Stand.

A Bible Study Series For Starting An Uncertain Year, designed to be used individually or with groups. 

Stand… In awe of God (session 1)

Stand …Committed to godly purpose (session 2)

Stand …Against injustice (session 3)

Stand …Supporting one another (session 4)

Session #1: Stand in awe of God

‘God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ Exodus 3:5

Part 1- Gather

- Catch up: What are you are thankful for at the moment? What concern is at the forefront of your mind? Bring these thanks and concerns to God

- Pause: Take a few moments to dwell on these words from Psalm 40:1-2 ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.’

- Tune in: In Matthew 7, Jesus tells a story of the wise and foolish builders, where the weather represents the challenges of life, and the house represents the person’s life and well-being. Using those images, how would you describe the weather and the state of your house at the moment? (Feel free to doodle a picture!)

Part 2- Engage

- Bible Passage: Exodus 3:1-15. You can read the whole passage here.

Please note: all these questions are simply springboards to discussion and reflection; they are not comprehension tasks. So, hold them lightly. Use, adapt or ignore them… and embrace the tangents!

How has Moses’ life been going up until this point?

What does God reveal of his character to Moses (and to you) through these events?

How do holy and ordinary come together in this encounter? (and where have you seen the holy and ordinary come together in your own life?)

What difference do you think it made to Moses, to others, to God that Moses obeyed the instruction to ‘take of your sandals, for where you are standing is holy ground.’?

- Reflection: Listen to a short reflection on this passage here.

Is there anything that surprises, challenges or encourages you, or that you want to question in the reading or reflection?

- Consider:

How easy/challenging/helpful do you find it to pause, take off your shoes and focus on God?

Can you think of times in your life when pausing to stand in awe of God has made a difference to life?

Part 3- Respond

- Apply to life: ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ vs 5. Are there one or two habits could you develop at the moment to help you pause, stand in awe of God and bring your honest/real self to him?

- Worship: Revisit the words from these words from Psalm 40:1-2 ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. And consider what do you want to say to God in response to this Bible Study?

Session #2: Stand Committed to Godly Purpose

‘Therefore, put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’ Ephesians 6:18

Part 1- Gather

- Catch up: What are you are thankful for at the moment? What concern is at the forefront of your mind? Bring these thanks and concerns to God

- Pause: Take a few moments to dwell on these words from Ephesians 3:16-19 ‘And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.’

- Tune in: is there a hobby, habit, cause or place that you have been committed to for a long time? What difference does that commitment make to you?

Part 2- Engage

- Bible Passage: Read Ephesians 6:10-18. The passage is available here

Remember, all these questions are simply springboards to discussion and reflection; they are not comprehension tasks. So, hold them lightly. Use, adapt or ignore them… and embrace the tangents!

‘Standing firm is a central image in this passage’ (see verses 13,14) - what do you think Paul means by this image? Does it seem do-able?

What’s your response to Paul’s teaching on evil in vs 11-13? (You might want to explore how this relates to other biblical insights on evil and spiritual warfare such as Jesus' wilderness experience in Matthew 4, Peter's teaching in 1 Peter 5:8. But don't let it dominate the focus of the study!)

What aspect of God's armour is particularly significant to you at the moment? Why?

 - Reflection: Listen to a short reflection on this passage by clicking here

Is there anything that surprises, challenges or encourages you, or that you want to question in the reading or reflection?

- Consider:

What does it mean for you to receive from God his armour at the moment: his truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God? 

What's does prayer look like for you at the moment? What's your reaction to the invitation/instruction to 'keep on praying'?

Part 3- Respond

- Apply to life: Identify one way you can 'stand committed to godly purpose at the moment'. 

- Worship: Revisit these words from Ephesians 3:16&17 ‘And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.’ And consider what do you want to say to God in response to this Bible Study?

 Session #3: Stand Against Injustice

‘On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall.’ Esther 5:1

Part 1- Gather

- Catch up: What are you are thankful for at the moment? What concern is at the forefront of your mind? Bring these thanks and concerns to God

- Pause: Take a few moments to dwell on these words from Micah 6:8: ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’

- Tune in: Can you think of a time when you managed to change someone’s mind about something? Or when someone changed your mind about something? What impact did it have?

Part 2- Engage

- Bible Passage: Read Esther 4:1 to 5:4 here. And Esther 7:1-6 here

Remember, all these questions are simply springboards to discussion and reflection; they are not comprehension tasks. So, hold them lightly. Use, adapt or ignore them… and embrace the tangents!

What’s the problem? And who has the power to change it?

Who makes a stand against injustice in these verses, and how?

God is not mentioned by name in the book of Esther. In what ways do you think he is involved in the action? (And are there times in your life when God hasn’t been mentioned yet you can see he was at work?)

- Reflection: Listen to a short reflection on this passage available here

Is there anything that surprises, challenges or encourages you, or that you want to question in the reading or reflection?

- Consider:

What issue of social injustice is/has been important to you and why? (It might be to do with slavery, money, prejudice, oppression or something else)

What opportunities and limitations do you face in standing against it?

Part 3- Respond

- Apply to life: Despite the limitations you currently face, is there a practical way you can take a stand against an issue of social injustice at the moment?

- Worship: Revisit this verse from Micah 6:8: ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ And consider what you want to say to God in response to today’s Bible Study.

 Session #4 - Stand Supporting One Another

‘Aaron and Hur held Moses’ hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.’ Exodus 17:12

Part 1- Gather

- Catch up: What are you are thankful for at the moment? What concern is at the forefront of your mind? Bring these thanks and concerns to God

- Pause: Take a few moments to dwell on these words from Psalm 89:1-2 ‘I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm for ever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.’

- Tune in: When you feel like giving up or feel you’re overwhelmed, who or what keeps you steady?

Part 2- Engage

- Bible Passage: Exodus 17:8 - 18:28. The whole passage is available here.

Remember, all these questions are simply springboards to discussion and reflection; they are not comprehension tasks. So, hold them lightly. Use, adapt or ignore them… and embrace the tangents!

So, why is Moses in need of support in these situations?

What different kinds of support do the different people provide? (and which resonates most with you?)

What impact does this support have on Moses, on others and on God’s purposes?

- Reflection: Listen to a short reflection on this passage (available here)

Is there anything that surprises, challenges or encourages you, or that you want to question in the reading or reflection?

- Consider

At the moment, where are you getting support from and who are you giving support to? Does the balance feel okay?

Part 3- Respond

- Apply to life: Looking back over this series, how are you standing at the moment? What particular aspect do you want to focus on in the coming weeks: stand in awe of God, stand committed to godly purpose, stand against injustice, stand supporting one another?   

- Worship: Revisit these words from Psalm 89:1-2 ‘I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm for ever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.’