Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Majoring on the Minors


Lesson 26 – Majoring on the Minors

What meant the most to you from this chapter or helped you think more accurately about God’s character and the truth of His Word?  What offered you the greatest challenge or blessing, and why?

Focusing on God
Read Romans 11:33.  How do you interpret what God’s Word describes these “majors” about God:  His wisdom, knowledge, judgments, and ways?
His wisdom is to save people by grace, and not by their works.  He intended to establish a glorious system that should present his mercy as the prominent attribute, standing out in living colors in all the scheme of salvation.

His knowledge is foreknowledge, or omniscience.  When compared to the changes in human affairs, the obstacles to the gospel, the difficulties to be overcome, and the vast work yet to be done…it is amazing the knowledge that is adapted to such a scheme to people and which can certainly predict its complete and final spread among all the families of man.

His judgments are all plain, and may be easily searched out in his word.  This word in this place evidently means his arrangement, his plan, or proceeding.

His ways denotes a path, or road on which one travels.  This reference directs us to the course or manner of life in which we move; His principles, or morals; His doctrine or teaching, etc.

Using a dictionary, give simple definitions for the following words:

  •   unsearchable - Unable to be clearly understood
  •   unfathomable - Difficult or impossible to understand
  •   inexhaustible - Unable to be used up because existing in abundance
  •   inscrutable - Impossible to understand or interpret
  •   impossible - Not able to occur, exist, or be done

In five to ten words, describe these terms as a whole.  It is impossible to understand; therefore, His wisdom calls us to faith.

Acknowledging the Wisdom of God
When you need wisdom, where or to whom do you generally go? My husband, my dad, my mother, close friends, and God.  This could even include: going to school, obtaining licenses, earning a degree, or conducting experiments, and using computers and the internet.

What do these scriptures say about wisdom?
  •   Proverbs 2:6 – The Lord gives it.
  •   Proverbs 9:10 – Fear is the beginning of wisdom; knowledge of the holy is understanding.
  •   James 1:5 – If you lack it; ask God for it and God will provide it.
What do you normally do when you run up against something in the Bible that you don’t agree with or understand?

How does God’s wisdom call you to exercise your faith in Him?

Acknowledging the Knowledge of God
Read Psalm 139.  According to the psalmist, what does God know about you as revealed in these verses?
  •   Verse 1 – “O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.”
  •   Verse 2 – “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”
  •   Verse 3 – “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.”
  •   Verse 4 – “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.”
  •   Verse 13 (When?) – “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”
  •   Verse 15 (When?) – “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.”
  •   Verse 16 (When?) – “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
  •   Verse 23 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:”
What does the psalmist say in verse 6 about God’s knowledge?
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” – Psalm 139:6

Realizing God Knows All About Us
Reflect on the truth that God knows all the details of your life.

How does the fact of God’s knowledge enable you to accept your circumstances?

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Lesson 25 - Responding to Life's Turning Points


Lesson 25 – Responding to Life’s Turning Points

What meant the most to you from this chapter or helped you think more accurately about God’s character and the truth of His Word?  What offered you the greatest challenge or blessing, and why?

Turning Points
Can you think of any “turning points” in your life?  What happened, and how has your life changed as a result?


Accepting God’s Will
Read Luke 1:26-38.  Describe Mary’s turning point.

Why did God choose to use Mary’s life in this way?


What was Mary’s one-and-only question?

How did the angel Gabriel ultimately answer Marys’ question and address the miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy?


How did Mary indicate her acceptance of God’s will for her life?


The Mentality of a Handmaiden
Write out Mary’s reply to Gabriel’s announcement in verse 38.

What impresses you most about it?


Describe the role and attitude of a handmaiden as pictured in Psalm 123:2.


Is yours the heart and mind of a handmaiden?  Have you ever uttered something like Mary’s incredible words of acceptance in Luke 1:38 when a turning point arrived?  Why or why not?


A Knowledge of God
Read Luke 1:46-55, and list some of the facts about God that Mary articulated.


To learn even more about the person and character of God, read Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  List some additional facts about God that Hannah expressed.


How does Mary’s knowledge of God speak to you and your own mysterious life situations?


The Depth of the Riches of God
Read Romans 11:33-36.  List some of the facts about “the riches of God” contained in Paul’s glorious “doxology.”



Loving God…Even More
Read this section in your book again.  As you consider the contents of this chapter and God’s amazing love for you, what can you do this week, in obedience to Christ…

…to live out God’s plan?         …to trust God’s promise?        …to love God with all your mind?

God has a destiny and a hope for you..

Monday, July 30, 2012

Lesson 24 - Living out God’s Promise



What meant the most to you from this chapter or helped you think more accurately about God’s character and the truth of His Word?  What offered you the greatest challenge or blessing, and why?

Even in troublesome times, we can be confident in our faith in God’s character and His promises.

God’s Good Plan: Purging and Pruning
To prune:  (verb) such as a tree….cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, esp. to increase fruitfulness and growth

To purge: (verb) to rid of an unwanted feeling, memory, or condition, typically giving a sense of healing release.

God is faithful to use life’s difficulties to purge and prune us of all that does not contribute positively to the masterpiece He is creating.

What benefits does pruning promote in the growth of plants?

What benefits does pruning promote when it comes to your spiritual growth?

How did “pruning and purging” promote God’s good plan for the apostle Paul, as seen in 2 Corinthians 12:6-10?
1. He was pained with a thorn in the flesh…
2.  He kept Paul humble
3. Paul prayed earnestly to God for the removal of this sore grievance. He prayed earnestly and repeated his requests…So that if an answer wasn’t given to the first prayer, or the second….hold out till we receive an answer.
4.  We are given an account of the answer given to Paul….although the trouble was not removed, an equivalent would be granted:  My grace is sufficient for thee.

Though God accepts the prayer of faith, yet he does not always answer it in the letter; as he sometimes grants in wrath, so he sometimes denies in love.

When God doesn’t not remove our troubles and temptations, he gives us grace sufficient for us.  We have no reason to complain, nor say that he deals ill by us.

Grace signifies two things:
     1.  The good will of God towards us -- and this is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses.
     2.  The good work of God in us, the grace we receive from the fullness that is in Christ our head; and from him there shall be communicated that which is suitable and seasonable, and sufficient for his members.

Christ understands our case, and knows our need, and will proportion the remedy to our trouble, and not only strengthen us, but glorify himself.  His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.

How did God say His process would benefit believers in 1 Peter 1:6-7?
Every sound Christian has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice.  Life itself is but for a little while, and the sorrows of it cannot live on. 

Are there any areas you have been reluctant to yield to God for purging and pruning?  Pray now to give them over to God.  Let the growth process begin!

God’s Good Nature
Look again at the four scriptures written out in this section in the book.  James 1:17,  Psalm 34:8,   Psalm 107:8-9,   Nahum 1:7  Memorize these words of truth and hope to give you comfort.

Then look in your Bible at the three additional references.  Note what they reveal about God’s goodness, and jot down the words and phrases that especially minister to you. 

            - Psalm 23:1, 6

            - Psalm 84:11-12

            - Romans 8:28

How can you remember God’s promise that His plan is for your good?  Remember that He is trustworthy and His nature is good -- 100 percent good!

Write out a prayer using the words and phrases from the seven verses referred to in this section as a reminder of God’s goodness and His care for you.

As you draw closer to God in prayer and focus on His goodness, He will bless you with His peace and the assurance of His love.

Looking to the Reward
Have you ever planned a vacation to mark the end of a long project or a special evening out to celebrate the completion of a difficult task?  Rewards are powerful motivators.

How does the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 rebuke you when you doubt the process God is taking you through?  God has an expected end.

How does the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 comfort you when you feel hopeless or depressed?  He has complete knowledge of our lives, a plan for us that is for good, and the ability to make that plan happen.

How does Jeremiah 29:11 encourage you as you wait for God’s promised and “expected end”?  No matter what, we are reminded we are going to get to the end -- where the reward is waiting.  And the end is going to be awesome!

Regardless of how you may “feel,” what are God’s plans for you, according to His promise in Jeremiah 29:11?  Now, how does that make you feel?  God’s greatest promise for His children is heaven.  Heaven is the expected end for all who have repented of their sins and have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Finally, let’s look to Psalm 16:11.

How does God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11 help you stay positive in the midst of hard or trying times?


God has a destiny and a hope for you..

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Lesson 23 - Becoming God’s Masterpiece


What meant the most to you from this chapter or helped you think more accurately about God’s character and the truth of His Word?  What offered you the greatest challenge or blessing, and why?

Learning to Look at God’s Good Plan
When life is difficult, it’s easy to doubt God, wonder about His goodness, and question His wisdom.  The Israelites faced 70 years of exile in a foreign land.  

70 Years is a lifetime…that is why it was urgent for them to plant and build, to focus on the next generation…God’s promise of peace and restoration would be fulfilled through the generations to come.

How would you feel if you were told that you would never see your home again?

            If you had been one of the Israelites, what would your thoughts have been?

            Identify again the difficulties you are currently enduring.

            What thoughts do these hard times sometimes tempt you to think?

You might feel that …
                                    God was turning His back on you…
                                    He no longer loved you…
                                    He was no longer merciful or just…

These are incorrect thoughts about God.  To prevent this wrong thinking we have Jeremiah 29:11.

                        Simply...
                                    Take God at His word…
                                    Believe that He will not forget you…
                                    Count on His promise of a better future.

Jeremiah offers all the security God’s people need in the past and in the future:  God has a plan for us.

Know that God is busy at work on His good plan for you.

            Remember…
                        His plan reflects His purposes
                        His methods
                        His timetable…not yours.

God’s Good Plan is an Adventure
What do these scriptures teach about God’s good ways, and how does each one encourage you?

            Jeremiah 29:11 -
            Romans 8:28 -
            Romans 8:32 -
            James 1:13 -
            1 Peter 5:10 -

Let your life be an adventure - try thinking about God’s plan for your life as an adventure.

Going on an adventure - think of a time where you had an “adventure”.

Riding the roller coaster of life - view your obstacles, disappointments, and oversights as an incredible adventure rather than as fuel for frustration.  Think of a time that seemed like a disaster at the time and you now reflect on it with laughter.

God’s Good Plan Is a Process
One reason many of us fail to enjoy the adventure of the Christian life is because it is a process.  I don’t know about you but I like the end result a lot more than I like the process that it takes to get there.

Sometimes Christians are tempted to think that God has planned something ugly for them, or that He is making a mess of their lives.  How does the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 correct these thoughts that are not true?

Looking through the eyes of an artist - Think of the marble that was delivered to Michelangelo’s art studio.  The apprentice simply say him destroying a perfect piece of marble whereas Michelangelo saw an angel that he “had to get him out” of the marble.

Looking through the eyes of the Master Artist - God sees us with the same kind of eyes as Michelangelo had for the marble.  He sees the image of Christ and He wants to set that beauty free.  The process of life involves plans for good and “not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Learning from the old masters - Just like those artists who first washed their white canvases with black, we can let God’s Word enable us to stand secure in the hope that when our life seems to be washed with black, when God completes His plans, our lives will have greater depth, more interesting dimensions, and remarkable intensity.

As you consider your present difficult situation, what do you see thus far in God’s process that you can be thankful for?

God’s Good Plan Is an Opportunity
Regard hard times as important to our spiritual and personal growth, not merely as something we have to endure.

Treat adversity as an opportunity.  This is not an encouragement to downplay or look away from the hard times of life or the pain those times bring, instead the message is to look boldly into the face of adversity and learn from it.

Difficult times are opportunities that God promises to use for our good!  They are exquisite opportunities to love God more.

List several ways spiritual and personal growth occurs as you treat adversity as an opportunity.

What do these verses add to your list?

            2 Corinthians 1:3-4 -
             James 1:2-4 -
             1 Peter 5:10 -

I encourage you to believe in Him - in His good intentions, in His everlasting love, in His power, and in His promises, especially His promise to bring us to an expected end…to make us a masterpiece!

Loving God…Even More
Read this section in your book again.  As you consider the contents of this chapter and God’s amazing love for you, what can you do this week, in obedience to Christ…

…to live out God’s plan?            …to trust God’s promise?          …to love God with all your mind?

God has a destiny and a hope for you..