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Bible Study: Aug. 20, 2017


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: Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

Discussion Questions:

— Why must Christians hold to the belief that the Bible is the Word of God?

— Why is it crucial to believe that the Word of God is both perfect and trustworthy? Why can a person not choose to believe just one of those two qualities?

— How would you approach the Bible if it were only as reliable as the monthly magazines in the checkout line at your local supermarket?

Food for thought:

Have you ever had a bad day? For Marcos Pacheco-Bustamante, April 14, 2017 was his bad day. Pacheco-Bustamante admired the police. He even wanted to be one. In fact, he worked toward that end. He got a car similar to an unmarked police car. He acquired blue flashing lights and a siren. He added an authentic-looking sidearm replica. Then he went to work “patrolling” the roadways. If he saw someone texting while driving or speeding, out would come the light, on it and the siren would go, and Pacheco-Bustamante would pull over the offender, supposedly letting them off with just a “warning.”

Then came April 14 of this year. Pacheco-Bustamante was patrolling on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade County when an SUV attracted his attention. He pulled in behind the SUV, turned on the lights and signaled the SUV to pull over, which it did. There was only one thing wrong. Pacheco-Bustamante was not authorized to take such action — that and the fact the SUV was driven by a uniformed officer who was authorized. The officer with the authority soon arrested the one with none.

Authority. Like Pacheco-Bustamante, we sometimes stumble over the issue of authority. We might feel justified in assuming we are authorized to make our own decisions about life. We might find the weight of tradition or popular opinion or any of a myriad of other rationales to carry authority with us. But each of these is nothing more than the forged authority Pacheco-Bustamante stood behind. And like him, when we confront the true authority of God’s Word, the outcome is certain. Our charade will be exposed and we will be subject to the legitimate authority, no matter how much we might have attempted to resist it in the past. Adrian Rogers leads us in a study of the true authority of the Word of God.

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 or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.

    About the Author

  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources