6-SESSION BIBLE STUDY BEYOND BELIEF

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6-SESSIONBIBLE STUDYBEYONDBELIEFEXPLORING THE CHARACTER OF GODFREDDY CARDOZA

Beyond Belief: Exploring the Character of GodBible Studies for Life: Small Group Member Book 2014 LifeWay PressISBN: 978-1-4300-2896-3Item: 005602636Dewey Decimal Classification Number: 231.4Subject Heading: GOD--ATTRIBUTESSocial MediaConnect with a community of Bible Studies for Life users.Post responses to questions, share teaching ideas, and linkto great blog content. Facebook.com/BibleStudiesForLifeGet instant updates about new articles, giveaways,and more. @BibleMeetsLifeThe AppSimple and straightforward, this elegantly designediPhone app gives you all the content of the Small GroupMember Book—plus a whole lot more—right at yourfingertips. Available in the iTunes App Store; search“Bible Studies for Life.”BlogAt BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog you will find all the magazinearticles we mention in this study guide and music downloads providedby LifeWay Worship. Plus, leaders and group members alike will benefitfrom the blog posts written for people in every life stage—singles,parents, boomers, and senior adults—as well as media clips, connectionsbetween our study topics, current events, and much more.Eric GeigerVice President, Church ResourcesRonnie FloydGeneral EditorDavid FrancisManaging EditorGena RogersSam O’NealContent EditorsPhilip NationDirector, Adult Ministry PublishingFaith WhatleyDirector, Adult MinistrySend questions/comments to: Content Editor, BibleStudies for Life: Adults, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville,TN 37234-0175; or make comments on the Web atwww.BibleStudiesforLife.comPrinted in the United States of AmericaFor ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com; writeLifeWay Small Groups; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN37234-0152; or call toll free (800) 458-2772.All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated,are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ,copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by HolmanBible Publishers. Used by permission.Bible Studies for Life: Adults often lists websites that maybe helpful to our readers. Our staff verifies each site’susefulness and appropriateness prior to publication.However, website content changes quickly so weencourage you to approach all websites with caution.Make sure sites are still appropriate before sharingthem with students, friends, and family.

Start by believing. Then go beyond belief.The digital age has produced huge amounts of information that have radically advanced humanlearning. The amount of knowledge available to us is mind-numbing. In fact, informationis multiplying so rapidly that textbooks, how-to manuals, and even daily newspapers seemperpetually outdated. But what do we know about God? Are we advancing as rapidly in ourknowledge of Him?People have used the explosion of social media primarily to inform friends and others aboutthemselves and their lives. Therefore, we know more about one another, but do we really knowone another? There’s a big difference between the two. The same is true when it comes to ourrelationship with God. We can learn more and more about God by studying His Word, but we alsoneed to know Him in order for our lives to be changed.That’s why this study, Beyond Belief, is so important. Beyond Belief seeks to help us increase ourknowledge of God by studying His character and moral attributes. But we don’t want to just knowabout God; we want to know Him more intimately.We could spend a lifetime studying the character and attributes of God revealed in the Bible andstill only begin to scratch the surface of understanding the sovereign God of all creation. Therefore,the sessions in this study will focus on six major attributes of God: God’s holiness, God’s love, God’sjustice, God’s forgiveness, God’s wisdom, and God’s faithfulness.As we begin to understand what God is like and how He works in our lives, we will not only knowGod more, but we will also learn about ourselves and who we are in Christ.Freddy CardozaDr. Cardoza has served 20 years in full-time local church ministry. He currentlyserves as department chair of Christian ministries and director of distributivelearning at Biola University (Talbot School) in Los Angeles. He also serves asexecutive director of the Society of Professors in Christian Education. Freddy has been married 20years to Kristin; they have two teenage sons, Dakota and Christian.2

contents4Session 1: God Is Holy14Session 2: God Is Loving24Session 3: God Is Just34Session 4: God Is Forgiving44Session 5: God Is Wise54Session 6: God Is Faithful64Conclusion: Christ, Community, Culture66Leader GuideB E YO N D B E L I E F3

SESSION 1GOD IS HOLY4SESSION 1

When have you seen or experiencedsomething you would describe asone-of-a-kind?QUESTION#1#BSFLholyB E YO N D B E L I E F5

THE POINTGod’s holiness calls me to be holy.THE BIBLE MEETS LIFEIf you love walking through a museum, you’re not alone. Tensof millions of people visit museums every year. What draws us tothese places? Unique, novel, or beautiful items. There are museumsdevoted to cars, abstract paintings, Star Trek, and even asphalt.The world’s most prestigious museums also have one-of-a-kindpieces in their collections. There is after all only one Starry Night, oneMona Lisa, and one Rosetta Stone. We value these items because oftheir rarity, beauty, or historical significance. Some of these piecesare even considered priceless.But what is truly beautiful is that we don’t have to visit a museum tointeract with something that is one-of-a-kind. What is truly beautifulis that there is only one God, and He loves His creation with a one-ofa-kind love. God alone is set apart and like no other. The Bible wrapsall this up with one word: holy.In this session we’ll see that God calls us to be like Him—set apartfor His glory.6SESSION 1

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?Psalm 99:1-9 (HCSB)1 The LORD reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He is enthroned abovethe cherubim. Let the earth quake.2 Yahweh is great in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples.3 Let them praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy.4 The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness;You have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob.5 Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. Heis holy.6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also wasamong those calling on His name. They called to Yahweh and Heanswered them.7 He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees andthe statutes He gave them.8 LORD our God, You answered them. You were a forgiving God tothem, an avenger of their sinful actions.9 Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His holy mountain,for the LORD our God is holy.Key WordsCherubim (v. 1)—Cherubimare angelic creatures whoserve God. Two golden imagesof cherubim sat atop the arkin the most holy place of thetemple.Holy (vv. 3, 5, 9)—Theterm refers to someone orsomething set apart from life’scommon aspects. God is setabove creation and is perfect inevery way.Pillar of cloud (v. 7)—Godsometimes made His presenceknown to His people as theyjourneyed with a pillar ofcloud. Here He spoke fromsuch a cloud.B E YO N D B E L I E F7

THE POINTGod’s holiness calls me to be holy.Psalm 99:1-3God is not a part of it. God is neither a human nor superhuman. God is over all. He is completely andtotally separate from everything or everyone we could imagine.As human beings, we are created in God’s image, which means God breathed a spirit into us. Each of uspossess a spirit that was intended for a unique relationship with Him. We were created to live foreverwith Him. But that’s where the similarity stops.Though we are like God, God is not like us. We are created in His image; He was not created in ours. Godexists independently and without reliance on any other beings or forces. God is absolutely sacred, abovecriticism, incorruptible, and invincible. He is holy.Consider these elements that point to God’s holiness:The reign of God. The psalmist understood the distinction, glory, and authority of royalty, andhe exalted God to His rightful place. The psalmist invited others to acknowledge the reality ofGod’s sovereign rule over all people and things.The name of God. The psalmist used God’s holiest name: Yahweh. Yahweh calls attention toGod as the Ancient of Days. He is the one and only God, and it was in His name and by His powerthat the Israelites were able to enter the land and establish their nation. Because of the holy fearthe psalmist had for the awe-inspiring name of God, he called upon all of God’s people to givepraise, glory, and honor to the only true God.God is truly different from us—and from anything else. And that’s why we are told to praise Him. Godinvites us to carefully consider Him in order to discover His greatness and grandeur. When we do, we willrealize that He is worthy of all praise and glory.When was a time God’s holiness became real to you?QUESTION8SESSION 1#2

PICTURING HOLINESSChoose one of the images.Record what it means to strive for holiness in that specific area of life.B E YO N D B E L I E F9

THE POINTGod’s holiness calls me to be holy.Psalm 99:4-5The problems of life may seem great, but they are not greater thanGod. There is nothing that can keep our great and awesome Godfrom working His fairness, justice, and righteousness in our lives.Those are three important concepts that contribute to God’s holiness:Fairness. Though life isn’t always fair, God is. He is the sourceof fairness, for He established it. Unfairness can make life feeluncertain, but because God has established fairness, Christfollowers can live with confidence despite any inequities wesee or experience. God will act in righteous wisdom as Heoversees our lives.Is God fair to forgive a mass murderer? Is God fair to forgive me? He isstill fair in that He dealt with our sin, but He dealt with it through thedeath of Jesus. Grace is God’s generous favor on our lives in spite ofour actions. Mercy is His withholding what is fair (our punishment) inorder to cover our wrong actions with compassion and forgiveness.How does God’sjustice, fairness, orrighteousness impactyour daily routine?QUESTION#3Justice. Justice occurs when God brings His divine order tolife. God’s justice deals out blessings and punishment. Godwill not let injustice stand. His holiness ensures evil will bepunished and good rewarded.Righteousness. God always does what is best and what isright. Righteousness has to do with God’s moral purity. Hisinnate goodness ensures that He will always do what is right.God can always be trusted.How should we respond to God’s holiness? We “bow in worship atHis footstool.” The footstool was a symbol for dominion, and Godis pictured as a king enthroned in heaven with the earth as Hisfootstool. God’s holiness should cause us to live with worshipfultrust and submission before Him.10SESSION 1

What do these verses teach us about a lifestyleof worship?QUESTION#4Psalm 99:6-9We’ve already seen that our holy God is involved in our lives through His fairness, justice, and righteousness,but He also desires to speak into our lives. And when God speaks, He wants us to listen and respond.No matter what’s happening around us or inside us, God wants us to acknowledge His presence and callon Him. He wants us to recognize His concern and that He answers us.Because God is fair, just, and righteous, He can be totally trusted. He is the only one who deserves ourcomplete faith. People who walked with God—people such as Moses, Aaron, and Samuel—modeledthis trust. God spoke; they listened and trusted.Like Samuel, Aaron, and Moses, our lives are filled with spiritual victories and sometimes significantdefeats. God continues to reveal Himself to us in all these things, seeking to deepen our awareness ofwho He is and what He is like. And when we realize who God is and respond with humble hearts, Heforgives us. As the priests and prophets cried out to Yahweh, He answered them and spoke to them. Godworks the same way today. When we call on His name, He will meet us where we are, forgiveus, and put us in a right relationship with Him.He may not speak to us in a pillar of cloud, but He will make Himself known. When we see God for whoHe is, we should respond by exalting Him and lowering ourselves. Just as the nation of Israel bowed atthe holy mountain, we should humbly submit our lives to our Holy God as a worship offering.How can we tremble at God’s holiness yet still have anintimate relationship with Him?QUESTION#5B E YO N D B E L I E F11

THE POINTGod’s holiness calls me to be holy.LIVE IT OUTGod’s holiness is not an abstract concept with no practical impacton how we live. We are called to be holy because God is holy (see1 Pet. 1:16), so consider some practical ways to live a life of holiness:Surrender. Submit to God’s holiness by placing your faith inChrist for salvation.Bow in worship. Be intentional about praising God thisweek. Set aside a specific period of time and worship Himin response to His holiness.Unplug and listen. Choose to abstain from one form oftechnology this week—social media, texts, TV, and so on.Use that time each day as an opportunity to focus on God.As we live for the Lord, we become holy like Him. And then, like aprecious work of art, we grow into a beautiful masterpiece made byGod (see Eph. 2:10).Waiting RoomI sit in the waiting room. The receptionist took my name,recorded my insurance data, and gestured to a chair. “Please Room have a seat. We will call you when the doctor is ready.” I lookaround. A mother holds a sleeping baby. A woman with anewspaper looks at her watch, sighs, and continues the taskof the hour: waiting. The waiting room. Not the examinationroom. That’s down the hall. Not the consultation room. That’son the other side of the wall. Not the treatment room. Exams, consultations, and treatments allcome later. The task at hand is the name of the room: the waiting room.Waitingby Max LucadoIsit in the waiting room. The receptionist took myname, recorded my insurance data, and gesturedto a chair. “Please have a seat. We will call youwhen the doctor is ready.” I look around. A motherholds a sleeping baby. A fellow dressed in a suitthumbs through Time magazine. A woman with anewspaper looks at her watch, sighs, and continues the task of the hour: waiting.The waiting room. Not the examination room.That’s down the hall. Not the consultation room.That’s on the other side of the wall. Not the treatment room.Exams, consultations, and treatments all come later. Thetask at hand is the name of the room: the waiting room. Wein the waiting room understand our assignment: to wait. Wedon’t treat each other. I don’t ask the nurse for a stethoscopeor blood pressure cuff. I don’t pull up a chair next to thewoman with the newspaper and say, “Tell me what prescriptions you’re taking.” That’s the job of the nurse. My job is towait. So I do.Can’t say that I like it. Time moves like an Alaskan glacier.The clock ticks every five minutes, not every second. Someone pressed the pause button. We don’t like to wait. We’re thegiddy-up generation. We weave through traffic, looking for thefaster lane. We frown at the person who takes 11 items intothe 10-item express checkout. We drum our fingers while thesong downloads or the microwave heats our coffee. We wantsix-pack abs in 10 minutes and minute rice in 30 seconds. Wedon’t like to wait. Not on the doctor, the traffic, or the pizza.Not on God?Take a moment, and look around you. Do you realize whereyou sit? This planet is God’s waiting room.The young couple in the corner? Waiting to get pregnant.The fellow with the briefcase? He has resumes all over thecountry, waiting on work. The elderly woman with the cane?A widow. Been waiting a year for one tearless day. Waiting.Waiting on God to give, help, heal. Waiting on God to come.We indwell the land betwixt prayer offered and prayeranswered. The land of waiting.While you wait, God works.Photo: Oxford / Ge t t y Im agesServing Time18HOMELIFE SEPTEMBER 2013If anyone knew the furniture of God’s waiting room, Josephdid. One problem with reading his story is its brevity. We canread the Genesis account from start to finish in less than anhour, which gives the impression that all these challenges tookplace before breakfast one morning. We’d be wiser to pace ourreading over a couple of decades.Take chapter 37 into a dry cistern, and sit there for a coupleof hours while the sun beats down. Recite the first verse ofchapter 39 over and over for a couple of months: “Now Josephhad been taken to Egypt” (Genesis 39:1). Joseph needed at leastthis much time to walk the 750 miles from Dothan to Thebes.Then there was the day or days or weeks on the auctionblock. Add to that probably a decade in Potiphar’s house,supervising the servants, doing his master’s bidding, learningEgyptian. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Time moves slowlyin a foreign land. And time stands still in a prison.Joseph had asked the butler to put in a good word for him.“But when all goes well for you, remember that I was withyou. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. For I was kidnapped fromthe land of the Hebrews, and even here I have nothing thatthey should put me in the dungeon” (Genesis 40:14-15).We can almost hear the butler reply, “Certainly, I’ll mention you to Pharaoh. First chance I get. You’ll be hearingfrom me.” Joseph hurried back to his cell and collected hisbelongings. He wanted to be ready when the call came. A daypassed. Then two. Then a week a month. Six months. Noword. As it turned out, Pharaoh’s “chief cupbearer did notremember Joseph; he forgot him” (Genesis 40:23).On the page of your Bible, the uninked space betweenthat verse and the next is scarcely wider than a hair ribbon.It takes your eyes only a split second to see it. Yet it tookJoseph two years to experience it. Chapter 41 starts like this:“Two years later Pharaoh had a dream” (Genesis 41:1).Two years! Twenty-four months of silence. One hundredand four weeks of waiting. Seven hundred and thirty daysof wondering. Two thousand one hundred and ninety mealsalone. Seventeen thousand five hundred and twenty hours oflistening for God yet hearing nothing but silence.Plenty of time to grow bitter, cynical, angry. Folks havegiven up on God for lesser reasons in shorter times.Not Joseph. On a day that began like any other, he hearda stirring at the dungeon entrance. Loud, impatient voicesdemanded, “We are here for the Hebrew! Pharaoh wants theHebrew!” Joseph looked up from his corner to see the prisonmaster, white faced and stammering. “Get up!“Hurry, get up!” Two guards from the court were on hisheels. Joseph remembered them from his days in Potiphar’sservice. They took him by the elbows and marched him outof the hole. He squinted at the brilliant sunlight. They walkedhim across a courtyard into a room. Attendants flockedaround him. They removed his soiled clothing, washed hisbody, and shaved his beard. They dressed him in a white robeand new sandals. The guards reappeared and walked himinto the throne room.And so it was that Joseph and Pharaoh looked into eachother’s eyes for the first time.The king hadn’t slept well the night before. Dreams troubledhis rest. He heard of Joseph’s skill. “They say you can interpretdreams. My counselors are mute as stones. Can you help me?”We indwell the landbetwixt prayer offeredand prayer answered.The land of waiting.SEPTEMBER 2013 HOMELIFE19a fresh take on faith & familyLoveDareForParentsNurture a moreChristlike loveWavesof ChangeRide the ebb andflow of marriageAre you aWWW.LIFEWAY.COMMagicKingdomChristian?JULY 2013ComingHomeRe-entryhelp formilitaryfamiliesFinancialFreedomSimple Waysto DeclareIndependenceFrom DebtPlus Mandisa“I Am Living Proof”To continue reading “Waiting Room” from HomeLife magazine,visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles.U.S.A. 3.9512SESSION 1

My g roup's prayer requestsMy thoughtsB E YO N D B E L I E F13

BEYOND BELIEF, INTO RELATIONSHIPThanks to the explosion of social media, we know much about one another.But do we really know one another? There’s a big difference between the two.The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. We can learnmore and more about God by studying His Word, but we also need to knowHim in order for our lives to be changed.Beyond Belief strengthens our relationship with God through studying whoHe is. We could spend a lifetime studying the character and attributes of Godrevealed in the Bible and still only begin to scratch the surface of understandingthe sovereign God of all creation. Therefore, the sessions in this study focuson six major attributes of God: God’s holiness, God’s love, God’s justice, God’sforgiveness, God’s wisdom, and God’s faithfulness. As we begin to understandwhat God is like and how He works in our lives, we will not only know Godmore, but we will also learn about ourselves and who we are in Christ.FREDDY CARDOZADr. Cardoza has served 20 years in full-time localchurch ministry. He currently serves as departmentchair of Christian ministries and director of distributivelearning at Biola University (Talbot School) in LosAngeles. He also serves as executive director of theSociety of Professors in Christian Education. Freddyhas been married 20 years to Kristin; they have twoteenage sons, Dakota and Christian.

the sessions in this study will focus on six major attributes of God: God s holiness, God s love, God s justice, God s forgiveness, God s wisdom, and God s faithfulness. As we begin to understand what God is like and how He works in our lives, we will not only know God more, but we

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