UNITY
A 4 Week Study focused on understanding how God designed Unity and how we as a people have completely misunderstood.
It is no surprise to anyone that our world today suffers from a lack of understanding and living out true unity. Simply put, there's no community without unity. When we allow division to infiltrate our communities of faith, we distort the message our world so desperately needs the most.
Before you go any further, let's look at what Unity is not.
UNITY IS NOT:
• abandoning your views
• uniformity - everyone looking, sounding and acting like each other
• unanimity - everyone agreeing with one another
These are unhealthy goals for a community. It's actually diversity that makes the Church so beautiful and exactly how God designed it. A community of people on mission to make disciples in Jesus' name is the most crucial movement of all time, and nothing derails a movement like dis-unity.
Week 1
Opening Questions
What has been your experience with unity?
How have you seen it (good or bad) on display in your life?
Scripture
John 17:13-23
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Questions to Consider
1. What verse, or verses, stood out to you in this passage and why?
2. What do you think Jesus means when He keeps saying "that they may be one?"
3. How do you view unity now after reading this passage?
Closing Thought
Jesus spends the remainder of John 17 praying for all of those that will choose to believe in Him. It is so evident that His heart is for you to see the glory of God, our Father. Spend some time praying for each other and for your community to grow in Godly unity.
What were your key takeaways from week 1?
Week 2
Opening Questions
1. Did you do anything wise this week, meet anyone wise?
2. Have you reflected on how fear of the Lord can relate to Wisdom, if so, how does it?
Scripture
Proverbs 2
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Questions to Consider
1. What stood out to you in those verses?
2. What does God ask us to call out for, how does that relate to Wisdom?
3. Where does Wisdom come from, how can we find more of it?
4. How could understanding protect us?
Closing Thought
Reflect on what God is telling us through these scriptures, and how to access Wisdom.
If it can protect us like the scripture says, who wouldn't want it?
Week 3
Opening Question
1. Have you gotten any more wise this week?
2. What have you been doing to chase after Wisdom, or what have you not been doing?
Scripture
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Questions to Consider
1. What stood out to you in those verses?
2. How does law of the Lord relate to Wisdom?
3. What does it mean to meditate in the law of the Lord, how does that relate to Wisdom?
4. Notice the tree that is firmly planted bears fruit in it's season, why is that important?
Closing Thought
Understanding of God's law is an essential part of being wise. Meditating in it and loving it will bring Wisdom.
There is great importance in patience and understanding of self, what does this look like in your life?
Week 4
Opening Question
1. How did you meditate on God's law this week?
2. What about God's law do you love?
Scripture
Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.
12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.
Questions to Consider
1. What stood out in these verses?
2. How does the understanding of death relate to Wisdom?
3. Does the fact that our lives are eternal change how you live your everyday life?
Closing Thought
We don't take anything with us, how does that change our everyday life?
The most powerful and wise person to ever live knew he'd only live to 33, but had an amazing impact, how will you use your life?
Week 5
Opening Question
Did last weeks reading change how you live your everyday life?
Scripture
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Questions to Consider
1. What chapter impacted you the most in this study?
2. Do you ever get jealous of those not following Jesus?
3. Do you feel confident in God's promises?
Closing Thought
The writer of this Psalm is obviously very confident in God's promise, though he admits he can become jealous of the wicked at times.
How do we keep our eyes on his promises?
Is that what Wisdom is all about?
What were your key takeaways from this week?
If you are interested in learning more about Wisdom, check out the Wisdom Psalms: 1, 37, 49, 73, 127, & 128
We pray that you enjoyed this study and grew to be more like Jesus while going through it. Please let us know in the comments your takeaways from this study. Thank you!
