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 Passage: Psalm 23:2
Discussion Questions: Have you ever had trouble sleeping? What did you do to sleep more soundly? What soul-wearying questions are you dealing with right now? What are your most consistent worries?
Food for Thought:
This week’s study focuses on Psalm 23:2, which says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures” (NKJV).
Can you guess which burden is being described by the statements below?
— It affects 70 million Americans;
— It is responsible for 38,000 deaths annually;
— 64 percent of teens suffer from it;
— The most serious cases occur between ages 30 and 40;
— 50% of the population over age 65 is affected by it.
If you guessed divorce, chemical abuse or long sermons, you’d be incorrect! The answer may surprise you: insomnia. Americans just can’t get to sleep. Thirty tons of aspirins, sleeping pills and tranquilizers are consumed every day.
Did you know that sheep cannot find safe pasture? In order for them to sleep, everything must be just right. No predators. No tension in the flock. No bugs in the air. No hunger in the belly. They need help! Everything has to be just so. It’s the same way with us. Without a shepherd, a Good Shepherd, we cannot find rest, either.
This week’s lesson from Masterwork reminds us that God guides us and shepherds us. He knows our needs.
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 upcoming months can be found at www.lifeway.com/masterwork.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
