Beyond the Weekend: GOD IS...
People have a lot of thoughts about God. Some say he is angry and vengeful. Some say he is a buddy or best friend. But what does Scripture tell us about God?
Understanding the character of God matters. It changes how we meet him in our everyday lives. It changes how we understand the world around us, and his work in it. And it changes our prayer life and how we talk and hear from him. Understanding the character of God leads us to living lives of obedience and worship.
Join Pastors Aaron Buer, Jeff Manion and Brad Holmes in our 10-week series GOD IS ..., a study on the identity and character of God, and learn how your faith can grow as you know God better.
God Is Peace
Read: Judges 6:11-27 Listen: Judges 6
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. Judges 6:24a
The Bible depicts real life. It contains real stories of people in real places. Because of that, we find brokenness in the Bible. The time of the judges is chaotic and full of brokenness. The two great Israelite leaders who led the people out of Egypt and into the promised land, Moses and Joshua, are gone. There is no strong leader. One of the common descriptors is that people are doing evil, whatever they think is right. This way of living sets up a cycle: other nations raid Israel, God’s people cry out for deliverance, God delivers them and then they are raided again. That’s where Gideon comes in. God meets Gideon amid this chaos to bring deliverance through Gideon. God steps in and Gideon recognizes God as a God of peace.
Peace is something we all want. None of us want to live in chaos or anxiety. Throughout this series, we’ve been discussing God’s attributes. This week, we see how God is peace. The more we understand who God is and rely on him, the more of his peace we’ll experience. It can change the way we think, talk and act. Instead of seeking peace through our accomplishments or escapism, peace is found by running to our Heavenly Father.
TODAY: Ask God to help you run to him for peace. Ask him to reveal how to find peace in him this week. Thank him for being the God of peace. Thank him for sending Jesus to die on the cross so you can know him and his peace.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Read Psalm 8. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider how this psalm points to Jesus as ruler over all.
