TODAY:

WITH: Reimagining the way we relate to God – Part 1: The 4 Postures

BIG IDEA:

The posture we take in relating to God really matters

SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 19:16, Proverbs 3:1-2, Joshua 1:7-8, Malachi 3:10, Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 7:7, John 10:10, Galatians 6:9, John 14:12, James 2:17-18, Ephesians 2:10, John 15:5,9,12

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: What are the motivations behind your faith/religion/spirituality?

Q: How do the Scriptures/concepts from this week help you grow as a disciple who loves God, loves people & serves the world (lives on incarnational mission) in everyday life?

Q: Based on these Scriptures, how can you move from unbelief to belief, from just knowing to actually doing in your life?

Be With Jesus / Love God (UP)...

Q: Review the 4 common postures. Are any of them particularly attractive or repulsive to you? Why?

Q: How could each posture have some value to living a Christian life?

Q: How could each pose a danger to a genuine relationship with God?

Q: How have you seen Scripture twisted to put “self” at the center, or to create self-reliance instead of God-reliance?

Become Like Jesus / Love People (IN)...

Q: How do the individual postures we take with God effect how we function & relate together as a church?

Do What Jesus Did / Serve the World (OUT)...

Q: How do our postures effect what our “Gospel” is & the message that we offer to the world around us?

ACTION STEPS

1) Examine each posture & see which one you struggle with the most:

a) OVER God: I control my life & God through knowledge & principles

b) UNDER God: I control God through my behavior

c) FROM God: I use God to get what I want

d) FOR God: I need to do great things for God to achieve identity, worth & purpose

2) Examine how these postures have formed & affected your relationship with God

3) Spend time simply “being with” God to listen to what He wants say about each