Discovery Questions for September 6, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES

Lesson for Sept. 6, 2020: “Serve Devotedly” (Ruth 1:3-5, 8-11, 14-18)

“Ruth’s Exemplary Loyalty,” by David Faust (Lesson Application)

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Study Questions for Groups

By Michael C. Mack

1. What was the biggest challenge you faced last week?

2. What did you do last week, as empowered by God’s Spirit, to share the love of Jesus with someone?

Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Ruth 1:3-5, 8-11, and 14-18 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions.

Ask the third person to retell the story as if telling it to a group of fifth- and sixth-graders. (Option: Ask three people to act out the main parts of the narrative.)

3. What stands out to you about the relationships between Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth?

4. Let’s look more closely at some of the details:

• What words in this passage reveal the feelings these three women had for each other?

• In what specific ways did they show humility, not looking to their own interests but to the interests of the others?

• Look through the passage for the possessive pronouns her, your, and my; who used each one; and to whom they referred. In what ways do these words and phrases signify each woman’s priorities in life?

• Look for the phrase, “May the Lord,” and who said it. What does this repeated phrase indicate to you about these women and how they viewed God?

5. What do you learn about God from this narrative?

6. What does this passage teach you about humanity and what’s truly important to us?  

7. What do you learn about devotion and obedience?  

8. Take a few minutes to think about someone you know who is not fully following Christ as Savior and Lord. Now imagine this person someday saying to you, “I want your God to be my God.” How can you work toward that kind of redeeming relationship with this person?

9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”

10. What challenges do you anticipate this week?

For next week: Over the next week, read and reflect on 1 Timothy 1:12-19; 6:11-16 as next week we begin a study of 1 Timothy and the theme, “Build Christ’s Church.” You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.