At our morning services in November, we’re looking at God with a fresh perspective.

21 November 2021 - 11am Service

In the Beginning God Series

“In the beginning God…” These are the first words of the bible. God is the foundation of everything, the ground of our being. But do we really know God or have a right view of Him? And is a journey of faith a journey towards a greater understanding and deeper relationship with Him?

Jesus came to reveal God as Father to the people on earth who thought they knew God best. Jesus reveals a God of surprises to us, and this series aims to help us examine our view of God and maybe look with fresh eyes at a God who is greater, more loving and merciful than we ever expected.

You can go deeper with this topic on your own or in your small group using the discussion notes below.

DISCUSSION NOTES

Read 1 Corinthians 13, Genesis 6:6 and Romans 8:26.

The idea that God in perfection, can’t be changed or affected (or limited) by the events of creation is a fundamentally Greek idea that is a philosophical abstraction or deduction, not biblical revelation. God in scripture is passionately engaged with his creation and his people and the prophets reveal that heart of God (e.g. Hosea 11).

In fact the truest thing to say about God is that God is love. And the nature of love involves intrinsically suffering. The more you love the more you have capacity to suffer; vicariously over the sufferings of those you love, and in your own suffering either in intervention in those sufferings or by rejection from the beloved. To love is to risk.

Read 1 Corinthians 13, substituting the word God for ‘love’ and adding yourself as the object of God’s love (e.g. God is patient with me, God is kind to me). Does that match up with how you feel about God’s love?
Is it true that love and suffering go together? Why?
What is the link between loving someone and giving them freedom? (Sting sang ‘If you love
someone , set them free’) If love always protects doesn’t that imply control? If God loves us
why doesn’t He control things more?
The idea of a ‘suffering supreme God’ was a challenge to the thinking of the ancient world. How does it challenge our thinking and faith today?
How willing are we to follow a way of love that includes suffering?