Faith Foundations

This week we start a new series on Faith Foundations, led by David Platt. Each week we will have an intro, then watch a clip from RightNowMedia and have some discussion questions.

Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

Main Idea: Since God made us in his image and sent Jesus to redeem us, we fulfill our purpose when we prioritize knowing him deeply and glorifying him widely.

Head Change: To know God made us with the purpose of enjoying him and exalting him to others.

Heart Change: To feel joyful because God wants us to know him intimately and tell others about him.

Life Change: To prioritize our relationship with God and point people toward him regularly.

OPEN

Which celebrity did you most admire when you were a teenager?

Idolizing a celebrity usually means we listen to everything they say, buy their products, display their faces on shirts and posters, and generally let everyone know why they are so wonderful. We want to celebrate what we consider amazing. It’s part of our nature.

As humans, God made us to be the megaphones that trumpet his glory. Our lives are meant to show off his magnificence. As we begin our study, pastor and author David Platt reminds us that, as those created in the image of God, we live in our purpose when we point others to him.

Watch Session 1: Why You’re Here (9 minutes).

REVIEW

David began by saying that we can know the purpose of our lives—we were created to enjoy God and exalt him to the nations. Having purpose gives us a sense of significance. To what extent have you stopped to think about why God created you? What conclusions did you reach? What was your determination based on?

 

Christians are often tempted to settle for the “nice, comfortable Christian spin on the American dream,” David said. But God has a greater purpose for us than seeking success. How would you define the American dream? In what ways could the American dream conflict with the purpose God might give his followers?

 

In Genesis 1:26–28, we read about the creation of humanity “in the image of God.” David explained that, unlike other created beings, humans have a unique capacity to know and enjoy God personally because he made us in his image. What significance have you given to the idea of being the image of God? How does David’s explanation influence your understanding of being made in God’s image?

 

Jesus reminded his listeners that God made them for a loving relationship with him. Read Matthew 22:37–38. How thoroughly does God want us to love him? To what extent have you experienced a loving relationship with God? Do you ever feel like something is missing between you and God?

 

Jesus clarified that knowing God includes knowing him as redeemer. Read John 17:3. “Christ” is the word for Messiah, the long-awaited redeemer Israel had been waiting for. Jesus was saying that eternal life must include faith in him as savior. If you trust Jesus, what led you to him? If you don’t yet know him, what is preventing you from choosing to follow Jesus?

 

David explained the gospel message as the greatest news in the world: God loves us despite our sin against him, and he offers forgiveness and restoration through the death and resurrection of Jesus—God in the flesh—for those who believe and follow him. For Christians, it can be easy to let our eyes skim over the familiar description of our way of salvation. But let’s pause to consider the deep love of God that caused him to send Jesus to live and die as our example and substitute. How often do you reflect on the cross as a demonstration of God’s love for you? What thoughts about Jesus, and about yourself, come to mind when you do?

 

As beloved children of God, we not only get to enjoy him but we are also called to proclaim him to people all over the world. His church is comprised of people from all ethnicities, tribes, tongues, and places—a truly international community. Read Revelation 7:9–10, the vision of God’s throne room where “a vast multitude” stood worshipping God. What does this diverse group have in common? How can knowing the biblical vision of a vastly diverse church inspire you to interact with people who look different than you?

 

It’s easy to waste time, to allow ourselves to be distracted and tempted toward aimless, meaningless activities. But part of making our lives count involves entering into God’s purposes and joining him in his work in the world. What are you doing to be aware of what God is doing around the world? In what ways can you participate in God’s vision of a universal, diverse church?

David asked us to consider what a life that is consumed with enjoying God and exalting him everywhere could look like. How would you answer him?

To tell others about Jesus requires us to overcome differences, disagreements, and hard feelings. His love motivates us to seek the best for others in word and deed. When was the last time you talked with someone about Christ? What obstacles do you let prevent you from sharing the gospel?

God’s love isn’t limited to those who love him back—he loves all his image-bearers. What steps can you take to love your neighbor with the good news of Jesus’s love for them? 

LAST WORD

Our lives are significant because we were created with purpose—to represent God on earth and rule in righteousness and love. As Jesus’s followers, we are called to share his love with everyone else, inviting them to know their Creator intimately, to love and worship him, and to enjoy being part of the eternal multitude of worshippers from every corner of the earth. This week, pick one way to remind yourself of your God-given purpose—to know God and glorify him—and of your identity as his image-bearer. Ask God to reveal the people in your life who do not know him yet, and pray for them.