"The Blessed Life"
TEXT: Deut. 13:1-5; Deut. 30:6; Acts 2:39; Exo. 23:25
TRUTHS:
1. What can/should be considered evil? Anything that pulls a person away from the voice, presence, and blessings of God.
2. The Book of Genesis reveals that there were two important trees that stood in the garden: (1) the tree of life, and (2) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life represents the voice, presence, and words of God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands in stark contrast to the tree of life, for it represents the fallen ideologies of man concerning how we can acquire what our Creator has instructed us to stay away from.
3. Our Heavenly Father desires to mature His children and bless our lives, every aspect of them. This should lead the children of God to continual prayer about all things that pertain to our earthly lives. Spiritual maturity is developed as we realize that all sin is costly and produces negative consequences, confusion, and, ultimately, despair. But obeying the voice of God will produce life, joy, and peace. A prayerful life helps us discern and make sense of all that in our personal lives.
4. Every covenant that God makes with His people includes their offspring (children).
5. Believers can often look back into their past and see how the Lord was leading and guiding their lives even when they were somewhat unaware of the work God was doing on their behalf.
6. God does not demand moral perfection and dogmatic performance from His children. And although we should earnestly strive to live holy lives, God is primarily concerned that we acknowledge and be honest with Him when we don’t perform well.
7. We have been called to love God and love people. Our Heavenly Father guides people—who are difficult to love—in and out of our lives so that we learn to sacrificially and authentically love. We must never separate loving God and loving people; they are deeply and intimately connected. Consider this statement: you don’t love God if you don’t love people who are hard to love.
TALK TO EACH OTHER:
1. What does the definition of evil in 'Truth 1' initially make you think of? Additionally, is there anything that you would add to the above definition?
2. Can you come up with some examples of ideologies that are formed as a result of consuming the "fruit" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
3. What is God seeking to communicate by including our offspring (children) in all of the covenants He makes with His people?
4. Do you have a testimony concerning how you have observed 'Truth 5' happening in your own life and spiritual journey?
5. 'Truth 6' can initially seem "backwards" or "upside-down." Meaning, God seemingly has set it up in a way that humans never would. Why would God set up our spiritual growth in this way? What is He ultimately trying to accomplish? Does this just give the children of God permission to live unrighteous lives? Why or why not?
TALK TO GOD:
Pray into the following areas:
To seek and be sensitive to the voice of God
To earnestly love people and one another
For the coming generations that are present in our body (the many children we are blessed with)
A deep realization of the costliness of sin
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