Download the full study here.

Overview of The Power of Play Bible Study

In each of this five-part Bible study series on play, participants will grow in God’s Word around the topic of play and gain a foundation for how God views play. Participants and leaders will also identify the essence of play and understand the place of healthy play for stronger mental health. They will set some play goals, grow in connection through play, and develop a stronger sense of their own unique needs and experiences associated with play and connecting with God through play.

Sessions Topics Include:

  • Session 1: Play and God as Creator
  • Session 2: Play and the Freedom of Salvation
  • Session 3: Play and Identity and Purpose
  • Session 4: Play and empathy (loving one another)
  • Session 5: Play and Processing a Broken World

Each session will journey through the following study map:

Play personality question: This is an opening question for an individual on their own or group members to share something about themselves and in the process, gain new insight into their unique personality and needs.

Play Info: These segments have info about the aspects that make play what it is. A study leader or member might read the section aloud or simply share the basic concepts with their study group. These sections will specifically cover several researched properties of play, in no particular order except the convenience of making points clear and connected to God and His Faithfulness towards us.

Play Connections: These segments dive into God’s Word to see how the properties of play reflect our Creator and Redeemer God to us. Because of Jesus’s work on the cross for us, we can be in relationship to God in all things, including play in our life. How does our Creator God, our Savior, and our ever-present Spirit reveal themselves through the “First Article Gift” of play? How does the Word inform us of ways play can be healthy and unhealthy in God’s freedom, and also God’s boundaries? Look at each set of Scripture verses and ask what is the connection between God and play.

Playful Prayer: What if prayer were one form of play? We are invited to delight in time and communication with God. Our prayers can be spontaneous, scripted, creative, or very run of the mill. The important part is that they connect us to our Savior. We’ll close each study session with a moment of creative playful prayer, but if you prefer to use your own, go for it!

Play Ideas: It’s time to put what we’ve learned about play and know about play into action by…yep, playing. Choose from my list of play ideas, or use any of your own. The goal is to give yourself a chance to play, rather than only learning about play.

Download the full study here.