The perfect companion to Being Content God’s Way!
James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” A common mistake with God’s Word is believing we have done enough by learning without applying. Our responsibility goes much further than simply obtaining information.
This 13-week in-depth Bible study will reinforce the teachings from the book so you can be not just a hearer (or reader) but a doer (or obey-er). You will be given the tools to apply the reading and cement the teachings in your heart.
Inside, you will find:
—Helpful guidelines for deepening your relationship with Christ
—How to “be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5)
—Insightful observations to help you grow spiritually
In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote that he “learned to be content.” It is not an elusive concept to be content in all things. Instead, it is a tangible reality within our reach through a relationship with Christ.
The workbook is a 3-month study to help you become rooted and built up in Christ. This biblical guide is perfect for individual use or group study.
The perfect companion to Being Content God’s Way!
James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” A common mistake with God’s Word is believing we have done enough by learning without applying. Our responsibility goes much further than simply obtaining information.
This 13-week in-depth Bible study will reinforce the teachings from the book so you can be not just a hearer (or reader) but a doer (or obey-er). You will be given the tools to apply the reading and cement the teachings in your heart.
Inside, you will find:
—Helpful guidelines for deepening your relationship with Christ
—How to “be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5)
—Insightful observations to help you grow spiritually
In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote that he “learned to be content.” It is not an elusive concept to be content in all things. Instead, it is a tangible reality within our reach through a relationship with Christ.
The workbook is a 3-month study to help you become rooted and built up in Christ. This biblical guide is perfect for individual use or group study.
Colossians 2:6−7 says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” I want to acknowledge and commend your commitment. You’ve purchased Being Content God’s Way and invested in the accompanying 13-week Bible study because of your commitment to “being rooted and built up in Christ.”
Keeping God’s Word In Your Heart
As a pastor, I’ve spent numerous hours counseling people. This experience has familiarized me with the most common problems people face. I have seen them struggle and find solutions in God’s Word. When I ask you to trust God’s Word, I do so because I have seen it work in my life and the lives of people I’ve counseled.
This Bible study is designed to encourage practical application and bring real change because that’s what applying scriptural truth does—it brings about change. For this to happen, we must keep God’s Word in our hearts, as it repeatedly reminds us:
“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).
“The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip” (Psalm 37:31).
“I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
“Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart” (Job 22:22).
Being Content God’s Way is not the Word of God but is filled with the Word of God. I've written this Bible Study to help you apply the teachings from the book and keep God’s Word in your heart. As Jesus said, “The good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15).
Being a Doer Versus Only a Reader
From years of weightlifting, I’ve had lower back issues. I’ll go to the physical therapist and learn the stretches and exercises I’m supposed to do at home, but I rarely do them. My wonderful wife, Katie, repeatedly says, “Why do you go to those appointments if you’re not going to do what you’re told?” I don’t have a good answer. My actions indicate that I wrongly believe that simply attending appointments helps me, but I’m deceiving myself.
We make the same mistake when we read scriptural truth but fail to apply it to our lives. James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” This verse reveals a common mistake I make with the physical therapist, and many of us make it with God’s Word: We learn it without applying it to our lives.
We do this when we believe we have done enough simply by learning what the Bible teaches about contentment. But as believers, our responsibility goes much further than obtaining information. We must also apply it, or none of the knowledge we gain will be of any benefit. We do not learn God’s Word only to acquire knowledge. We learn it to apply it and better serve the Lord. Jesus said, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it…If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (Luke 8:21; John 13:17 NKJV). He also taught an entire parable making this point:
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).
I want to begin our journey through this Bible study with a look at this parable for two reasons:
Jesus brought the Sermon on the Mount to a close with this teaching. He wanted to make sure His listeners put into practice what they heard. This workbook will help you put into practice what you have read in the accompanying book.
This teaching shows that there is only one proper foundation for any area of our lives: Jesus Christ. If we’re content, it will be accomplished through Him. By using this workbook, you are off to a great start, being not just a hearer (or reader) but a doer (or obey-er).
Threats to Our Contentment Will Come
Why is it so important to have a strong foundation? Jesus revealed the need this way: “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew” (Matthew 7:25). You have probably seen on the news—or perhaps personally experienced—what can happen to a house under the onslaught of a powerful storm, hurricane, tornado, or tsunami. Jesus was not teaching that the weather would be unpleasant or chilly and that we might need an umbrella or coat to protect ourselves. Instead, He spoke of the inevitable threats to contentment. Read the following verses about the trials we experience: John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:3; James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:12.
The words “beat on that house” in Matthew 7:25 are analogous to the difficulties that wear on us. In the same way that physical storms can knock down a house, our struggles can make us feel like we will collapse. How many people have said, “I can’t do this anymore…I don’t know how I am going to make it…I will lose my mind if one more thing happens”? However, we can find strength through Christ: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Let’s note what Jesus was not teaching in the parable of the two builders: Obeying Him keeps us from experiencing storms. Sometimes, we think that if we are “good Christians,” God will prevent trials from coming our way. This is prosperity theology, also known as health-and-wealth doctrine, and is false. Jesus said the storms were beating on a house built on the solid foundation He provides.
If obeying Jesus’s teaching does not enable us to avoid life’s storms, then what is the benefit of obedience? Obedience allows us to survive the storms: “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). Obedience will not help us avoid storms, but it will help us survive and be content in them.
Perhaps you have witnessed people experiencing trials and thought, “How can they be content? I don’t think I could handle it if that were me!” The great encouragement is that if we obey Jesus’s teachings, we can be assured that we, too, will be able to withstand them.
The Importance of Obedience
If we are not building on Christ and being rooted and built up in Him, as Colossians 2:7 describes, we should not have much confidence that we will be content in life’s storms. Jesus made this clear when He said, “The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:27). Jesus’s words are strong, but was He harsh? Just the opposite! He was loving. He wanted to convince us to build our lives on His teaching.
The Sermon on the Mount is filled with incredible teachings for every believer. Still, those who familiarize themselves with its teachings without obeying are no better off than those who have never heard (or read) the sermon. Being Content God’s Way is a book filled with the Bible’s counsel, but if you do not obey it, you will be no better off than those who never read the book in the first place. Christ is the firm foundation we need to be content, but that requires us to do and not merely read.
Response Determines Outcome
The accounts of the wise and the foolish builders are almost identical:
They both seem to be talented builders.
There was nothing to indicate any difference in their houses; they both achieved the goal of building strong, sturdy houses.
They faced the same storms; verses 25 and 27 say, “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”
The two widely differing results are shocking: “it did not fall” versus “it fell. And great was its fall.” The builders had nearly identical circumstances but opposing outcomes. The difference was the foundation under each house.
Similarly, the circumstances of our lives are not of greatest importance. Of greatest importance is the foundation we are building on.
Wisdom and Foolishness Revealed
Let’s ensure we understand wisdom. We typically associate wisdom with knowledge: we think people are wise when they have knowledge. Conversely, we associate foolishness with a lack of knowledge. But knowledge doesn’t make people wise any more than a lack of knowledge makes people foolish. The lack of knowledge means people are ignorant. Thus, when the apostle Paul wrote to ignorant people, he gave them knowledge rather than condemning them.
If foolishness isn’t the lack of knowledge, then what is it? Foolishness is failing to apply knowledge, just as wisdom is applying knowledge. Consider the builders in the parable. They both heard the same teachings of Jesus, which means they had the same knowledge. The wise builder was wise because he applied what he heard, and the foolish builder was foolish because he did not.
When purchasing this Bible study you took a big step toward applying the knowledge you have learned (or will learn) in Being Content God’s Way. But remember that your wisdom or foolishness is not shown by how much knowledge you gain from the book. Instead, it is demonstrated by whether you apply that knowledge. The simple yet crucial truth is that being content means having Christ’s teaching as the foundation.
The Benefit of Writing On Learning
What better way to apply what you have read than to answer the questions in the following chapters? I am confident your investment will pay great dividends for two reasons. First, the instruction in Being Content God’s Way is drawn from the Bible. Second, before becoming a pastor, I was an elementary school teacher. That’s when I learned how people learn. When I started preaching—telling people to open their Bibles versus telling students to open their math books—it was another (albeit infinitely more critical) form of teaching. Whether I’m delivering a sermon, speaking at a conference, or guest preaching, I do my best to provide those in attendance with handouts that have lessons and blanks to fill in.
I do this because most of us retain a small amount of what we read. This is unfortunate because it is important to go beyond reading to applying. People retain more information when they take notes than when they only listen. But did you know their retention is even better when the notes are handwritten rather than typed?
It may have been a while since you have written much by hand. We’ve moved away from letters to emails, and many rely on our computers all day. But you can be encouraged to know the answers in this workbook will have a much better chance of staying with you because you wrote them down. Another added benefit is that you will have a record you can refer to in the future. Seeing how God changes us along our journey is always exciting and humbling.
Using This Workbook
I know you are eager to begin, and here are three guidelines that will enable you to receive the most benefit from the Being Content God’s Way Workbook:
There are questions for each section of the book. Read the corresponding section in the book before you look at the workbook questions.
Instead of reading an entire chapter of the book and then answering the questions, it is best to read one section at a time and then answer the corresponding questions.
Do not rush the reading or hurry to answer the questions. The workbook is supposed to serve as a 13-week Bible study. Each chapter is given its own week. Take your time and pray. Reflecting and meditating on your reading and writing will benefit you and allow God to be part of the process.
Let’s begin this journey with the Bible as our guide and the Holy Spirit as our Helper. We are on our way to being content God’s way.
I have been praying for you and will continue to do so. If you have any specific requests for me, please let me know. I would love to hear how God is helping you be content.
Your brother in Christ,
Scott LaPierre
A wonderful companion resource to Being Content God’s Way, this workbook serves as a practical guide for readers who want to delve deeper into the principles and themes of finding contentment and resisting covetousness that are presented in the original book.
Inside, readers will find a biblical framework and applicable guidelines for topics such as deepening our friendship with God, spiritual growth, and finding contentment regardless of circumstances. Each chapter takes the core ideas and Biblical insights from Being Content God’s Way and breaks them down into manageable sections that are perfect for daily Bible study or group discussions.
This comprehensive Bible study helps readers to internalize the teachings from the original book, bridging knowledge gained with applications for obedience to God’s word in our daily lives. Thought-provoking questions and prompts are helpfully arranged throughout the workbook, making it a wonderful resource for spiritual growth and personal reflection. Its reader-friendly design encourages engagement and personal adaptation, allowing for flexibility whether you are using this book during morning quiet time or immersing yourself in a group study setting.
Staying true to the approachable and encouraging style of the original book, this workbook is written in a clear and engaging style that not only challenges readers to pursue growth but is also truly encouraging and uplifting. Over the course of three months, readers are invited to become more deeply rooted in Christ, with LaPierre artfully drawing on the metaphor of a believer as a tree, whose strength and stability come from its root system grounded in Christ.
Ultimately, this workbook reassures readers that genuine contentment is attainable for believers. This is a book that will guide you back to Christ, the ultimate source of strength and contentment. If you found Being Content God’s Way helpful and wish to explore further biblical contentment, resisting covetousness, and become more deeply rooted and built up in Christ, this workbook is the perfect read for you!