God Problems

God Problems Bible Study

Prior to the start of Bible Study: Text your former students the link for the Song: God Problems by Maverick City God Problems (Official Music Video) | Maverick City Music I Chandler Moore I Naomi Raine

Objective: To reinforce the understanding that no matter what battles we are facing we must surrender them to God, and that trusting God means not always understanding the how, but knowing that He can and is faithful to do all that He said He would do.

Matthew 11:28 - 30’

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

How do you carry the burdens of life?

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Isaiah 10:27 In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people.

He will break the yoke of slavery

and lift it from their shoulders.

Before the Industrial Revolution the cow, horse, donkey or ox were powerful machines, a beast of burden used to pull heavy loads

Do you stuff your emotions

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DO you vent your emotions

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Word is Bond

Share a time when someone or perhaps you gave you their word and did not honor it.

Jacob's Ladder - Genesis 28:10 - 20 (Focus v15 - What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”)

What was Jacob’s problem? Genesis 25:26-34’ Genesis 27’

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Did He take it to God?

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What was God’s solution?

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Discuss the intimacy Jacob experienced with God What does/should intimacy with God look like in the life of the believer (your life)?

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Develop a Trust Table with names Biblical Characters on the left and allow the class to point out what they trusted God for.

Abraham Genesis 22:5;

David 1 Samuel 17:45;

Daniel 3:16-18; 3 Hebrew boys

Ester 4:16;

Jesus John 19:11;

Reflection/Homework:

Reread Genesis 28 Pray and ask God to identify areas in your life where you have doubted God’s word.

Journal about the situation/s and what led you to the choice you made.

Identify what you would do differently after having studied about God keeping His word.

Week 2 - Let God Be God

Ice Breaker (suggestion):

Discuss your position in the family or at work. Are you “the my way or the highway” type? Or Can you let someone else hold the reins?

Review: Week 1

What was Jacobs problem

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How did it initiate

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Week 2

“Pride comes before the fall” - Biblically stated in Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall.” (Remember Proverbs 6:16-19 7 things God hates)

The Fall of satan - Isaiah 14:12-15

Discuss how satan desired to:

ascend into heaven exalt his throne seek the authority of God for himself

Define pride and how pridefulness affects our relationship with God.

Pride:

Pride refers to an unwarranted attitude of confidence. While pride can have a positive connotation of self-worth or boasting, it is often used in Scripture to refer to an unhealthy elevated view of one’s self, abilities, or possessions. The quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself.

Pride hinders your ability to acknowledge who God is, your ability to trust God, or reverence God, etc.

Proverbs 3:5-6; Mark 12:30; Hebrews 11:6;

Awareness: Trying to fix everything and everybody is prideful. It is in essence playing God.

Mathew 7:1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Has there ever been a situations/things you tried to control instead of letting God work it out. At what point if any did you realize it was a “God Problem”?

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Examples of pridefulness: (exalting people, places or things above God)

Naaman’s Refusal to Get into the Water: 2 Kings 5:9-12;

Saul Persecutes the Church: Acts 8:1;

Golden Statue of Nebuchadnezzar: Daniele 3:13-15

Reflection/Homework:

Review the seven things God hates. Pray and ask God to identify areas in your life where you have “played God” Journal about the situation/s and what led you to the choice you made. Knowing what you now know, what would you do differently?

Week 3 - Submission- a fundamental concept that means to give up one’s will, desires and authority to a higher power or authority. It is a virtue that reflects humility, obedience, and trust in God’s divine plan. James 4:7; Ephesians 4:27;6:11 ; 1 Peter 5:6-9;

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

list as many relationships as you can think of where submission is expressed

Parent- Child

Supervisor - Employee

Captain- Quarterback

Principal-Teachers

Private - Sergeant

Senior Pastors-Pastors/Ministers

Husband-Wife

God-Child of God

Submission can be a major God problem. Especially due to the fact that God is very specific and clear about what he want’s from us.

Exodus 20:3 “You must not have any other god but me

Leviticus 11:45 For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

1 Corinthians 6:14-18 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,

and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.

Don’t touch their filthy things,

and I will welcome you.

And I will be your Father,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Mathew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need

Submitting to the authority of God: (there is a tension that comes with submitting to the authority of God). You have to suppress your flesh, desires, inclinations, doubt, fears, wishes & wants all for Gods will. Submission isn’t always comfortable

Look at: Mathew 11:1-3; John 1:23; John 3:20;

2. Listening obeying and following Him. This requires an unwavering faith in spite of what things look like (Zachariah Luke 1:5-25; 57-64;

3. Acknowledging His Lordship in our lives

Giving up our own desires and choosing to follow Jesus. Paul Acts 16:6-31; vs.6-7 Lordship of God prevented Paul from going to Asia & Bithynia but led him to Macedonia where he was imprisoned and severely beaten vs 22-24

4. Placing all areas of our lives under His authority ( some areas will be easy to submit to than others)

Malachi 3:8-11;

Honoring and obeying God's authority above all human leaders

Review examples below of those who submitted to God and identify the “God Problems” they faced

Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt

Joshua conquering the Promised Land

Esther risking her life to save her people

Activity: The pitfalls of doing it your own way

Reflection/Homework:

Are you submitted to God in every aspect of your life? Pray and ask God to identify areas in your life you have yet to submit to God. Journal about the area/s. Knowing what you now know, what changes will you make.

Week 4 - Let Go and Rest

Ice Breaker (suggestion): Share in a small group the top 3 things that you are worried about? Did you give them to God?

Review Weeks 2 & 3

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Matthew 6:34)

Discuss Letting Go: Explain the difference between Worry and Concern

worry paralyzes, concern motivates worry prevents initiative, while concern promotes initiative worry results in anxious fretting, while concern results in calm focusing worry fears the worst, while concern hopes for the best

Create an activity surrounding Baggage (aka worries/problems) illustrating putting it down and then picking it back up

Discuss Rest:

God invites us to rest in Him because resting is also a sign of our faith. Putting aside everything and just soaking in His unconditional love means there is assurance in God.

Discuss what resting in God looks like: Use Martha and Mary as an example Luke 10:38-42

Reflection/Homework:

Are you getting the rest you need? Pray and ask God to identify things that you still haven’t let go of? Journal about the area/s. Knowing what you now know, what changes will you make.

Week 5 - Watch God Move

Ice Breaker (suggestion): Discuss in small groups things that happen everyday in nature (they happen outside of our control - it’s a move of God)

Review Weeks 3 & 4

In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” John 5:17

Discuss Biblical examples:

Abraham and Sarah couldn’t get pregnant Jacob feared meeting his brother Esau again Joseph was sold by his brothers and then was falsely imprisoned

Activity: Create an activity around working behind scenes. Think about the behind the scenes work of a stage play or some other event.

Reasons God Is Working Behind the Scenes in Our Lives

He is revealing His will. - Isaiah 55:8-9 He is teaching us how to walk in faith. - Romans 8:28 He is revealing His purpose. - John 13:7 He is instilling hope. - Deuteronomy 31:6 He is building your confidence. - Psalm 121:3-4

Reflection/Homework:

Pray about the petitions you’ve laid before the Lord Journal about the area/s where you’ve seen God move and those that you are still waiting? Recall a time when God moved on your behalf. Did you trust that He would do it? Knowing what you now know, what changes will you make.

Week 6 - Breakthrough is Coming

Ice Breaker (suggestion): Share a time when you were working on something difficult and you struggled to figure it out and then you had a “breakthrough” moment.

Review Weeks 4 & 5

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19

Discuss the following:

Jeremiah 29:11 – God’s perfect plan for us holds the promise of a breakthrough Isaiah 54:17 – God’s protection assures our breakthroughs Ephesians 3:20 – God’s power within us brings about amazing breakthroughs Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trusting God leads us to clear paths for breakthroughs Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is our assurance during breakthroughs 2 Timothy 1:7 – God gives us courage for breakthroughs

Activity: Come up with as many synonyms as you can for breakthrough

Explore the journey that led to their breakthrough (Pick one or more and expound on it)

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) The Exodus (Exodus 14) Jericho’s Wall (Joshua 6) Daniel in the Lions Den (Daniel 6)

Chronicle Jesus’ breakthrough from crucifixion to resurrection

Reflection/Homework:

Recall a time where you got your breakthrough. Lay your “God Problems” before the Lord. Journal about them and ask God to reveal areas you are wavering while waiting. Knowing what you now know, what changes will you make.