Welcome to the Weekly Digest!
Below you will find resources to help you on your journey through the Book of Psalms. We've provided you with a reading plan for the upcoming week, journaling prompts, a weekly Spotify playlist, and ideas for prayer. Be sure to check in every week to see what we have for you next as we continue to enrich our journey through the Psalms.
Reading Plan October 24th-30th
Psalms 36-40. Read and reflect on Psalm 41 in preparation for Sunday, October 24th's teaching. You can download the reading guide for the entire series here.
Scripture Memorization
Scripture memorization is an important discipline to introduce to our lives as a way to actively hide God's word in our heart. It allows us to not only internalize the text, but to share that truth with others more readily.
Memory Verses for October: Psalm 46:10-11 ESV
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Journal Prompts
* A quick note on journaling: if you're new to this practice, our journey through the book of Psalms will be a great way to get started. The most important step to forming this discipline in your life is to write anything and write often. Journaling is an incredible way to slow down, digest the content of a text, let your brain internalize thoughts that may come up, and keep a record for future reflection on what God was speaking to you during your reading. Journaling can take many forms such as written prayers, bullet points, stream of consciousness, or even poetry. Try some different methods and find the one that works best for you.
Journal Prompts / Discussion Questions from Today's Teaching
Psalm 32:1,2
Define what it means to be the righteous unrighteous.
Read Romans 5:1-2
Why is justification such an important doctrine to understand for the follower of Christ?
When Paul writes about having “peace with God” is he referring to feelings or faith?
Peace is realized in the certainty of what Christ death has created for us.
Read Philippians 4:6-7
Read John 14:27
Read Ephesians 3:17-19
Have you ever looked to your feelings for assurance and not God’s words? Explain
• Fact (we are justified through Christ)
• Faith (your feelings don’t determine what you believe, your faith does)
• Feelings (based on truth)
Psalm 32:3-7
What are you hiding from God? How has that affected you?
Psalm 32:8-11
Expound in the idea that a bit and bridle is no longer needed in your life to serve God.
Journal Prompts / Discussion Questions for This Week's Reading
Psalm 36
Look at the wicked’s traits described in the first four verses of this Psalm: “no fear of God”, “flatters himself”, “words are trouble and deceit”, “does not act wisely or do good”, “plots trouble”, and “he sets himself in a way that is not good and that does not reject evil.”
1. Journal moments that you have found yourself being like the wicked described here by David.
David pairs these descriptions with the wicked with descriptions of God; how he has “steadfast love”, “faithful”, “righteousness”, “sound judgment”.
2. Reflect on areas of your life that have changed since coming to Christ, and how following Christ has caused you to look more like Him. Spend time in prayer that God would cause the wicked to either know Him or to be driven away, and that we would look more like God and His Righteousness, not the wicked and their unrighteousness.
Psalm 37
1. What are things of the world that you long for or are envious of that cause you to turn your
focus from God that you struggle to turn from.
2. Trusting in God takes discernment, patience, and stillness. Spend at least 5 minutes in stillness, patiently sitting in the goodness of God and meditating on his steadfast love.
Psalm 38
Verses 1-8 reveal a burden that David has for the sin (iniquity) in his life. In fact, he thinks of his sin, not as a mere trickle of bad things, but a flood that he is drowning in.
1. Take a moment to reflect on how you view your own sin. Do you feel the burden of guilt that
David feels here? While there is this immense burden of guilt, there is a singular hope that we have that is found in Christ only when we confess our iniquity, repent, and wait on the Lord.
2. Take some time to confess, repent, and wait on the Lord.
Psalm 39
Ignorance is infuriating. David, here, is talking of a fool, and yet he finds himself holding his tongue. “I will guard my mouth with a muzzle”, David says.
1. How can restraint be responsible in times of frustration directed towards foolishness?
David reminds himself that this life is “hevel”, a vanishing mist, to help him choose his words carefully and purposefully.
2. What is a situation you have found yourself having to remind yourself of what is truly important when engaging in a conversation with someone who was a “fool”?
Psalm 40
For the past three Psalms, David has touched on an aspect of waiting, all to come to this triumphant result in Psalm 40 when David says “He drew me up…making my steps secure”.
1. Reflect on a moment when God heard your cry, and set you on solid ground. While God puts a new song in our mouths, this does not mean the end of trouble.
2. What’s the difference between troubles we experienced before God became real in our lives
and trouble experienced after? I admire that David is humble about his stature, yet confident in how God views him. He is both “poor and needy”, yet God “takes thought for him”
3. What does sitting in God’s presence reveal about yourself?
Prayer
Psalm 32: As I confess my sins to you, merciful Heavenly Father, help me to be honest and thorough—not holding back, not denying, not making excuses- that I may experience the joy that comes with forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Amen.”
