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 Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passage: Acts 14:8-20
Discussion Questions: How do people mistakenly offer recognition to others rather than give God credit? What are the dangers of taking credit for something God did? What makes taking the credit for an act of God such a compelling temptation?
Food for thought:
In our western culture, we tend to look for a rational explanation for everything. If we hear a sound in the kitchen, we assume someone is raiding the refrigerator. If a dog starts barking at midnight, we look to see who is lurking in our backyard.
We avoid an auto accident, taking the opportunity to point to our cat-like reflexes and keen awareness of all things on the road as the reason all the bumpers are still in place. We give credit to our doctors, our genetics, our health regimen, and our determination when talking about overcoming some illness.
While our reflexes and doctors may be involved, we tend to give them more credit than the One who gave us those reflexes or allowed us to see that particular doctor.
After Paul and Barnabas healed a crippled man, the crowd immediately attributed the healing to one of their false gods. The man had never walked and all of a sudden he was walking. They had no other way of explaining what they had just seen. The crowd prepared to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. If they wanted, they could have called for anything Lystra had to offer and the townspeople would have done all they could to provide it. But instead, Paul and Barnabas were quick to point the people to God, being careful to give Him the credit for what had just happened.
Paul would face this again, but from believers. In Corinth, believers were arguing over who baptized them. In effect, they were worshiping the person who oversaw the baptism instead of the One for whom they were being baptized.
As believers, we too must make sure that our worship is not misguided. Christ alone is worthy of our worship. We need to check our motives every step of the way or we too will be just like the people of Lystra and Corinth, failing to credit God for His work in and around us.
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 the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.
