Welcome back! We hope this first week of study helped you see the “why” behind our worship. We know God will continue to show you through this study how we worship in different seasons of our lives.
If you have any questions about how this study works, we’ve answered most of them here.
Catching up? That’s okay! We’ll leave the videos up until August 15, 2017. After that time you can purchase the video sessions here.
Questions to answer in your group or in the comments below:
- How do we resemble God? How do we not? (page 18)
- What are some of your nicknames? Tell us the story behind one of them. (page 20)
- What stood out to you about the covenants in Day Four?
Before we get back together, complete Week Two: The Desert (pages 34-65) in your Bible study book. We’ll meet back here next week!
1. How do we resemble God? How do we not? (page 18)
We resemble God in having soul and spirit, having the capacity to oversee nature, having capacity for a relationship with Him. We are, however, not perfect nor eternal.
2. What are some of your nicknames? Tell us the story behind one of them. (page 20)
I did not have a nickname. Some people thought Betsy was short for Elizabeth, but it is not. Betsy is my name.
3. What stood out to you about the covenants in Day Four?
In the covenants, I noted that God always initiates the covenant. God always has been reaching out to people with His love and presence.
1. We resemble God because we are made in His image. We don’t resemble Him with our sin.
2. My favorite nickname is “Nutti”. This was given to me by my college friends because my maiden name is McNutt. Many people still call me “McNutt” or “Nutti”.
3.God desires for us to be in a “covenant” relationship with Him. We can trust Him and His promises.
When I run into friends from my school days, they still call me by my maiden name “Nason” or “Nay-Nay” which is funny when I hear it now because it’s been 30 years since that was my name.
1. We are made in God’s image and likeness. I don’t know if there is a physical likeness, but we do know we are unique among God’s creations. We have creativity, a desire for relationships with other people, and a conscience. Yet, we are not God – God is the sovereign ruler of the universe and I am not!
2. The only real nickname I ever remember having was “Prego.” This name was used affectionately by my husband when I was pregnant with our children.
3. I underlined this “but we can trace the goodness of God in keeping His promises throughout history so we can trust He will keep His promise to be with us always . . .” God is a covenant maintaining God. With all the brokenness in the world, that is a great quality of God to remember. He really will never leave us or forsake us!
1. We resemble God in our shape and form and hopefully in our actions and words. It is impossible to be as perfect as God and always resemble Him in our actions and words but that is what we should strive for.
2. I don’t have any nicknames and never have. I sign my artwork E Rose (my middle name is Rose Ann) I am undertaking writing and was planning on using that as my “pen name” but I may change that as I have, through this study, learned that my name means light. Maybe Eleanore Rose ??
3. What stood out to me about covenants in day four is that God always initiated them and always wanted to be there for His people. Also realized that in addition to dying for our sins, Jesus fulfilled every one of the covenants. More to be thankful for.
1. We resemble God in the moral qualities that we have. We have a sense of right and wrong that He has given us, we experience and give love and have a spirit that was given by God. We don’t resemble God because of our fallen, sinful desires that take away from what God created us to be. We fulfill those qualities in selfish, sinful ways rather than the way that God does in a righteous, holy way.
2. The main nickname I had growing up was Carmie which was just short for my name, Carmela. My family still calls me by that name even though I started using Carmela in college.
3. What stood out to me about the covenants was that they were all initiated by God and that they were undeserved. He chose to bless others because of His mercy and grace. Also that God always keeps His promises, even when we fail on our part.
1. We were made in God’s image so at time we resemble him physically. We are fulfilled through relationship. We are not and cannot be perfect and God is perfection.
2. DK is what my dad has always called me. I don’t know why, but I do know that it is how I refer to myself most.
3. God is the beginning and end of them all. He fulfills his promises (you can bank on it). Some of his most significant promises require nothing of us. We are just required to be in relationship with him and be his children. We can’t earn them and we often don’t deserve them, but he keeps his promises.
1. We are God Breathed; so our spirits identify with God. My selfish nature, my humaneness does not resemble God.
2. My little brother calls me La, the 5th sound on the diatonic scale. (Brainiac that he is) I call him Duh, his name is Doug. I think it’s funny! (I am the comedian in the family)
My big brother calls me Lollipop or Lolli. I love all of these names because my brothers made them up because of their love for me.
3. My take-aways from Day 4 is that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I Love that he keeps his promises to us and loves us. I love that he sent his son, that I don’t have to be perfect, and maybe inspite of my imperfections, he sees me through Jesus, clean, without blemish, so that I can commune with my Heavenly father, my Abba.
1. We’re made in God’s image, but we used our free will to sin – God is sin-free.
2. I chose the nickname Heather Dawn years ago when I decided to live and not die (I was suicidal for many years) Heather a plant that is growing, living, Dawn a re-awakening, a coming anew. Far better than my legal name of Shirley – I was named after Shirley Temple – can’t sing, dance, or clap in time to music.
3. I love the fact that God is the one that cuts the covenants, not us. God never lies and is true to His Word, so He will fulfill His covenant. If it is up to us we would break them – Each covenant brings us closer and closer to Jesus, and shows the depth of God’s love.
Heather Dawn is a beautiful chosen name. Glad that you also chose life.
Thank you. Me too. God has been so good to me and I’m grateful He preserved my life until I could come to Him.
My daughter’s name is Heather. Great name! No only does it refer to the flowering plant by that name, but we heard the spiritual connotation of that is “joyful spirit.” Since that is your nickname and came as a result of life and not death, I’m sure there is great joy in you from the Lord. Thanks for sharing that very personal story.
1) We were made in His image but have a sin nature. God is holy and perfect.
2) Boo-Boo was my dad’s nickname for me when I was a child and it has stuck with me.
3) God keeps His promises and is loving and merciful. He loves us unconditionally.
1. We are like God in that we have a spirit. We are not like him in that we have a body. 2. One “nickname” I had in college was based on how I told people to say my name – “Duh,” as in dummy (not realizing some thought I was calling them that, which was NEVER my intent), and “Reese,” as in the candy cup by that name. Some friends would go long on the Duh, then quick on the Reese. I always knew which group was calling out to me on campus based on that. 3. What stood out to me on the covenants was that every one of them were initiated by God. Most did not have conditions. If there was one, it always involved obedience. All covenants were relational in nature. I was just struck again with how much He wants to be in relationship/fellowship with us!