Opening Discussion

• What’s a rule your parents had that was hard for you to follow?
• What are some silly rules or laws you’ve heard about?

Read and Discuss

Psalm 96:1-6

1 Sing a new song to the Lord; let the whole earth sing to the Lord.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples.

4 For the Lord is great and is highly praised; he is feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

• Why does the psalmist tell people to sing a new song?
  • When you do something new, what steps do you take?
• What attributes of God are talked about in this Psalm?
• What does the psalmist say about other gods?
• Why is it important to know that God is the Creator?
  • What are some ways creation draws us to worship?

Psalm 96:7-9

7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and enter his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.

• What does “ascribe” mean and why is it important in worship?
• What are some reasons the psalmist gives to why we should worship the Lord?
• How does the Lord reign?
• What areas of your life do you have trouble letting the Lord reign in?

Psalm 96:10-13

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly.”

11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound.
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming—for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.

• When it comes to the Lord’s fair judgment, what are some ways you are for it, and what are some ways it is scary?
• How does the psalmist describe how God will judge, and what does this teach us about God’s character?
• How does having a sense of right, wrong, and fairness point to God?
• Why do we have to have rules and laws in order for there to be justice?
• What are some of the rules and laws God has established?

(Side note: The longest chapter in the whole Bible is Psalm 119. It is a psalm of deep worship, with the main subject being God’s laws and rules.)

Psalm 119:1-6

1 How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!

2 Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.

3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.

4 You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.

5 If only my ways were committed to keeping your statutes!

6 Then I would not be ashamed when I think about all your commands.

• How do rules help us in our relationships with others?
• Why does the psalmist praise God for His rules and laws?
• When was the last time you thanked God for rules?
  • Does it seem weird to thank God for His rules? Why or why not?
• How do laws point to a lawmaker?
• Why does our relationship with the Lord go better when we are keeping the laws He has made for us?

Apply it!

• What is one way you could worship God for His rules and laws this week?

Memorize it!

Psalm 96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly.”

Prayer TACOS

Thank the Lord for His laws, rules, and commandments!

Adoration- Worship the Lord for His holiness and being the only one worthy of giving the perfect law.

Confess to the times you have not obeyed the Lord’s commands.

Others- Pray for those who have turned from, or never followed God’s laws. Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity this week to talk to someone about His goodness.

Self- Ask the Lord to show you how following His ways is the best way to live. Pray against temptations that lead you down the wrong path.

Closing thoughts

When I started driving and had a curfew, I would always let my parents know where I was going, and if I was going to be late. Sometimes I would even ask for a later curfew if my friends and I were watching a movie or in the middle of something. Often, they would let me stay later. My parents hadn’t set a curfew because they wanted to make me miserable, but because they loved me.

God doesn’t make up rules and laws to make our lives terrible, He does it out of love. He knows that if we follow Him, and obey Him, life will go better for us. We can look around at the rules and see people breaking them all the time. And when they do, we know that justice needs to be done to right the wrongs. That feeling of injustice and something being wrong when the rules are broken, points back to God. It shows us that there is a lawmaker who has established a set of rules. This week, pay attention to the rules God has set in place, and look at them as an act of His love towards us.