Verse to memorize: 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Day 1: Psalm 25:4-5, John 1:14 and John 14:6
Dig In: Last Sunday, Pastor Bruce talked about knowing the truth. How do you know what is true? How do you determine if a fact is true? Is there absolute truth or truths? What is "your measuring stick" against which you discern the truth? Is there someone that you trust and believe? Who is that? Why do you trust that person to tell the truth? What did David see as truth? What do John and Jesus say about truth? How is Jesus the truth?
Take Root: Epistemology is a fancy word that is, in a nutshell, the study of how we know what we know. It deals with such subjects as: what is knowledge? is truth real or is truth relative and changeable depending on the person or situation? can individuals know the truth, and how? These are questions that believers must think about in order to talk to people in a skeptical, post-modern world who don't necessarily believe in truth or the ability to know truth.
Cultivate: Are there Bible stories that seem unreal or impossible to you or to someone you know? Are there passages in the Bible that you are not sure you understand or believe? How do you know that Jesus is truth? Pray for God to reveal His wisdom and truth to you more and more.
Journal: Write down a Bible story or Bible passage that you find hard to understand or believe. Read the verses carefully and ask God to help you understand. Can you find another scripture that helps you understand better? Does your Bible have a study guide to help you understand the passage? Ask someone, perhaps your Sunday school teacher or a pastor, to help you understand the passage.
Day 2: Read Romans 1:18-23 and Romans 2:8
Dig In: Does Paul teach that people know, or don't know, the truth about God? What do people do with the truth about God? Why do they do this? What happens to their minds? What do rejecters of the truth about God worship instead? What will happen to people who do not accept the truth of God?
Take Root: Proverbs 30:5 states that "every word of God proves true". Jesus says God's word is truth (John 17:17). God is the definition of truth. He is basis for all truth.
Cultivate: Is God's truth something you stake your life on? How has God's truths changed your life? Is there some area of your life that God's truth needs to invade and change? Pray for clearer understanding of God's word so that it can affect your life more and more.
Day 3: Read Isaiah 1:16-20 and Acts 3:19
Dig In: What did Isaiah mean by "wash...and make yourselves clean"? How do we learn to do good things? What examples does Isaiah give of "doing well"? Does God invite us or force us to come to Him (Isaiah 1:18)? How is following God "reasonable"? How does Peter describe repentance in Acts 3:19? What does this mean?
Take Root: Repentance has been defined as "heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ" (Grudem, Systematic Theology). Repentance has 3 parts. It is not just feeling sorry but turning around and walking away from sin and toward Jesus.
Cultivate: Martin Luther stated that "Jesus Christ...willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." What do you think of this statement? Is it true? What does a life of repentance look like? How do we know what we need to repent of to God? Pray for God to reveal your sins to you, give you sorrow for your sins, and help you turn back to Him.
Journal: Write your definition of repentance. What is one thing you need to repent of this week? How do you feel about this? How is God telling you to correct this sin? How does He want you to behave instead? Where is He leading you?
Day 4: Read Proverbs 12:19 and 22, and 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Dig In: Describe how God feels about lying. Is lying just about your words? What qualities should characterize our words? Who grants repentance? How do we as believers help in nonbelievers' repenting and turning to God?
Take Root: The Bible has much to say about our speech. Gracious words are healing (Proverbs 16:24) and hasty words are more than foolish (Proverbs 29:20). Our words are to be polite and courteous (Titus 3:2). Can you think of another verse that instructs us how to speak to one another?
Cultivate: Does your speech conform to God's instructions? Is harsh or ungracious speech acceptable? What should our speech be like if we are angry or upset? Pray Psalm 19:14 today, "Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Day 5: Read Ephesians 4:20-32 and James 1:22-25
Dig In: Where is truth found? What is our "old self"? What is our "new self"? Is it sinful to be angry? What actions and speech are we as believers to leave behind? What actions and speech are we to "put on"? What comes first, hearing God's truths or doing them? What is "doer of the word"? Describe what someone is like who only hears God's truths but doesn't act on them.
Take Root: To act in truth, we must first hear with open hearts. Then we must act according to truth.
Cultivate: How would you define "hypocrite"? Are there any areas of your life where you might be hypocritical? Pray for the Spirit to guide and lead you in all truth (John 16:13) so that your life might be free of hypocrisy.
Journal: Here in America, we are not martyred for our faith in Jesus. Yet in other parts of the world, people die proclaiming belief in Jesus. They stake their lives on God's truth. Find out a little bit about a group of persecuted Christians and pray for them today. Write down something about them. What impresses you about them?
Cultivating the Soil
If you believe something is true, but don't act on it, do you really trust that fact or information? Why or why not? Have you ever observed someone who stated they had a certain conviction or belief but didn't seem to live according to that conviction? What do you think of that person?
"Truth, then, is correspondence between our entire lives and God's heart, words, and actions, through the mediation of the Word and the Spirit" or more simply, we should "know the truth, live the truth, and tell the truth" (Gospel Coalition). How do these statements impact you? Do they challenge you in any way? Is there some area of your life that needs to better align with God's truth?
How is truth like light?
Small Group Questions
God's truths can be very hard to follow and live out in our everyday existence. Are there truths you find in the Bible that you don't act on? Do you ever think, "Well, maybe God didn't really mean that"? Have you had (or do you have) any blind spots regarding God's truths? Do you have any inkling or idea what those blind spots might be? How can you discover your blind spots?
Repentance is hard! Timothy Keller warns against "religious repentance" or repentance of our sinful acts in order to stay on God's good side and get His blessings. Why should we desire to repent? How does repentance affect our relationships with God and others? What is our motivation for acting on God's truths?
Have you ever repented a sinful act to gain approval from God, or from others? Have you ever repented of because of fear of God or others? What is good about these motives? What is not-so-good about these motives?