Practical Theology for Women How knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives Part 2: Who is our God?
Chapter 6: God is Our Father Begin your study today by looking up Galatians 4:6-7. Write it below: 1. Look up Matthew 6:9. Who does Jesus tell us to pray to? 2. If God is Jesus father, how can He be our father too? Check out Romans 8:13-15: 3. Before salvation, we were enemies of God, but John 1:12 says that God has given the right to become children of God to all those who accept His Son. As enemies, we were slaves to sin. What are the differences between a slave and a son? SLAVE SON 4. As God s adopted children, we are heirs and we have full benefits in God s household. Read Ephesians 1:4 to see when He decided you would be His child: 5. Pause now and say a prayer of thanks to God for choosing you! God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! Galatians 4:6
Chapter 7: Our Father is Sovereign, Compassionate, and Wise Begin your study today by looking up Isaiah 46:9. Write it below: 1. Look at pages 69-70 of your book and write what Sovereign means below: 2. Look up Psalm 135:6. What does the LORD do? 3. God s sovereignty assures us that He is in complete control of all things at all times. Nothing takes Him by surprise. What does confidence in God s sovereignty look like in your life? 4. In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God s sovereign control? 5. Page 73 says, Thankfully, not only is our Father sovereign, he is also good. In particular, our Father has great compassion for His children. Was your earthly father (or father figure) compassionate? 6. If your answer to the above question was no, do you struggle to believe that your Holy Father will be compassionate with you? Why or why not?
7. To view God correctly, we must strip away our views of God that come from our earthly fathers or authority figures and replace them with the right view of God presented in scripture. Read the scriptures below and record what you learn about God s character: Psalm 103:13 Matthew 6:30-32 James 1:17 Joshua 1:5 8. What is the third attribute of God discussed by the author in this chapter? 9. Why is it important that our God possess this quality? the key to overcoming with joy in this life is to align our responses to hard things with what we know to be true about our heavenly Father.
Chapter 8: Our Father Disciplines Us Begin your study today by looking up Proverbs 3:11-12. Write it below: 1. When you hear the word discipline, what comes to mind? 2. Turn to page 77 or 78 in your book. What is the definition of discipline given in The American Heritage Dictionary? 3. What is the difference between discipline and punishment? (hint: check out the definition of punishment on the bottom of page 78) 4. Who bore the punishment for our sins? 5. What does Romans 8:1 say to those for whom Christ died? 6. According to Romans 8:1, what has set us free? 7. From what have we been set free?
8. Instead of punishing us for our sins, God poured out his full wrath for our sins on Jesus at the cross. But now, God disciplines us to conform us to the image of His Son. He does this by changing our thoughts and attitudes and by rooting sin out of our lives. What are some ways God disciplines you? 9. Do you easily accept God s discipline? Or do you chafe at His reproof? Why? 10. The end goal of God s discipline for us is to transform us into the beautiful, radiant bride of Christ. List some results of God s discipline in your life. (How has He changed your thoughts, attitudes, habits, relationships, to reflect Him more?) An example is given for you: Through his Word, Christ revealed to me that I was judgmental. With His help, I am trying to realize when I am judging and praying to see people with His eyes. Though His methods are not always pleasant, the result most certainly is. We are becoming less like ourselves and more like Jesus Christ.It is by God s mercy and grace that he doesn t leave us as he finds us!
Chapter 9: God is Our Savior, Example, and Bridegroom Begin your study today by looking up Hebrews 1:3 and writing it below: 1. We cannot separate knowledge of God the Father from a relationship with God the Son. What are some things you learned about Jesus from the verse above? 2. Jesus was and is fully God and fully man. What are some things that describe Jesus as man? (Look at page 84 for clues) 3. What are some things that describe Jesus as God? 4. Why is it important for us to understand this doctrine of Jesus being fully God and fully man? 5. What is the theological concept that encapsulates this idea? (page 86-87). Write the term and explain what it means. 6. Look at Philippians 2:3-8 and answer the questions below: How are we to consider others?
Whose interests are we to look to? Whose attitude are we to embody? How did Christ become obedient to the point of death? Why did He do this? (Check out Justification on page 89) 7. As Christ- followers, we are called to willingly give up our rights and welcome the sacrifices that accompany being a servant to others. In what way have (or haven t) you given up your rights this week? 8. What areas of your life would change if you choose to empty yourself of your rights on a regular basis? 9. What does the term justification mean? (page 90) 10. Define glorification (page 91): 11. Why is Christ described as our Bridegroom? (pages 92-93) As we become more like Christ, we let go of our reputation. We are no longer consumed with protecting our rights.
Chapter 10: We are Connected to Jesus and Find our Identity in Him Begin your study today by reading John 15:5. Write it below: 1. If you described yourself to someone, what would you say? 2. How would your sense of identity suffer if one of these roles were removed? 3. We must be good stewards of the roles and responsibilities God has given us, but we should not gain our identity from any of them. Our identity MUST be in Christ. Reread the verse you wrote above. What can you do apart from God (the vine)? 4. Look at page 96 in your book. What are three word pictures that the author mentions to communicate the details of our relationship with Christ? 1. 2. 3. 5. To stay properly connected to the Vine, we must abide in Christ. What is the meaning of the Greek word Meno (which means abide)? Look on page 97. 6. The first temptation faced by all believers is the temptation to go to something or someone other than Christ for sustenance and encouragement. Why do you think abiding in Christ is often the last option we choose rather than the first?
7. In Colossians 2 and in Ephesians 3 (look at the excerpts on pages 98 and 99), Paul tells believers to be rooted in Christ. As women, we must constantly remember to do this so we can guard ourselves against deceptive thought patterns that take us captive and enslave us. Find a portion of scripture this week that addresses a struggle you are having, and read it aloud every day. This will help you meditate on God s Truth so that you can abide in Christ daily. The scripture that I will meditate on this week is: 8. Why do believers take part in the Lord s Supper? (page 101) 9. If Christ is the head, what are we and other members of the church? 10. On the back of this packet, draw an illustration to help you remember to stay connected to the Vine or the Head. Label the parts of the head/body or vine/ branches. Paul often tells believers to take into account what they know to be true, to take their thoughts captive, and to set their minds on Christ and heavenly things. This is absolutely crucial to overcoming with joy despite our circumstances in life.
Chapter 11: God is Our Help To begin your study, look up John 14:26-27 and write the verses below: 1. What did Jesus say that the Holy Spirit would do for us? 2. Match the three descriptions given of the Holy Spirit with the correct definitions by drawing lines to connect them: Deposit Anything that serves as assurance, confirmation, or bond Guarantee A payment given as a guarantee that an obligation will be met Seal Something that assures a particular outcome or condition 3. The Holy Spirit has other names too. When might the Holy Spirit act as your Comforter? Counselor? Helper? 4. Read John 16:7-14 on page 108. Why was it to our advantage that Christ go away?
5. What are we to be filled with, according to Ephesians 5:18? 6. Ephesians 4: 29-32 (on pages 110-111) gives us examples of resisting the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. Read the passage and then finish in the chart below. The first one has been done for you: Resisting Spirit Filled with Spirit Corrupt talk.encouraging, grace-filled talk Bitterness and wrath Anger and clamor Slander and malice 7. Many of the ways that we resist the Spirit have to do with our language. What does Matthew 12:34 have to say about what comes out of our mouths? 8. What is one way you will remind yourself to have words of grace this week? 9. The Holy Spirit is our helper, but we still need people to keep us accountable to walk God s path. Who will hold you accountable for your words of grace this week? Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. Psalm 54:4
Chapter 12: The Spirit Sanctifies Us Begin your study by looking through chapter 12, pages 113-120. Choose one scripture or quote that spoke to you from the reading and write it here: 1. To review, what is the definition of Justification? Fill in the blanks. Justification is the act in which God declares us in heaven by to Christ s shoulders and Christ s to ours. 2. What is the definition of Sanctification? Fill in the blanks. Sanctification, which follows, is the day-to-day process whereby we slowly become in reality what God has already us to be in. 3. What is the primary influence in our sanctification? (Page 114) 4. What is an outward, earthly reality for the believer? (Page 115) 5. What is the inward, eternal reality that reflects our sanctification? 6. What is the heavenly reality for a Christ- follower?
7. Who does the work in sanctification? You, or the Spirit? (read page 116) 8. What is the Spirit s primary instrument of sanctification? 9. What are the forces that work against us in our sanctification efforts? (Page 117) 10. The author talks about Enemies to Growth on page 117. What are some surface level distractions in your life? 11. Along with the external enemies of our growth in Christ, we also have the internal enemy of the flesh, or old man. What does Galatians 5:17 say about the desires of the flesh and about the Spirit? 12. What is the reality of our old self? Look at Romans 6:6-7. 13. How do we fight the battle against Satan and the old man? We need to know who we are in Christ, believe what we know to be true, and obey. What is one thing that you have learned in this study (or others) about who you are in Christ? What is one thing you know to be true about God? What is one thing you now know you need to obey? We set our mind on him, abide in him, and then reflect on the outside what he is working on the inside.