Read Job 9:32–35
Summary of Job 9:32–35
Job recognized that sinners need a reconciler with a holy God. He wished that God was a man like himself. He believed that only a mortal could help God understand his human error. God seemed distant and indifferent to his suffering. If God were like man, Job would take God to court on this case. He would argue his innocence in the court of justice, man to man.
Job desired an impartial mediator to plead his case before God. An umpire, arbitrator, lawyer or reconciler between them could quickly settle this dispute successfully.
Job wished that facing God was not so fearful. He knew he could not meet God on fair terms as long as God was omnipotent. Who could argue with His infinite, raw power? Who would hear his case?
Use these questions as a guide to help facilitate a group discussion:
What causes you to be ashamed or scared to approach God (in prayer)?
What do you do when you feel like God just doesn't understand what you're going through?
What has helped you humble yourself and submit to God when you didn't feel like doing so?
If you were Job's friend, what would you say to him after he goes off on this rant?
How can a holy God actually understand what a mortal human being goes through?
Why does sin separate us from God?
Does being good or not sinning bring us closer to God? Why or why not?
How do you know when you and God see eye to eye?
Why could it be harder for a person who has gone to church their entire life and is not a follower of Jesus to repent and turn to Jesus than a person who has never gone to church?
How can being "religious" be so dangerous?
How can a loving God (who is also the judge) send well-meaning, sincere, religious people to hell?
What verses would you point to if a friend asked you how to have a relationship with God or how to get to heaven?
Concerning the question above, did you tend to think of verses about things YOU need to do or things that JESUS has done?
Why do we so easily drift from the idea that Jesus is the savior, and not us?
Why do we need Jesus?
What's your story about when you turned to Jesus to save you?
Would anyone like to put their faith in Jesus right now? Would anyone like to turn back to Jesus right now?
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
The Sorry Bus: Freedom vs Slavery
Read Job 42:7–9
Summary: God tells Job's three friends they are theologically wrong (v 7) and to seek forgiveness. God doesn't let them just say a simple prayer for forgiveness and be done with it. They must go to Job with their sacrifices and ask him to pray for them. This must have been a deeply humiliating thing. They accused Job of being far from God, and now God places Job as the priest to bring them near to God. In other words, God is seeing to it that the only way the three friends can experience reconciliation with god is through experiencing reconciliation with Job. They must humble themselves before Job, not simply before God.
Use these questions as a guide to help facilitate a group discussion about forgiveness.
Why is it so difficult to forgive those who hurt you?
Why doesn't forgiveness make sense to our human nature?
What do you do instead of forgiving?
What do you gain when you don't forgive? What do you lose?
Why does forgiveness matter to God? Why should forgiveness matter to you?
Read Matthew 5:24. What urgency and priority does Jesus put on forgiveness?
Are there people that you need to forgive in order to worship God?
Read Matthew 6:14-15. What's the reward if we forgive others? What's the consequence if we don't forgive others?
Read Romans 12:17-19. Who does judgement belong to? Why don't you want God to handle judgement? Why is it hypocritical to want to be the judge?
Are we supposed to forgive someone if they don't ask for forgiveness? (Colossians 3:12-13)
What scares you about freely forgiving? What could happen?
How could extending forgiveness heal a relationship? How might it heal the other person? How might it heal you?
Do you ever abuse the grace, mercy and forgiveness God has given you?
Do you agree that we must forgive others in order to be like Jesus?
If you need to forgive someone, how would you go about it?
Summary: God tells Job's three friends they are theologically wrong (v 7) and to seek forgiveness. God doesn't let them just say a simple prayer for forgiveness and be done with it. They must go to Job with their sacrifices and ask him to pray for them. This must have been a deeply humiliating thing. They accused Job of being far from God, and now God places Job as the priest to bring them near to God. In other words, God is seeing to it that the only way the three friends can experience reconciliation with god is through experiencing reconciliation with Job. They must humble themselves before Job, not simply before God.
Use these questions as a guide to help facilitate a group discussion about forgiveness.
Why is it so difficult to forgive those who hurt you?
Why doesn't forgiveness make sense to our human nature?
What do you do instead of forgiving?
What do you gain when you don't forgive? What do you lose?
Why does forgiveness matter to God? Why should forgiveness matter to you?
Read Matthew 5:24. What urgency and priority does Jesus put on forgiveness?
Are there people that you need to forgive in order to worship God?
Read Matthew 6:14-15. What's the reward if we forgive others? What's the consequence if we don't forgive others?
Read Romans 12:17-19. Who does judgement belong to? Why don't you want God to handle judgement? Why is it hypocritical to want to be the judge?
Are we supposed to forgive someone if they don't ask for forgiveness? (Colossians 3:12-13)
What scares you about freely forgiving? What could happen?
How could extending forgiveness heal a relationship? How might it heal the other person? How might it heal you?
Do you ever abuse the grace, mercy and forgiveness God has given you?
Do you agree that we must forgive others in order to be like Jesus?
If you need to forgive someone, how would you go about it?
Sunday, September 11, 2016
The School Bus: When God Takes You to School
Job 38–42
Summary of Job 38–40:5
Job had been confident that he knew the workings and the ways of God (27:11)... now God calls on him to prove that claim and demands that Job answer His questions (38:1–3). God then asks Job a series of rhetorical questions.
38:1 - God finally answers Job from the whirlwind (eye of the violent storm). Why do you think God chose this specific time to reply to Job?
Fill in the blank: When you hear from God in the midst of great struggle, it reassures you that God ___________.
(...is here, cares, is ultimately in control, etc.)
38:2–40:2 - God takes Job to school and blasts him with tons of questions. Don't you hate when someone answers a question with a question?! That's what God did to Job. Why is this God's method of reply? What is it that He's trying to communicate to Job?
(He's reminding Job of who is God, majestic, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing, etc.)
Why does God appear to Job and say this? Is God defending Himself?
(God does not offer vindication of His dealings with us, nor does He need to justify his providence towards Job. He does not lower Himself in order to elevate us into judges of His conduct. The righteousness of His providence does not depend on how we perceive it or admit it. God is never defensive... He is the sovereign Lord of all, accountable to no being but Himself. He does not appear to vindicate Himself, but to rescue Job.)
Why does God speak to us (through His Word, others, circumstances, or the Holy Spirit)? What's the motive behind His words?
(to rescue us, save us from our sin, guide us towards Him, etc.)
40:3–5 - Job is ready to shut up and listen. Job needed to be rescued from his own thoughts. He began to make the wrong conclusions about God. We often need to be rescued from our own thoughts or the persuasion of others' thoughts. Powerful thoughts and words do not equal wisdom. Where does wisdom come from?
(Job 28:20-28, Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5)
Why should an unbeliever repent? Why should Christians repent?
(Repentance is not about relationship, but it is about restoring fellowship. Repentance is for everyone. To enjoy ongoing fellowship with God, we need to live a life of daily repentance.)
How does God's revelation lead to a life of repentance?
(It causes us to consider on a regular basis His glory and our inadequacies, and that His mind and thoughts are truly higher than ours. Isaiah 55:8–9)
42:7–17 - God never told Job why he suffered or what the purpose was. Would you still be demanding an explanation, or would you hear and understand what God said?
What has God showed you through these chapters?
What does God want to rescue you from right now? What do you need to repent from?
Summary of Job 38–40:5
Job had been confident that he knew the workings and the ways of God (27:11)... now God calls on him to prove that claim and demands that Job answer His questions (38:1–3). God then asks Job a series of rhetorical questions.
38:1 - God finally answers Job from the whirlwind (eye of the violent storm). Why do you think God chose this specific time to reply to Job?
Fill in the blank: When you hear from God in the midst of great struggle, it reassures you that God ___________.
(...is here, cares, is ultimately in control, etc.)
38:2–40:2 - God takes Job to school and blasts him with tons of questions. Don't you hate when someone answers a question with a question?! That's what God did to Job. Why is this God's method of reply? What is it that He's trying to communicate to Job?
(He's reminding Job of who is God, majestic, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing, etc.)
Why does God appear to Job and say this? Is God defending Himself?
(God does not offer vindication of His dealings with us, nor does He need to justify his providence towards Job. He does not lower Himself in order to elevate us into judges of His conduct. The righteousness of His providence does not depend on how we perceive it or admit it. God is never defensive... He is the sovereign Lord of all, accountable to no being but Himself. He does not appear to vindicate Himself, but to rescue Job.)
Why does God speak to us (through His Word, others, circumstances, or the Holy Spirit)? What's the motive behind His words?
(to rescue us, save us from our sin, guide us towards Him, etc.)
40:3–5 - Job is ready to shut up and listen. Job needed to be rescued from his own thoughts. He began to make the wrong conclusions about God. We often need to be rescued from our own thoughts or the persuasion of others' thoughts. Powerful thoughts and words do not equal wisdom. Where does wisdom come from?
(Job 28:20-28, Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5)
Why should an unbeliever repent? Why should Christians repent?
(Repentance is not about relationship, but it is about restoring fellowship. Repentance is for everyone. To enjoy ongoing fellowship with God, we need to live a life of daily repentance.)
How does God's revelation lead to a life of repentance?
(It causes us to consider on a regular basis His glory and our inadequacies, and that His mind and thoughts are truly higher than ours. Isaiah 55:8–9)
42:7–17 - God never told Job why he suffered or what the purpose was. Would you still be demanding an explanation, or would you hear and understand what God said?
What has God showed you through these chapters?
What does God want to rescue you from right now? What do you need to repent from?
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