Adults — Community Group (60 Minutes)

God Rules Over All He Made

CONNECT — 0–10 Minutes

Purpose: Build trust and invite honest participation.

Icebreaker

• Where do you feel the tension between control and trust most clearly in daily life?
• OR: What is one responsibility you didn’t realize was as big as it is until you had it?

ENCOUNTER — 10–20 Minutes

Purpose: Let Scripture lead the conversation.

Leader Setup

“As we read, listen for what the Bible says about ownership, authority, and our place in God’s world.”

Scripture Reading

Psalm 24

Scripture (BSB): Psalm 24

The Earth Is the LORD’s

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!

8 Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!

10 Who is He, this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts— He is the King of Glory. Selah

Psalm 104

Scripture (BSB): Psalm 104

How Many Are Your Works, O LORD!

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

3 laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.

6 You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—

8 the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You assigned for them—

9 You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.

10 He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains.

11 They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the air nest beside the springs; they sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from His chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His works.

14 He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth:

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

16 The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,

17 where the birds build their nests; the stork makes her home in the cypresses.

18 The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.

20 You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl.

21 The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

22 The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens.

23 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.

24 How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

25 Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small.

26 There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

27 All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.

28 When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

29 When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

30 When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works.

32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder.

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

35 May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah!

ANCHOR — 20–40 Minutes

Purpose: Understand the meaning of the text together.

Teaching Summary

Psalm 24 declares that the earth belongs to the LORD, establishing God’s authority over all creation. Psalm 104 expands this truth by showing God’s ongoing care, provision, and delight in the world He rules. Together, these psalms reveal God as a wise and faithful King whose authority is rooted in creation and sustained through His care.

Digging Deeper

• What does God’s ownership of creation reveal about His authority?
• How does Psalm 104 shape our understanding of God’s rule as active rather than distant?
• Why is it important to see ourselves as stewards instead of owners?

RESPOND — 40–55 Minutes

Purpose: Move from understanding to obedience.

Personal Reflection

• Where do you most resist God’s authority in your life?
• What responsibility has God entrusted to you that requires trust and faithfulness?
• Who is someone you struggle to see as living under God’s good rule?

Group Sharing

Invite participants to share one insight or challenge they are willing to voice.

SEND — 55–60 Minutes

Weekly Practice:
Stewardship Awareness — Each day this week, pause before making a decision and ask, “Does this reflect trust in God as King?”

Closing Prayer

“God, You are the rightful King over all creation. Help us trust Your rule, live as faithful stewards, and worship You with our lives. Amen.”