed.
When others are accustomed to seeing us the way we have always been seen, it’s difficult to accept the power of change in our lives. Jesus, however, surrendered to the power of God. And when we surrender to the power of God, others will see that something beyond us is at work in and through us.
Jesus’ journey in this lesson is a mirror of what most of us have been through. Acceptance from others is often “easy come and easy go.” That’s why it’s important to know who determines our purpose. God made us, and His purpose for our lives never changes. That is unlike man, who loves and celebrates us one day, then turns on us the next. Jesus was familiar with the Word of God and what it said about His life and ministry. In the synagogue, He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and found the place that spoke about Him and His purpose (vv. 17-19). In the same way, it should be the highest priority for every believer to know the Word of God and to know God’s purpose for our lives. Our concern for other people’s acceptance should never overshadow our need to do the will of God while moving forward to share what we believe.
It’s easy to go through daily motions and forget what power we have. Depending on what we’re going through, we may even forget the power of God’s Word in the midst of many worldly messages vying for our attention. We can’t share what we don’t know or believe. We must consistently reaffirm the power of God’s messages in our lives as we serve the Lord and share the Gospel. The Word of God should be the most powerful message in our world.
YOU
In a shifting cultural context, it’s more important than ever before that people connect, grow, serve, and go in their Christian life. YOU is committed to doing just that by providing a complete Bible study experience for small groups and classes. Every session is written through an urban and multiethnic lens that provides relevant, engaging and applicable studies that not only encourage and equip people, but also motivate them to engage in mission. This flexible, non-dated all-in-one quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals, and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional online teaching resources, visit LifeWay.com/YOU.
Other ongoing Bible study options offered by LifeWay for all ages can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.
