God ViewsGod ViewsWeek 1 Week 1

Our View of Our View of GodGod

By Peggy Jo StanleyBy Peggy Jo Stanley

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Freida ThorntonFreida Thornton

Song “Oh, Lead Me”Song “Oh, Lead Me”by Matthew Wardby Matthew Ward

Oh, lead meOh, lead me

To the place where I can find To the place where I can find YouYou

Oh, lead meOh, lead me

To the place where You’ll be …To the place where You’ll be …

Let me know You’re here with Let me know You’re here with me.me.

ConfidentialityConfidentiality

We maintain We maintain confidentiality at all confidentiality at all

times in all areas having times in all areas having to do with this class and to do with this class and

its members.its members.

ConfidentialityConfidentiality •We do not repeat anything We do not repeat anything that anyone shares in the class that anyone shares in the class outside of the class.outside of the class.•We do not talk about anyone We do not talk about anyone or the issues that they have or the issues that they have shared in confidentiality during shared in confidentiality during the class at any time outside of the class at any time outside of the class.the class.

AcceptanceAcceptance

We do not discount, We do not discount, minimize or in any way minimize or in any way

criticize another criticize another person’s thoughts, person’s thoughts,

feelings, or experience.feelings, or experience.

RespectRespectWe show each other We show each other

respect and value one respect and value one another as individually and another as individually and uniquely created by God,uniquely created by God,

deserving of being heard deserving of being heard and understood just as we and understood just as we

are. are.

RespectRespect We do not interrupt each other as we share or participate.

We do not tell each other how or when to change.

We do not monopolize the time and attention of the class.

HonestyHonesty

We are committed to rigorous We are committed to rigorous honesty as a way of life and a honesty as a way of life and a

fundamental principle in fundamental principle in establishingestablishing

and maintaining a healthy and maintaining a healthy relationship with God, relationship with God, ourselves and others.ourselves and others.

OpennessOpenness

We are determined to be open We are determined to be open and willing to gain new and willing to gain new

awareness and insight from awareness and insight from the experiencethe experience

of others, and to risk making of others, and to risk making positive and healthy changes positive and healthy changes in our attitudes and actions.in our attitudes and actions.

EncouragementEncouragementWe seek to build up and affirm We seek to build up and affirm one another, motivating each one another, motivating each other to believe that positive other to believe that positive

changechange

is possible, encouraging one is possible, encouraging one another to persevere in new another to persevere in new directions as God leads, and directions as God leads, and

recognizing recognizing

our achievements as we overcome our achievements as we overcome and become new creations in and become new creations in

Christ.Christ.

DVD Clip byDVD Clip byGraham CookeGraham Cooke

From a sermon he did entitled “God is the Kindest Person I’ve Ever Met.”

Writing ExerciseWriting Exercise

Write with your non-dominant Write with your non-dominant hand a prayer to God asking hand a prayer to God asking what you would like to get out what you would like to get out of this group. What you would of this group. What you would like God to do in your heart, like God to do in your heart, your life.your life.

Our belief system Our belief system ……

Activates our lifeActivates our life

Frees us or keeps us in Frees us or keeps us in bondagebondage

A.W. Tozer, A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the HolyThe Knowledge of the Holy

What comes into our minds What comes into our minds when we think about God is when we think about God is

the most important thing the most important thing about us. For this reason the about us. For this reason the gravest question before the gravest question before the

Church is always God himself,Church is always God himself,

A.W. Tozer, A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the HolyThe Knowledge of the Holy

and the most portentous fact and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart but what he in his deep heart

conceives God to be like.conceives God to be like.

What’s Your Picture of What’s Your Picture of God?God?

Take a moment to think about Take a moment to think about how you perceive God. What how you perceive God. What

does He look like in your does He look like in your mind’s eye?mind’s eye?

Take a few moments to close Take a few moments to close your eyes and allow images of your eyes and allow images of

God to flood your mind. God to flood your mind. Perhaps words come to mind. Perhaps words come to mind. Perhaps scenes from the Bible. Perhaps scenes from the Bible. Maybe even sounds or smells. Maybe even sounds or smells. Takes notes on these images. Takes notes on these images. Then draw a picture that best Then draw a picture that best

captures how you see God.captures how you see God.

What’s Your Picture of What’s Your Picture of God?God?

Worksheet 1-AWorksheet 1-A

Using your non-dominant Using your non-dominant hand, draw a picture of God, hand, draw a picture of God, how you see God.how you see God.

What’s Your Picture What’s Your Picture of God?of God?

• How I see God determines How I see God determines how I view myself.how I view myself.• How I see God determines How I see God determines how I view my own life.how I view my own life.• How I see God determines How I see God determines how I view the church.how I view the church.

Song Song “Inside of You”“Inside of You” by John Schlittby John Schlitt

My prayer for you is that My prayer for you is that God will rekindle dreams, God will rekindle dreams, give you new dreams and give you new dreams and

help the child inside of you help the child inside of you become the miracle God become the miracle God

created you to be.created you to be.