OPINION

Bible Study: Sunday, March 17, 2013

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum.

Bible Passage: Genesis 16:1-12

Discussion Question:

What happens when I take life into my own hands?

Food for Thought:

When is the last time you said, "I got this!"? Perhaps you were driving and trying to use your GPS device, but decided instead to find your destination on your own. Maybe you were in the midst of making a parenting decision, or a decision related to a major purchase like a house, car, or other expensive investment. Why is it that so many of us resist slowing down and waiting for help?

A man was at his office when he got a call from his oldest son. The young man said, "Dad? Help! Ryan is choking!" His two boys were at home alone while he was at work, and the younger one, a 12 year-old, had choked on something he was eating. All the older boy knew to do was to call dad for help. The father, who worked only a few miles from home, raced to his car and sped home, all the while thinking, "If I can just get there fast enough, I can save my son." As it turned out, the young boy spit up the food item he'd choked on and began to breathe normally again. In hindsight, the father would later say that he never once thought about praying and asking God to intervene. He simply thought, "I got this!" How do I know this? I was the dad.

Some questions we'll explore in the March 17 lesson include:

-- What are some negative consequences we face as a result of moving forward too fast in our decision-making process?

-- When have you taken a shortcut around God's plan? What happened?

-- Why does "playing God" always end in bad consequences?

YOU

Intentionally focused on urban and multicultural believers, YOU is biblically-based with culturally relevant lessons to help your members connect, grow, serve, and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for God. This flexible quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For more information, visit

LifeWay.com/YOU.

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at

LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.

Ken Braddy, manager of LifeWay's adult ongoing curriculum, regularly blogs about Sunday School and small groups at

sundayschoolguy.wordpress.com.

Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net