Date: September 20, 2026
Session Title: God Speaks Through His Holy Spirit
In Focus: The Holy Spirit guides us in knowing His will.
Podcast—Bible Studies for Life: Adults
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Additional Teaching Options
Optional teaching ideas that incorporate current news, cultural trends, and real-world illustrations to help your group engage more deeply and view today’s issues through a clear biblical lens.
Getting Started
Read after discussing Getting Started—Question 1:
President Trump called in to a NASA press conference following the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30. The telescope had successfully separated from its rocket and begun sending back telemetry as it started its nearly million-mile journey toward the Lagrange point L2. About halfway through the post-launch briefing, as NASA officials were still discussing the mission’s science goals, the call came in. Once it reaches its destination, the telescope is expected to become a household name, similar to the Hubble Telescope, as it sends imagery and space data back to Earth.
In the middle of the briefing, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman suddenly walked out with his phone, announcing, “The president is excited about Roman.” He returned moments later with the president on speakerphone so Trump could congratulate and thank the team for their success and hard work.
The president can reach people with a phone call, and no one doubted it was truly him on the line. Sadly, God doesn’t have a cell phone, and His voice often doesn’t come with caller ID. But as believers immerse themselves in Scripture, spend time in prayer, and stay in community with other believers, the Holy Spirit guides us in recognizing when God is speaking.
To learn more about this article, search “Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch,” or “President calls into NASA press conference after successful launch.”
Learn God’s Way
Read after discussing 1 Corinthians 2:9-11:
Archeologists recently completed an excavation at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, revealing more evidence consistent with the Bible’s descriptions of Jesus’s burial. Lead archeologist Francesca Stasolla noted that her team had found ancient seeds and pollen in layers dating between the site’s use as a quarry and its later Roman occupation. This finding lines up with John 19:41, where the location of Jesus’s crucifixion is described as having a garden nearby, with the tomb located within that garden. Archeological evidence also indicates that between the site’s use as a quarry and the Roman occupation, the area served as a funerary and agricultural space.
Archeological findings like this one can confirm physical details recorded in Scripture—a garden that once stood where the Bible said it would, a tomb where the Bible said it would be. These discoveries are valuable, and they can strengthen our confidence that Scripture describes real places and real events. But there’s a difference between confirming that something happened and understanding why it matters. No excavation can uncover the meaning of the empty tomb or the mind of God behind it. The deep things of God—things the eye hasn’t seen, the ear hasn’t heard, and the human heart hasn’t conceived—are not found through digging, but are revealed only by the Spirit of God, who alone knows the mind of God and makes it known to us. A shovel can uncover a garden. Only the Spirit can reveal what that garden means.
To read more about this article, search “Church of the Holy Sepulcher archeological dig” or “Site where Jesus was crucified and buried reveals new evidence that backs biblical account.”
This week’s writer for Extra is Emily Duncan. Emily is a Southern California native who lives in west Georgia with her husband and daughter. God saved her from Wicca while at a youth retreat when she was sixteen. Emily’s a member of Midway Church in Villa Rica and mentors young women as they transition from high school to college.
[Linked material and sources serve as background illustration only and does not imply endorsement beyond our biblical application.]
Additional Questions
These optional questions are designed to warm up group conversation and guide engagement throughout each Bible passage—helping your group think critically, connect personally, and process Scripture through a clear biblical lens. For full session plans—including additional discussion questions, teaching content, and leader helps built specifically for this study—get the Adult Leader Guide, Daily Discipleship Guide Leader Guide, or QuickSource at biblestudiesforlife.com.
Icebreakers
- What are some common voices competing for our attention today?
- When have you ignored a warning or piece of advice and later wished you’d listened?
1 Corinthians 2:6-8. We can’t comprehend His will by our own power or reasoning.
- How have you experienced the Holy Spirit helping you understand or apply a biblical truth in a deeper way?
- How can you create more space for the Holy Spirit to shape your thinking and decisions?
1 Corinthians 2:9-11. The Holy Spirit reveals the mind of God.
- What practices help you become more attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading through Scripture?
- What’s the difference between gaining biblical knowledge and growing in spiritual wisdom?
1 Corinthians 2:12-16. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to help us apply Scripture to our lives.
- How can we recognize when our thinking is being shaped more by the world than by God’s Word?
- How might a person with the mind of Christ approach conflict, success, disappointment, or uncertainty differently than the world does?
I gave my class a few weeks to get used to the new formats, but here is what I am hearing and experiencing:
1. The questions need numbers. When the leader or member directs the class to a particular question, they have to give details to know which question, on which page they are referring to. Numbers made it easy to direct to questions.
2. It appeared neater and less crowded when all font was not bolded.
3. There is little room for making notes as they study. The margins are too small and the spacing between sections is too few.
4. To the common reader, “The Point” of each lesson makes more sense than “In Focus”. I know that they mean the same, but a “The Point” relays the theme of the study where “In Focus” could be unclear to new readers. The point is simple.
I appreciate that Lifeway is constantly trying to improve our materials, but adults, especially senior adults, don’t always appreciate change. (haha)
Belinda, thank you for sharing such thoughtful and specific feedback. We’re listening, and comments like yours help as we’re always evaluating/monitoring feedback and possible changes to improve Bible Studies for Life. Thank you for using BSFL for your Bible study, and we appreciate the honest feedback you’ve offered—especially because you offered it with such care. Thank you for helping us make the resource better for the churches and groups we serve. And yes, we couldn’t agree more—change is usually hard to get used to. We’ll keep working to improve and for ways to serve our churches and groups well. We’ll also keep you posted on any changes based on your feedback. Again, thank you.
Also the larger size of the book complicates things for us older folks. My class liked the size of their book to fit in their Bibles. The larger books necessitate a tote due to canes and other walking devices.
Hi Linda, thank you for sharing this. We appreciate you pointing out how the larger size can create a challenge for some of our older adults. We’re listening, and feedback like yours is helpful as we’re always looking for ways to improve Bible Studies for Life to better serve the churches and people who use it each week.
Good morning,
Just a little note about the writer’s definition of amuse on page 32. It states that the prefix a is negative thus making amuse mean not thoughtfully considered. However the prefix here means” to cause… “ so the meaning is more like to cause to think .
Check it out…
Hi Joan, Thank you for pointing this out and for taking the time to look into it. We’re grateful for readers who engage the material as you have. I’ll make sure your feedback is shared with our team as we continue working to make Bible Studies for Life as clear and accurate as possible. May the Lord continue to bless you as you study His Word.
I like the new format. I prefer the smaller book. But I think the profile is better. The questions are simple and seem to apply to the scripture. My ladies like to discuss the questions. I heard some complaints but we are older and we just as soon everything stay the same.
Hi Jane, thank you for sharing. We’re grateful to hear the new format is serving your group well——especially the questions and discussion they’re creating around Scripture. We understand change can take some getting used to, so we appreciate both your encouragement and your thoughtful feedback as we continue working to make Bible Studies for Life as helpful as possible. Thank you.