Preparing for Sunday - Amos

June 19, 2014 by Bret Capranica Preparing for Sunday

Read Amos 1-9 in one setting. How would you sum up the themes you see in this book?
Read Amos 1:1; 7:14, 15. What do you learn about who Amos was and when he prophesied?
Read Amos 1-2 and list the various nations addressed. Who is speaking to these nations? What kinds of things are they being held accountable for? Who receives the most rebuke? Why?
Read Amos 3-6 and underline every time you read "Hear this word." Who are the different sorts of people within Israel being addressed? What have they done and how is God responding to them?
Read Amos 7-9 and make a list of the different kinds of visions that Amos has.
Read Amos 1:4, 11, 12; 7:10-13; 8:11-12. What was the fundamental problem in Judah and Israel?
Read Amos 9:11-15. What is Israel's hope? How is it expressed? What does God promise?

In what ways would Amos 8:11-12 be played out today?
What similar areas of sin would we find in today's professing Church? How would this book call us to respond to those sins?
How does an entire group of professing followers of God reach a place where their lives are characterized by the kinds of sins mentioned in this book? What leads to a people like this becoming so dulled to a deep love for and thorough response to God's word?
What would cultivate among us a sensitivity to sin and a love for God's word so that we would avoid needing to be confronted in similar ways as we see in Amos?
Amos shows practical ways that a neglect of God's word manifests itself: primarily in the way people neglected one another. How does a neglect of God's word manifest itself today?
What encouragement and comfort should we draw from God's eternal promise and hope, as expressed to Israel in the latter verses of the book?

Spend a few minutes in humble prayer before the Lord. What sin do you need to confess? What encouragement do you need to hold onto? What adjustments do you need to make to your own life as a result of meditating on Amos?
How could this book assist you in praying for non-Christians who are in your life? Pray for them now specifically. Pray for non-Christians who will be present this Sunday to respond appropriately to God's word.
How should this book impact our congregation as a whole? Pray that God will prepare our hearts for his work of grace this Sunday as we gather.
Pray for those who will be leading our gathering to edify the body well: Dawson Bryant, music; Brandon Ferguson, Elders' Prayer and Scripture Reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
Listen to the songs we will be singing together and meditate on the message of each song. Prepare yourself to sing together with the church on the Lord's Day.