| Church School Lesson: A Life Map |
"A Life Map"
December 7, 2025
Background: Deu. 6:4-9; Jos. 1:8-9; 2 Kings 22:8-20; Neh. 8:1-8; Psalm 10:7-14; Luke 24:25-32; Acts 17:10-12; 2 Tim. 3:14-17;
Print: Psalm 19:7-13; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Key Verse: 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Devotional: Psalm 119:105-112
Psalm 19:7-13 (ESV)
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Psalm 19/2Timothy 3 (Commentary)
Psalm 19:7-10 After opening with the idea of general revelation, David moves to the topic of special revelation: the Word of God as recorded in Scripture. He makes declarations about the sufficiency of Scripture to address every aspect of life.
First, the instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life. Perfect means “whole” or “complete.” In other words, Scripture lacks nothing. Everything you need to know to be what God expects you to be has been revealed in his Word. It can renew you and provide you with abundant life. Second, the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise (19:7). The Bible is reliable. You can bank on it. Those without experience, the simple and foolish, can be trained how to be discerning and can be enabled to make good and wise choices that reflect a divine perspective from reading and trusting it.
Third, the precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad. The divine principles of the Bible lead a person down the right path. They point out the road we ought to take and promise us blessing for taking it. Fourth, the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up (19:8). In other words, the commandments of God are eye-opening. They illuminate dark situations so that we know how to proceed.
Fifth, the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. God reveals himself without contamination or flaw. His Word is unchanging and always relevant. Sixth, the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous (19:9). “Ordinances” are judgments or verdicts delivered from a judge’s bench. We can be assured that anything that comes from the supreme Judge of the earth is righteous and true.
Seventh, they are more desirable than gold. The Bible is more precious than your paycheck. It’s more valuable than anything the world has to offer because it can provide what the world doesn’t have. It’s sweeter than honey (19:10). You don’t comprehend the sweetness of God’s Word by merely reading it, however. You must experience it: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (34:8).
19:11-14 The words of Scripture warn us of danger and promise us reward for keeping them (19:11). So, whether our problem is hidden faults (those no one but God sees) or willful sins (wrongs that we actually plan to do), the Bible can tell us how to be cleansed (19:12-13).
II Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God (3:16). What does this mean? The doctrine of inspiration refers to the process by which God oversaw the composition of Scripture, guiding the authors to write exactly what he wanted them to write without error. The Greek word translated “inspired” is literally “breathed out by God.” Our God is unique in that he speaks—unlike other so-called “gods” (see Ps 115:4-5). Numerous times the Old Testament uses the phrase, “The Lord says.” Our God communicates. And he has worked supernaturally through the Holy Spirit to communicate perfectly to us through all of Scripture, which is the Word of God. When we read the Bible, we are reading the very words of the living God. “No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).
If all Scripture is inspired by God, then all Scripture is profitable for teaching (instructing you in the truths that you need to know), for rebuking (reproving you for what you’ve done wrong), for correcting (showing you what is right), and for training in righteousness (guiding you to approach life as God intended it to be lived) (3:16). Why are we to use the Bible in these ways? So that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (3:17). To faithfully accomplish the difficult task ahead of him, all Timothy needed was the inerrant Word of God. Everything that you need in order to be what God wants you to be is already in Scripture.