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Some Things Never Change Week 1: The Bible Still Speaks

SERIES TITLE

Some Things Never Change

SERIES OVERVIEW

It feels like everything is changing all the time. Seasons change, people change, and society changes. It can be hard to keep up. It can also be unsettling. However, The Bible tells us that while everything changes around us, God remains the same. No matter how uncertain our lives look, we can count on God to remain the same yesterday, today, and forever! When you join us for this new series, you’ll discover the amazing, reassuring consistency of God.

SERMON TITLE

The Bible Still Speaks

WEEKEND IN REVIEW

This weekend Mike Breaux reminded us that we are thankful for a lot of things that don’t stay the same…like the clothes you wore back in the 80’s. It’s true, we welcome a lot of changes. However, there’s something comforting, reassuring, confidence-building, and soul-anchoring about the enduring, unchanging nature of God’s Word. The Bible is still our source of truth!

WARM UP

Begin with some conversation, checking in on how people are doing. You can talk about whatever you’d like, but here are a few potential questions to get the conversation going. 

  • What are some of your former fashions or hairstyles that you are glad are things of the past? (Does anyone want to bring back the mullet?)   

  • Isaiah 40: 8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” How does your heart react to that statement? It makes me feel…
DISCUSSion
  • There’s overwhelming textual evidence that the Bible can be trusted and viewed as completely reliable such as the 24,000 manuscripts of the New Testament compared with the relatively few copies of some of the ancient historical writings that no one questions their authenticity. For Example:  

The Jewish War by 1st-century historian, Josephus…9 manuscripts in existence.  

Plato’s writings…30 manuscripts in existence 

Homer’s Iliad…650 manuscripts in existence.  

The New Testament…24,000 manuscripts in existence. 

How do you respond to this comparison? How do you think the non-Christians that you know, who may have listened to the critics’ attacks on the reliability of the Bible would respond if they knew these facts? 

  • The testimony of Jesus himself is also a powerful piece of evidence to support the divine inspiration of the Bible. (When in doubt, I trust the testimony of the person who rose from the dead.) Jesus frequently quoted the Old Testament, affirming God as the ultimate author of Scripture. He quoted it as authoritative and true. In the four Gospels, 180 of the 1,800 verses that give us the accounts of Jesus’ discourses are either Old Testament quotes or Old Testament allusions to events and individuals recorded in the Old Testament. 

  • Look at the following verses to see how Jesus viewed Scripture.  
    • Matthew 4:4, 4:7, and 4:10 What was Jesus’ view of the scriptures he quoted?   

    • In Matthew 5:21 & 5:27 what commandments did Jesus quote? Did Jesus dismiss these moral standards or did he affirm them and raise the moral standards of Scripture? 
    • What was Jesus’ view of these events recorded in the following Scriptures?    
      • In Mark 10:6-8 what was Jesus’ view of the Genesis account of creation? 

      • In Luke 17:26-27 what was Jesus’ view of the Genesis account of Noah and the flood? 

      • In Mark 12:26 what was Jesus’ view of the Old Testament’s account of Moses and the burning bush? What is his view of the historicity of the 3 Hebrew patriarchs mentioned in this passage? 

      • Luke 4:25-26 What was Jesus’ view of the Old Testament account of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath? 
  • This list could go on because Jesus quoted from 14 books of the Old Testament. How does Jesus’ use of Scripture in the Gospels influence your view of your Bible? 
  • Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. How much of Scripture did Paul say was inspired by God?  What good things can God’s word accomplish in our lives? 
Application
  • What steps could you take to see God’s word accomplish more in your life?  

  • What are some things you could do that would increase your confidence and conviction that the Bible is truly the inspired Word of God? 

  • What did you learn from Mike Breaux’s sermon or this lesson that will be helpful for you when you witness to friends and talk to them about the truthfulness of the Bible? 

  • The title of this weekend’s message is “The Bible Still Speaks.”  How is God using his written word to speak to you?    
wrap up | prayer

UPDATE: Please continue to pray for our Pastor Gene and his wife Barbara, their daughter Alayna, and her husband Sam as they continue to navigate through this difficult time of sadness and grief after the loss of baby Maezie.