AUGUST 10, 2025 STUDY GUIDE
A Disciple…Worships
John 4:19-26
As you begin this week's BIble study, take a moment and pray for the many men and women who have served and are serving our country in the Armed Forces. War is dangerous and deadly. These men and women protect us and defend our freedom. Thank the Lord for their sacrifice!
In the 70s and 80s, Southern Baptists were involved in a war. The battle was over the Bible. Is the Bible true, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative? Southern Baptists are known as "people of the Book." Praise the Lord, our convention of churches is committed to the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures!
In more recent years, churches have fought another war. This war was over the style of worship. Is the church going to sing traditional or contemporary songs? Is the worship style going to be traditional, contemporary, or blended? The consequences of this war have been deep and wide. Churches have split. Pastors have left the ministry. Lost people have been confused, seeing disunity among God's people. In several churches, the war is still ongoing. What kind of worship style is pleasing to God? What does the Bible say about songs (pay attention to the Psalms, Ephesians, and Colossians)? What does the Bible teach about the heart behind our songs, regardless of their style?
Jesus engaged a Samaritan woman in a conversation. The interaction started over water, then went to her relationships, and finally landed on worship. The conversation with Jesus changed the woman's life. The woman's story in John 4 is glorious, inspirational, and personal. Take a few minutes and answer the following three questions:
Why was it unusual for Jesus to talk with a Samaritan woman?
How did the disciples respond to Jesus talking with the woman?
How did the Lord use the woman's testimony in the town?
What lessons about worship do we learn from John 4?
1. Refuse to Confine Worship to a Location (John 4:19-23). What happens when God's people make worship about a location? How did the Samaritan woman confine worship to a location? The woman was focused on a mountain. How did Jesus reply to the woman's beliefs? Take a few minutes and talk about a few definitions of worship. In a discussion about biblical worship, you can talk about these three words: audience, prompter, and performers.
Who is the audience?
Who is the prompter?
Who are the performers?
2. Commit to Practice Worship as a Lifestyle (John 4:23-24). What does it mean to worship God as a lifestyle? Jesus knew the Samaritan woman had needs. Her life was messed up. Here's great news: Jesus loves messed-up people. John 4 gives insights into what God desires. He wants to save the lost, and He seeks true worshipers. Biblical worship isn't limited to Sundays.
How are you praying for and sharing the gospel with lost people?
How are you worshiping the Lord as a lifestyle?
How is your worship, as a believer and church, pleasing God?
3. Pray to Keep Worship in Balance (John 4:24-26). What happens when life gets out of balance? What are the consequences when worship becomes unbalanced? Jesus taught that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth. That's a balanced approach to biblical worship. Take a few moments and discuss what it means to worship the Father in spirit and truth.
What does a balanced approach to worship look like?
What steps can be taken if worship becomes out of balance?
How will we know if we've worshiped Jesus as He said?
Our aim as a church is to worship God, love people, share Jesus, and make disciples.
A true disciple is a true worshiper. As we aim to be disciples who worship God, let's consider and answer the following two questions:
What's the difference between being a believer and a disciple?
How are you growing and maturing in the Christian life?
We're excited about Bible study and worship this weekend. It's Connect Sunday at FBC Clarksville. We'd love for you to join us in one of our Connect Groups and gather wth us for worship in the Grace Worship Center. If that's not possible, thank you for connecting with us online.
We're grateful for you!
View all of the "Disciple" Sermon Series Study Guides at fbct.org/disciple.