• Assurance of
  • Guidance

Memory Verse

Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Trust & Acknowledgement

+++We

defined trust as being assured, or confident in something or someone. If we have trust, we believe strongly in it; we have faith. Remember that this is God we trust in, meaning it's a 100% guarantee!

+++We

then defined acknowledge as recognition or acceptance, and that in the memory verse,

  • mindful

is a great way to define it too.

—Then we had a small side conversation about that; what does it mean to be mindful of the Lord in all your ways?

-It means that you keep Christ's word and commandments in your mind at all times, especially around family, friends, in school, etc.

-That doesn't mean you're thinking about the Lord 24/7, but that your day-to-day decisions are guided by the Lord and His word.

  • Trust in the Lord

+++We

added that patience and perseverance, alongside faith, love, confidence in the Lord, should go alongside our trust in the Lord.

Psalm 147:5

-Love includes sacrificing for others, whether it be time, or work, or anything that might be negative for you, but positive for others.

What ways can you think of?

  • —Looking at

Matthew 6:10,

part of the Lord's prayer, "Let Your will be done", we decided that our prayers should be in accordance with God's good (perfect!) will.

Why are we instructed to trust in God?

  • —1
  • John 3:
  • 20, Psalm 147:5,
  • >>>
  • God is all knowing a.k.a
  • omniscient
  • Hebrews 4:12-13
  • >>>

God's word is alive and powerful! It has strength over all bad things.

  • Lean not on your own understanding

+++We then discussed

why we should trust in God, even if it might mean ignoring our own way of looking at things.

  • Isaiah 55:8-9 >>>
  • A verse
  • we saw in

week 5

too, we are again reminded that God's way of thinking is completely outside our human thinking!

Psalm 103-15-16 >>>

Man is here one day and gone the next; but God is eternal! We noted that this verse if a part of every funeral service in our Church, because it helps to humble as and remind us God's greatness versus our feebleness

In all your ways acknowledge Him, He will make your paths straight

What ways has God given us to help figure out what His will is

  • Psalm 119:105
  • >>>

God's word! Where do we see God's word?

In the Holy Scriptures, (Bible)

Jesus Christ, who we discussed is the "Word of God" Read John 1:1, and then John 1:14. If you are confused, every time you see "the word" in those verses, swap it out for "Jesus".

  • 1 Corinithians 2:12

>>>

We have the Holy Spirit of God, not the spirit of the world. Therefore, this Holy Spirit helps us to tell apart the "good" from the "bad". This is why we get guilty consciences when we do something sinful.

Ephesians 2:20 >>>

All of us, who make up the people of the Church, are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who are built upon Jesus Christ! What does this mean?

—The Church was founded by the disciples and apostles of Christ, who themselves were given power, teaching, and authority from Jesus, meaning they are founded upon Christ.

—It means that the we have the Church to help us know what God's will is? How does the Church do that?

  • -The Canons (Church laws), and

Sacraments

Remember we discussed what Synods were too, when all the bishops and above meet with the Patriarch in prayer and fasting to issue important statements and reminder to the whole entire church on our faith.

-The preaching of the Gospel and scriptures, which are God's written word. Our Bible studies are an effort from the Church to help us all know God's will better! What is God's ultimate will for us?

  • >>>
  • 1 Timothy 2:3-4
  • This Week's Study
  • —Read

Matthew 6:25-34.

What is Jesus Christ instructing us to do here? (note verse 34!) Relate what Jesus is instructing us in this to the sections "Trust in the Lord" & "Lean not on your own understanding"

Ask questions on the Bible study form! It's anonymous.

-Is there anything from raza (the liturgy), or church-related, that you would like to know?

-Anything about the Bible studies so far?

-Do you have anything you would like us to pray about?