The Attributes Of God – God Never Changes

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, Who is God, What is God like, and What kind of God is He? It is important to study and know God’s attributes so we can grow closer to Him. How we view God impacts everything. So when we understand and embrace who God is, it gives us a firm foundation for our faith. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God never changes.

“Remember God is the same, whatever is removed. Your friends may be disaffected, your ministers may be taken away, and everything may change, but God does not. Your brethren may change and cast out your name as vile: but God will love you still. Let your station in life change, and your property be gone; let your whole life be shaken, and you become weak and sickly; let everything flee away—there is one place where change cannot put his finger; there is one name on which mutability can never be written; there is one heart which never can alter; that heart is God’s—that name love “- Charles Spurgeon. 

That sermon from Charles Spurgeon is approximately 167 years old, yet it speaks to the human heart today. Life on the Emerald Coast over the last few years has taught us that change is inevitable. But amidst all the change, we still long for a love relationship that is secure enough for us to attach our hope to it without fear it will falter or ultimately fizzle out. Our God is unchangeable because He is perfect. Nothing can be added or taken away from Him. Everything He does is consistent with who He is. God’s promises are the same, and His ability to keep them will never waver. Malachi 3:5 says “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.” God is immutable. 

In short, God’s immutability means we can count on Him, no matter what.  God is unchanging in His character, will, and promises. The influences that cause a change in your life have no effect on God. His knowledge and wisdom will not increase or diminish. God does not compromise or change His values. Life and its uncertainties may shake you, but God does not move. 

If you cling to Him, His strength will sustain you. Psalm 33:11 states, “The LORD’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken”  God’s plan is unchangeable. It existed at the beginning of creation and remains the same today. And we are part of His plan. Paul explains, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10) Psalm 18:30 states, “God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true.”  

God’s commitment to you is as strong as He is eternally constant. The storms of life are continually changing, but God remains the same. He is consistent and reliable. He is your anchor. You can count on God because He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Nobody likes change all that well.  What life changes were difficult for you to navigate?  
  2. Read Numbers 23:19. How have you personally experienced God’s consistency lately?
  3. How does the fact that God is immutable change how you live your life?

Do You Tend To Play It Safe?

“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” – Matthew 25:19-21. 

 In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us the parable of the three servants. The parable is about a master who left bags of gold in the care of three servants. To the first man, he gave five bags. To another, he gave two bags. And to the third man, he gave one bag of gold. The first two men invested the gold the master gave them, but the man with one bag dug a hole in the ground and buried it. The man with one bag was afraid and didn’t want to take a risk, so he played it safe. “I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth.…” (Matthew 25:25)

The master called him a “wicked and lazy servant,” and took the bag of gold away. That seems a little harsh on the surface. He made a decision, similar to modern people hiding money under their mattresses or in other places. He was unwilling to take a risk because he was afraid. The question is are we all that different? 

God has given each of us a gift that is more precious than gold. But sometimes we want to hide it away for safekeeping. Not because we don’t want to share it, but because we’re afraid. Maybe we are afraid of what people might say, or what could happen. Oy maybe we are afraid to step out of our comfort zone. So we play it safe.  

But God didn’t call us to play it safe. He called us to be courageous. The life of a Christian is an adventure. The journey with God is full of surprises. It is based on the fact that you never know what is around the next bend. Nor do you know that in the next minute you will have the opportunity to change your life or someone else’s life for all eternity. The most important decisions of our lives will require us to stop being invisible and risk becoming visible. A little dramatic? Maybe. But, we must never underestimate the importance of one moment, one word, one deed in the life of another human being. And these moments seldom come at a convenient time and they never come if we tend to stand on the sidelines.

Taking risks is simply stepping up and God stepping in. How often do we start the day with this question: What can I do today to make a difference in the world? What opportunities is God giving me today? Those opportunities can be anything from listening to praying, to giving somebody a ride to work, to buying some groceries.

Discussion Questions

  1. How would you rate your aversion to risk? 
  2. How does your personality impact your ability to take risks?
  3. What can you do this week to seize the opportunities God gives us?
     

Do We Need To Be Lifelong Learners?

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” – Philippians 1:6.

Lifelong learning has grown in importance over the last few years. Rather than restricting education to college or formal training, lifelong learners continue to grow knowledge and understanding over time. The idea of lifelong learning should be no surprise to the Christian. Centuries before this way of thinking became in vogue, Jesus told his followers to become lifelong learners of him. He called it discipleship.

Our purpose, as Christians today is the same as in biblical times. We must never stop learning about and from Jesus. Paul said, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)  Another translation puts it this way, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (ESV)

We will never follow Jesus perfectly, but day by day, month by month, year by year, we learn from Him and become more like Him as He transforms us by his Spirit. Philippians 1:6 is comforting: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished. . .” Yes, we have the great promise of completion, but there is an additional line: “…on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” The loop of learning doesn’t close today or tomorrow but could well last a lifetime.  

The focal point and center of our lifelong learning is the person and work of Christ. All things are in Him, through Him, and for Him. “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” (Colossians 1:17).  The heart of lifelong learning for the Christian is not merely digging deeper into the seemingly bottomless store of information there is to learn about the world and humanity and history. The center of lifelong learning for the Christian is knowing God Himself through the gospel word and the written word of the Scriptures. But you can’t say you have a high view of scripture and then ignore it. You need to put it into practice.

Lifelong learning of God’s Word is something God commands us to do, but it is not a burden. Instead, we are to abide in God’s Word in our habits, thoughts, actions, and words in a variety of ways throughout life. Never stop learning. Nourish your relationship with God every day. Keep on growing in His grace—and your lifelong learning of His truth.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does lifelong learning mean to you?  
  2. What can we do to ensure that we never stop learning?

Abigail And Taking Risks

“David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.” – 1 Samuel 25:32-35.

When you hear “risk-taking” does your adrenaline start to flow? Do the butterflies in your stomach take flight in anticipation? The thought of facing a tough challenge or taking a risk is simply not as exciting and adventurous as movies would have us think. In reality, we find a certain safety in remaining in our comfort zones, protected and secure.

As followers of Christ, we will be called to step out of our comfort zones. When the Holy Spirit calls us to step out and take a risk, how do we respond? The Bible teaches us a lot about ordinary people at that critical moment when a decision had to be made, they chose to take the risk. One such story is Abigail found in 1 Samuel 25. 

David came to Nabal (Abigail’s husband) requesting food for his army. Nabal rejected the request, by saying “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?” (1 Samuel 25:1-11)  David was angry and felt his only recourse was retaliation. He set out to kill Nabal and all his men. When hearing about what happened Abigail jumped into action even though Nabal would have never consented to her actions. 

She presented gifts to David in the most submissive, respectful way. She bowed down in his presence to ask forgiveness on behalf of Nabal. (1 Samuel 25:23) David was so moved by Abigail’s eloquent speech, he thanked God for sending her. Abigail risked her relationship with her husband to defuse a deadly situation. Her safety, her home, and her heart were saved because she trusted God.

What if we were in Abigail’s shoes? Would we exhibit the same kind of bold faith God wants to see in us? The kind of faith that makes a difference in our lives and our world. Bold faith happens when we learn to take risks for God.

 If we are facing a seemingly insurmountable problem–a situation that we believe we are powerless to influence–we should be still and wait on the Lord. But there will also be times when action is required, where we may be asked to take bold steps, and yes, to take some risks. Faith is simply doing what God tells you to do whether you feel like it or not, and in fact, especially when you don’t feel like it, regardless of the circumstances because God will see you thru.

 

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think God asks us to take risks? What do we learn about ourselves, and how do we grow by taking risks?
  2. What are the obstacles to stepping out of our zones of comfort and taking risks?
  3. Is there an area of your life where you’ve sensed God nudging you to take a step of faith? Have you been holding back, questioning the outcome of taking that step? 

God Is Love

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8. 

As Christians, we should understand and appreciate how unconditionally, irrevocably, and ridiculously loved by God we are. Just imagine: You are already loved by God. No conditions. No qualifications. No ifs, and, or buts about it. Whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, whatever you’ve done in the course of your life, you are already loved and accepted. 

When John wrote 1st John, he seemed overwhelmed with the reality of God’s love. Why else would he talk about it over 30 times? John discovered that God’s love is pure, the perfect motivation. His love has power. It casts out fear and overcomes worry, doubt, and anxiety. This love is forgiving and kind. It is practical and applies in every situation we face. Accepting God’s love transforms our lives.

God’s desire is to completely overwhelm you with His love. The love of God will guide you, establish you, empower you, and fully delight you. His love will free you, compel you, and sustain you. He longs for you to live a lifestyle of love because He knows that’s the absolute, most fulfilling, purposeful, and peaceful way of life for you. He longs to set you free from the burdens of living for your own gain. He longs to lead you to the path of abundant life. But it all starts with simply receiving His love.

Take a moment and read what Paul says in Romans 8: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?… No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

Such love is beyond our ability to grasp with our minds, but it is not beyond our ability to experience with our hearts. The more we study it, the more we understand it, and the more we realize, that we will move steadily beyond our understanding. But it does not mean that we cannot have confidence in the fact that God unconditionally loves us. Know it, cling to it, and remember it; don’t underestimate the love of God for you.

If we understand God’s love, we realize that He is love. Motivated by that love, we love to please Him and fellowship with Him. We love to know His Word and show love to others around us.  

Focus your thoughts on God right now. Love Him, unconditionally. Thank Him for His love. And let that love flow you to people all around you.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your definition of “unconditional love”?
  2. How often do you try to grasp the love of God?

The Attributes Of God – God Is Faithful

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, Who is God, What is God like, and What kind of God is He? It is important to study and know God’s attributes so we can grow closer to Him. How we view God impacts everything. So when we understand and embrace who God is, it gives us a firm foundation for our faith. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God is faithful.

“O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful.” – Psalm 89:8. 

What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is the act of being true to your word or promise. There are many hymns and songs based on God’s faithfulness. One of them is Thomas Chisholm’s “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  

God declared of Himself to Moses that He abounds in faithfulness “ The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) God’s faithfulness is seen through Scripture and throughout the ages. 1 Corinthians 1:9 tells us, “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Psalm 36:5 further says “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.”  

God is faithful. Faithful is an accurate description of who God is. He is trustworthy, reliable, dependable, and sure. It is who God is. If we would really sit down and think about it we would marvel at God’s faithfulness. It is not something we warrant. His truthfulness, holiness, love, righteousness, and other attributes ensure His faithfulness. He is incapable of being otherwise. 

 Paul wrote, “…God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13) God is faithful to forgive you even when you are unfaithful.

In these times remember God’s promise: “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” (2 Timothy 2:13)  It is God’s plan for you to become holy and advance His kingdom. And He is faithful to bring this to pass. Paul declared, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6) 

Isaiah 54:10 says, “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How has God shown Himself faithful in your life? How does God’s faithfulness impact the living out of your faith day-to-day? 
  2. How would you answer someone who asks, “Why do you trust God’s faithfulness?”  
  3. What can you do this week to grow in your trust in the faithfulness of God?

Are You Ready For Some Football?

“ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. 

The college football games have started. While it is a new season, some things don’t change.  For example, there are a few elite teams that will be elite in 2022. Then there are the other schools who look to the football season with anticipation and hope. The hope is that the team and players will have a breakout year and compete for a championship. Each week while watching the game of your choice the announcers and analysts will praise various athletes for their constant display of courage, dedication, perseverance, strength, determination, will, and passion. The young men playing college football are incredible athletes, but no one person can do it on their own. Teams win because they function as a team because the players execute the coach’s game plan.

We as Christians are part of a team. We are a group of people who are called by Jesus to work together with the common purpose of carrying out His will on the earth. Just like in college football, playing on God’s team takes sacrifice, dedication, relentlessness, courage, and passion. Since we as Christians are indeed a team, then we have a Coach that never makes any mistakes and ultimately wins everything.  The game schedule for Christians is tough and a lengthy one, basically 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We never stop playing because life never stops happening.  

To play well in the game of life, we need to give our spiritual head Coach everything we have. We need to put all of our efforts into doing what He asks of us as a player on His team. Jesus will never fail and will perfectly do His part. It was up to us to do our part as players. As you accept your part of God’s team, your part in the body of Christ, you will not only find your place in the world but also purpose and meaning because you’re finally doing and being who you were created to be. You have a certain role to play, the others are dependent on you to do your part. That’s why it is important to do your part and pull for team God. Every part affects the functionality of the whole. It really does matter what you do or what you leave undone.

At times, we are going to get tired and want to give up. But the same way a team feeds off the energy of its fans, we can draw strength from one another. Paul reminds the church in Rome of the special power that comes through unity in Christ. “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Romans 15:5-6)

Discussion Questions

  1. God designed you to be a team player: agree or disagree and why?  
  2. What are some of our responsibilities when we play on God’s team? What does being on God’s team look like in real life? 

Every Moment Matters

“If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Many of us live life at breakneck speed. If our life was a Nascar race, we would not pit for more than 15 seconds before we were back on the racetrack of life. But life isn’t lived on a racetrack, nor will we experience the green flag when the race is finished. It is pretty much the opposite. 

The book of James tells us that “how do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” The problem with living your life like it is a Nascar race is that you are going too fast to embrace the moment.  What’s special about this moment right now? Every moment has an inherent specialness simply because we’ll never have this moment again.

Have you ever thought of your life as a series of finite fragments that are here and gone? Do I appreciate my moments? How well am I spending those moments? How well am I using those moments to follow God’s plan for my life? In this moment God has given, how can I spend it well? Follow Jesus’ example and His saving sacrifice. 

Sin and the enemy will threaten to steal our moments or insert roadblocks as we follow God. In these moments, let’s spend them wisely by looking to Jesus as our guide.  He was fully man and God and fully understands how life’s moments can be less than blissful. Yet, He always chose to spend every moment well. Romans 12: 2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

The obvious question is what should we focus on for the remainder of 2022? The short answer is, everything, but specifically, how do we love God and love people in the various areas and categories of life? We cannot do this without being intentional. Imagine waking up every single day convinced that the twenty-four hours ahead of you are a precious gift to be used wisely. Now imagine that you know exactly how to spend them to be a force for God’s good. All too often we wander through life without appreciating the gift of every day we’ve been given. That leads to an unsatisfying life, missed opportunities to experience the joy of being in sync with God, and days marked with apathy instead of passion. Our time on earth is short. We should want to make every moment count—not only because we aren’t guaranteed the next one, but also because this is exactly how our Savior spent His time here. We don’t want to waste a single one.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you live out the hope of the gospel every moment?
  2. What can you do to make God a priority today? 

Your Mission Should You Choose To Accept It…

We cannot all go to the foreign field. We must express our interest in those who have not had our opportunities by our gifts… the fact still remains that there is nothing that will take the place of our hand-to-hand dealing with those who need us. We cannot perform all our charities by proxy. We must come in personal contact with those whom we would help.” – Clovis G. Chappell.

Years ago, the television show Mission Impossible always began with a scene in which the team leader, Mr. Phelps, would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape invariably began, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” In other words, the Mission Impossible team chose whether they wanted to take on the job. For centuries, the military has asked its soldiers to volunteer to take unusual risks. This wasn’t an accident. People are more committed when they take on a job they have chosen rather than one assigned to them. Being on mission with God is no different. 

 I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word missions, but we tend to think missions are confined to “missions” people. You know, the rare and very religious people who choose to move to third-world countries or who run mission teams at church. But the fact is that it is God who is on a mission and anyone who chooses to be a “follower of Jesus” is signing up to be a missionary with Him. Your mission field can be right down the street. 

You can start by getting to know your neighbors and then serving them. Being served feels good. Jesus himself modeled the perfect servant. In fact, in Mark 10:45 Jesus tells us that He came to serve. Think of what it could be like if you took on this attitude toward your neighbors and began serving them. Serve them by inviting them over for coffee or a meal. You could also serve a neighbor by cutting his or her lawn.

Being on mission means praying for others including your neighbors. If you were to pick one step to build a relationship with your neighbors, pick prayer. Prayer helps to move us away from self-dependence to God-dependence. Prayer helps us remember that while God desires to use us, it’s ultimately God who works in our neighbors’ lives. Ephesians 6:14-16 tells us, “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.”

We are all called to share in this mission. You are a witness to what Jesus has done in your life. You and I are to be witnesses of the truth of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will empower you as you step out in faith and share your testimony and faith in Christ with others. It is not your mission to convince, convict or put a guilt trip on someone. It is solely to share the Gospel message and allow God by his Holy Spirit to do the work of salvation.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to be on mission for God? 
  2. We, like Jesus, need to be intentional about trying to connect with those who likely won’t set foot in our churches. Agree or disagree and why?
  3. What can we do this week to be more intentional?

What Is Your Calling?

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Have you discovered your calling?  The word “calling” is often misunderstood or used only when talking about people in the ministry. Christians view God as the source of our “calling” so the idea of it seems a little too daunting.

But is it? In Mark 10:46-50, we read the story of an ordinary man who was blind. Bartimaeus was sitting on the roadside begging when he heard Jesus was going by. He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” While many told him to be quiet, Jesus said to call him. So Bartimaeus jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

Bartimaeus wasn’t anyone special. In fact, he would have been considered second-class by a culture that mistakenly prejudged his blindness as sinful. That could have been a barrier, yet when Jesus called, Bartimaeus rushed to Jesus’ side. Bartimaeus didn’t let anything deter him from Jesus’ calling.

What barriers or obstacles have kept you jumping to your feet when Jesus calls? It could be doubt. It could be that we wonder if we are hearing God or just assuming we are. Maybe we don’t see how God can use us. Maybe our job takes up too much of our time. Or maybe, we put our calling on the back burner because of circumstances.   

Is figuring out our “calling” that complicated?  Fundamentally, our calling is not a job we do, a title we earn, or even a check we write. Our calling is to respond to Jesus and go to Him, just like Bartimaeus did. Your calling is the vehicle by which you fulfill all that God calls you to be. It is not the reason for your existence, nor the basis of your happiness. God and God alone is the basis of our existence and our ultimate happiness. Once we recognize that and accept it in our hearts, we are liberated to pursue our calling with a focus that is clearer than ever.

We’re called to have a more intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior.  When we do, Jesus draws us near and calls us His brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:50). He erases the divide between our humanity and His divinity by calling us friends (John 15:15). While our faith leads us to accomplish good works, our first and highest calling is simply to be near Jesus. When we are, everything else will begin to fall in place.

“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think following God’s calling often involves going through difficult circumstances? When we neglect to follow God’s calling out of fear or uncertainty, what does that say about our trust in Him?