Reflecting God's Character in Our Lives
Summary
### Summary
Today, we delved into the foundational elements of God's character and how they should be reflected in our lives. We began by emphasizing the importance of personal spiritual growth and taking responsibility for our own faith journey. We explored the concept of living a life that mirrors God's character, rather than being governed by our circumstances or past mistakes. The sermon highlighted the need to rediscover our supernatural and spiritual makeup, which is rooted in the divine elements of God's character.
We examined the periodic table of elements as a metaphor for understanding the building blocks of our physical world and contrasted it with the divine table of elements, which includes spiritual attributes like love, joy, and faith. The universe's continuous expansion was used to illustrate God's ongoing creation and the limitless potential He has for us. We discussed how God's character is not confined to physical elements but is expressed through spiritual qualities that we are called to embody.
The sermon also touched on the triune nature of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and how each person of the Trinity contributes unique characteristics to the divine table of elements. We explored how these characteristics are meant to be reflected in our lives, emphasizing that our identity and purpose are rooted in our relationship with God. The importance of grace, revelation, and purpose in understanding and living out God's character was also discussed.
Finally, we looked at specific divine elements such as love, power, justice, and wisdom, and how they are balanced perfectly in God's nature. We were encouraged to reflect these elements in our own lives by delighting in good principles, appreciating those who live by them, having sympathy for the righteous and pity for the unrighteous, and being generous in helping others find the image of God.
### Key Takeaways
1. Personal Responsibility in Faith: Spiritual growth requires personal responsibility. It's not enough to rely on others' faith or revelations; we must actively seek to understand and reflect God's character in our own lives. This involves studying scripture, praying, and being intentional about our spiritual journey. [00:53]
2. Rediscovering Our Supernatural Makeup: Our lives should be governed by the divine elements of God's character rather than our physical circumstances or past mistakes. By focusing on spiritual attributes like love, joy, and faith, we align ourselves with God's original design for humanity. [02:36]
3. The Triune Nature of God: Understanding the unique characteristics of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit helps us grasp the fullness of God's nature. Each person of the Trinity contributes to our understanding of divine elements, and we are called to reflect these in our lives. [12:06]
4. Balancing Divine Elements: God's character is perfectly balanced in love, power, justice, and wisdom. We are called to reflect these elements in our lives by making decisions based on good principles, appreciating righteousness, showing sympathy and pity, and being generous in helping others. [52:26]
5. Living with Purpose and Revelation: Our purpose is to live in relationship with God, reflecting His character through our actions. Revelation is a two-way process where we receive insights from God and align them with His teachings, ensuring that our understanding is rooted in divine truth. [40:12]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:53] - Personal Responsibility in Faith
[01:53] - Reflecting God's Character
[02:36] - Rediscovering Our Supernatural Makeup
[03:20] - The Image of God
[04:06] - Periodic Table of Elements
[05:24] - God's Ongoing Creation
[07:15] - Spiritual Building Blocks
[08:52] - Divine Table of Elements
[11:09] - Starting at the Beginning
[12:06] - The Triune Nature of God
[14:15] - Reflecting God's Qualities
[17:17] - Marvel Characters and Scripture
[20:09] - Reflecting God's Goodness
[23:37] - The Spirit in Creation
[27:32] - The Divine God
[29:53] - Examples of Divine Elements
[33:02] - Walking in Truth
[36:49] - Structures of the Divine Table
[40:12] - Living with Purpose and Revelation
[45:01] - Grace and Identity
[49:17] - Reflecting God's Qualities
[52:26] - Balancing Divine Elements
[56:03] - Reflecting Love
[59:13] - Delighting in Good Principles
[01:02:07] - Waiting for God's Justice
[01:05:23] - Reflecting Wisdom
[01:06:39] - Discipleship and Response
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV): "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
2. Genesis 1:27 (NLT): "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
3. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (NIV): "Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Philippians 2:12-13, what is our role in our spiritual growth, and how does God assist us in this process?
2. In Genesis 1:27, what does it mean to be created in the image of God? How does this shape our understanding of our identity?
3. How does 1 Corinthians 8:6 describe the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ in the context of creation and our existence?
4. The sermon mentioned the "divine table of elements" that includes spiritual attributes like love, joy, and faith. How does this concept help us understand the nature of God's character? [08:52]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Philippians 2:12-13 emphasizes personal responsibility in faith. How does this align with the sermon's call to take responsibility for our own spiritual growth? [00:53]
2. The sermon used the periodic table of elements as a metaphor. How does this metaphor help us understand the difference between physical and spiritual elements in our lives? [04:06]
3. The triune nature of God was discussed in the sermon. How do the unique characteristics of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit contribute to our understanding of God's character? [12:06]
4. The sermon highlighted the balance of divine elements like love, power, justice, and wisdom in God's nature. How can we strive to reflect this balance in our own lives? [52:26]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal spiritual journey. What steps can you take this week to take more responsibility for your spiritual growth, such as studying scripture or setting aside time for prayer? [00:53]
2. Think about a past mistake or current circumstance that has been governing your life. How can you shift your focus to align more with the divine elements of God's character, such as love, joy, and faith? [02:36]
3. The sermon discussed the importance of understanding the triune nature of God. How can you deepen your relationship with each person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—this week? [12:06]
4. Identify a situation in your life where you need to balance love, power, justice, and wisdom. What practical steps can you take to ensure that your actions reflect these divine elements? [52:26]
5. The sermon emphasized living with purpose and revelation. What is one area of your life where you feel called to reflect God's character more intentionally? How can you seek God's revelation to guide you in this area? [40:12]
6. Consider someone in your life who is struggling to see the image of God in themselves. How can you be generous in helping them discover their identity and purpose in God? [01:00:57]
7. The sermon mentioned having sympathy for the righteous and pity for the unrighteous. How can you practice this in your interactions with others this week, especially those who may not share your faith? [01:00:28]
Devotional
Day 1: Taking Personal Responsibility for Spiritual Growth
Description: Spiritual growth is a personal journey that requires active participation and responsibility. It is not enough to rely on the faith or revelations of others; each individual must seek to understand and reflect God's character in their own lives. This involves studying scripture, praying, and being intentional about one's spiritual journey. By taking personal responsibility, believers can deepen their relationship with God and grow in their faith. [00:53]
1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV): "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to take more responsibility for your spiritual growth? How can you incorporate these steps into your daily routine?
Day 2: Rediscovering Our Supernatural Makeup
Description: Our lives should be governed by the divine elements of God's character rather than our physical circumstances or past mistakes. By focusing on spiritual attributes like love, joy, and faith, we align ourselves with God's original design for humanity. Rediscovering our supernatural makeup involves recognizing that we are created in God's image and are called to reflect His character in our daily lives. This shift in focus allows us to live more fully in accordance with God's will. [02:36]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: What past mistakes or physical circumstances are you allowing to define you? How can you shift your focus to the spiritual attributes of love, joy, and faith today?
Day 3: Understanding the Triune Nature of God
Description: Understanding the unique characteristics of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit helps us grasp the fullness of God's nature. Each person of the Trinity contributes to our understanding of divine elements, and we are called to reflect these in our lives. By recognizing the distinct roles and attributes of each person of the Trinity, we can better understand how to embody God's character in our own lives. This understanding enriches our relationship with God and deepens our spiritual journey. [12:06]
John 14:26 (ESV): "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
Reflection: How can you reflect the unique characteristics of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in your daily interactions? What specific actions can you take to embody these attributes?
Day 4: Balancing Divine Elements in Our Lives
Description: God's character is perfectly balanced in love, power, justice, and wisdom. We are called to reflect these elements in our lives by making decisions based on good principles, appreciating righteousness, showing sympathy and pity, and being generous in helping others. By striving to balance these divine elements, we can live more fully in accordance with God's will and purpose for our lives. This balance allows us to navigate life's challenges with grace and integrity. [52:26]
Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to balance love, power, justice, and wisdom? How can you take steps today to bring these elements into better alignment?
Day 5: Living with Purpose and Revelation
Description: Our purpose is to live in relationship with God, reflecting His character through our actions. Revelation is a two-way process where we receive insights from God and align them with His teachings, ensuring that our understanding is rooted in divine truth. By living with purpose and seeking revelation, we can fulfill God's plan for our lives and make a positive impact on those around us. This intentionality in our spiritual journey allows us to grow closer to God and live out His will more effectively. [40:12]
Ephesians 1:17-18 (ESV): "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
Reflection: What specific purpose do you feel God is calling you to fulfill? How can you seek His revelation and align your actions with His teachings today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "If your past and your current situation hasn't been working out for you, it means that you haven't been reflecting the character of God in all things you've been doing. So, if you want to continue having the kinds of problems that you're going to be having in your life, go right ahead, but if you really want to have God's presence in your life, if you really want to be a man and a woman that is looked up to, is respected, is honored, not just by people, but God himself. Well, then you need to step up and reflect the character of God in your life." [01:53] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The crazy thing about our universe, as we know, is it's expanding, right? And how many of you know that it's expanding because our Creator hasn't stopped creating? It's not because of some star that's imploding, or some other universe that's pulling gravity to... No, no, no, no, no, no. God's still creating. He wakes up every day and goes, and another whole universe is born. You look at me like... I'm telling you some fairy story. Why is the universe expanding? Is that because of some scientific or evolutionary thing? No. It's because the Creator who started the universe is still growing and expanding." [05:24] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "How can we believe the creation account, but we can't believe the expansion of the universe being attributed to God? Preaching myself, giddy. But in this periodic table of elements, and I say but, I didn't see any love, any joy, any emotion, any worship. I didn't see any of the elements that God used to construct and keep the universe. Think about it. Jesus loved nitrogen so much that He came to breathe in oxygen and nitrogen whilst on the planet." [06:34] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You see, when God speaks about His characteristics, His character, He always follows that with direction on our authority and on our relationship with Him. How many of you know that when we walk out the authority of truth, our effect, our relationship with Him becomes more freeing? The truth will set you free. Are you getting this? His character, when He speaks character, He even said it to Abraham, I am who I am. He wasn't speaking about, hey, dude, we're going to send you to this place called Ur. You better get a big tent. You're going to get some sheep and they're going to change color. Your sons are going to be cool. No, no, no, no." [37:10] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Living with purpose is a life operating in our God-given authority. We need to discover our purpose. In other words, find our authority. Have in subjection the fish of the sea. That's what God placed in Adam and Eve. He gave them authority. We need to understand that our authority is given to us through grace, I will give you a seed and he will brood your seed. This is all in Genesis. This is not John. This is Genesis. This is the construct of our spiritual existence." [48:26] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "You see, because the governance of all things, the governance of everything on the planet, was supposed to be based on the divine elements of the heavenly courts and of God's character, not of our physicality, our flesh, or our circumstance. But we've made life being governed by our circumstance and our flesh, not on the character of God." [02:36] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The Father expresses love. The Son demonstrates love. And the Holy Spirit makes love ours by giving it as a gift. Did you see that? The Father expresses love. Jesus demonstrates love. And the Holy Spirit brings love, Galatians 5.22, as a fruit into our lives. Jesus then says to us, hang on, you're supposed to love your God. So love is given by the Father, demonstrated by the Son, turned back and used as a fruit of love into our hearts that's given back to Jesus and back to the Father because the Bible says, love your God." [30:26] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You can't take and be involved in substance abuse, whatever that substance abuse is, and then when there's repercussions from that, go, oh, that doesn't matter to me. That's not for me. That's for somebody else because I kicked the habit. I've been, I kicked the habit. I've been clean now for two and a half months. I'm now good. Well, hang on. There's a divine quality of endurance that you need to start reflecting, not your own work at the situation. Maybe just maybe God wants the situation to work through a little bit more before you step back into it." [13:35] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You see, truth is the divine element. Truth is the divine element. But that scripture tells us that truth will set us free. So freedom is not on the divine list of elements under God the Father because God the Father doesn't speak freedom. Truth implemented, truth reflected through the workings and the commands of Jesus in our lives sets us free. We don't pray to the Lord and say please give me freedom from this addiction, Lord. He can't. Freedom's not a substance on the divine table of elements because truth is the element you need to be praying for to receive freedom." [35:05] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Grace is the highest expression of God's kind of justice. But you see, we need to find the justice that we find through Jesus and the justice that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives. We need to use that to convict and guide our conscience back towards God, not towards what we want. But you see, injustice repulses God, and it definitely should repulse us accordingly." [01:03:20] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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