Spring Training Study 1

G.O.S.P.E.L THREADS
God’s Character

God is the Loving Creator, Sovereign King, and Holy Judge of all!

Table Discussion: What are some of our reservations we have that keep us from sharing Jesus with others? How do we overcome them?

We Struggle to Share our Faith for a Couple of Reasons. Here are 2:

1. Some of us don’t share our faith because we don’t have a firm grip on the
   Reveal Answer
   of the gospel.
2. A second reason we don’t hare our faith, and this may be the primary reason, is fear. We fear
   Reveal Answer
   and maybe to a greater extent we fear the
   Reveal Answer
   of initiating the conversation or not having all the “answers”.

Who is God and What is He Like?

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. —Isaiah 43:15

God is

! This means that He is utterly

Reveal Answer

, the only one of His kind. He is unlike us, and not only because He is the

Reveal Answer

and we are creatures, but also because He is

Reveal Answer

pure and separate from sin.

God is

!

He who justifies the wicked and he who codes the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. —Proverbs 17:15

As a good judge, God

the innocent and

Reveal Answer

the guilty.

Reveal Answer

is an abomination to Him. God only does what is

Reveal Answer

and

Reveal Answer

.

If a judge in our court system knowingly declared guilty criminals to be innocent, then we would remove that judge from the bench in a heartbeat. Why? Because he’s not just. Likewise if God simply overlooks sin, then His justice and holiness are completely compromised. He is no longer God. A just God cannot simply sweep sin under the rug. —Gospel Threads, D. Platt

God is

!

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people… —Titus 2:11

If God’s holiness and justice were His only attributes we would have no hope.

1. For God to be gracious means that He shows the guilty free and unmerited
   Reveal Answer
   . He not only spares the guilty the
   Reveal Answer
   they deserve (mercy); He freely gives them what they could never deserve or earn (grace), forgiveness and salvation.
2. The
   Reveal Answer
   of the gospel is that God does not
   Reveal Answer
   anything from us in order to earn His favor. As Paul says:
   

   He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. —Titus 3:5

Weaving Thread One: The Character of God

Talk about God like He is Someone you

!

1. That you talk to God.
2. That you listen to God.
3. That you spend time with God.
4. How you have experienced Him.
5. How you have learned to trust Him.

Talk about God like He is Someone you

!

1. Because of what He’s done in your life.
2. Because of what He’s done in history.

Talking about God as Loving

!

1. Consistently credit God as the source of everything good in and around you.
2. Constantly point out evidences of God’s love in and around you.

Talking about God as

!

1. Acknowledge the glory of God in creation every chance you have.
2. Acknowledge the guidance of God in all facets of life.
   God is working in my life (in this way)…
   God is blessing me (in this way)…
   God is leading me (in this direction)…
   God is guiding me (to make this decision)…
   God is teaching me (this truth)…
   God is showing me (this realization)…

Talking about God as

!

1. Express confidence in God even when things go wrong.
2. Express humility before God (and others) when you do something wrong.