NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — This Bible study appears in Baptist Press each week in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passages: Matthew 25:34-36; Ephesians 4:29,32; Proverbs 14:21,31; Colossians 3:5-10,12-15; Romans 2:4.
Discussion Questions:
— How do even small acts of kindness communicate to others that they are people of value?
— How can we continue to be kind even in the face of rejection?
Food for Thought:
In 2002, the administrator of a women’s networking organization asked her staff, in tribute to her father who routinely offered kindness to strangers he encountered, to do something nice for people for whom they would not normally think to do something nice. Her own contribution was making cookies for the janitor in their office. Upon delivering the cookies to him, she noted that he looked embarrassed at the gift. She explained that the gift was in appreciation for his work. “When I get here at 6 a.m. and it is still dark out and it is a little scary, I know you are inside and I feel safe. And when I first moved here and my post office box was always empty, you always cheered me on.” Later that evening, the janitor’s wife called her, “No one even knows his name, never mind bakes him cookies!” How wonderful that such a simple gesture made a janitor and his wife feel valued and appreciated! What can you do this week to show someone else how much they mean to you?
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 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.
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