Simple Bible Study

Simple Bible Study • God’s Calling

God’s Calling– Discussion Questions

This study is meant to be Quick, Easy, and Engaging. Feel free to use all or any of these discussion questions to promote a good study with your group.

Some of the video and study guide are based off of the material in the 2022 YouthLead curriculum titled “Vocation: Right Here, Right Now.”  You can access the YouthLead study here: bit.ly/LCMSYouthLead2022

1. When you hear the term “vocation” what do you think about? Have you heard this term discussed before?
2. What vocations do you have right here, right now?
3. Read Exodus 3:1-12
   1. How did Moses react to God’s call for him?
   2. Is Moses qualified for this calling?  Why or why not?
   3. What was God’s response?
   4. Did Moses have any other vocations?  If so, what?
4. Read 1 Peter 4:10-11
   1. What does this verse tell us about God?
   2. What does this verse tell us about who we are?
   3. When you look at the many roles we have, what does this verse tell us about what God calls us to do?
   4. How has God prepared you for the vocations He has called you to do?
   5. How can we get the focus wrong when it comes to trying to fulfill all the responsibilities and expectations we have?
5. Read Romans 1:1-6
   1. What is our primary vocation/calling?
   2. How can we see our vocations as the outflowing of how we have been loved and saved by God? (Read 1 John 4:19)

Final Thought:

It may be overwhelming to think about what’s in store for the future.  Our desire to figure out what the future holds can sometimes let us lose sight of what God is calling us to do right here, right now.  Because He has loved us first by dying and rising to save us, we can love those around us.  God has called us to be children, siblings, friends, co-workers, and so much more to love and care for our parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors.   And God has called them to love and care for us as well.  No matter what, we can be comforted by our primary calling – our primary vocation.  Through Jesus, we are called children of God.  We can rest knowing that our primary vocation comes from our God loving and serving us – forgiving us of our sins and giving us everlasting life.

Questions by Josh Eckstein and based off of the 2022 YouthLead curriculum: bit.ly/LCMSYouthLead2022

Simple Bible Study • Empty?!

Empty?! – Discussion Questions

This study is meant to be Quick, Easy, and Engaging. Feel free to use all or any of these discussion questions to promote a good study with your group.

This Bible study focuses on the power of the empty tomb. Although some of the questions have an Easter focus, we know that as Christians, we always celebrate the empty tomb. With one or two easy adaptations, this study can be used at any point during the year.

1. What is your favorite Easter candy?

2. Megan and Annalisa start by talking about some things they don’t want to be empty (gas tank, coffee cups, ect). What are some things in your life that you want to be full and not empty?

3. Why is the concept of something being empty usually considered a bad thing?

4. Read Romans 6:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 – When it comes to Easter, how is empty a good thing?

5. It’s not just physical things in life that can be empty. Sometimes we experience emptiness in other areas of our lives. Maybe your motivation level is empty. Or your compassion. Or your spiritual dedication. We have so many parts of our life that can feel empty. What area in your life seems “empty” right now?

6. The emptiness of the tomb means that we can be filled with purpose, hope, joy, and love! What purpose do these Bible verses give us? How can they help us when we’re feeling empty?
• Philippians 1:6
• 1 Peter 2:9
• Romans 8:31-39

Final Thought:
You know plenty of people visit Jerusalem every year. Plenty of people walked down some of the same roads that Jesus may have walked down. One of the places people love to visit is the place where historians believe Jesus was buried…and guess what? Till this day the tomb… is still empty!!! Jesus wasn’t in the tomb 3 days after he died. he isn’t in the tomb today….and he never will be!! Jesus is God and is alive forever! His body wasn’t stolen, it wasn’t in the wrong tomb, it wasn’t some magic trick…. So, when we look at the true meaning of Easter and everything Jesus did for us on the cross…empty is a good thing!!

Empty means Jesus is who he says he is,
Empty means Jesus has power over death,
And empty is permanent…

Jesus is permanently alive and death will never overcome him again. When we decide to follow him instead of following our own selfish desires, we too can begin to really live! But while we may see the emptiness of our lives as our greatest problem, that’s not how God sees it. When God looks into the empty places of our lives, He sees His greatest opportunity. God does His best work in the emptiness of our . . .

• Insatiable craving for things that don’t satisfy
• Relational disappointments and loneliness
• Frustrated search for purpose and meaning
• Relentless desire for comfort and security
• Ongoing struggle to live with loss and unfulfilled dreams

There’s a quote by Nancy Guthrie that says, “God does his best work with empty.” Take time to pray together. Thank God for the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus. Ask God to fill the empty places in your life with the hope, joy, and love that comes from knowing Jesus.

Questions by Megan Skelton, Annalisa Fitzsimons & Jennifer Tanner

Simple Bible Study • Not Talking About It
Not Talking About It – Discussion Questions

This study is meant to be Quick Easy and Engaging. Feel free to use all or any of these discussion questions to promote a good study with your group.

1. In the video, Nick talked about doing yard work. Do you like to do work in the yard/outside? Why or Why not?

2. Clearing out dead and dying vegetation is hard work and annoying, but when new life is planted where the dead once was, it can be beautiful. How does this statement match up with our walk with Jesus?

3. Read Romans 7:7-25 – Paul talks about the law and how it is good. How can the law be good?

4. How does Paul address the sin in his life?
• In Romans 7:15-20, Paul talks about the inner struggle with sin and wanting to do good. Do you share the same inner struggle? If so, how?
• Romans 7:24-25 is the confession of Paul and the Good News of Jesus. How can you use these verses and apply them to your life?

5. Have you ever been to a funeral of a non-Christian? How did it differ from a Christian funeral?

6. When you hear/see the word “cemetery”, what pictures come up in your mind?

7. Death is not a fun topic to talk about. In our culture, we steer away from conversations that have to do with death. We like life and try to get the most out of it. How is Paul addressing death in Romans 7?

8. Nick shared some fun life adventures that he has experienced. Share a fun story/adventure from your life.

9. Read Romans 8:1-11 – Paul now turns to a discussion of life. How is Paul addressing life in Romans 8?
• Romans 8 is about how Jesus saves us from our sin and thus fulfilling the law of God. What does that mean to you?
• In Romans 8:11, Paul talks about the Holy Spirit living within us. The “same of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you…” Wow! When you read this sentence do you get excited? How so?

Final Thought: As followers of Jesus, we can be comforted that the apostle Paul struggled with sin and the thoughts of death. The man who heard the voice of Jesus still sinned. Paul had to wrestle with the shame of disappointing his Savior. Yet, through the struggle, Paul continued to rely on the promise of Jesus’ righteousness. We can do nothing on our own, it is only by the grace of Jesus Christ that we are saved.

Thank you for watching.
Questions by Nick Moss

Simple Bible Study • Training Plan

Training Plan · Discussion Questions

This study is meant to be Quick Easy and Engaging. Feel free to use all or any of these discussion questions to promote a good study with your group.

1. Tell about a time you trained, practiced, or prepared for something (sports, academics, fine arts, hobbies, etc). Whether you made your goal or not, what made it easier or harder for you to work toward your goal?

2. Read 1 Timothy 4: 7-8 and 1 Corinthians 9:24-26. What does Paul say about the importance of physical training versus spiritual training?

3. Corrie Ten Boom was sent to a concentration camp after helping Jews escape the Nazis during
World War II. She survived and spent the rest of her life in ministry. One of her most famous quotes says: “When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.”
• What does this quote say about what should be included in a spiritual training plan? Why is
each part important? What other things do you think should be included? (Look at Psalm 119:11-12, Acts 2: 42-47, Phil 4:6)

4. Even though Jennifer prepared for her race, it was still hard. There were challenges she had to
overcome to reach her goal. What are some of the challenges you face or struggle with, in your faith life?

5. What helped Jennifer overcome her obstacles to finishing the race? What does the Bible say about facing the obstacles we face in our spiritual walk? (Look at Isaiah 43:1-2, 2 Cor 12:9, and Heb 10:23-25).

6. For Jennifer, success was not about winning her race. Success was about working toward a difficult goal and finishing the race. For a Christian working to grow in faith, what would success
include? (Look at Luke 10:27, Col 1:9-10 and 2 Peter 1:5-8)

Final Thought: Life as a Christian in a world that does not call Jesus Savior is filled with spiritual highs and spiritual lows. As
you continue to grow in your faith, know that Jesus has paid the full price for your sins. There is nothing
you can do – no way you can perform – that will make God love you any more or any less than He does right
now. God calls you by name and rejoices over you and has given the Holy Spirit to help you in your journey
of faith.

Spend some time together in prayer. Ask God to help overcome any challenges you face, and ask God to
help you encourage others as you grow together in faith.

Questions by Jennifer Tanner

Simple Bible Study • Jesus in the Mess

Jesus in the Mess • Discussion Questions

This study is meant to be Quick, Easy, and Engaging. Feel free to use all or any of these discussion questions to promote
a good study with your group.

1. Throughout the study, Jeremy is unloading a messy closet.
• Think about yourself:
o What physical spaces in your life are the messiest?
o Are you a person who tends to make the mess, or are you a person who tends to get frustrated by a
mess?

2. Jeremy reminds us that our lives can be pretty messy too.
• What areas in your life are messy right now and causing you to struggle?

3. Jeremy says that our messy, sinful lives are no surprise to God. God knows that we are sinners and that our lives
are a mess.
• What does Matthew 1:18-23 tell us about God’s solution to our mess?

4. Jesus was born into the mess of this world for YOU. He doesn’t love us from a distance or wait for us to clean up
the mess. What do these Bible verses reveal about Jesus?
• Mark 2:13-17
• 1 Timothy 1:15
• Luke 19:10
• Romans 5:6-8

5. As Jeremy unloads his messy closet, he holds up three giant tubs representing school life, family life, and social life.
On a scale ranging from a big, hot mess to organized and together, how would you rate each area in your life?
How can you invite Jesus into your school life? Into your family life? Into your social life?

6. Jesus was born as Emmanuel, God with us, and he is still with us! Read Jesus’s promise in Matthew 28:20 and pray
together, inviting Jesus to be a part of all of your messes in your life.

Final Thought: God knew from the beginning that our lives would be a mess, so he sent Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem to
be Emmanuel, God with us. Our relationship with Jesus doesn’t mean we will never be faced with a mess that causes us
to struggle. Our relationship with Jesus does mean that we will never face that mess alone! Jesus tells us that in this
world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because he has overcome this world. No matter how big the mess
may seem, you can face it with confidence knowing that Emmanuel is by your side.