Experiencing the Power of God — Week 3 Study Guide
“The Power of a Godly Legacy”
THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE: Psalm 145
Introduction
Think about your life. Who were some of the people who impacted your life? Who contributed to you becoming the person you are today? Legacy is an important word. Legacy speaks of what we pass on to others. There are good legacies and poor legacies. We all leave a legacy. What legacy will you leave behind?
Psalm 145 is the last of the psalms of David in the book of Psalms. It is also what is known as an acrostic psalm, meaning that each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet from beginning to end. This was a method used at the time of David to assist people in remembering the psalm, since the psalms were passed down orally and in song. One commentator calls Psalm 145 an alphabet of praise, since the main theme of the psalm is praise.
This study focuses on verse 4: "One generation commends your works to another." Throughout this psalm there is the theme of passing on faith in God. What is being passed on is faith in the Lord. The goal is that the whole world would praise the Lord—verse 21. This will happen by those who know the Lord passing on that legacy to others.
Background Information
There are three basic movements in Psalm 145, which are reflected in the outline that follows.
First, in verses 1-3, David speaks of his own relationship to God. This is the vertical relationship. Note the repetition of the reference to “I” and “my” and the personal relationship with God.
Secondly, in verses 4-13 the focus shifts to declaring, telling, speaking, singing, and proclaiming the works of the Lord to others. This is the horizontal relationship.
The third section is verses 14 through 20, which gives a list of who God is and what He does.
Finally, in verse 21 we find David's commitment to speak about the Lord and the goal that all will praise the name of the Lord.
In verse 4 the word translated “generations” in the NIV translation is not limited to family relationships; that Hebrew word is sometimes translated as “age or period of time.” The additional reading above makes clear that Jesus changes our lives so we can tell others. Similar themes of legacy are found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Sunday’s Message
Key #1: The Generational Principle — Psalm 145:1-3
“I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” — Deuteronomy 5:9-10
You cannot pass on what you do not have in your life. You will pass on what you do have.
Key #2: Be Intentional About What You Pass On — Psalm 145:4-13
“Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’” — Mark 5:19
Broken people everywhere are waiting for us to pass on new life to them.
Key #3: Real-Life Education — Psalm 145:14-21
Digging Deeper Questions
Have everyone discuss who was important in their faith journey as a positive influence. How did their example pass on the faith to you? What have you copied from their life example?
Discuss what Psalm 145:4 means. How can one generation pass on faith to the next generation? How can one generation hinder the faith of the next generation? Be specific.
Read through verses 4-13 and pick out all of the words that refer to telling others about God. Discuss each word. Do they mean different things? Give examples of each.
Read through verses 13-20. List all that these verses tell us about God.
Think of and discuss different situations in which it would be good to tell someone about what it says about God in verses 14; 17; 18-19; 20.
How can you apply to your life what David said in verse 21? Be specific.
Mention the names of 2 people you would like to influence and pass on your faith to. Pray as a group for these people.
This Week’s Challenge
Become intentional about passing on your faith at every opportunity.
Additional Resources