CONNECT

Describe the most beautiful view youve ever seen. Whats the best designed product youve used?

WORD
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2
16 For

in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

WHAT

What does the Bible say?

Just about everybody agrees that the universe (matter, space, time, and all scientific laws) began at some point. The real question is how? What caused all that we see around us to come out of nothing, and what is a plausible explanation that we can rely on? A Creator Skeptics go to great lengths to postulate new, increasingly complex, theories of how this universe could appear from nothing. The Bible says that in the beginning God an all-powerful, superintelligent designer created a life-sustaining universe to contain people that could be in relationship with him. Why can the Bible be trusted to give a reliable account of the beginning of the world? What problems do you have with a) a biblical, and b) an atheistic scientific account of the beginning? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

Nature is one of the ways that God makes himself plain to us. Its a popular belief that everything we see around us just popped into existence, but the world and universe we live in point towards an Intelligent Designer, and the Bible explains how: Fine-Tuning in the Universe In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Psalm 102:25 The interaction between the natural elements that make life possible is incredibly delicate, and provides stronger evidence for intelligent design rather than chance. For instance, as Richard Swinburne points out, if the neutron mass were 0.1 percent more massive, the universe would not have sufficient heavy elements essential for life, or it if were 0.1 percent less massive, all of the stars would have collapsed into black holes. What are some other fine-tuned natural elements you can think of? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Beauty in Nature The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:14(a) When God formed the world he said that it was good (Genesis 1:31). Even before he created people, he created an earth that was beautiful to look at. God intends to fill the entire universe with his glory, and he affirms that this world is part of that plan. Every time we look at something beautiful in nature, were seeing proof of Gods creativity. What natural elements do you most enjoy? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

SO WHAT

What is the relevance of the Word to my life?

How have your ideas about creation changed as a result of the scriptures mentioned? How would you articulate Gods plan for creation to someone who asked you? What difference does believing in a creator make to your life?

NOW WHAT

How do I apply the Word to my life?

What could you do to intentionally take time in your life to enjoy Gods creation? Is there something in your body or mind that needs Gods creative power?

PRAYER
Pray for God to reveal himself to you through nature. Pray for physical healing. Pray for any requests that people in the group may have.

How To Use This Material

This material is designed for small group discussion. The goal is not to just teach a lesson but to apply truth to our lives. The best preparation for each small groups leader is to have these guides in hand during the Sunday message so they can take notes to prepare for their group meeting. Each weeks lesson is taken from the GODS NOT DEAD book chapter of the same title. Reading that chapter will prepare the leader for a successful group discussion. These materials work best with a group of four to twelve people. Each lesson has four parts: connect, word, application, and prayer:

CONNECT (1015 minutes ) Most lessons have three warm-up questions provided. Pick the question or questions that will relate best to the group. If you think of a better warm-up question, feel free to use it. A good warm-up question is not controversial, should require no Bible knowledge, and should have no right or wrong answer. Good warm-up questions ask for a persons opinion and experience and should be loosely related to the topic in the word section. Everybody is encouraged to talk during the CONNECT time.

WORD (1520 minutes ) Each lesson has several key points in bold type followed by scripture, brief comments, questions, and blank lines. Use the extra lines to record additional comments, cross references, illustrations, and other thoughts that might help communicate the point.

APPLICATION (1020 minutes ) Maturity is not about how much we mark up or read our Bibles, but about how much we obey our Bibles. The goal is for truth to be absorbed into our hearts, not just into our heads. Therefore, personal application is at the very heart of discipleship and spiritual growth. Everybody is encouraged to speak during the personal application time.

PRAYER (1020 minutes ) The prayer time may begin with some answers to prayers to encourage and build the faith of the group. If your group has eight or more people, it may be a good idea to break into two or three smaller groups during the prayer time. Everyone should be encouraged to participate in the prayer time. Expect God to answer your prayers.