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Bible Study: Aug. 25, 2019


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 Explore the Bible curriculum.

Bible Passage: Titus 3:1-11

Discussion Questions:
— What place should good works have in the life of a Christian?
— How would you describe the difference between doing good works to gain your salvation and doing good works because we have been granted salvation?

Food for thought:

My dad sold auto parts for 60 years. He died in June after a short battle with cancer. During the public visitation, we met people he served over the years. We were struck by the variety of people who came to pay their respects to my dad. Doctors, competitors, lawn men, farmers and a host of others came to pay their respects. One lady told us that dad had sold auto parts to her grandfather, father, husband and sons. This hodgepodge of people was there because dad served them well with a smile and a sincere interest in them as people.

Paul encouraged Titus to challenge believers to focus on doing good works. They were not to do these good works to secure or keep their salvation, since Jesus secured that salvation through His death (Titus 3:4-7). Instead, they were to do these good works because of that salvation.

Paul even directed Titus to challenge believers to not waste their time with unprofitable debates about the law, especially since faith in Christ is what saves a person; but instead to focus on serving others.

Often we believers get so caught up in debates of our day that we forget to represent Christ well in the process. We spend all our time trying to win an argument, forgetting that we are commissioned to be ambassadors for Christ.

Titus was to challenge believers to demonstrate godly character in an ungodly world. By doing so, they would have a greater impact than we would have by writing the perfect retort to a skeptic on Twitter, or by winning an argument about the intent of the Sabbath while addressing city leaders. We gain influence by serving and serving well.

Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible.

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.

    About the Author

  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources