“Start with what you know.”
KEY SCRIPTURE
- Deuteronomy 7:1-4
- Judges 1:29
- John 14:8-10
- Colossians 1:15
- Colossians 2:9
- Hebrews 1:3 – “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…”
(Click on each passage listed to view it at bible.com)
START TALKING
- What are your Thanksgiving plans?
- What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods? Traditions?
START SHARING
Matt talked about the difficult passages, largely in the Old Testament, that leave many feeling like God is vengeful, jealous, or petty. What are we supposed to do with these “problem texts?” He provided three possible solutions:
- It wasn’t as bad as it sounds
- It was a one time command (not a universal) an a part of God’s plant o preserve Israel for His larger redemptive purposes in history
- God’s ways are higher than ours
When it comes to these kinds of passages…
- Are you more likely to just avoid them altogether or to over-simplify and rationalize them away?
- Have you had conversations with someone who used these kinds of stories in the Bible as a reason for not believing in God or being part of a church?
- What do you need to be willing to admit you don’t understand about God, the Bible, Jesus?
- “It’s possible to be biblical but not Christian.” What was your initial reaction to this statement? How do you process that idea?
- What do you need to be willing to admit you don’t understand about God, the Bible, and Jesus?
- How can knowing Jesus help you see a clearer picture of God?
START LIVING
- If Jesus is the clearest picture of who God is, spend some time in prayer asking Jesus to reveal himself to you so that you can understand more of God’s character.
- Spend some time reading a passage or even a few chapters about Jesus in one of the gospel accounts. Make some notes or observations about the character of Jesus. Look for ways that you can demonstrate the same characteristics in your own life.
