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 Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:4-12
Discussion Questions: What’s a chore you’d love to “outsource” to someone else? What qualities are essential for a good minister? How do we make sure that God gets the glory for our ministry?
Food for Thought:
I hate working in the yard! Maybe it’s because when I was growing up, I had to spend a portion of each weekend cutting grass, pulling weeds, trimming bushes and blowing away the clippings — and all while my body was being cooked under the hot West Texas sun. Or maybe I dislike it because yard work is time-consuming and inconvenient, and I don’t want to miss out on other things in my life because of it. The solution to my dilemma is simple. I just don’t do yard work! I now “outsource” this job to other people. A crew of five guys shows up, and with each of them doing different tasks, the yard work is completed in twenty minutes — and it looks great!
You and I love the idea of “outsourcing” the things in our life we don’t want to do or may not be good at doing, whether it’s cleaning the house, tutoring our kids in a particular subject, or doing our taxes. If we can outsource some tasks, that’s great. But one aspect of life we can’t outsource is ministry. God has called every believer to be a minister.
While we can be thankful for the work of our pastors and church leaders, ministry is not just for a select few. Some people are set apart for specific offices and ministries within the church, but we are all given the privilege of doing the work of a minister. The call to follow Christ is a call to serve Him, and we serve Him through the opportunities He gives us to serve others.
Bible Studies For Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found on the Internet at www.biblestudiesforlife.com.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.
