leading our hearts toward Christ

Pastor Muche Ukegbu What does it look like for us to delight in God’s Word? Join us this week as Pastor Muche Ukegbu shares what it means for us to believe God’s Truth and seek to live a life of Biblical devotion.

Passage | Psalm 1 & James 4:1-4

Psalm 1:1-6 ESV

[1] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. [3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. [4] The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. [5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; [6] for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

James 4:1-4 ESV

[1] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Discussion Questions

As you think about this season of life, what barriers can you see that might keep you from growing in your relationship with God?
Muche said, “All of our lives are expressions of what’s going on in our thoughts”, and he shared with us the four faculties of the heart: mind, conscience, emotions, and will. • As you think about each of these areas in your life, which do you see driving your decisions most of the time? How can we allow God to dominate all of these areas?
Read Psalm 1. How have you generally viewed blessings in the past? This passage says that blessings are about relational connections (ultimately with God) and not about “stuff”. How have you seen relationships be the greatest blessings in your life?
What does it look like for our lives to “be planted by streams of water” and to “not wither?” How does being planted in this way help us to believe in God’s goodness, even when our circumstances are not?
Talk about a time when you delighted in the Law of the Lord? What was that like? What are some practical steps that you could take to make delight in His Word a more regular pattern in your life?
Read James 4:1-4. What lies are easy to believe that cause us to doubt God’s goodness?
What unmet desires do you have that might be taking you away from spending time in God’s Word?
God wants to form our desires to reflect his desires. Then he wants us to ask him in faith to meet those needs. He is the true source of hope and help. What are some needs you would like for him to meet in your life?
Pray to close. Biblical devotion includes your affections, attention and actions. Take a moment to find a verse or passage of Scripture that you can meditate on over the next week. Pray this out loud with your group.