May 4 Steps to Joy: Believe in a Good God

05/05/2025 36 min

Listen "May 4 Steps to Joy: Believe in a Good God"

Episode Synopsis

Passage: Exodus 34:5-7Sermon Notes:· Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4· Admit we are powerless.· God is greater than us and he can restore us to sanity.· Sanity is a soundness of mind, a correct understanding of reality.· What kind of God is God, and can he help me?· We doubt God has the power· We doubt God is good.· We doubt God exists.· We doubt God intervenes.· We doubt people can change.· Sheldon Vanauken – The best argument of Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christians is also Christians – when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug…; when they are narrow and repressive…· We doubt religion.· Exodus 34:5 – And the LORD came down in a cloud to be there (with Moses). He called out with the name of the LORD.· He wants to be with us.· God gets you.· Exodus 34:6 – The LORD passed in front of him and called out, “The LORD, the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God…· God is compassionate.· God is gracious.· “…long to anger and having much love and truth.”· Exodus 34:7 – “… a guardian of love for thousands, lifter of guilt and transgressions and sins. The unpunished ones are not unpunished. He pays attention to the sins of the fathers, upon their sons, and upon their sons’ sons, to the third and fourth generations.· God is compassionate, gracious, long fused, with much love and truth, a guardian of love, a lifter of guilt and sin, and he pays attention to you and your family.· Do you know this God?· Anxious attachment· Avoidant attachment· Secure attachment.· What kind of attachment do you have with God?· Ask God for good enough faith.· Heavenly Father, give me good enough faith to take my next step.· Don’t let the “but” win.· Lisa Terkeurst – God is bigger than your ‘but.’ (one t)· “But I,” or “but God.”LIFE Group Discussion QuestionsOpener: Think about God thinking about you. What is the first word that comes to your mind?1. Read Exodus 34:52. When in your life have you felt God draw near?3. Read Exodus 34:6-74. How have you experienced God’s compassion?5. How would you explain grace to someone who is not a follower of Jesus?6. Think times in the Bible when God was slow to anger.7. God is described as having much love and truth. Notice the two are paired. Why do you think this is?8. God lifts transgressions, sins and guilt. What best helps you feel the lifting of these burdens from your soul?9. God does pay attention to sin and sin patterns. What sin patterns a present in your family? How might God help you break these patterns.