{"id":236,"date":"2013-06-26T21:29:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-26T20:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=236"},"modified":"2013-06-26T21:29:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-26T20:29:00","slug":"knowing-god-better-bible-study-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=236","title":{"rendered":"Knowing God Better – Bible Study Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The aim of this series of studies is to deepen our relationship with God. The way any relationship grows is by getting to know more about the other person. Discovering more about the Person and the character of God will help us to pray better, to worship better and to trust God more in every part of our lives. <\/p>\n

So each week we will study Scriptures about an aspect of God\u2019s character, or consider the implications of one of the names God has revealed Himself by. Some will be obvious, others perhaps less familiar. Our interest is not abstract theology, but devotional and pastoral. An important aspect of each study will be a time of prayer, worship or meditation to apply and express what we have been talking about. In ten studies between now and Christmas we will consider what it means to call God Faithful, Just, Light, Sovereign and Father. We will think about Jesus as Son of Man, Lamb of God, Messiah and Lord, and about the Holy Spirit as our Helper. <\/p>\n

Each study will include a number of passages or groups of passages on the theme. You may choose to look at these in the whole group passage by passage, and there will usually be some logic in the order presented. Alternatively you might divide the group up into pairs, and invite each pair to look at one or two passages for a few minutes by themselves, and report feed back what they have discovered to the group. Either way, do leave time both to discuss the implications of the theme for our relationship with God, and to express this in a time of prayer, worship or reflection together.<\/p>\n

Let me repeat, our aim is not just to find out more about God. Our aim is to deepen our relationship with God!<\/p>\n

1. God is \u2018Faithful\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tWhat images do the words \u2018faithful\u2019 and \u2018faithfulness\u2019 bring to our minds? (e.g. an ancient butler, \u2018the faithful retainer\u2019? \u2018a faithful friend\u2019, a pet dog? A \u2018faithful wife\/husband\u2019?)<\/p>\n

2.\tWhat do the words \u2018faithful\u2019 and \u2018faithfulness\u2019 actually mean? <\/p>\n

3.\tHow did God reveal His faithfulness? Exodus 34:5-8; Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 145:13. How is God\u2019s faithfulness related to His eternal nature and unchanging character? <\/p>\n

4.\tHow should we respond to God\u2019s faithfulness in prayer and worship? See Psalms 71:22; 89:5-8; 98:1-3; 100:4-5; 117:1-2.<\/p>\n

5.\tHow does God\u2019s faithfulness help us in practical ways? 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 and 10:13;
\n 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 143:1; Psalm 146:5-10.<\/p>\n

6.\tInvite the Group to share any experiences they have of God\u2019s faithfulness to them in their own lives.<\/p>\n

7.\tSince God is faithful, what implications should that have for OUR behaviour? Suggest some practical examples (e.g. in family life, in the workplace, in church).<\/p>\n

8.\tWhat are the implications for our prayer, worship and life of faith that God is the Faithful God?<\/p>\n

9.\tNow spend some time responding to God, the Faithful God, in reflection, praise and prayer!
\n2. God is \u2018Just\u2019<\/p>\n

God is the just and righteous God. The focus of these studies is \u201cKnowing God Better\u201d and the implications of aspects of God\u2019s character on our personal relationships with Him. <\/p>\n

1.\tThe God of the Bible is a Just and Righteous God. How should that affect our attitudes to global issues of social justice such as world poverty, exploitation, fair trade, debt relief, etc.
\nRead Isaiah 51:4-6 and 58:5-10; Psalm 89:14-16 and 140:12; Proverbs 31:8-9; Deut 15:1-11. <\/p>\n

2.\tHow should God\u2019s justice impact on our own behaviour, in areas such as social action and ethical lifestyle? Read Psalm 146; Psalm 9:7-10; Matthew 25:31-46; Amos 5:21-24. <\/p>\n

3.\tInvite the Group to share any times when they have experienced the Justice and the Righteousness of God in their lives. If they find it hard to think of examples, discuss why this might be. Is it possible they may have had more experiences of the Just and Righteous God BEFORE they were believers than since they have been saved?
\nHow true is it that Christians focus so much on the love and grace of God that they neglect or even forget the Justice and Righteousness of God? Read Romans 3:21-26.<\/p>\n

4.\tHe has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.\u2019 (Micah 6:8) What impact do the justice and righteousness of God have on our relationship with Him? What does it mean to \u201cwalk humbly with your God\u201d? In what ways should the fact that God is Just and Righteous affect our prayer and worship?<\/p>\n

5.\tSpend some time in prayer, worship or reflection responding to the God who is the Just God.<\/p>\n

3. God is \u2018Light\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cGod is Light\u201d is a metaphor, a symbolic representation of a deep truth. Metaphors touch not only our minds but also our hearts. So parts of the study tonight are designed to engage our emotions as much as, if not more than, our minds. N.B. the final meditation will require preparation beforehand.<\/p>\n

N.B. SOME GROUPS MIGHT FIND THE OPEN-ENDED REFLECTIVE APPROACH IN STUDY 3 TOO DIFFERENT! If that is the case and you prefer \u201cstraight\u201d Bible Study you may wish to jump over questions 4 and 5 and move directly from 3 to 6.<\/p>\n

1.\tRead 1 John 1:5-7. When we read \u201cGod is Light\u201d what images does that bring to our minds? What ideas do the metaphors \u2018light\u2019 and \u2018darkness\u2019 in Scripture represent? You may like to read Numbers 6:22-26; Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-20; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; <\/p>\n

2.\tRead John 8:12; John 9:5. What did Jesus mean? See also John 1:3-8, Revelation 22:5<\/p>\n

3.\tRead 1 John 1:6-7 again. What does it mean to \u201cwalk in the Light\u201d? See Matthew 5:14-16.<\/p>\n

4.\tFor some people light conveys safety and darkness makes us afraid. How do the ideas of \u201clight\u201d and \u201cdarkness\u201d make us FEEL? How does the truth that \u201cGod is Light\u201d make us FEEL? How should that affect our prayers and our worship? <\/p>\n

5.\t\u201cGod is Light\u201d. So ask the group \u201cWhat colour is God?\u201d Why do they think so?<\/p>\n

6.\tSpend some time in meditation and prayer on our theme, \u201cGod is Light\u201d. Light a candle (or one each) or use any other unusual light source (a multi-coloured lamp?) to inspire you.
\n4. God is \u2018Sovereign\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tGod is described as Sovereign, Ruler of all, almost 300 times in the Bible. He is in control of the whole of His creation, and has \u201cthe last say\u201d over everything that happens. Begin by asking the Group what they understand by \u201cthe Sovereignty of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

2.\tAre there any areas of life where we find it difficult to believe that God is Sovereign?
\n(e.g. Innocent suffering? Natural disasters? Specific crimes?)<\/p>\n

3.\tWhat do these passages of Scripture tell us about God as Sovereign? You may like to invite pairs to look at different passages for a while, then report back. Read Acts 4:23-31; Isaiah 14:24-27; 40:10-31; 43:10-13; Amos 7:1-9; Proverbs 21:30-31; 2 Samuel 7:18-29. Ezekiel uses the title \u201cSovereign Lord\u201d over 200 times! Read Ezekiel 11:7-16; 12:23-28.<\/p>\n

4.\tInvite the Group to share any experiences they have had which have confirmed God\u2019s Sovereignty over their lives and over His world. <\/p>\n

5.\tThen invite the Group to share any experiences in their own lives which have caused them to doubt that God is Sovereign, to doubt that God is really in control! (Treat sensitively \u2013 some of these experiences, which might include bereavement, illness, bad treatment by other people, etc, could be very painful to recall.) Is God really in control of everything? Or does human free will sometimes over-rule God\u2019s Sovereign rule?<\/p>\n

6.\tHow should the truth that God is Sovereign affect our prayer, worship and life of faith? Spend some time in prayer, praise and reflection for the Sovereign God. <\/p>\n

5. God is \u2018Father\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tAsk the Group, \u201cWho do they pray to?\u201d In other words, how do they address their prayers? To \u201cGod\u201d, to \u201cJesus\u201d, to \u201cLord\u201d, to \u201cFather\u201d? Which aspect of God do they imagine (maybe even visualise) while they are praying? (There is no \u201cright answer\u201d to this question!)<\/p>\n

2.\tThe Christian name for God is \u201cFather.\u201d Jesus the Son of God Has made it possible for us to become God\u2019s children and know His Father as Our Father. Remind yourselves of this glorious truth! Read John 20:17; Luke 15:11-24; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Psalm 103:8-14. <\/p>\n

3.\tAsk the Group, what does it mean to each one of them to be God\u2019s precious child, and to know God as Father? In what ways is our relationship with God the same as that with our earthly parents? In what ways is it different? (For different reasons, some people may find it difficult to relate to God as Father and may prefer to think of God as e.g. the Perfect Parent.)<\/p>\n

4.\tHow might knowing God as Father affect our prayers? Read and reflect on Luke 11:2-4, 9-13; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:15-18; Ephesians 1:3, 16-19; 3:14-19; 6:23.<\/p>\n

5.\tSpend some time in prayer, worship and reflection on the theme of the Fatherhood of God.<\/p>\n

6. Jesus is \u2018The Son of Man\u2019<\/p>\n

To begin with, just a reminder that this series is about Knowing God Better. So the principal purpose on these occasions is to learn things which help us develop our relationships with God, particularly in prayer, worship and everyday Christian living. How do these various titles of Jesus Christ affect the way we think and feel about our Saviour, how we speak to Him and how we trust and depend upon Him in our daily lives?<\/p>\n

1.\tThe title \u201cSon of Man\u201d is used more than a hundred times for Jesus in the Bible. What do these verses (or any others you can think of) teach us about Jesus? Individuals or pairs might take a verse each to think about for a couple of minutes and then report back.
\nMatt 8:20; 11:19; 16:13-17; 17:22-23; 20:28; 26:24; Luke 19:10; John 3:13. <\/p>\n

2.\tHow important is in to you in your prayers that Jesus is Son of Man, completely human, and therefore understanding totally everything we go through? Read Hebrews 4:14-16.<\/p>\n

3.\tRecall and share specific occasions when specifically the HUMANITY of Jesus has made a real difference to your praying or your worshipping.<\/p>\n

4.\tThe Bible also speaks of the glorious \u201cSon of Man\u201d. Read Luke 21:25-28; Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:12-18. What impact does THIS vision of Jesus Christ as Son of Man have on our worship and our prayers? When we pray, is our focus more on Jesus the Man or Jesus the Son of God? How might tonight\u2019s study deepen the ways you pray?<\/p>\n

5.\tSpend some time in prayer and worship to Jesus Christ, \u201cSon of Man\u201d.<\/p>\n

7. Jesus is the \u2018Lamb of God\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tAsk the Group to tell each other about the occasion when it first struck them that Jesus Christ laid down His life for them individually and personally. (e.g. was it a church service, Billy Graham rally, time of prayer?) Can they remember how that realisation made them feel?<\/p>\n

2.\tWhat does the image of Jesus as Lamb of God mean to you? What might it have meant to a Christian who had first been a Jew? Look at the Old Testament background to the sacrificial lamb. Read Genesis 22:7-8; Exodus 12:1-14; Isaiah 53:4-7<\/p>\n

3.\tLook at how the New Testament takes and extends the idea of the Lamb of God.
\nRead John 1:19; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 5:1-10; 7:9-10; 21:22-22:5.<\/p>\n

4.\tOf course it is significant that Christ is \u201cthe Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world\u201d at times of repentance and confession. But how does it affect your OTHER prayers that Jesus sacrificed His life for you. For example, how does Christ\u2019s death on the cross affect our intercessions?<\/p>\n

5.\t\u201cBreath prayer\u201d are simple one sentence prayers which we can say in one breath at many times during the day. The oldest recorded \u201cbreath prayer\u201d is this. \u201cJesus Lamb of God have mercy on me.\u201d You may like to encourage the group to use this prayer in the week ahead.<\/p>\n

6.\tSpend some time in prayer, worship and meditation on the Lamb of God who takes away YOUR sins.
\n8. Jesus is \u2018The Messiah\u2019<\/p>\n

This is NOT a study on the place of Israel in the purposes of God! It continues our series on \u201cknowing God better.\u201d It explores the question of how our personal relationship with God is affected by the historical facts that Jesus came as the Christ, the Jewish Messiah, and that His racial, ethnic, cultural and religious identity was not as a \u201cChristian\u201d (whatever that means) but as a first century Palestinian Jew. Just what was Jesus like as a man? First and foremost, Jesus was a Jew!
\nYou may prefer to avoid giving the game away by not revealing tonight\u2019s title too soon!<\/p>\n

1.\tAsk the Group, \u201cWhen you think about Jesus, how do you picture Him?\u201d Some people may think of Robert Powell in Zefirelli\u2019s \u201cJesus of Nazareth.\u201d Others may think of Jesus as portrayed in \u201cThe Passion of the Christ\u201d. Others may imagine Jesus \u201cjust like one of us\u201d.<\/p>\n

2.\tThen ask, \u201cHow would everyday life for Jesus have been different from our lives today?\u201d Folk might mention factors such as subsistence farming rather than supermarkets, lack of electricity, education, transport, communication, simplicity and a slower pace of life. They might think of the problems of poverty, shorter life expectancy, or living under the occupation of the Romans. Note how soon or how long it takes before somebody remembers that Jesus grew up and lived as a practising Jew. Discuss \u201cIn what ways would his Jewish identity have shaped Jesus\u2019s everyday life and culture?\u201d (e.g. synagogue and Temple, centrality of Old Testament Scriptures, Jewish festivals, Sabbath observance etc.)<\/p>\n

3.\tI remember a striking talk given by the African evangelist Morris Stuart with the simple title, \u201cJesus was black\u201d. We can easily forget that Jesus came as the Jewish Messiah. This translated into Greek as \u201cThe Christ\u201d meaning \u201cthe Anointed One\u201d. What do the following verses teach us about Jesus as Messiah, fulfilling God\u2019s Old Testament promises to Israel?
\nRead Matt 16:13-16; Acts 2:36; Rom 1:1-4, 16; John 1:41. Note also that Jesus was indeed \u201cthe King of the Jews\u201d in Matthew 26:68; 27:17, 22; And the Early Church freely applied prophesies about the Messiah such as Psalm 110:1 to Jesus e.g. Acts 2:34-36.
\nFor OT background on the Messiah, you could look at Isaiah 9:2-7; 11:1-9; 61:1-7.<\/p>\n

4.\tJesus said \u201cDo not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.\u201d (Matthew 5:17-18)
\nIn what ways does Jesus fulfil the Old Testament? How does that affect our Christian faith?<\/p>\n

5.\tAnother not unrelated question, but one needing sensitive treatment. \u201cJesus was born as a man. Not as a woman. What effects does that historical fact of gender have on our relationship with God?\u201d How might men and women answer that question differently? Does the maleness of Jesus (or of God as Father) help or hinder our relationships with God?<\/p>\n

6.\tJesus was a Jew, with all that implied in terms of customs and practices, history and hopes. His racial, ethnic, cultural and religious identity was as a first century Palestinian Jew. How should Jesus\u2019s Jewish identity affect our worship, prayer and daily walk with God? Does the fact that we are not Jews introduce a distance between us and Jesus? Or does having a clear picture of what kind of man Jesus was and the kind of life He led actually bring us closer to Him, and He to us?<\/p>\n

7.\tSpend some time in worship and prayer to Jesus the Messiah.<\/p>\n

9. Jesus is \u2018Lord\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tAsk the Group again (as you did in Study 5) WHO they address their prayers to? The most common name of God used in most Christians\u2019 prayers is probably \u201cLord\u201d. So ask the Group, when they pray \u201cLord\u201d who do they have in mind? e.g. \u201cAlmighty God, Lord of Heaven and Earth\u201d or \u201cJesus Christ, Lord of all.\u201d Is \u201cLord\u201d to them the Father or the Son?<\/p>\n

2.\tWhat do we actually mean when we pray to our \u201cLord\u201d or the \u201cLord\u201d? I am convinced that there is often much less \u201ccontent\u201d in the word \u201cLord\u201d than there should be when we use it time and time again in our prayers. It has become just a convenient label, rather than the true Name of God on our lips.<\/p>\n

3.\tSo what SHOULD it mean for us to call Jesus \u201cLord\u201d? Reflect on the following passages. Matthew 5:21-23; John 20:26-29; Acts 4:23-31; Romans 10:8-13; 1 Corinthians 12:1-3; Philippians 2:6-11; 3:7-11; Revelation 4:11; 15:3-4; 19:6-8, 11-16. <\/p>\n

4.\tRemind the group that in the days of the Early Church there was only one Lord recognised in the Roman Empire and that was the Emperor. Christians were martyred because they refused to utter the words \u201cCaesar is Lord\u201d! How can we make sure that we do not trivialise the title of \u201cLord\u201d in our prayers or our worship?<\/p>\n

5.\tSpend time in prayer and worship to Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!<\/p>\n

10. The Holy Spirit is \u2018The Helper\u2019<\/p>\n

1.\tBegin by asking the group, \u201cWhat contributions does God the Holy Spirit have in our praying and our worshipping? How does the Spirit help us in our relationship with God?<\/p>\n

2.\tAsk \u201cShould Christians ever pray directly to the Holy Spirit?\u201d \u201cShould Christians ever worship God the Holy Spirit?\u201d Some evangelical traditions would answer these questions very definitely no. Some charismatic traditions encourage prayer to and worship of the Holy Spirit. Some traditions explicitly call down the Holy Spirit by prayers such as, \u201cCome Holy Spirit\u201d. What do the Group think of these practices? (You may remember that I do sometimes use prayers such as, \u201cCome Holy Spirit\u201d or \u201cHoly Spirit, fill this person.\u201d)<\/p>\n

3.\tRead Romans 8:27-28. Encourage the group to share their personal experiences of when and how the Holy Spirit has helped them in their praying, and in particular guided them to know specifically what to pray for. (These verses may refer to the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, and folk may wish to share testimony or discuss tongues as a form of private prayer, but Paul clearly has other kinds of spiritual experience in view here as well.)<\/p>\n

4.\tRead Ephesians 6:18. What do we think Paul means by praying \u201cin the Spirit\u201d? Can members of the Group give any examples of \u201cpraying in the Spirit\u201d from their lives?<\/p>\n

5.\tRead what Jesus promised about the Holy Spirit as our Helper in John 14:15-21, 23-27, 15:26-27, 16:7-16. What do these passages teach us about the Holy Spirit\u2019s work in our devotional lives? Ask the group to share their experiences of the Holy Spirit helping them.<\/p>\n

6.\tSuggest practical ways steps we could take to invite the Holy Spirit to help us more in our personal prayers, in our prayer meetings and in our prayer and worship on Sundays?<\/p>\n

7.\tInvite the group to share specific ways in which their prayer and worship have been enriched by this series on Knowing God Better. Then spend time in prayer \uf04a <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The aim of this series of studies is to deepen our relationship with God. The way any relationship grows is by getting to know…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}