Group Guide

September 8th, 2024

This Week's City 7:

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

Ice-Breaker:

What did you think God was like when you were a kid? Where do you think you got those ideas?

Discussion Questions:

Have someone read Acts 17:16-34 aloud.

On Sunday, we looked at What God is like, why we are here, and how we know. In verse 22, Paul lays out the truth in front of the high council in Athens. First, He presents God as CREATOR, PROVIDER, FATHER and SOVEREIGN. God is the creator, and we are His creation. He is omnipotent, not needing anything from anyone, yet He provides us what we need. He satisfies every need in us. He's not only God, but He's also our Father. This means He's extremely personal to us. He is our Abba, our Dad! He's both infinitely POWERFUL and PERSONAL. Most people tend to see God more as one or the other, either the powerful creator of the universe or our perfect, loving Father. What about you? In which way do you tend to relate to Him most? How can an unbalanced view of God, whether it be all big and scary or all loving and gentle, be dangerous?
Next, God is PATIENT, but He's also JEALOUS. In verse 30, Paul is explaining to the council that God has been extremely patient with mankind, overlooking their ignorance for a time. God didn't punish as He should have, but instead was patiently waiting for Christ to ultimately bear our sin on the cross and appease His wrath. So now, Paul says, God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him. He's a jealous God... not jealous OF us, but jealous FOR us. Because of the price that He paid for us, He demands our allegiance to Him alone. We all must turn from our idols, bow to the Son, and serve the one, true, living God. God is soooo patient with us. Could you say that He has your whole heart? Have you repented of every idol in your life? Are you igniting God's jealousy by things that steal your attention from Him?
God is JUST! Paul says a day is coming when Jesus will return to judge the world. Judgement IS coming for EVERYONE. There is coming an end to God's patience and the door and the ark will close forever. Those who rejected Jesus will pay the ultimate price, separation from God for eternity, but even those of us that belong to Him will be judged for what we did for Him in this life. When you think of this judgement, what emotions does it invoke? If we lived with this day in mind, how should it affect our decisions today? Or relationships? Or priorities?
The big idea from Sunday was that the UNKOWN God has made Himself KNOWN. Hebrews 1 says that God spoke long ago through the prophets, but now He has spoken through His Son. We don't have to wonder what God is like because He SHOWED us through Jesus. He revealed Himself in Scripture. Why? Because God WANTS us to know Him! Think about this truth for a minute. God isn't hiding from you. He is right there to behold in the pages of Scripture. And no matter how much we know of Him, we've only just scratched the surface. Do you ever feel like God is hiding from you? Are you doing all you can to learn who He is by studying Scripture? How important to you is knowing God?
God is personal and intimate and wants a relationship with us. Your entire life, God has been pursuing you, drawing you to Himself. The God who SEEKS you created you to SEEK Him! You were born to seek God! In fact, He is pursuing those in your life that don't know Him. Francis Thompson wrote a poem in 1890 that referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Hound of Heaven." This Hound of Heaven is after every heart. Who in your life do we need to pray for, that they would be caught up by the Hound and turn their hearts to the one, true God?

Prayer Topics:

That we would give our undivided attention to God.
That we would seek to know Him more.
That we would be faithful to pray for the salvation of those in our lives that need Him.

No Comments

Add Your Comment