June 9, 2019 - Summer Series, Building Blocks - Believing God

June 09, 2019 The smaller groups in our church community are inside our homes where we go deeper, build friendships, and walk out the Christian life with each other. HOME CHURCH GUIDE + “Breaking the Ice” question (group facilitator) + CHECK-INS: Introduce, check-in + CARE: Needs in the group + COMPASSION: What is the group planning? Are you inviting your neighbours to join in? + GROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS Church-wide, group-only + DIG IN: Discuss questions as a group + END AND HOMEWORK: Final questions, prayer huddles for personal requests. Consider breaking into small groups (huddles) of 2-4, by gender, if large enough. General “guest sunday” DISCUSSION questions: + What stories from your own experience come to mind when you hear these concepts of God? With which have you struggled? What questions or observations might you have? What kind of parent is your God? What is your picture of God? + Go around the circle reading the eight Scriptures and qualities of God. Ask each participant to use one of the six qualities of God, or another from their experience, to finish the sentence, “For me, God is . . .” (e.g., “relational”). Reflect on these six ways of coming to know and experience God. Which of them ring true with you? Do you have a story to share about an experience? Five Pictures of God + Considering the concepts of God, how would you describe God in one sentence? Share your description. + How has your concept of God been shaped by your experience of your father or mother? For example, was your parent nurturing, just, and loving or absent, critical, and demanding? How might this have affected your relationship with God? Prayer Requests: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. How Can You Know God Exists? God does not force you to believe. Relationship requires space... “No one has seen God, nor has anyone proved the existence of God with absolute certainty. By faith, we make our claim that God exists. But that faith is not without evidence. Humans can know truth through reason and revelation.” 5. God is (love) 6. God is (just) 1. 7. God is (personal) 2. 3. 8. God is (timeless) *Go deeper and search the debate around how God experiences time. E.g. Determinism, Molinism, Open, Compatibilism, etc. 4. Final Thoughts 1. 5. 2. 6. 3. Eight Concepts about God’s Nature 1. God is *Go deeper challenge: search the debate between Divine simplicity and personalist approaches to this “oneness” of God. 2. God is (relational) 3. God is (creative) 4. God is (Spirit) Sources: Series is an adaptation of “Begin Anew: Christian Discipleship Seminars”; Feasting on the Word; Luke Commentaries; Other sources as noted. Household Prayer: Morning Gracious God, we thank you for the peace of good sleep and for keeping us safe throughout the night. Let this new day be a time of praise and joy as we go out to meet you in our sisters and brothers. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Household Prayer: Evening Merciful Lord, as night comes to this house, we thank you for the challenges and accomplishments of this day. Give our hearts and minds the comfort now to rest in your care, trusting that whatever tomorrow brings, your hand will be ready to catch us if we fall. Amen.