05-15-2022
05-15-2022
Dr. E. Dale Locke, (LOX & Online), Rev. Jose Marrero (WPB), Pastor Brandon Weaver (Lake Worth), Rev. Efrain Silva (COH Español)
Sermon Series: Asking For A Friend
Week 4: Does Everything Happen For A Reason?
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español
Read the theme verse for this series – Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
1. Today’s question: “Does everything happen for a reason?” is one that Christians have different ideas of how to answer. What are some views you’ve heard regarding this question?
2. This is an especially important question, because your answer determines your picture of God. And your picture of God impacts your faith and your trust in him. What has been your picture of God in life?
3. In your relationship with a person you know and love, if something happens that you don’t understand that appears to be out of character for that person, it creates a gap that you have a choice of how to fill. You can fill that gap with trust, or you can fill that gap with suspicion.
Talk briefly about how this principle works in our relationship with people.
Name a challenging area regarding God and how his world works that sometimes causes people to question God’s character. How could this principle help?
4. Read Matthew 6:9-13 – “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
What are the implications of the fact that Jesus wants us to pray for God’s will to be done? Why would Jesus ask us to pray that?
There are two major views of how God’s will works on earth:
The Blueprint View:
God’s will is always unfolding in a pre-decided way. Every single thing that happens in our lives is exactly according to his plan. Everything happens for a reason. God planned everything we experience.
5. Read James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” What does this verse communicate about God’s role with regard to the good things in your life?
6. When it comes to the bad things – murder, cancer, rape, the Holocaust, unfaithfulness in marriage, etc. - some people think these are also planned by God “for a reason.” If a person believes this, how might that impact their picture of God?
The Warfare View:
The other view we looked at is the Warfare View. This view holds that not everything on this earth is as God intended it to be. The world was created good, but when people sinned, the world changed. Now the world has a lot of things in it that are not God’s will, because of the free will of people and spiritual beings who are warring against God. But God is always working to redeem even bad situations.
7. Read Ephesians 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
What is the point of this passage?
8. Read Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This verse is one reason people hold to the Blueprint View. But if you look closely, it doesn’t say that God planned everything that happens. It says that God can work for good and bring good purposes out of everything that happens to those who love him. How are those two things different?
9. As it states in Romans 8:28, God is so good at bringing good purposes out of even horrible, painful situations, that sometimes we can misunderstand and assume that God planned the horrible, painful situation to begin with. But we believe that what’s actually happening is that God is so wise and intelligent, he can redeem any situation and bring good out of it. How might this idea impact your picture of God, in contrast to the Blueprint View?
10. What are some reasons we can trust God with our life and future, even though our world has a lot of suffering and pain in it?
11. Which view – the Blueprint View or the Warfare View - motivates you more to join God in his redemptive work in the world through serving and prayer?
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Beach Baptism Sunday, 4:30pm June 5 at Carlin Park in Jupiter – We’ve rented a large pavilion so we can gather as a church family to celebrate baptisms and enjoy a fun picnic together at the beach! Wear a COH t-shirt and bring your own chairs and picnic supper. If you haven’t yet taken the step of baptism consider being baptized. Sign up for baptism at https://communityofhope.church/baptism
First Care Baby Bottle Boomerang – First Care is a wonderful organization that COH has partnered with for many years, because of how they love and support women in a crisis pregnancy to help them choose life for their baby. Take a bottle from the lobby today, fill it with money or a check, and then bring it back by May 22 to support the ministry of First Care.
Partnership Gathering – Loxahatchee Campus, Tuesday, May 17, 7pm. WPB Campus, May 24, 7pm
This quarterly meeting is a great opportunity to learn about important matters and decisions impacting the future of our church. All COH partners are encouraged to attend this informational meeting, and all COH attenders are welcome to attend even if you’re not yet an official partner.
Thank you for your regular financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to you and to our community! To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give.