Campus Community | Playlist Week 1
Overview:
We are jumping into a new semester with a new series entitled “Playlist”. In this series, we will be taking an in-depth look at the 23rd Psalm. Tonight, the goal is to introduce you to the Psalms in general and then the 23rd Psalm specifically. The book of Psalms often referred to as the “New Torah”, is the longest book in Bible and is made up of 150 Hebrew poems & prayers & songs. 73 written by David, 1 Solomon, 1 Moses, 1/3 Anonymous. The Psalms can become for us a curriculum of the way our doctrine and emotions dovetail into each other.
The word Psalm means “song”. Although the meaning of the word is song, the Psalms are not simply a collection of songs. Rather, the Psalms are comprised of 5 intentionally ordered books. In fact, the five books found in the Psalms are in sync with the five books of the Torah. As one writer states, “The five books of Moses were designed deliberately to give us a pattern of God’s working in human history in the world of nations and with individuals. The five books of Psalms follow the same pattern but reflect the emotional reactions of the heart to God’s divine program” (Ray Steadman). The psalms dare to display the full spectrum of every human emotion. The psalms give us permission, to be honest with God. And therein lies the invitation for each of us as we dive into “Playlist”.
Verses:
- Loneliness-Psalm 25:16
- Love-Psalm 18:1
- Awe-Psalm 33:8
- Sorrow-Psalm 31:10
- Regret-Psalm 38:18
- Contrition-Psalm 51:7
- Discouragement & Turmoil-Psalm 42:5
- Shame-Psalm 44:15
- Exaltation-Psalm 21:1
- Marveling-Psalm 118:23
- Delight-Psalm 1:2
- Joy-Psalm 4:7
- Gladness-Psalm 9:2
- Fear-Psalm 2:11
- Anger-Psalm 4:4
- Peace-Psalm 4:8
- Grief-Psalm 6:7
- Desire-Psalm 10:17
- Hope-Psalm 33:22
- Broken heartedness-Psalm 34:18
- Gratitude-Psalm 35:18
- Zeal-Psalm 69:9
- Pain-Psalm 69:29
- Confidence-Psalm 27:3
The LORD Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Quotes:
“Embarrassing, naked, and vulnerable honesty that brings us to the foot of the Cross.
“We will never be able to fight and root out our inward emotions that dishonor God if we pretend they don’t exist. God would rather you approach Him with honest dishonor than dishonest honor.”
“Some of us rely on our emotions far too much. Some of us repel from our emotions far too much”.
“The key is not to surge nor stifle our emotions but to bridle them to help us grow in Christlikeness”.
“Christ knew every righteous emotion. He knew lament. He knew sorrow. He knew temptation, he knew betrayal. He knew laughter. He knew anger. Maybe this is why, in the gospel accounts, Jesus quoted the psalms more than any other book in the Old Testament”.
“When we pray the psalms, we are praying what Jesus prayed. When we sing the psalms, we are singing what Jesus sang”.
“Shadows cannot hurt us!”
Questions:
1. Where do we get the permission to be so brutally honest with the Lord?
2. What is the difference between being “honestly dishonorable” vs. “dishonestly honorable”?
3. If you’re being honest with yourself, do you find yourself tending towards needing an “emotional fix” or an “emotional nix”? What is the difference and what are the implications of either extreme in your faith-walk?
4. How can we find hope in God’s truth within our emotional reactions in life?