This may be a “high wonder” group time. You may get tons of questions and head scratching this week! Don’t feel that as the leader it is your final responsibility to answer all the questions and sooth all the theological headaches that may be generated from this discussion and the message Sunday. Write them down, chew on them as a group. Wrestle through the texts. Discuss the views and presuppositions where they come from. Pray through them as a group. Embrace that this idea may in fact be larger than one or two weeks can contain, and set your self on a long term course to fear God Biblically, as it is the beginning of Wisdom.
- Did you ever have a run in with a bully in school? Describe how it went.
- Have your children had any bully confrontations?
- Was there anything from the message Sunday that stuck with you?
- Are there any thoughts, questions or views that this series has generated so far?
Leader note: Undoubtedly, “The Fear of the Lord” generates at least an opinion or religious memory in everyone, so feel free to ask twice so everyone can share a thought or two. You may want to also allow people to express nervousness over exploring what it means to fear God. Many people have grown up being taught to fear God, but being taught that fearing Him equals being intimidated and threatened by Him. Therefore, the whole idea of exploring what it is to fear Him can generate its own fear; a sort of “are you sure it’s okay to rethink what fearing Him means?”
Read
- Psalm 111
- First thoughts after reading it?
Leader note: You may note that the Psalm seems to build toward verse 10, almost as if making a case for pursuing wisdom. As if to say “Don’t forget; God is worth the pursuit!”
Discuss
- How do you interpret “fear” at this point?
- Read verse 5 again. What can this mean, considering people who don’t worship God still eat well, as it is also certain that many faithful starve?
Leader note: You may want to point out that the whole verse refers to His covenant, and therefore the people of the covenant- namely the Jews. So the covenant people and those that fear Him are synonymous. The food provided may also, and even quite likely, refers to the Manna and quail in the desert during Israel’s 40 years of wandering after the Exodus.
- How is fearing God in the Biblical sense and fearing a bully or tyrant distinct? Are they similar?
- What is an example of one not fearing God in the Biblical sense? What are the consequences?
- What is the difference between the consequences for lacking wisdom (or, specifically, lacking fear and respect for God) and Karma?
- How is your view of fear changing as you come to understand that this fear is wrapped in His continual goodness to us, rather than His continual insecure, moody threats?
- Does fearing God mean less if Hell is taken out of the equation? Explain your response.
Leader note: The point of this question is to help the group understand that wisdom, and being on who fears God in the true Biblical sense is practical, how-to-live-the-life-God-intended- stuff. Not being scared of burning “later”. To pursue wisdom is to pursue how to fulfill our roles in life as human beings- pursuing God’s dream for humanity. If we only fear God and pursue wisdom to avoid Hell, then we are basically rendering wisdom as a formula to escape consequences in the afterlife. That’s not trusting the God of life as much as it’s avoiding punishment. The Bible never gives us a formula for avoiding punishment. It is, however, quite redundant on the value and important of trusting God!
- How does a better understanding of fear play itself out in day to day life? How does it affect the sale of a home? A job promotion? A large sale you have been working on? An argument with a spouse, friend, close relative? Children? An interaction with an authority figure? A behavior or way of thinking previously reduced to mere "morality"?
- How does this view affect prayer?
Leader note: Spend some time as a group praying and asking God for an increased sense of “awe” in life, coupled with an increased awareness of Hiss goodness. Feel free to pray out loud the trepidation that comes with such a request, as God may reveal Himself fearfully through both His presence and in circumstances that cannot be controlled by human hands- circumstances that demand His goodness come through! As the group prays out loud for increased awe and reverence, as well as an increased level of trust in the continual, moment to moment goodness of God, you will be praying for the same wisdom for which our brothers and sisters have rayed for thousands of years. You're in great company.
One way to instill or re-invigorate a sense of awe about God is to study the things He made. The more I study astronomy, for example, the more I realize just how very small I am, how very, very BIG He is, and how much I so totally depend on Him. When we become so involved in our own works that we fail to look up and notice the wonders of His works, we trick ourselves into thinking that WE are big and can solve our own problems and don't need Him (i.e., lack of Wisdom). In this kind of thinking, God grows so small that we could put Him in our back pocket (a real danger).
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