Summary: <p>C. S. Lewis writes, “In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that—and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison—you do not know God at all. The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object.”<br><br><br>1. What are the results of experiencing God’s love according to Ephesians 3:16–19? ANSWERS: Power, strength, . being complete, fullness of life, power again.<br>Our tendency is to turn to every other thing to find what we need to live the life we want<br><br>If its our accomplishments we become self-promoting<br>If its by building self-worth by finding other’s faults we become judgmental<br>If its by self-love we become selfish and discover our own emptiness.<br>If its through knowledge we become proud<br>If its through discipline we cycle back and forth from arrogance to depression.<br><br>2. When we fail to turn to God’s love for fulness of life, what is it that you do turn to? Please be specific.<br><br><br>3. Please explain the dynamics listed above and why they result in negative behavior, so for instance, why does looking for ultimate satisfaction in our accomplishments lead to becoming self-promoting? <br><br><br>4. According to Philippians 2:3–4, what are we trying to do when we seek promote ourselves in the eyes of others?<br><br>Why is this wrong?<br><br><br>Read 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, 31<br><br>26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy* when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,* things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God….<br><br>31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”<br><br>Based on this text, what would be better to boast in, ourselves or God? <br><br><br>5. “Our ability to love your enemies is only possible with the love of God bc it is a selfless love and we are so used to getting something in return.”<br><br>Do you agree with this statement? <br><br>Why or why not? <br><br>What does it mean?<br><br>Do you see this pattern in your own life? <br><br>Are you able to admit that when you respond poorly to conflict or to loving the unlovely that you are loving with a selfish love? What can you do to demonstrate the selfless love of God in difficult situation next time?<br><br><br>6. We talked about the difference between “reacting” and “responding.” <br><br>Please explain the difference.<br><br>When we react, what are we focusing on?<br><br>When we respond, what are we focusing on?<br><br><br>7. Please read these two texts back to back:<br><br>Ezekiel 20:43 “You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. 44 You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” <br><br>James 4:8–9 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. <br><br>What pattern do we see in these two verses?<br><br>Are you practicing this pattern as a vital part of your Christian life?<br><br>What happens to our faith when we ignore this pattern?<br><br><br>8. We discussed the difference between God as “Judge” and God as “Father.” <br><br>Which of these two ways do you tend to view God? <br><br>What is the difference?<br><br>Does seeing Him as Father tend to result in your dismissing the sin in your own life? Please explain.<br><br><br>9. We will talk more about this next week but for now, what does it mean to “live a life worthy of your calling? <br><br>In what ways are you living a life worthy of your calling and in what ways are you not?<br><br>In what concrete ways would you like to improve?</p>
