Kay Arthur - How Do You Know Gods Your Father?: A 6-Week, No-Homework Bible Study

This small-group study is for people who are interested in learning more about what the Bible says, but who have only limited time to meet together. Its ideal, for example, for a lunch group at work, an early morning mens group, a young mothers group meeting in a home, or a smaller Sunday-school class. (Its also ideal for small groups that typically have longer meeting timessuch as evening groups or Saturday morning groupsbut want to devote only a portion of their time together to actual study, while reserving the rest for prayer, fellowship, or other activities.)

This book is designed so that all the group s participants will complete each lessons study activities at the same time, while you re together.

However, youll need a facilitator to lead the groupsomeone to keep the discussion moving. (This persons function is not that of a lecturer or teacher. However, when this book is used in a Sunday-school class or similar setting, the teacher should feel free to lead more directly and to bring in other insights in addition to those provided in each weeks lesson.)

If you are your groups facilitator, the leader, here are some helpful points for making your job easier:

• Go through the lesson and mark the text before you lead the group. This will give you increased familiarity with the material and will enable you to facilitate the group with greater ease. It may be easier for you to lead the group through the instructions for marking if you as a leader choose a specific color for each symbol you mark.

• As you lead the group, start at the beginning of the text and simply read it aloud in the order it appears in the lesson, including the insight boxes, which may appear either before or after the instructions or in the midst of your observations or discussion. Work through the lesson together, observing and discussing what you learn. As you read the Scripture verses, have the group say aloud the word they are marking in the text.

• The discussion questions are there simply to help you cover the material. As the class moves into the discussion, many times you will find that they will cover the questions on their own. Remember the discussion questions are there to guide the group through the topic, not to squelch discussion.

• Remember how important it is for people to verbalize their answers and discoveries. This greatly strengthens their personal understanding of each weeks lesson. Try to ensure that everyone has plenty of opportunity to contribute to each weeks discussions.

• Keep the discussion moving. This may mean spending more time on some parts of the study than on others. If necessary, you should feel free to spread out a lesson over more than one session. However, remember that you dont want to slow the pace too much. Its much better to leave everyone wanting more than to have people dropping out because of declining interest.

• If the validity or accuracy of some of the answers seems questionable, you can gently and cheerfully remind the group to stay focused on the truth of the Scriptures. Your object is to learn what the Bible says, not to engage in human philosophy. Really read the Scriptures, asking God to show everyone His answers.

D uring Jesus ministry He turned to some religious leaders and said, You are of your father the devil (John 8:44). What an affront that must have been to men who thought they had God as their father.

What does a genuine Christian look like? Have you ever wondered? And what about you? Are you a Christian? Do you know you are going to heaven? Or can a person know for sure?

We have often counseled people who are struggling with doubts about their relationship with God. It is a miserable way to livealways wondering, always hoping, but never certain. They have no joy, no peace, no confidenceonly anguish.

With eternity hanging in the balance, you need to know where you stand with God. In other words, whos your fatherGod or the devil?

For the next six weeks we will study 1 John together and seek answers to this question. Sometimes the truth will excite you, sometimes you will praise God for revealing Himself to you, and sometimes the truth will make you uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. The truth does that. But please dont quit; the truth will also set you free.

One of Jesus disciples, John, wrote five of the books in the Bible. One of them, a letter known as 1 John, was written to answer our question: How do you know Gods your Father? Well begin our study by letting John tell us exactly why he wrote this letter.

Leader:Read aloud 1 John 1:1-4; 2:1-2,26; and 5:13y reprinted for you in the sidebars on pages 3-5.

• Underline the words write, writing, or written with a squiggly line like this:

Have the group say aloud the words they are marking This way no one will miss marking the word. Do this throughout the study.

1 What was from the beginning, whatwe have heard, whatwe have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life

2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us

3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

• Look at each place you have marked the word write. According to these verses, why is John writing this letter? What are the reasons he gives?

• Whats the last reason John gives in 1 John 5:13?

• Why do you think it was important that his readers know that they have eternal life?

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

• What does 1 John 5:13 tell you about eternal life? So many people say you wont know if youll get into heaven until you stand before God and He weighs the good against the bad. According to 1 John 5:13, is that true?