Message Notes and Group Study Guide

Date: August 31-September 1, 2024
Speaker: Dr. Terry Thomas
Series: -
Message: Vain Is Your Labor?
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Scripture

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

¹ Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
² In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to[a] those he loves.

³ Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court. —Psalm 127:1-5 (NIV)

Notes

Study Guide

Step One: Icebreaker (Optional)
What is something you did that you felt produced no result?

Step Two: Open
Ask someone in your group to pray to open your time together. Ask another person to read Psalm 127.

Step Three: Discuss

1. What stood out to you the most in this weekend’s teaching? What was challenging, encouraging, or confusing to you?
   

2. How does Psalm 127 challenge our society’s view of success and self-reliance?
   

3. What is the role of God’s guidance in our ambitions and aspirations?
   

4. How do we reconcile the hard work required to achieve our goals with the notion that “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain”?
   

5. In what ways does society’s view of children contrast with the perspective offered in Psalm 127?
   

6. What practical steps can you take to ensure God is the builder of your ‘house’?
   

Step Four: Close in Prayer
Ask someone in your group to close in prayer.