Small Group Guide
“Sing Your Story”
Psalm 103
Message Summary
David wrote Psalm 103 as somewhat of a reminder of Who God is and how we are to respond to Him. By recognizing the character and attributes of God, David rightly erupts in praise to God. The command “bless the Lord” is repeated seven times in the 22 verses of this psalm, indicating that David intended for his soul to continually pour out praise to the Lord in response to Who God is. David’s use of “bless” in this passage was not meant to refer to giving God a benefit, as if He needed to be given benefits from His creation. Rather, David meant “bless” as an expression of praise, responding to the way God knows us, loves us, and forgives us.
Discussion & Application Questions
After briefly reviewing the message summary, use these questions to further examine the sermon and to discuss how these truths apply to daily life, so we can “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). Based on your knowledge of the people in your small group, select the questions that will best help you frame the group’s discussion of this sermon and sermon text.
BLESSING THE LORD MEANS WE RECOGNIZE HIS ATTRIBUTES AND THEN RESPOND IN PRAISE.
1. Read Psalm 103:1-5 and Psalm 135:15-17. Contrast the attributes and character of God in Psalm 103 with those of the idols in Psalm 135. How is God supreme to what we can make with our own human hands? Based on Psalm 103, why does God deserve our praise?
2. Consider how our culture most expresses praise or appreciation for that which we love. What gets our attention the most? In your own life this past week, what has your attention and your expression of praise revealed about what you love the most?
3. Application: Describe the way that David speaks of the Lord in verses 1-5. Examine your heart to determine if your soul is prone to bless the Lord as David or is apathetic or angry toward Him. What in your life has caused you to come to this point? Schedule a time to seek the joy of the Lord in your life and to make room for Him. Write down the times God has been faithful. Thank Him for those times, and repeat the promises of God from His Word.
GOD KNOWS US.
4. Look at Psalm 103:13-16. How do these verses connect God’s compassion with our frailty?
5. How does God’s deep knowledge of us impact the way we can rest in Him?
6. How does our view of ourselves relate to how we view God? How does our view of God affect how we view ourselves?
GOD LOVES US.
7. Read Psalm 103:17. What picture of God’s love does David describe?
8. As followers of Christ, what does it mean to our understanding of God’s gracious love that we can never do enough to earn God’s love and that we can never do enough to diminish it?
9. Application: Do you believe that God loves you? Do you believe that He can truly love you? During the upcoming week, spend time looking through your Bible, reading and writing down several passages that speak to God’s love for His children. Then answer the following questions for each passage: What does this passage tell me about God? Is God’s love for me based on anything I am or can do? What does this passage say about me as a child of God? How should the truths of this passage impact my life?
GOD FORGIVES US.
10. Read Psalm 103:8-12. How does David discuss God’s anger and discipline? How are these related to His righteousness?
11. Read Romans 3:25-26. How could God maintain His righteousness and holiness while reconciling with sinners?
12. What kind of freedom from guilt do verses 11-12 give to us as repentant sinners?
13. Application: Sin is worthy of our grief and emotion. However, who are you refusing to offer forgiveness to, considering that a perfectly holy God offers forgiveness to us? Ask God to help you come to a place of forgiveness, and determine something you can do this week to serve that person.
MEDITATE ON THE BENEFITS OF GOD’S MERCY
14. If you struggle to live like you believe God’s love for you, what can you do to address that disconnect?
15. Application: Using Psalm 103, write down the way that God’s mercy is evident in your life. Meditate on those daily this week, and intentionally praise Him, whether through song, written words, or spoken words. How can you plan to meditate on this each day this week?
PREACH GOD’S MERCY TO YOURSELF
16. In what ways do you need to be reminded of God’s mercy? How does the knowledge of God’s mercy in your life free you to live without guilt but motivated for praise and mission?
Things to Consider
If you have people in your group who did not hear the sermon, read the sermon text (Psalm 103) together and briefly summarize the main points of the sermon. Recapping the sermon text and sermon outline can also be a helpful way to start the group, even if everyone did hear the sermon.
The psalms are full of honest, emotional cries to the Lord. David repeatedly admits that he is sad, depressed, or fearful. However, these psalms also contain solid praises to the Lord, as the author reminds himself that God is worthy of all praise, despite the emotions or circumstances of the psalmist. In Psalm 103, the basic command is for the author to bless, or praise, the Lord for all that He is and all that He does. Because the Lord is unparalleled, David pours out praise to Him.
Admit that, at times in our lives, we cannot fathom such automatic praise to the Lord. Invite members to share a specific time or general circumstances that can most easily take away their joy and leave them feeling weary of praising God.
Explain that, in the sermon, Pastor Daniel mentioned the following reasons why we can be found lacking in a desire to praise:
1. A Weak Will: We are reluctant to praise because life has left us exhausted or because we are spiritually apathetic.
2. Filled-up lives: Our lives are preoccupied with everything but God, and He has been crowded out by other things.
3. Spiritual Amnesia: We forget all that God has done for us and all of the ways that He has shown His faithfulness.
Discuss how each of these things prevents us from accurately seeing God for who He is and seeing us for who we are. As you are discussing, work together to point out practical ways to combat each of these hindrances to worshiping the Lord. Encourage members to evaluate if they are experiencing one or more of these spiritual blocks in their lives and to make one change this week toward eliminating a hindrance.
Weekly Prayer Focus
Pray for Our Church:
· Praise God for all He does for us.
· Ask God to give us a care for others that reflects Him and a love for Him.
· Ask for confidence to live in His forgiveness and obedience to His will.
Pray for Our City:
· Pray for Biblical Marriage Institute as they provide marriage education, marriage training, and community awareness.
· Pray for Gardendale First Baptist Church and for Pastor Kevin Hamm.
Pray for Our World:
· Pray for Brook Hills Long-Term missionaries Steve and Daria Mayotte, serving in South Africa among incarcerated juveniles at Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town through Hope Prison Ministry.
· Pray for our Short-Term teams serving in Atlanta, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
The Church at Brook Hills “Sing Your Story,” July 30, 2017 | Page 4