ENGAGE WITH SCRIPTURE

Engage

FOR THE WEEK OF

Sunday, July 30, 2023

1 Peter 1:3-9

It is not what we do or where we are from that shapes us most. What shapes us most is our highest affection. When anything but the living Christ has our highest affection, we live in constant peril of loss, for everything but Jesus will be lost in death. Only affection for Christ and hope in His resurrection will provide peace in pain and hope beyond the grave. In the resurrected Christ we have a hope that cannot be shaken.


Other Scriptures to Engage with this week:
  • Matthew 18:21-35
  • James 2:8-17
  • Romans 6:6-18
  • Nehemiah 5:5-13
  • Romans 12:14-13:10
  • 2 Timothy 2:8-26

Use SOAP through the summer

Growth Groups take a break during the summer months, so we don’t have specific discussion questions for these Engage passages. Instead, we encourage you to use the SOAP Method (Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer). It’s a systematic way to engage with the Bible, encouraging personal reflection, spiritual growth, and a deeper understanding of Scripture. The tabs below will explain each step and offer some specific guidance and questions to ask as you reflect on the Scriptures.

Pray before you begin asking God to help you understand and apply what you read. Read the passage through once or twice before moving on to observation.

Consider any of these as you study the passage:

  • Unpack the passage by answering who, what, where, when, why and how.
  • Look for words that stand out to you or are repeated throughout the passage.
  • List the characters involved and write out what you learn about them.
  • Write out the passage in your own words.
  • List any question you have about the passage.

Summarize the truth of this passage in your own words. Then ask yourself, is there some area of my life where this truth is needed?

  • Is there an example for me to follow?
  • Is there a command to obey?
  • Is there a sin to avoid?
  • Is there a verse to memorize?
  • Is there a promise to claim?

Write out a brief prayer to close your study:

  • Tell God what you learned in his Word.
  • Commit to applying the truths you learned in this passage.