Staying close to God gives us joy!

In this psalm, David talks about the difference between people who choose God’s way and those who don’t. Choosing God’s way leads to the peace and confidence of trees planted by water. But choosing to ignore God’s way leads to chaos and confusion like leaves in the wind. 

When I feel worried, I can turn to God for guidance.

Bible Story

Psalm 1

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What does drawing near to God and obeying his law give us? 

(Hint: It’s a good thing.)

What happens to a tree that doesn’t have water? 

Who is like straw blowing in the wind?

God comforts us when we are sad. 

David was very sick and sad. He thought that God had left him. Instead 

of just giving up on his relationship with God, he cried out to God for comfort. 

 I can talk to God when I’m sad, and he will comfort me.

Bible Story

Psalm 6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What does drawing near to God and obeying his law give us? 

(Hint: It’s a good thing.)

What happens to a tree that doesn’t have water? 

Who is like straw blowing in the wind?

God gives me confidence. 

"This psalm praises the glory of God. It reminds us that we need only to look up at the sky and be amazed by the heavens that God has created, to know that God is worthy of our trust. If our faith is in the God who created the entire universe, we can be confident that he will never let us down."

Bible Story

Psalm 19

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What is one word that describes God and his love for us? 

Why can’t we be completely confident without God? 

When was a time you felt confident? 

When was a time you felt insecure, alone, or anxious?

God gives us peace when life is hard. 

We can have peace on the inside when things are difficult on the outside. Before David was a king, he was a shepherd. In this psalm, he is looking back fondly on this time in his life. He is reflecting on the peace he felt. 

Bible Story

Psalm 23

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What is one thing God does for us?  (From Psalm 23)

How do we stay connected to God so that we can have peace during difficult times?

When you hear “lying down in green pastures beside still waters,” how does it make you feel?

God is there when I feel alone. 

King David had to flee into exile when his son Absalom took over his throne. After a long struggle, Absalom died, and David was heartbroken. He went into exile to mourn his son. But he was never alone because God was with him.  

Bible Story

Psalm 25

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

How was David feeling at the beginning of the passage, 

knowing God was with him?

What did David say he felt like when he talked to God?  

(Hint: He talked about how he didn’t feel good.)

If you feel lonely, what can you do?

God forgives our sins and takes away our guilt. 

When David felt the guilt of his sin, he chose to call out to God and ask for forgiveness.  When we know we have done wrong and feel bad about it, that is called guilt.  We can follow David’s example when we feel guilty and confess our sins to God because he has promised to forgive us. 

Bible Story 

Psalm 51: 1-4 & 1 John 1:9

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

What did David do when he realized that he was guilty and felt guilty?

What letter does Forgiveness start with?  

How does forgiveness make you feel?

When someone says sorry to us, how can we help them to stop feeling guilty? 

We can talk to God about how we feel angry. 

David had every right to be angry.  Saul had sent men to kill him.  But instead of lashing out, David took his anger to God.  He wrote a psalm asking God to get rid of his enemies. 

Bible Story 

Psalm 59 & 1 Samuel 19:9-13

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

Why is David angry?  How would it make you feel if this happened to you?

How does talking to God help David feel better?

How can you remember to talk to God when you feel angry?  Ideas:  As you feel mad, ask for space and walk away to a private spot you can pray.  If you feel angry, say a prayer in your head right away to ask for help.