First Baptist Church . 3 Hedge Street . Simpsonville, SC 29681 . phone: (864) 967-8591 . Class Location: Main 210
Our Prayer
Our Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against You and that my sins separate me from You. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of You. My greatest purpose in life is to follow Your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Isaiah 6 is a pivotal chapter in the book of
Isaiah, marking the prophet's personal encounter with the holiness of God and
his commission to be a messenger to the people of Israel. This chapter reveals
profound truths about God’s majesty, human sinfulness, and the grace of divine
calling. It is a powerful depiction of God’s glory, His sovereignty over all
creation, and the response He desires from His people.
The chapter begins with Isaiah’s vision of
God in His throne room, “high and exalted,” surrounded by seraphim who worship
Him with reverence, crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole
earth is full of his glory” (v.3). The sheer majesty and holiness of God are
overwhelming, causing the foundations of the temple to shake. The holiness of
God is the central theme of this vision — He is utterly separate from sin, pure
and perfect in every way. The seraphim’s repeated declaration emphasizes the infinite
holiness of God, highlighting His transcendence and worthiness of all worship.
Isaiah’s immediate response to this vision is
one of deep conviction and despair: “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (v.5). Confronted with
the holiness of God, Isaiah becomes acutely aware of his own sinfulness and the
sinfulness of his people. This moment of self-awareness leads to his confession
and a recognition of his need for cleansing and grace.
In response, one of the seraphim takes a live
coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips, declaring, “See, this has
touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (v.7).
This act of purification symbolizes God’s grace, offering forgiveness and
restoration to one who is unworthy.
Finally, after Isaiah is cleansed, God issues
His call: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”. Isaiah responds, “Here
am I. Send me!” (v.8). This marks the moment of Isaiah’s commissioning as a
prophet. Though God’s message to the people will be one of judgment, the
chapter closes with the hope that there will be a remnant, a holy seed that
will remain.
Isaiah 6 reveals both the terrifying holiness
of God and His amazing grace. It shows that when we encounter God’s holiness,
we are confronted with our sin, but also with His offer of forgiveness and
redemption. We encounter this reality in Isaiah, and we will encounter it once
again when we are introduced to Jesus. Jesus is here, even in Isaiah 6.
Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah's Vision of the Lord
6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe
filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two
he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And
one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the
whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds
shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And
I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the
Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a
burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my
mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away,
and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah's Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
What stands out to you most about Isaiah’s
vision of the Lord?
How does seeing God as “high and lifted up”
challenge the way we typically think about His presence in our daily lives?
Isaiah 6:5
Why does Isaiah cry out “Woe is me” when he
sees the Lord?
What does this tell us about the connection
between God’s holiness and our awareness of sin?
Isaiah 6:6–7
What is the significance of the coal from the
altar touching Isaiah’s lips?
How does this act point forward to the
cleansing we receive through Jesus?
Isaiah 6:8
Why do you think Isaiah responds so quickly
and boldly to God’s call, even without knowing the details?
What might keep us from having that same
willingness?
END
Teacher's Notes:
Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah's Vision of the Lord
6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe
filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two
he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And
one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the
whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds
shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And
I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the
Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a
burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my
mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away,
and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah's Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 offers one of the most
well-known and comforting invitations in Scripture, calling believers to trust
in the Lord with all their hearts and to lean not on their own understanding.
These verses encapsulate the essence of living by faith and relying on God's
wisdom, guidance, and providence in every aspect of life.
The opening command, “Trust in the Lord with
all your heart” (v.5), emphasizes wholehearted reliance on God, not in part but
in full surrender. To trust in the Lord is to acknowledge His sovereignty,
wisdom, and goodness, and to depend on Him completely, regardless of the
circumstances. This trust is not passive; it is an active, ongoing choice to
believe that God’s ways are higher than our own and that He is faithful to
guide us.
The second half of verse 5, “and lean not on
your own understanding” warns against relying on our limited and often flawed
perception of the world. Our own understanding is shaped by experience,
emotions, and human reasoning, all of which are imperfect. To lean on our
understanding means to trust in our own judgment and self-sufficiency instead
of seeking God’s wisdom. This is a call to humility, acknowledging that we do
not have all the answers and that God’s wisdom is far greater than ours.
Verse 6 expands on this idea, offering a
promise: “In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths
straight.” When we acknowledge God in every area of life, submitting to His
guidance, He promises to lead us on the right path. The phrase “make your paths
straight” implies both direction and ease — God will guide us toward the right
decisions, and He will remove obstacles or bring clarity where there is
confusion.
Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us that true wisdom
comes from surrendering to God’s leadership. It invites us to trust fully in
His guidance, recognizing that He is faithful to lead us toward His good and
perfect will for our lives. The call to trust in the Lord with all your heart
finds a parallel with the call to surrender to Jesus. We fulfill the call of
Proverbs 3:5-6 when we trust in Christ and follow him. Jesus is here, even in
Proverbs 3.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He
will make straight your paths
What does it look like to trust God with your
whole heart — not just your beliefs, but your emotions, desires, and decisions?
Can you share a time when you leaned on your
own understanding, and it led you away from God’s best? What did you learn from
that experience?
What areas of your life are hardest to
surrender to God’s direction — career, relationships, money, family? Why do you
think that is?
How have you seen God “make your path straight”
after a season of uncertainty or difficulty? How did trusting Him impact the
outcome?
What step of faith is God asking you to take
right now that requires more trust than understanding? How can our group
support you in that?
God is not asking you to figure everything
out — He’s inviting you to trust Him even when you can’t. The Christian life
isn’t about mastering every detail or having perfect clarity before you move
forward. It’s about surrendering control to the One who already sees the whole
road ahead. Trusting the Lord with all your heart means giving Him access to
your fears, your decisions, your finances, your relationships — everything. It
means choosing obedience even when the outcome is uncertain. You won’t always
feel confident in the path, but you can be confident in the God who directs it.
So, here’s the question: What part of your life are you still holding onto
instead of handing over to Him?
END
Teacher Notes:
Click Play to Watch
Grief - You feel the overwhelming sorrow of Mack’s loss, which becomes almost
tangible as he faces the unthinkable pain head-on.
Anger- You may share in Mack’s righteous anger — wanting justice, wanting
answers, and struggling to understand how God could ask him to forgive.
Compassion - As
Mack wrestles with his humanity, your heart aches for him. His pain is raw,
relatable, and deeply human.
Shock or Tension- The idea of forgiving someone who has done
such evil can feel impossible. That moment creates a holy tension — between
justice and grace.
Relief / Release- When Mack says, “I forgive you,” there’s
often a sense of emotional release. Not because the pain is gone, but because a
burden is lifted.
Conviction - It
often leads to personal reflection: “Who am I still holding in the prison of my
unforgiveness?”
Hope- Despite the darkness, the scene reminds us that healing is possible,
even in our deepest pain, through trusting God.
In that moment, the June bug represents the
fragile nature of trust and the choice to release control. Mack is being asked
to do something extremely difficult — forgive the man who murdered his
daughter. As he holds the June bug, Mack realizes:
He can crush it (hold onto pain, anger, and
judgment),
Or he can let it go (release the need for
justice into God’s hands and forgive).
Symbolism Breakdown:
The bug = the offender (or the offense)
Mack’s hand = control and justice
Letting go = forgiveness and surrender
Trusting God = allowing Him to carry the
weight Mack isn’t meant to bear
Why was forgiveness so hard for Mack besides
the obvious?
Too Deep and Personal:Mack’s young daughter,
Missy, was abducted and murdered. That kind of loss isn’t just emotional — it
cuts to the core of a parent’s identity, love, and sense of safety. Forgiving
someone who causes that kind of pain feels impossible.
It Felt Unjust:Mack believed
that forgiving the killer would mean letting him off the hook. He struggled
with the idea that someone could commit such evil and still be forgiven. To
Mack, forgiveness initially seemed like injustice, not healing.
He Wanted Control:Forgiveness
requires giving up the right to punish, and Mack wasn’t ready to release that.
Holding onto anger felt like maintaining control in a situation where he had
none.
He Didn’t Understand God’s
Justice: Mack had a limited view
of justice — believing God should punish, not pardon. But God helped him see
that His justice is always wrapped in mercy and love.
He Was Carrying Guilt
Himself:Mack also blamed himself for not protecting Missy. His own
self-condemnation made it harder to forgive anyone else. He first had to
experience God’s forgiveness toward him.
What helped him make that choice?
Personal Encounter with
God’s Love - Mack
experienced God not as a distant judge, but as a deeply loving and present
Father. This intimate relationship softened his heart.
Understanding God’s Justice- Mack
wrestled with the idea that forgiving the man meant excusing evil. But God
showed him that: Justice doesn’t belong to us. God sees all, knows all, and
will judge rightly. Forgiveness wasn’t letting the killer go free — it was
freeing Mack from the poison of bitterness.
Letting Go of the Illusion
of Control- Mack realized he couldn’t carry the burden of judgment — it was too
heavy. There is a scene where Mack's asked to choose which of his children to condemn and this helps him understand God’s heart of mercy. When he lets go of the need to
control justice, he finally finds peace.
Recognizing the Cost of
Holding On- The Holy Spirit in the movie shows Mack how holding onto pain and anger has hardened his
heart. It’s keeping him from healing, from loving, even from connecting with
his living children. Forgiveness became necessary — not for the other person’s
sake, but for his own healing.
God’s Patience and Presence- God never
forced Mack. Instead, He lovingly walked with him until he was ready. That
grace gave Mack the courage to say, with trembling words: “I forgive you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He
will make your paths straight."
Why does the verse start with “Trust in the
Lord with all your heart”?
Because trust is the foundation of our
relationship with God — and it sets the stage for everything that follows in
Proverbs 3:5–6.
Trust Is
a Relational Word - This isn’t
about simply believing that God exists — it’s about depending on Him
personally. Trust requires vulnerability, just like any relationship. God is
saying: “Don’t just believe in Me — lean on Me. Bring Me your whole heart.”
Your
Heart Directs Your Life - In the
Bible, the “heart” is the center of your will, emotions, and decisions. If you
don’t trust God with your whole heart, you’ll end up relying on something else
— like your own understanding, feelings, or fears.
Partial
Trust Isn’t Real Trust - It
says “with all your heart” because trust that’s divided is not real trust. God
isn’t asking for cautious faith — He’s inviting us to go all in, even when we
don’t see the full picture. Like Mack, healing began when he stopped trying to
understand everything and started trusting God with the parts that hurt the
most.
Trust
Comes Before Direction - We
often want God to “make our paths straight” (v.6), but the promise comes after
the trust. In other words: Direction follows dependence. Guidance comes when we
give up control.
What does it mean to not lean on our own
understanding in situations of hurt or injustice?
It Means
Admitting: “I don’t see the full
picture but God does.” Our understanding is shaped by: Our pain, our limited perspective,
and our desire for control or fairness. In situations of injustice, our
instinct is to lean on what we think is right — punishment, answers, closure.
But God sees far more than we ever could. Not leaning on our own understanding
means trusting His wisdom over our wounded logic.
It Means
Choosing Faith Over Feelings: Feelings in times of pain can be overwhelming. Anger, grief,
bitterness — they’re real, and they matter. But leaning on them as your guide
can lead to: Withdrawing from God, seeking revenge, getting stuck in bitterness.
Not leaning on your understanding means saying: “My feelings are real — but
they aren’t always reliable. I will choose faith anyway.”
It Means
Letting God Define Justice and Healing: When we try to define justice ourselves, we can become harsh, cynical,
or even unforgiving. God invites us to surrender that role and let Him be
Judge. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. – Romans 12:19 Mack
had to stop leaning on his version of justice before he could experience God’s
healing.
It Means
We Trust God’s Character More Than Our Circumstances: Circumstances scream, “God isn’t fair.” But
not leaning on our own understanding says: “Even though I don’t get it… I trust
that God is still good.”
How can submitting to God in painful areas
“make our paths straight”?
Clarity
Instead of Confusion - Pain often
clouds our judgment. We don’t know what to do next, how to move forward, or
even how to feel. Submission says: “God, You lead. I’ll follow.” When we hand
over the painful pieces, God clears away the fog and begins to reveal the next
step.
Freedom
from Bitterness - When we
don’t submit our pain, we risk becoming stuck — trapped by resentment, anger,
or self-pity. But when we release it to God, we’re freed from the emotional and
spiritual weights that keep us from moving forward.
God’s
Purpose Over Our Plans - We may
want to “fix” the situation, seek revenge, or protect ourselves from further
hurt. But God often leads us on a better path — a path that leads to healing,
restoration, and even ministry.
Alignment
with His Will - Submission
realigns our hearts with God’s heart. We stop resisting Him and start walking
with Him. This spiritual alignment gives our lives direction, peace, and power.
Key Truth: Forgiveness is not saying, “It’s
okay.” It’s saying, “I trust God to handle what I can’t.”
Click Play to Watch
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
