God Moves in a Mysterious Way
(Psalm 77)

I. The Cry (Psalm 77:1-6)
II. The Questions (Psalm 77:7-10; Daniel 3:16-18)
III. The Resolve (Psalm 77:11-12)
IV. The Thunder of God (Psalm 77:13-20)

God Moves in a Mysterious Way by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take!
The clouds ye so much dread;
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense.
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

Create in Me a Clean Heart
(Psalm 51)

I. Confession (Psalm 51:1-6; John 8:32; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8, 18:13; 1 Timothy 1:15)

II. Cleansing (Psalm 51:7-12)
A. We need to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. (Psalm 51:7; Exodus 12:22; 1        Corinthians 5:7; 1 John 1:7)
B. We need new hope. (Proverbs 51:8)
C. We need to know our sins are forgiven. (Proverbs 51:9)
D. We need a clean heart. (Proverbs 51:10)
E. We need the restoration of the Holy Spirit’s power. (Proverbs 51:11)F. We need to regain the joy of God’s salvation. (Proverbs 51:12a)
G. We need a new desire within. (Proverbs 51:12b)

III. Consecration (Psalm 51:13-19; 2 Samuel 12:20; Colossians 3:5-14; Ephesians 4:26-27; 2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10)

A. A New Service (Psalm 51:13)
B. A New Worship (Psalm 51:15)
C. A New Understanding (Psalm 51:16-17)

In God We Trust
(Psalm 11)

I. The Foundations (Psalm 11:1-3)

II. Our Confidence (Psalm 11:4a; Isaiah 6:1; Psalm 3:3; Hebrews 12:2)

III. The Test (Psalm 11:4b; Psalm 121:4)

IV. God’s Judgment and Deliverance (Psalm 11:5-7)

Whom Shall I Fear?
(Psalm 27)

I. Seek the Lord in a time of fear by affirming your complete trust in Him alone and relying on His strength. (Psalm 27:1-3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:30-31)

II. Seek the Lord in a time of fear by beholding His beauty. (Psalm 27:4-6; Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 3:25, 26, 1 Corinthians 2:7)

III. When fear returns, seek the Lord by redirecting your focus to the Lord in heartfelt prayer. (Psalm 27:7-12; Ephesians 6:18)

IV. Continue seeking the Lord by continually reaffirming your faith in Him. (Psalm 27:13-14)

Summer in the Psalms!
Let’s read through the Psalms together. If you read 2 to 3 psalms daily, you will be finished in about 60 days. Psalm 119 can be broken up into several days! It may also be helpful to write down key verses, prayers and thoughts in a special journal.

Finishing Well
(2 Timothy 4:9-22)

I. To finish well, commit yourself to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
A. He is the sovereign Lord. (2 Timothy 4:18; Luke 21:16-18)
B. He is the ever-present Lord. (2 Timothy 4:17, 22; Hebrews 13:5-6; Matthew 28:20)
C. He is the saving Lord. (2 Timothy 4:18; John 6:39)
D. He is the gracious Lord. (2 Timothy 4:22; Ephesians 2:8-9)

II. To finish well, commit yourself to the cause of Christ.

III. To finish well, commit yourself to the cause of Christ with others.

IV. To finish well, commit yourself to personal growth. (2 Timothy 4:13)
Application Questions
Looking back over your life, how would you sum it up in one sentence?
How will you remain faithful to the finish?
What has God shown you through our study of 2 Timothy?

Finishing Well
(2 Timothy 4:6-8)

I. To finish well, keep a proper view of the present. (2Timothy 4:6)
A. Discipleship: Paul could finish well because he had trained others. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:3-5)
B. Sacrifice: Paul could finish well because his life was an offering to the Lord. (Philippians 2:17; Romans 12:1; Acts 20:24)
C. Departure: Paul could finish well because he saw his death as a departure. (2 Timothy 4:6: Philippians 1:21, 23)

II. To finish well, keep a proper view of the past. (2 Timothy 4:7)
A. “I have fought the good fight.”
B. “I have finished the race.”
C. “I have kept the faith.”

III. To finish well, keep a proper view of the future. (2 Timothy 4:8)
A. Paul hoped to meet the Lord, the righteous Judge. (Romans 8:1; John 5:24; Romans 3:21-26)
B. Paul lived in view of “that Day.” (James 1:12)
Application Questions
Whom are you currently trying to disciple? If the answer is “no one,” ask God to direct you to someone.
Does the idea of departing to be with Christ cause you more fear or peace? If fear, how can you change this?
When do you most feel like dropping out of the race? What encourages you to keep going at those times?

Preaching and Hearing the Word of God
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

I. Preaching the Word is of importance in light of Christ’s return. (2 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Peter 1:3; John 16:8)

A. Why preach?
B. What to preach?
C. When to preach?
D. How to preach?

II. Hearing the Word is of great importance in view of our sinful nature. (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Luke 6:18)

III. Perseverance in preaching the Word is of great importance in light of opposition. (2 Timothy 2:3-12; 3:10-12; 4:5)
Application Questions:
What are some reasons that biblical preaching is not being emphasized today?
Is sound preaching of the Word the most important factor in choosing a church?
Even Jesus warned His audience about listening well (Luke 8:18). How can a person improve his listening ability?
Why does Paul say that sound doctrine must be “endured”? What are some implications of this?

Living in the Last Days
(2 Timothy 3)

I. Perilous times will come (2 Timothy 3:1-9; Romans 1:18-32)
II. Surviving perilous times (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
A. Follow godly leaders. (2 Timothy 3:10-13; 1 Corinthians 11:1)
B. Continue in what you have learned. (2 Timothy 3:14-15; Deuteronomy 5:32)
C. Let the Word of God make you complete. (2 Timothy 3:16-17: Ephesians 6:17)
Application:
1. How can I prepare for perilous times?
2. How am I building God’s Word into my life?
3. Do I submit to the Word of God even when I might dislike something that it says?
4. Am I willing to run all my opinions and ideas through the grid of Holy Scripture?

The Kind of Person That God Can Use
(2 Timothy 2:14-26)

I. Grounded in God’s Word. (2 Timothy 2:14-18; Psalm 1:2-3)
II. Confident in God’s Ability. (2 Timothy 2:19; Ephesians 1:4; James 1:18)
III. Fleeing Evil; Pursuing Righteousness. (2 Timothy 2:20-22; 1 John 1:7-9)
IV. Gentle toward Others. (2 Timothy 2:23-36; Titus 3:2)
Application:
1. Are you willing to be used by God?
2. How much time are you spending time in God’s Word?
3. How confident are you in God’s ability?
4. In what ways are you fleeing evil and pursuing righteousness?
5. Are you gentle toward others?

Later in the week:
1. How has God used you this week?

The Legacy of Your Life
(2 Timothy 2:1-13)

I. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; 6:10)

II. Entrust the truth to others who will entrust it to others also. (2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 2:1)

III. Endure hardship for the gospel now in view of future reward. (2 Timothy 2:3; Matthew 6:33; 16:24)

A. As soldiers we must focus on pleasing the Lord alone. (2 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:9)
B. As athletes, we must play by the rules God lays down. (2 Timothy 2:5; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Corinthians 9:27)
C. As farmers, we must work with an eye to the future. (2 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 6:10)

Three motivations to encourage us to endure hardship and to stand strong in the grace of Christ:
1. Remember who Jesus is and remember that He rose from the dead. (2 Timothy 2:8)
2. Remember those who suffer for the faith. (2 Timothy 2:9-10)
3. Remember your reward. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

Application
1. How will you be remembered?
2. In what areas do you need to be strengthened in grace?
3. Who are you entrusting the gospel to?
4. In what ways are you enduring hardships and what future reward are you anticipating?
5. Which metaphor do you most relate to at this time in your life (soldier, athlete, farmer)?