This week's Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum.
Bible Passages: Jeremiah 37:11-17; 38:4-6,14-18
Discussion Question: Have you ever been falsely accused of something? How did you handle it?
Food for Thought:
How many times have we seen television shows depict the release of an individual from prison after a lawyer uncovers DNA evidence that exonerates the accused only after he has served decades for a crime he didn't commit? How many times have we read newspaper articles about people who have actually served years in prison for crimes they didn't commit because DNA evidence wasn't collected or properly reviewed at the time of their sentencing? False accusations fly on a regular basis. Even seemingly simple accusations that don't send someone to prison for years can be hurtful to the one who's falsely accused.
Take for example this sermon illustration about false accusations: A man was driving home one night and picked up a hitchhiker. During the drive, he became suspicious of his passenger, so he checked to make sure that his wallet was in the center console where he always kept it. When he didn't find it, he stopped the car and yelled at the hitchhiker to hand over the wallet and get out of the car. When he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about the ordeal, but she stopped him mid-sentence to ask if he realized that he'd left his wallet at home that day.
Even Christ was falsely accused. In Matthew's account of his crucifixion, we read that Jesus went before the Sanhedrin and stood accused of blasphemy even though He spoke the truth. He was sentenced to death for his supposed crime. Rather than run from his accusers or spend time serving a prison sentence, Jesus willingly went to the cross where He died to take the punishment for our real crimes. Because of His death and resurrection, we are forever forgiven for our sins.
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Bible Studies for Life is a life stage-focused family of resources that addresses key issues in the lives of adults and students. Encompassing seven curriculum lines developed for various life and generational stages plus two others designed for deeper study, all of these resources focus on the same Bible passage for each week. Information about the seven curriculum lines can be found at www.LifeWay.com/BibleStudiesforLife.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
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