KNOWING GOD WEEK 1 DISCUSSION GUIDE
Our church, Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville IL, recently started a 3 week ‘Intro the Christian Faith’ series for those in the community called “KNOWING GOD.” Here’s the leader’s discussion guide:
KNOWING GOD MEETUP: A 3 WEEK INTRO TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
Intro: This is a 3 Week introduction to the Christian Faith. We are using the concept of “Knowing God” as a way to explain and summarize what we Christians believe. When I say, ‘what Christians believe,’ I mean the basics of what anyone who claims themselves to be a Christian would affirm. Over 3 weeks we’ll consider this: 1. The heart of what Christianity is about a personal knowledge of ‘The God Who is There’; 2. “What Hinders us from Knowing God;” and 3 How Does Jesus bring us into KNOWING God
ENCOURAGEMENT: Share your questions; Be open to see things a new way; Ask God to reveal Himself to you.
FORMAT: Our format is study and discussion, with the hope that we will have lots of opportunities to ask questions and have discussion. Each week we’ll consider a few verses, consider a few ideas, and have lots of discussion.
OPENING QUESTIONS: When you think of the word Christianity, what comes to your mind?
What has been your experience with Christianity up to this point?
WEEK 1: “KNOWING THE GOD WHO IS THERE”
CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE: When considering earthly knowledge, some break up our knowledge into 3 basic areas: knowledge of facts, knowledge of skills, and knowledge of persons.
QUESTIONS:
If I were to have knowledge of a fact what would be required? (Subject, Object, Standards that give access to TRUTH)
If I were to have knowledge of a skill, what would be required? (Same, but with experience)
If I were to have knowledge of a person, what would be required? (Reveal truth about themselves, Relational)
In order for us to know a person, we would have to know TRUE things about Him, we would have to some kind of access to the person.
CHRISTIANITY CLAIMS THIS: We can KNOW the TRUE LIVING GOD, the God who is There.
The Christian Claim is this, we can know true things about the God who is there. He is personal and relational, and He chosen to reveal propositional truths about Himself, so that we can know Him in truth. ‘He is there and He is NOT Silent’ (Schaeffer)
-God has revealed things about Himself in Creation. (Ps 19)
-He has given us objectively true know about Himself in Bible (NOT MERE Opinions about God)
In the Bible, we hear God’s voice, we hear the truth about who God is and what He is like. The Bible itself testifies to the glory of God and has a self-authenticating nature to it, which shows us that it is true.
This morning, we’ll look at 3 passages together from John, who was an eye-witness of Jesus and consider knowledge of God.
PASSAGE 1: John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
QUESTION: If this verse were true, what would it be telling us about what Jesus has accomplished for us?
-KNOWLEDGE IS POSSIBLE! JESUS REVEALS TRUE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD:
-We can learn about what God is like, and JESUS ALONE is the one who makes this possible.
-Exclusive knowledge, only Jesus can do this.
PASSAGE 2: John 1:1–2, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
QUESTION: If these verses were true, what would they be telling us about God?
-God is relational, He wants us to know Him. Jesus is God who came to dwell with us. JESUS is GOD WITH US!
PASSAGE 3: John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
QUESTION: If Jesus is giving us the truth about reality, what is this statement telling us?
-Eternal Life is knowledge of God forever. The GREATEST GOOD we CAN EXPERIENCE is KNOWING GOD.
CONCLUSION: The God who is there is a speaking, relational God who loves us. He has revealed true truth about Himself to us, He has shown that He is relation in coming to dwell with us, and we see here that knowing Him is the greatest thing we could ever experience.
QUESTION:
-What questions do you have about our study? What questions do you have about the concept of KNOWING God?
-If you could ask God any question, what would it be?
