DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God Intro (Week 1)

 Hello, Sisters! Here is the first study for our new series DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God. I'm so eager to see how God will transform us as we know him more and more. You can watch this week's video here!

I encourage you to follow along with the study guide this week. Whether you take some time to reflect on the Bible passages and questions all at once or a little at a time throughout the week, I hope you'll spend some time reflecting on how we know God. For a printable copy of the study guide below, click here.

VIDEO NOTES

1. What does it mean to "know" God? In the Bible "knowing" is more than information. Knowing is based on experience.
2. There is always more of God to know. Just like we can have more or less experience and knowledge of the ocean, or of another person, we can have more or less true experience and knowledge of God. No human has experienced or known ALL of God.
3. The more we know God, the more we will recognize God's Presence, Pleasure, Promises, Plan, Perspective, Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Power, Perfection, and Purity in our lives on a regular basis.
4. God wants us to know him. He promises to reveal more of himself to us as we seek him.
5. As we grow in grace and know Jesus more, God gets the glory.

SEEK GOD

Take some time this week to read these Bible passages. Print this page and write your reflections and thoughts here, or use a journal or notebook to write down your prayers and what God is showing you.

Proverbs 2:1-6 NLT
1 My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
3 Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Write down (or circle) all the different ways we are encouraged to seek wisdom and understanding in these verses. Which of them stand out to you?

What do verses 5-6 say we will gain and understand?

EXPERIENCE GOD

The more we know God, the more we will experience God throughout our days and lives. We will experience God's Presence, Pleasure, Promises, Plan, Perspective, Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Power, Perfection, and Purity. I'm not promising we will experience or feel all of these all the time, but I believe we can know them more and more.

Which of these do you know best and/or experience most often?

Which would you desire most to know more?

2 Peter 1:2-3 NLT
2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him [through the knowledge of him], the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

According to verse 2, when does God give us more and more grace and peace?

According to verse 3, by his divine power, God has given us ______________ ____ _______ for living a godly life. And we have received this by KNOWING HIM.

Does this describe your life? Do you feel like you have everything you need and that you are experiencing more and more of God's grace and peace, or do you want to experience more of the kind of life described here? Ask God to show you what that might look like in your life.

PRAY

Write out a prayer asking God for more of his divine power, grace, and peace as he helps you grow in your knowledge of him. Tell him what you are longing for and how you would like to experience more of him.

MEDITATE and MEMORIZE

Pick one of these verses to meditate on or memorize this week. Write it on a note card or sticky note and keep it where you will see it often.

"The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him." - Lamentations 3:25

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." - 2 Peter 3:18

WORSHIP

Songs with words that remind us of who God is are such a help. Spend time worshipping God this week. Here are some Divine Worship song videos you can watch if that's helpful for you!

COMING NEXT...

For the next three weeks we'll be seeking to know God as our Creator, as our Deliverer, and as our Shepherd. Watch your email or our facebook group next weekend for the following week's study guide. If you're on facebook, share your thoughts with us! We learn the most when we learn together.

Have a blessed week seeking God!

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