ENGAGE WITH SCRIPTURE

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FOR THE WEEK OF

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Amos 6

“Religious apostasy, moral decay, social injustice, and political corruption in the northern kingdom under the rule of Jeroboam II prompted God to send Amos across the border of Judah to preach in Bethel of Israel. Specifically, the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies had become weary of Israel’s sins of idolatry and oppressive greed. God’s patience had expired, and his decree of judgment and exile signaled ‘the end’ of Israel.

“The people of the Hebrew kingdoms of Judah and Israel were the intended audience of Amos’s message. Specific groups or classes of people within the northern kingdom were targeted, including the ‘wealthy’ (Amos 3:15), along with the ‘famous and popular’ (Amos 6:1).” – Andrew E. Hill

 

Read Amos 6:1-7:
  1. As you read through these verses, how would you summarize God’s main complaint about His people?
  2. Why did the Lord proclaim woe to those who felt secure and at ease? What were these people doing wrong?
  3. In what ways do you see lifestyles of ease and spiritual complacency manifested in today’s culture?
  4. How should the lifestyles of those who follow Christ contrast with the materialistic values of our culture?
Read Amos 6:8-14:
  1. If our lifestyles are in complete opposition to God’s standards what should we expect God to do about it?
  2. What did God strike out and take from them?
  3. Are you aware of any ways we substitute selfish living for God-pleasing conduct in the different areas of our lives?
  4. If God were to remove a comfort that is taking your attention from Him, what would He remove?
Taking it home:
  1. What are some causes you are aware of but feel more comfortable ignoring?
  2. What are some needs you see in the world around you that motivate you into action?
  3. How can we encourage one another to step outside of our comfort zones and stay focused on Christ and what He wants for our lives?
Ways to pray:
  • Adoration: Praise God for being the one who notices when even a common sparrow falls.
  • Contrition: Repent of any complacency that keeps you from feeling sorrow when others turn from God.
  • Thankfulness: Thank God for His “long-suffering” patience and the mercy He continues to offer.
  • Supplication: Pray for someone you know who has drifted from God, that He would draw them back.
Other Scriptures to Engage with this week:
  • Luke 12:13-21
  • Psalm 146
  • Leviticus 25:47-55
  • Luke 16:1-9
  • Zechariah 7:4-14
  • Job 6