Beyond the Weekend: GOD IS...
People have a lot of thoughts about God. Some say he is angry and vengeful. Some say he is a buddy or best friend. But what does Scripture tell us about God?
Understanding the character of God matters. It changes how we meet him in our everyday lives. It changes how we understand the world around us, and his work in it. And it changes our prayer life and how we talk and hear from him. Understanding the character of God leads us to living lives of obedience and worship.
Join Pastors Aaron Buer, Jeff Manion and Brad Holmes in our 10-week series GOD IS ..., a study on the identity and character of God, and learn how your faith can grow as you know God better.
God is Generous
Read: Psalm 104 Listen: Psalm 104
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. Psalm 104:13
God makes his generosity evident from the opening pages of Scripture. As God creates the world, he generously fills the earth and skies with beauty and wonder (Genesis 1). The psalmist also points to God’s generosity through creation. He praises God for giving water that quenches thirst and grows food (Psalm 104:13-14). His praise includes crops that become bread to sustain people. He praises God for trees that provide shelter for birds (Psalm 104:15-17). Generosity is one of God’s core character traits.
This week, we will learn to recognize God's generosity in creation, through Jesus and in us. We are surrounded by God’s generosity through the beauty of nature and nourishing food. More deeply, we are recipients of his ultimate act of generosity. Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross so we could be reconciled to God. Understanding God's generosity should shape our identity and actions. We are not defined by our past wounds or failures but by our status as God's beloved children (Ephesians 5:1-2). This truth enables us to live generously, reflecting God’s character to others.
TODAY: Ask God to open your eyes to his generosity. Pray that he will show you his great generosity this week in places you may have missed. "Father, thank you for your generosity in creation and Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. Help me live secure in my identity in you, and empower me to extend your generosity to others. Amen."
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Read Isaiah 14-16. Highlight anything that points to Jesus.
