Welcome From Pastor Justin Greene

Welcome From Pastor Justin Greene!

Welcome to the Fade Blog. I pray that that you are reading this as result of making a personal one year commitment to FADE. It is my hope that you will find the devotions and materials suggested here helpful to you as you pursue a deeper walk with Christ and the life change that will accompany it.

The commitment card you were asked to sign in the third message was a slightly modified version of the one found at the end of the book Radical by David Platt and many of the devotions and application questions that will be posted will be coming from the church at Brook Hills where he is the pastor. Other books that were inspirational to me as these messages were brewing in my mind will also be noted, along with a link to purchase them on Amazon.

It is my greatest desire that each one of you would see the Lord stoke the fire of your first love. I pray that your passion for Christ and the lost would be unquenchable, and that your commitment to the local body of believers will stretch your heart, mind and resources. The goal? That you would agree with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”(John 3:30), and Paul,

“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. . . Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”( Phil. 3:7,8,13,14)

They are calling us to FADE.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Week 4 (October 24-30) Discussion and Application Questions

Introduction

In week four we will be reading through Job chapters 1-24.

Suffering is Often Unexplainable

• Job followed God’s commands faithfully.
• Job’s attention came from his integrity.
• Job was unaware of spiritual conflict.

Discussion

• Read Job 1:1-12.
• Describe Job’s service to God. How did God describe Job?
• Why did Satan notice Job? Why was God pointing him out to Satan?
• Was Job ever made aware of the spiritual conflict that arose in heaven?

Application

• What is our first reaction to seeing that God pointed Job out to Satan? What does our answer indicate about our belief in God’s sovereignty and goodness?

• Why does our culture often feel that believers who are faithful do not deserve to suffer? Is that a biblical perspective?

• What is the point in serving God faithfully if we may encounter the same, if not greater, hardships as everyone else?

• Would suffering actually be easier if we understood the reason? Why does it matter?

God is Always Worthy of Worship

• God remains in control of all situations.
• God’s worth is not dependent on circumstances.

Discussion

• Read Job 1:13-2:13.
• List the categories of loss that Job experienced.
• Looking at Job 2:3, 5-6, who was actually in control of Job’s suffering?
• In Job 2:3 God asserts responsibility for Job’s first round of sufferings. What does this indicate about God’s supreme control in the world?
• In Job 1:12 and 2:5-6, Satan basically asks God for permission to cause harm to Job. What does this indicate about God’s control over Satan?
• How did Job respond to these disasters?
• Why did Job praise God?

Application

• Why can it make us feel uneasy to know that God gave permission to harm Job?

• What kind of God would He be if He were not in control? Would we rather He be helpless to Satan’s desires or in control of His plan? Why?

• How is there comfort in knowing that He is control in the midst of our suffering?

• Why is it often difficult to praise God in our suffering?

• What are we saying about God if we believe that His worth is determined by our circumstances? Would He truly be God if He were dependent upon our lives?

Suffering is Not Partial

• Job’s suffering was not a product of discipline, sin, or disbelief.
• Followers of God are not immune to suffering.

Discussion

• Read Job 5:17-18. What did Job’s friends assert about Job?
• What did their assertion assume about God?
• Read Job 42:7. Why did God rebuke Job’s friends? What did God’s rebuke of the friends indicate about their beliefs?

Application

• How can we be true friends to those who are suffering?

• Why do we often say things contrary to God’s word in an effort to comfort or give advice? Why is this so dangerous?

• Why does it scare us to think that believers should be immune from suffering?

• How can suffering in the life of a believer bring glory to God? God Often Reveals Himself during Suffering

• God remains supreme at all times.

• True understanding of God demands submission.

Discussion

• Read Job 38-39.
• How did God respond to Job’s request for vindication from God?
• Describe the picture that God painted of Himself to Job.
• Read Job 42:1-6.
• How did Job respond to God’s conversation?
• What does Job admit about his knowledge of God’s ways?
• How did Job indicate that he had grown in his knowledge of God?
• What role did Job’s suffering play in revealing God more deeply to Job more than prosperity could have?

Application

• How can it be comforting to rest in the truth that we do not understand God’s ways? How can it be scary or unsettling? Why?

• Why should we trust and take comfort in the God who is supreme in all matters?

• Why does suffering often help us to know God more deeply than during times of no suffering?

• What are questions that we often ask during times of suffering? What are questions that we should ask during times of suffering?
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Welcome to Week 3 (October 17-23) Discussion and Application Questions

Introduction

Each week, starting with "Week Three" reading, we will post Discussion and Applications questions that will help guide you through the assigned reading from your "Read Through the Bible" schedule. Please use these questions to help further your understanding and reflection on what you have read.

Story Review

This week you will be reading from Genesis chapters 37-50. The first group of questions will focus on chapters 37-39.

Discussion

• Describe Joseph’s actions throughout all of these events?

• Did Joseph do anything to deserve or cause His circumstances—good or bad?

• Describe God’s role in Joseph’s life. How is God’s character revealed through these
events?

Application

• Why do we desire to place blame on someone for our circumstances?

• Why are we quick to believe we can work for and deserve good situations but do not
deserve unfavorable circumstances?

• How and why do we tend to believe that our obedience to God should result in our safety
and comfort?

• Why is our attitude toward God often negative when bad things happen? How should the
story of Joseph change our attitude toward God about bad things that happen to us?

God is Sovereign Over . . .

• People
- His purpose was not dependent on people.
- His purpose was not deterred by people.

Discussion

• Read Genesis 39:2-6 and 21-23. Looking at Joseph’s time in Potiphar’s house and in
prison, did God rely on these men or Joseph’s abilities to make him successful in those
places?

• How does Joseph’s complete lack of control over his life reflect God’s ultimate control?

• How did Joseph’s faithfulness allow him to be usable by God?

• How did the cupbearer’s forgetfulness in Gen. 40:23 affect Joseph’s chances to get out of
prison? Why is God’s independence of him important?

• Think about the decisions of Joseph’s brothers, Potiphar’s wife, and Potiphar. How do
their actions seem to contradict God’s plans?

• How does God’s independence of people illustrate His sovereignty?

Application

• How does it make you feel to know that God is not dependent on you for His purposes?

• How does it make you feel to know that you or anyone else cannot keep God’s purposes
from being accomplished?

• How can we allow Him to change our hearts so that we become a godly vessel for His
purpose?

• How does our belief in these truths affect how we view the world around us, and our own
life at this very moment?

Circumstances

- God guided the details to sustain Joseph through His protection and through His presence.
- God used and caused events to accomplish His purpose.

Discussion

• Read Genesis 37:26-27 and 39:20. How did God protect Joseph’s
life in these situations?

• How was the outcome seemingly horrible and unfair to Joseph even though his life was
spared? How did God sustain Joseph in these circumstances?

• Read Genesis 37:36, 39:20, and 41:15-16. How did God direct
what appears to be coincidence in these situations?

• How did Joseph’s locations put him in the right places at the right times for God to work
through him?

Application

• In what ways is it easy to miss God’s work in our circumstances?

• What is most often our attitude toward God when our plans are “messed up”?

• How does this illustrate our desire to control our lives and tendency to forget God in our
plans and dreams?

• How do our attitudes toward our own plans often interfere with our praise of God for His
work in our lives?

• What is our responsibility in being active toward what we believe to be God’s plan for our
lives?

• How should we view our circumstances when our plans don’t turn out like we expected?

• Outcome

- God directed the final outcome.
- God directed all the details for His purpose.

Discussion

• Read Genesis 45:9-11. What was God’s purpose in Joseph’s life?

• Remind learners that Joseph’s family was part of God’s chosen people and the
beginnings of the nation of Israel.

• Name all of the minute details that God controlled to get Joseph to the place of
preserving his family.

• How did God use the sin of Joseph’s brothers to bring about their ultimate redemption?

• How is God’s love for His people evident through His actions?

Application

• Why is it easier to see God’s hand in our lives as we look to the past?

• Knowing God has His hand in our lives at all times, why is it difficult to trust His
sovereignty in our present situations?

• How is our trust in Him reflected in our faithfulness at all points in our lives?

• How did God use the sin of wicked people to bring about your ultimate redemption?

• How does God’s direction of our lives for His purposes give us hope?
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