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 curriculum and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passage: Amos 1:1—4:13 (1:1-2; 2:6-8; 3:6-8,13-15)
Discussion Questions:
What do people trust for security? What things on the list produce a false security and which things produce true security? Explain.
Food for Thought:
In the middle of the subdivision sits an old house waiting to be torn down. The house was state-of-the- art in its day, including the spiral staircase and the chute that deposited dirty clothes into the basement. That was a long time ago. It has been surrounded by new homes with all the newest amenities (like air-conditioning).
Time has caught up to that old home. The place that was once a source of security for the owner has become a liability.
How many times have people invested their lives in things that will not last, such as a job, a piece of land or a hobby. God is not against these things but He is against things that replace Him in our lives. The Israelites in Amos’ day had begun to trust in their wealth and homes for security. Amos reminded them that the homes they built and the wealth they amassed were not eternal (Amos 3:15). The people trusting in them had a false sense of security that was a cheap substitute for the security they could have had by faithfully trusting God.
Amos’ words are similar to Jesus’ parable of the rich fool who built a larger barn only to die the next day (Luke 12:16-21). We can be assured that the only security for this life, and the life to come, can be found through faith in Jesus. All else is a cheap substitute and pales in comparison.
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 on pace to study through the entire Bible in eight years. The eight-year plan and more information can be found on the Internet at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool
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