PASSAGE: Psalm 1
PASSAGE GUIDE
A new year frames a simple aim: grow into the likeness of Jesus over the next twelve months. If we honestly reflect on last year, have love, joy, patience, kindness, and forgiveness increased, and have anxiety, anger, envy, and resentment diminished? Many of us are surrounded by Scripture through services, groups, and reading plans, yet change can still feel slow. It is important to note that not all Bible reading leads to transformation. Reading for information builds understanding, but reading for formation welcomes God to search the heart, heal motives, and reshape desires so that the living Word actually changes the reader.
Psalm 1 gives us a pattern of formation. Every person is always being formed by some voice, either the counsel of a world that does not know God or the instruction of God found in Scripture. The psalm contrasts chaff, which is weightless and rootless, with a tree planted by streams of water. “Tree people” still face heat and drought, yet endure because their roots drink from a deeper source than circumstances. Fruit comes in seasons, which means winter is not failure, it is root work, and in due time fruit returns, often sweeter and more abundant.
Biblical meditation differs from vague notions of emptying the mind. It is a slow, prayerful, reflective way of entering Scripture until Scripture enters the reader. Practically, begin by pausing and praying, laying aside mental noise and asking the Holy Spirit to make the written Word God’s personal word for this moment. Read a short passage slowly, even aloud, letting a phrase or image surface. Reflect by stepping into the scene with sanctified imagination, asking what is revealed about God, what stirs within, and where comfort, conviction, or invitation is sensed. Sit in quiet so what was noticed can sink from the mind into the heart.
Writing and prayer also help truth take root. We can capture in a few sentences what seems to be heard from God and note how to respond today, then pray those insights back to God so awareness becomes intention. We can even share this encouragement with someone who might need it, turning formation into overflow. On dry days, keep the rhythm anyway, because roots deepen through steady intake rather than sporadic intensity. Guard a daily window for unhurried engagement, trim distractions to make space, and resist turning the practice into a scoreboard. Formation is personal and communal, so shared rhythms in groups can help people become “tree people” over time.
The path for the year is clear. Do not aim merely to get through the Bible, aim for the Bible to get through to you. Enter the Word so the Word can enter you. As this posture becomes a habit, the Spirit moves a life from chaff to tree, from weather dependent to stream fed. The result is not the absence of hardship but a durable rootedness that bears real fruit in its season. In ordinary days and hard days alike, the life of Jesus quietly takes shape within, and strength, stability, and substance grow where hurried information could never reach.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Please complete and have your group complete this BIBLE READING PLAN SURVEY. This feedback allows us to continue to create valuable resources for our church family.
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You do not need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What did the Spirit say to you during the sermon today either through the text or the message?
- Where did you notice growth in Christlike character this past year?
- Which voices shape you most on a typical day: Scripture, inner narrative, or cultural feeds? Why?
- When did Scripture last “read” you by exposing a motive or fear beneath the surface?
- What part of Psalm 1’s tree vs. chaff picture best describes you right now, and why?
- Which do you gravitate towards between reading for formation or reading for information? Why?
- How do you distinguish reading for information from reading for formation in real time?
- What resistance rises in you when you try to slow down and meditate on a short passage?
- What regularly distracts you from engaging in God’s Word, slowing down and being read by scripture?
- What do you do on “dry” days when nothing stands out in the passage?
- What will it look like for you to be formed by Scripture in 2026?
- What communal rhythms could help your group become “tree people” together over the next few months?
RESOURCES