DIVINE: God Created YOU on Purpose (Week 4)

Hello, friends. As we enter this week, I wonder what has been on your mind as you have thought about God as YOUR Creator. Not just the Creator of the universe and our world, but the Creator of YOU. 

As I have kept listening to this month's verses focusing on God as Creator, I have honestly had some mixed feelings. I may believe Ephesians 2:10 that says I am "God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for [me] to do." But as I listen to Psalm 139:13-18, I have to acknowledge that I'm not totally content with all of the choices God made when He made me. (I'll definitely share more of my thoughts about this in the video lesson next weekend!)

But even now, I still wonder. Are you like me? Do you ever wish God had made you differently? A few years ago I wrote a little story about a Mama Bird. She wanted to change to be like some other animals she knew so she could keep her babies safe. What she didn't realize was that the things she thought she wanted (like being big and strong) would have taken away aspects of who she was that she would never have wanted to give up (like her ability to fly). Reading the story again made me smile and inspired me to reconsider (again) wishing God had made me differently. (It's a sweet short story. You can read it here.)

Each of us has a unique combination of strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and non-abilities. We each have a unique life story and unique passions, likes, dislikes, dreams and desires. Our place in the body of Christ and in our families is important and can't be filled by anyone else. God made you YOU on purpose. He is always at work helping us grow and mature, but He still loves us right now and knows exactly why we are who we are and how we are. He knows and we get to trust Him to help us grow.

I encourage you to take some time again this week listening to, watching, or reading the God our Creator verses. As you do, see what the verses say about YOU - how God formed you intentionally, and how you are God's handiwork. Here are some reflection questions you might also consider:

After these weeks of focusing on God as my Creator...
What stood out to me? What surprised me?
What did I notice about God? About myself? About others?
What do I want to remember?
What did I see or do I hear God saying to me now?

Blessings to you this week.

Much Love,

Melissa

DIVINE: Knowing our Creator (Weeks 2-3)

Dear Friend,

As we enter into Week 2 of our Divine study, I want you to know I'm so happy we're taking this journey together. We were created for this adventure of knowing God. And what a wonder that God himself, through the Holy Spirit, is the one who leads us on! God delights in revealing himself to us as we seek him, and we can always seek him through his word to us - the Bible. I encourage you to take some time this week to read the scripture passages below. Whether you read a different verse/passage each day and think/pray about the reflection questions, or read them all in one sitting, I encourage you to do something that can help you remember to think about God as your Creator throughout this week. Post a sticky note where you'll see it with one of the verses or a phrase you want to remember. These verses might not teach you anything NEW, but in my Sister Circle conversation last week, Christina and I talked about how often we need to be REMINDED of what we already know. So whether you are learning something new or simply being reminded of what you know about God, I pray that the verses and reflection questions this week will bless you and lead you into worship and sweet fellowship with God, your Creator.

UPDATED PLAN:

In case you missed it, or want to plan ahead, here's what's happened so far and what's coming next:

(2/21-27 - Week 1 - VIDEO LESSON & Intro to Divine study - first Sister Circles gatherings!)

2/28-3/20 - Weeks 2-4 - Knowing God as our Creator

3/21-3/27 - Week 5 - VIDEO Review Knowing God as our Creator, Deliverer, & Shepherd - SISTER CIRCLES WILL MEET (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday)

Weeks 6-9 - Knowing God as our Deliverer

Weeks 10-13 - Knowing God as our Shepherd

As I was preparing for this week's study, I tried something new! I recorded myself reading the verses below and then just listened to them over and over and over, letting the sweet words of Scripture wash over my mind. (This really is a holy brainwashing!) I'm sharing it with you as well, in case you want to listen. It's just the verses. No commentary or other talk. Just the pure, living word of God. You can read along or just listen and meditate on the words. Listen all the way through or pause it after a certain verse catches your attention so you can think about it.  LISTEN by clicking here.   Click here for a printable version of the verses.  

I even created a slideshow with the recording, so you can watch it here.

PRAYER

Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and Creator of us, we pray that you would lead us this week to remember who you are as our Maker. Lead us into truth through your word, Holy Spirit, and transform us more and more into your glorious image. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

FIRST THOUGHTS

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, God reveals himself to us and the world as the Creator of the universe and Lord over his creation. Many times in the Old Testament, we see God referred to as God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. That is who God was before earth was created and who God is now. How amazing that we get to know God and be blessed by him as our Creator. If we are believers who have given our lives to Jesus, we are adopted as God's children and are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, even though we may not yet know how to live out those blessings. There is always more to learn and there are always more ways to grow. 

STUDY

At the bottom of this email, you'll find quite a few scripture passages. Reading what God's word says will be more valuable that all I could ever write.  If you want to print them out, click here. As I mentioned above, you can read them all at once, or reflect on one or two each day. Maybe even pick one or more to memorize! As you read them, consider these questions:

DAILY REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What does this verse/passage say about God?

Is this a new idea for me? Or one I remember often?

How could remembering this affect my life today?
If God is the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, who am I?
How does this change how I interact with God? how I think about myself? how I interact with others?

END OF THE WEEK QUESTIONS

After a week of focusing on God as my Creator...
What stood out to me? What surprised me?

What did you notice about God? About yourself? About others?

What do I want to remember?
What did you see or do you hear God saying to you now?

CLOSING PRAYER & PRAISE

God Almighty, Ruler of all Creation and Lord of my life, I am in awe. The heavens declare your glory and yet you have chosen to come close to me. You formed me and made me on purpose and you delight in me as your precious child. Help me know your love that is higher than the heavens, wider than the ocean, deeper than the grandest canyon. May I remember your majesty and strength this week and know that you have created me to do good works for your kingdom, in your power, and for your glory as you work in and through me. May I never cease to stand in awe of your glory.

In Jesus Name, amen.

SCRIPTURE VERSES/PASSAGES FOR THIS WEEK

Genesis 1:1 CSB
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 19:1 ESV
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalm 33:3-9 NLT
6 The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. 7 He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
8 Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

Colossians 1:15-17 NLT
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.  Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

John 1:4-5 NLT
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

2 Cor 4:6-7 NLT
6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Isaiah 40:28-31 CSB
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.

Nehemiah 9:5-6 NIV
5 And the Levites—...—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.” “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Psalm 139:13-18 NLT
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

1 Chronicles 29:11 CSB
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.

Psalm 57:5 NIV
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 121:2 CSB
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 115:15 NET
May you be blessed by the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth.

------------------------------------------------------------

FOR FURTHER READING:

I was encouraged recently by this devotional post: Remembering God’s Creativity in Creation

WORSHIP

Watch this song and let your heart and soul be inspired by the wonder of God's creation! Creation Calls

I'd love to know if you follow along with the study and scripture this week and would love to hear how God met you. Leave a comment below or click here to share something with me.

May you be blessed by your Creator this week. He knows you and loves you so much.

Love,

Melissa

Sister Studies and Sister Circles are a way for the women of Butler Church and our friends to study the Word of God and grow in Christ together. Sister Studies are released weekly and Sister Circles meet once a month. Visit butlerchurch.org/sister-circles to sign up for a Sister Circles small group. Are you on facebook? Join the conversation in our Butler Women's Ministry group. To receive Sister Studies posts by email,  CLICK HERE.  Thank you!

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!

Visit butlerchurch.org/sister-circles to sign up for a monthly Sister Circle small group or to receive the Sister Studies emails.