Lent Bible Study: Re-Turning to Christ: Building Upon the Strong Foundation (5-weeks)
Developed by Christine Ivy, Dawn Mercer, and Rev. Philip Stonhouse for St. Matthew’s Islington
If you would like the PDF click here
Introduction to the Study
We were all made to be in relationship with our sustaining, creator God; however, as humans, we all struggle with things taking the place of God as a priority in our lives. Ever since humans chose the fruit over God in (the Garden of) Eden, we have understood that separation from God means we become disconnected from the peace that we long for, and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Our whole lives are meant to be a journey of coming closer to God. During Lent we take time to slow down and examine how we are doing this. This Lent we will be looking at areas of our lives where it can be difficult to feel God’s presence.
Many people find journaling useful as a way to help their reflections. It can help to examine our experiences, process our thoughts, and grow us in our Christian walk. We would strongly urge you to use Lent to try out the practice of journaling.
In the next 4 sessions we will be exploring 4 Spiritual Practices:
Week 2: March 13 week - Living into the Holy Freedom of Sabbath Rest
Week 3: March 20 week - Priorities in our need for God through Fasting
Week 4: March 27 week - Living out Thankfulness and Trust through Generosity
Week 5: April 3 week - Meeting God through Prayer and Praise
Even after these sessions are finished, we encourage you to continue these spiritual practices, along with Bible reading, and journal what you are learning.
Sabbath - reserving time to bring you closer to God and that which gives you real rest.
Fasting - putting something aside to refocus our lives and attention on God.
Giving - our response to experiencing and knowing God’s gracious love.
Prayer and Praise - a primary way in which we build relationship with our praiseworthy God.
Putting God First
Week One (Week of March 6)
If you haven’t already, make sure to take some time as an individual and group to centre yourselves on God.
Read the introductory paragraphs on the previous pages together.
Take some time to reflect personally and then discuss areas where you feel like something has gotten in the way of seeing and experiencing God.
A Christian working definition of an idol:
"Often we turn to things that aren’t God to give us satisfaction, security, or significance. Many of the things people idolize are not necessarily bad things, but good things that take the wrong priority in our lives.”
(Patrick Mabilog, paraphrase)
What are some examples of good things becoming idols? How do they get in the way of our relationship with God?
Read together:
Isaiah 44:10-20, Matthew 7:24-29
1. What do these passages reveal about the character of God?
· In Isaiah, what is the difference between God and these human-made idols?
· In Matthew, what does the firm foundation tell us about God?
2. In the passage from Matthew, what does this metaphor teach us about following God?
3. The opposite metaphor is when we build our house/life on sand. What does it look like today to build our lives upon things that aren’t God? (It might help to think about a time when what seemed to be a foundation in your life fell out from under you. Why couldn’t it support you?)
Reflect together:
A. What would it look like to make God a priority in some new areas of your life? What difference could this make? Remember Christ is the firm foundation.
B. What are some examples of ways we could make our relationship with God a priority?
Pray together:
Take some time to pray and respond to what God is calling you to make a priority and build that foundation on Him.
Journaling as a tool for self-reflection:
Over the course of the next 5 weeks, we invite you to start a journal. There is no right or wrong way to journal, but consider incorporating journaling to help you to go deeper with your practices (e.g. Sabbath, fasting, giving, prayer and praise) each week. We will have activities each week to try; journaling is a way to reflect on what went well, how we felt, anything we learned, or what we would want to try differently next time.
During this week:
What are the things you lift up to become more important than they are? Think about where you spend the majority of your time, energy and resources. Do these things, even if they are good unto themselves, stand in the way of your relationship with God?
In your journaling, write about how your relationship with these things might be changed to make more room for God.
Notes (Journal Reflections):
Things that stand in the way of your relationship with God:
How could these be changed to make more room for God?
2. Sabbath
Week Two (Week of March 13)
If this was your first experience with journaling, how did you find it?
Reflect on your experience over the last week with the group. What things did you find that stand in your way of God? What things might be changed to make more room for God?
Take a few minutes of quiet to focus on hearing God as we read and reflect together.
A working definition of Holiness:
A kind of specialness, having a distinct purpose, relationship to the goodness and power of God.
Read together:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 20:8-11, Matthew 12:1-14
What do these passages reveal about the character of God?
· What does God’s command about the Sabbath in Deuteronomy and in Exodus reveal about God’s purpose for all of us and all creation?
· What is essential about the Sabbath according to Matthew?
Reflect together:
A. When have you seen a job, career, or any activity, become more important than God (in your own or someone else’s life)?
· What are some of the consequences?
B. In your own life, have you ever felt “enslaved” to something you do?
C. What does God want us to experience by practicing the Sabbath? Include in your discussion:
· What it would mean to keep the Sabbath Holy?
D. In Matthew, Jesus says, “For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” Why is making Jesus the priority of our Sabbath essential? How can we do this?
Pray together:
Take some time to pray and respond to how setting aside a Sabbath rest can help you refocus on God.
During this week:
Choose a period of time (any amount of time you can) to practice a Sabbath. Schedule the time to be free of anything you consider work. Try to do things with your time that bring you closer to God and bring you and others real rest.
It will be different for each of us, but maybe it is going for walks, reading, praying, reaching out to friends, working out, turning off your cell phone, or something else.
Take some time during and after your Sabbath rest to think about the experience and journal about it.
Notes (Journal Reflections):
What difficulties did you find in setting something aside to have more time to focus on God?
What joys did you experience while taking this time in God’s presence? What would it look like to do this weekly?
3. Fasting
Week Three (Week of March 20)
Reflect with the group about your experience of a Sabbath day. What was needed to make the Sabbath time happen? What was difficult? What benefits did you notice about setting this time aside to be close to God? What would it look like to try to do this weekly?
Discuss anything else that has come up for you so far.
Take a few minutes of quiet to focus on hearing God as we read and reflect together.
Read together:
Jonah 3:1-10, Matthew 9:14-15
Jonah 3:1-10
1. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the Ninevites about His intention. What does this tell us about God’s love for sinners?
2. The Ninevites responded. Why did they fast? What was the result?
Matthew 9:14-15
3. What does the disciples’ feasting tell us about God’s presence with us? How do we celebrate the presence of God in our life?
4. Why would the disciples fast when Jesus is gone? What would that fast achieve?
What do these passages reveal about the character of God?
Reflect together:
A. How can fasting become an important instrument in dedicating, redirecting and making God a priority over other things in our lives?
B. How could fasting make more room in your life for God?
C. What things in your life would be the most difficult to do without? (fast from?) What do you depend on them for? How can God help you with these needs/desires?
Pray together:
Take some time to pray and respond to how God can use fasting in your life to help you refocus on Him.
Fasting has two sides. First, that we are taking something and redirecting, repurposing it for (time with) God. Second, that we are making God the priority over that thing.
During this week:
Take a dedicated, scheduled, and defined time to fast. The amount of time will vary between individuals. Invite God to show you what to fast from, and choose one thing e.g., food or technology, etc. Decide a day and set a time where you will not use or consume what you are fasting from. Take at least some of that time to pray and dedicate the experience to God.
Journal about the difficulty of setting something aside and the joy of finding God’s presence.
Notes (Journal Reflections):
What is difficult for you when setting something aside to focus on God?
What benefits did you notice about setting this time aside to be close to God?
4. Giving
Week Four (Week of March 27)
Take a few minutes to reflect on your experience of fasting. What was difficult for you? What joys did you find in taking time with God no matter how long or short?
Take a few minutes to focus on hearing God as we read and reflect together.
The early Jesus community was devoted to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers. This worshiping community overflowed into care for all those in need.
Read together:
Acts 2:42-47, Matthew 6:1-4
What do these passages reveal about the character of God?
· In Acts 2, how does God work through Christ-centred, self-sacrificial communities?
· In Matthew 6, how does God want us to give? What do you think is the reward God wants to give us?
Acts 2:42-47
1. How were their community/practices related to their giving?
2. What are some of the ways in which the Christian community gave to those within and outside their community?
3. What was the source of their glad and generous hearts? Why did this lead to more and more people coming to faith?
Matthew 6:1-4
The act of giving can become something that we do for the praise of others (or the tax credit) rather than giving back to God in thankfulness.
1. Why is giving back to God in thankfulness important for us, for others, and for our relationship with God?
Reflect together:
A. What are ways that our community can become more like the Acts 2 community in the way we give?
B. How could your relationship with “things” in your life change to point to God?
C. How does thankfulness to God for all He has given to us help us to give joyously?
Pray together:
Take some time together to invite God to show you how to use the gifts He has given you.
Giving is a way that we rededicate the gifts God has given us for the service of God.
“We can give because God will always take care of us.”
(St. Matthew’s Joyful Giving Brochure, 2022)
During this week:
This week find a way to give your friendship, service, money, or something else. For example, you might consider contacting a friend with a specific way you can help, like bringing over a meal. (Tip: Don’t say, “If you need anything, let me know.” Rather, offer to show up at their door with dinner so all they have to do is say, “Yes.”) Is there a need in your community or around St. Matt’s that God has brought to your attention? How can we work toward that need?
In your journal reflect on how you give now or have given in the past, whether it be through time, finances, energy, or presence. Are there things that scare or excite you about giving in any of these areas? What kind of giving is God inviting you into now?
Notes (Journal Reflections):
Reflect on your past and present giving (e.g. time, energy, finances, presence).
What is God inviting you to do now in terms of giving? What stands in your way?
5. Prayer & Praise
Week Five (Week of April 3)
Take a few minutes to reflect on your experience of giving this past week. What stood our for you in your pattern of giving? What is God inviting you to do now in terms of giving? What is standing in your way?
Take a few minutes to focus on hearing God as we read and reflect together.
Paul encourages the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always - and repeats himself for emphasis!
Read together:
Philippians 4:4-9, Luke 19:35-40
What do these passages reveal about the character of God?
· What does the passage from Philippians tell us about why and how we turn to God?
· Why do the followers praise God in Luke?
Philippians 4:4-9
1. Why does Paul believe we can live a life of rejoicing?
2. How can the practice of “rejoicing always”, or “making prayer and petitions to God in thanksgiving” relate to living in God’s peace?
3. Why was it important to focus their thinking on praiseworthy things and practice what they had seen and heard from others (v. 8-9)? How do these things relate to God’s presence?
Luke 19:35-40
4. Why do the Pharisees have a problem with the crowd praising Jesus?
5. Why do you think the stones would cry out if everyone else was silent?
Reflect together:
A. How do we rejoice in the Lord? Compare this to how they praised God in Luke 19?
B. How do joy, thankfulness, and prayer combat worry, and help reorient ourselves towards God?
C. What do you find praiseworthy about Jesus?
D. What are some Christ-like things you have seen in others that have helped in your Christian life?
Pray together:
Let's praise God for the wonderful things about him that we talked about this evening. Ask God to open our eyes to see him more and more each day, so that we may praise him more.
Praise to God is three things. First, it is a natural response to learning, recognising and remembering the wonderful nature of God. Second, it is a way we reach toward that which we don’t fully understand yet. Third, it is lifting up God to his rightful place in our hearts, mind and community. Prayer is our conversation with God. It is a way in which we continually build a relationship with God, which is essential if we want to give that relationship priority.
During this week:
Plan a time to be quiet with God every day. Spend the majority of the time praising God. Let this praise help you recentre yourself on God and away from the things that have taken his place. A great way to praise God is to recount where you have seen God at work in your life and in the life of others (or the stories or Psalms in the Bible). Remember thankfulness and repentance are important parts of prayer. Include whatever else you might want to pray for. If it is not easy for you at first, remember, prayer is like a muscle, it needs to be trained.
Take some time to reflect on these experiences then journal about them. In your journaling include what you are praising God for in your prayers as well as what you are asking for and watch for God’s answers even if it does not happen in the timeline you thought of.
Notes (Journal Reflections):
Things you are praising God for:
Things you are asking God for (and when you see them answered, even if it’s a long time):-
How do your prayer and praise impact your relationship with God?
Even after these sessions are finished, we encourage you to continue these spiritual practices, along with Bible reading, and journal what you are learning.
Sabbath - reserving time to bring you closer to God and that which gives you real rest.
Fasting - putting something aside to refocus our lives and attention on God.
Giving - our response to experiencing and knowing God’s gracious love.
Prayer and Praise - a primary way in which we build relationship with our praiseworthy God.
