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 MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passages: Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Psalm 78:2-4
Discussion Questions:
— Whom do you most like to hear sing? Why?
— When do you sing? What do you sing? Why do you sing?
— What encourages or discourages you from singing?
Food for thought:
As a boy growing up, one of my favorite meals was homemade enchiladas. To go along with that special meal, my father always made what we called avocado dip — mashed up avocados combined with several other ingredients, including Worchester sauce. As a child, that was the only time and only way I ever encountered avocados. As an adult, I discovered Mexican restaurants and guacamole similar to my Dad’s avocado dip, but without the tang of the Worchester sauce. I love guacamole, but the taste always has something missing.
What comes to mind when you hear or read the word worship? What ingredients make up worship? What about the word praise? What elements make up the concept of praise?
Let’s refine the question a bit. What do you include in your family worship? Do you include Bible reading, a time of prayer, perhaps reading from a devotional or writing in a journal? Do you sing a song or two?
In their book Sing!, authors, composers, and hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty stress that our home worship, not just our public worship, should include singing praise to our God.
In our performance-oriented culture, many of us have become self-conscious of singing without the musical presence of instruments and more accomplished voices. Goodness, even with instruments playing and others singing, many refuse to join in collective praise! But God did not ask for our performance; He asked for our participation.
The song we know as Psalm 78 proclaims, “I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works He has performed.” (Psalm 78:2,4).
Though praising God in song applies to family worship regardless or our age, the Gettys offer particular explanations and suggestions for worship in homes with children or teenagers present. Let us be courageous enough not to pass our own self-consciousness on to our children and deprive them of the joy of praising God. Donít leave a key, flavorful ingredient out of your family worship!
MasterWork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in the upcoming months can be found at Lifeway.com/masterwork .
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by Lifeway can be found at Lifeway.com/SundaySchool.
