The Great Reward

In one paragraph

This was the second week of a series on getting rooted in God's word, continuing from a conversation the week before about memorizing scripture and burying it deep in the heart. Brian Hunter walked the Tribe fam through Psalm 19:7-14, using the text to show what God's word actually does in a person when it is planted that deeply. The bottom line for the day: where God's word is planted, a great...

Read together

1. Proverbs 4:20-22 main text for week one review, on burying God's word in the heart
2. Romans 12:2 on renewing the mind rather than conforming to the world
3. 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul beating his body and making it his slave so he will not be disqualified
4. Psalm 82 pastor mentioned memorizing it, quoted opening line about God presiding over heaven's court
5. Psalm 19:7-14 main text for week two, on the benefits and reward of God's word
6. Psalm 119:18 open my eyes that I may see wondrous things in your law, quoted as a prayer before reading scripture
7. Psalm 51:16-17 God desires a broken spirit rather than sacrifice, used in transition to the offering
8. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 referenced loosely as we do not grieve like those who have no hope

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about three categories for choosing a verse to memorize: something that touches a pain point, something that thrills your heart, and something that helps renew your mind. Which of those three feels most relevant to where you are right now, and is there a verse that comes to mind?
2. Psalm 19 uses several different words for God's law, including instructions, decrees, commandments, and commands. One person in the group noticed that each word seems to point to a different aspect of what God's word does for us. What did you notice when you read through those verses?
3. Brian drew a distinction between happiness and joy, saying joy is a fruit of the spirit that transcends circumstances and that it is a choice. Clay shared a moment of realizing he was the reason he had lost joy at work. Where does that land for you, and what does it actually look like in practice to choose joy?
4. Brian described God's word as warning us of danger, and talked about how most traps are camouflaged rather than obvious. Can you think of a time when something in scripture gave you a warning you might not have seen on your own?
5. The group landed on the bottom line that where God's word is planted, a great reward grows, with the understanding that it still needs tending over time. Joy added that a seed looks dead in winter but spring still comes. How does that picture of slow, seasonal growth encourage or challenge the way you approach spending time in the word?