Life Group - Study Guides

When we read the Old Testament, it’s easy to “fear God” while His power is on full display. As we enter the New Testament, Jesus displays a more merciful and peaceful God, making it seem counterintuitive to fear this loving God. However, the “fear of God” refers to a deep respect and reverence of Him. We can see that as we grow closer to God, we will also grow in our awe of Him. This week we will see how respecting His authority can change the way we live.

Our days are filled with so many things; even good, important, purposeful things. Yet our constant efforts and busyness—even for lovely things like parenting, providing well for our families, ministry, or service—do not restore us. We need rest and communion with our God to heal us and give us peace.

Our world is full of noise, of choices, and information. This week we are talking about media, specifically social media and how it affects our need for approval. Ultimately our lives are meant to bring God glory, not ourselves. We aren’t meant to glorify others either – and sometimes social media leads us towards both of those. Some of us use it for good, some of us had to get off, and some of us aren’t sure what role social media has in our lives. Let's discuss what the Bible says—not specifically about social media, but rather about self-promotion, comparison, and the use of our time.

Our world is full of noise, of choices, and information. We seldom do “nothing.” We do not sit, think, or listen. Instead, we listen to music, podcasts, play games, or talk. Elijah, overwhelmed by his life and circumstances, finds that God is found in the silence.

In this series, we’ve seen so many ways the Old Testament predicts Jesus’ coming. This weekend we focus on Jacob, who is given a dream from God that will impact the generations to come. We can find hope in his story, as Jacob meets the Living God.