Week 1 God Is Different from Us Isaiah 46:3-11 MAIN IDEA: The incommunicable attributes of God are perhaps the most easily misunderstood, probably because they represent aspects of God s character that are least familiar to our experience. WHAT DID WE LEARN? The important reality to remember is that God is different from us. He is greater than us. Everything that is created (including humans) is an overflow of God s love and power. He is knowable, but only in that He has chosen to make Himself known to us. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? God is an unfathomable mystery. But even though He is a mystery, and many things about Him and our lives are hidden from our knowledge, He knows everything. This impacts our actions in this way: humanity needs to know Him, recognition that He is Lord and Savior, ever-increasing trust in His good and holy will, and awe at His beauty and mystery. Week 2 God Is Similar to Us Exodus 34:1-10 MAIN IDEA: as people created for God s glory (Isa. 43:7), we can bring Him glory as we imitate Him by exhibiting likeness to His attributes. - Exodus 34:1-10 - Galatians 5:22-23 - Colossians 3:9-10 - How is God like me? What attributes do we share in common? - Why is it important for me to be able to relate to my God? - How can this change my attitude and heart towards family, friends and the lost?
Week 2 God Is Similar to Us Exodus 34:1-10 MAIN IDEA: as people created for God s glory (Isa. 43:7), we can bring Him glory as we imitate Him by exhibiting likeness to His attributes. WHAT DID WE LEARN? God is similar to us and many of His characteristics can be seen through us because we are His image bearers. A few of God s characteristics include being merciful, slow to anger, gracious, faithful, forgiving, and loving. These shared characteristics with humanity are meant to be copied, reflected, and repeated in the lives of believers. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? We are like God in our potential for beauty and creation yet we are different, lesser, and smaller reflections of His ultimate beauty. God is a mystery but He has not hidden Himself from His children in whom He delights. As His ambassadors we should walk with Him daily and serve the glorious purposes of His kingdom restoring beauty, order, peace, wisdom, justice and goodness to the world. Week 3 God Is Father Matthew 6:8-13 MAIN IDEA: The Father is the Grand Architect, the Wise Designer of all that occurred in the created order. From initial creation through ultimate consummation and everything that happens in between, it is God the Father who plans and implements what He has chosen to do. - Matthew 6:8-13 - Jeremiah 31:9 - Colossians 1:12 - How has my relationship with my earthly father influenced how I relate to my Heavenly Father? - How is God the Father distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit?
Week 3 God Is Father Matthew 6:8-13 MAIN IDEA: The Father is the Grand Architect, the Wise Designer of all that occurred in the created order. From initial creation through ultimate consummation and everything that happens in between, it is God the Father who plans and implements what He has chosen to do. WHAT DID WE LEARN? God the Father is the first person of the Trinity. As the Father He initiates creation, leads history toward His purpose, protects His children from themselves and the Enemy, and provides for them every step of the way. Rather than being distant, He is intimately involved in the lives of His children. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? God is our Father and because of this He loves, provides, protects, instructs, and disciplines us. His desired outcome is that our lives will reflect Him more and more as a result of these experiences. Just as an earthly child resembles his or her biological father, our lives should reflect our Heavenly Father. Week 4 God Speaks 2 Timothy 3:12-4:5 MAIN IDEA: since the Bible affirms that it is the very words of God, we are to seek to understand those words, for in doing so, we are seeking to understand God Himself. We are to seek to trust the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to trust God himself. And we are to seek to obey the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to obey God Himself. - 2 Timothy 3:12-4:5 - Psalm 19:7-11 - What is the most important part of the Bible the Old Testament, New Testament, or the sayings of Jesus (the red letters ) in the Gospels? Why? - Is the Bible sufficient for us to know about God? Do we need additional sources?
Week 4 God Speaks 2 Timothy 3:12-4:5 MAIN IDEA: since the Bible affirms that it is the very words of God, we are to seek to understand those words, for in doing so, we are seeking to understand God Himself. We are to seek to trust the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to trust God himself. And we are to seek to obey the words of Scripture, for in doing so, we are seeking to obey God Himself. WHAT DID WE LEARN? The Bible is God s spoken Word, His revealing of Himself to His creation for the purpose of knowing Him and having an abundant relationship with Him. Scripture, through the Holy Spirit, provides for Christians all that we need to know God, to worship God, and to live faithfully in God s kingdom. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? Do your devotional habits include consistent study of God s Word? God is present in His Word and your direct interaction with the Word is monumental in understanding His will for your life. Practice going to God s Word daily with expectancy and assurance that He is present there. Week 5 God Makes Psalm 19:1-14 MAIN IDEA: The Bible is clear: God created the earth and all that is in and on it from nothing All creation was made to give glory to God. - Psalm 19:1-14 - Genesis 1:1-2:3 - Revelation 4:9-11 - When God declares in the Bible that something will happen does it come to pass? What are some examples? - Was everything that exists spoken into existence by God? - If God did not create everything what other options can explain creation?
Week 5 God Makes Psalm 19:1-14 MAIN IDEA: The Bible is clear: God created the earth and all that is in and on it from nothing All creation was made to give glory to God. WHAT DID WE LEARN? One way God reveals Himself to us is through creation. Nothing exists that He did not speak into existence. God s purpose for creating us is to enjoy Him, to glorify Him, and to proclaim His glory to the ends of the earth. This essential truth shapes the way we interact with the God who makes, speaks, creates, and reveals. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? The fact that God makes provides the foundation for humanity s relationship with Him. God rules over all of His creation and creates for a specific purpose: for His glory and for us to enjoy Him. As we enjoy and glorify Him we have the opportunity to point others to Him and His salvation. Week 6 God Loves 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 MAIN IDEA: As creatures made in God s image, we are made to be like Him. Therefore the more we understand about God, the more we understand ourselves. And the more we understand about ourselves the more we understand about God. - 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 - Genesis 1:27 - John 3:16 - Is there something in my past that might keep me from believing that God could love me? - Is God s love more prominent than another attribute such as holiness or justice? - What could be a hazard of stressing God s love above His other attributes?
Week 6 God Loves 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 MAIN IDEA: As creatures made in God s image, we are made to be like Him. Therefore the more we understand about God, the more we understand ourselves. And the more we understand about ourselves the more we understand about God. WHAT DID WE LEARN? God s love is ultimately demonstrated in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us in order that we might be reconciled to the Father. God shows His love for us by entering into our reality, paying the price for our sin, and rising again so that we might be able to reflect Him perfectly and in doing so find abundant life. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? In the first century, a Middle Eastern man never ran because he would have to hitch up his tunic and expose his bare legs (which was shameful and humiliating). In the story of the Prodigal Son, the father runs and shames himself when the son repents and returns home. The father takes the shame that the son should have experienced to show everyone the son was welcomed back. In the same way, as Christians we have been forgiven and welcomed back because of God s love. Realizing this should give us a greater appreciation of God s forgiveness and love. Week 7 God Judges Romans 1:18-32 MAIN IDEA: Sin disrupts everything. We don t live the lives we were originally designed to live, and we do not live in the world we were originally designed to live in The story of the human race is the story of God fixing broken people living in a broken world. It is a story of God s victory over the many results of sin in the world. - Romans 1:18-32 - Genesis 3:4-5 - Why does God have to judge sin? Why is it not possible for Him to ignore it? - How does this inevitable judgment affect the way I relate to non-christians?
Week 7 God Judges Romans 1:18-32 MAIN IDEA: Sin disrupts everything. We don t live the lives we were originally designed to live, and we do not live in the world we were originally designed to live in The story of the human race is the story of God fixing broken people living in a broken world. It is a story of God s victory over the many results of sin in the world. WHAT DID WE LEARN? Instead of choosing to trust God, Adam and Eve chose to sin by wanting to be God. Sin is complete contradiction to God and He must judge it. However, God desires that no one should perish and not only gives us time to repent but through Christ provides a way for sin to be judged and His children to be spared. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? Knowing that God s judgment is imminent should prompt us to share the Gospel with those who have not trusted Christ as Savior. Approximately five billion people around the world do not know Christ so we should care as much about God s justice as His love. Week 8 Jesus Comes John 1:1-18 MAIN IDEA: In the person of Jesus, God physically entered into our world In Jesus, God and man became one person unlike anyone else the world has ever seen or will ever see. Jesus Christ was, and forever will be, fully God and fully man in one person. And that one person changed the course of history forever. - John 1:1-18 - Matthew 5:17 - Hebrews 4:15, 5:8-10 - Why did Christ come to earth? How is His coming significant for mankind? - Was Jesus life more important or necessary than His death? Why or why not? - Can Christ really relate to the struggles and temptations we face as humans?
Week 8 Jesus Comes John 1:1-18 MAIN IDEA: In the person of Jesus, God physically entered into our world In Jesus, God and man became one person unlike anyone else the world has ever seen or will ever see. Jesus Christ was, and forever will be, fully God and fully man in one person. And that one person changed the course of history forever. WHAT DID WE LEARN? No other religion teaches that God came to earth and then died a horrible, shameful, and humiliating death. However, Christ endured this for the joy that was set before Him as He was providing the way of reconciliation for us. Because of His life, death, and resurrection Christ is the one mediator between God and man. HOW DO I LIVE THIS OUT TOMORROW? When Jesus came to earth it changed the world literally! We even changed our calendar and dating system to reflect this. The same type of monumental change that Christ had on the world is the same type of change that He can have in an individual s life. Thinking about the change Christ made in our lives should prompt us to proclaim Him to others and watch how He changes them. Week 9 Jesus Dies Romans 3:19-26 MAIN IDEA: Scripture is clear: Christ came to earn our salvation because of God s faithful love (or mercy) and justice [Jesus death is] a sacrifice that bears God s wrath so that God looks favorably toward us. - Romans 3:19-26 - Isaiah 53:4-6 - Hebrews 9:25-26 - Why did God send His son to die for us? Who does us include? - What died with Christ on the cross? What are we free from due to his death? - Do you fear death? What about Christ s death gives you hope?