Learn in Community
Small Group Study
Volume Overview
Who is God the Father?
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (Isaiah 55:8)
Since people first sinned in Genesis 3, every generation has had to connect with our invisible God for themselves. The question is: Where do we go to do this? One of the best ways to understand God the Father is to search His Scriptures. The Bible does three things—at least!—remarkably well. It reveals who God is, who we are, and how together we can have relationship.
Ultimately, it’s in the person of Jesus that we see the Father most clearly. But the Father also chose to reveal who He is throughout His Word. The fullest picture of our Father comes from the array of His interactions with men and women, through which He chose to explain himself to us. We would like to have answers to so many questions about this awesome God of creation. Perhaps one of the questions at the top of the list is: How can I know He’s the one true God?
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To access session content and videos on a computer, visit:
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Engage
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QUESTION Tell about a time when you found out a product wasn’t what you thought it was. How did you react?
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QUESTION Why are knockoffs and counterfeits so much less valuable than the real thing? |
When given the chance, we choose real over fake any day of the week. Advertisers understand this, so they market to us accordingly. Food packaging boasts “real” ingredients, and clothing manufacturers claim “genuine” materials. Nobody wants a knockoff—we want the real thing!
Yet, when it comes to faith, people sometimes fail to see they’re settling for a cheap imitation of the one true God. As Christians, we must be aware of the world’s many false gods, and choose to put God first no matter what.
Watch
As we watch this video, consider this question: How have you seen people be confused about God as the one and only true God?
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QUESTION How have you seen people be confused about God as the one and only true God? |
Consider What the Bible Says
About six hundred years before Jesus was born, a wicked king named Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. He selected the smartest and strongest Jewish young men and took them to his kingdom in Babylon. Three of those young men were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar’s goal was to train them to serve him and only him. He planned to make these young men rulers over the territories he had captured. It was a clever strategy to make sure he had total control. But what Nebuchadnezzar didn’t understand is that, in God’s kingdom, there is only room for one ultimate ruler—God.
Watch Out for Idols
Read Daniel 3:1–6.
King Nebuchadnezzar’s giant, gold statue was an unmistakable idol—a false god. We may never be forced to bow down to another god like this, but plenty of people and things threaten to pull our devotion away from the one true God. The Bible says He is the only one worthy of our worship (Exodus 20:3). So we must be on the lookout for anything that demands a higher priority than Him.
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QUESTION Aside from other religions, what are some things that people give a higher priority in their life than God? |
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QUESTION How do you determine if someone or something is pulling your devotion away from God? |
Did You Know?
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In the ancient world, large statues were a common way for kings and civilizations to prove their might to others. Nebuchadnezzar’s statue was a remarkable feat for its day, with its shell being constructed of mainly gold. But it was by no means the largest or the most famous of the ancient world. One thousand years earlier, Egypt had constructed obelisks about twice as tall as Nebuchadnezzar’s ninety-foot statue. His statue was also overshadowed by the second-century Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was eighteen feet taller. Yet the Colossus was made of much cheaper materials, a bronze-iron mix, leaving Nebuchadnezzar’s image as one of the most beautiful of the known ancient world.
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Idols Compete with the One True God
Read Daniel 3:7–15.
When everyone around them bowed down to the idol, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have been tempted to follow them. But they understood only God is worthy of our worship, so they stood their ground. Refusing to value what the world values is counter-cultural. We should be prepared for it to make us stand out.
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QUESTION Tell about a time when you or someone you know boldly chose to honor God with your actions, even when it was tempting to follow the crowd. What happened? How did others react? |
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QUESTION How can a person’s public devotion to God influence those who are watching?
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Rejecting Idols
Read Daniel 3:16–23.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s devotion to God led them where they never wanted to go—right into a fiery furnace! But their faith in the Creator of fire gave them the confidence to stand in the face of an evil king. They understood that the only way to deal with a false god is absolute refusal. That same confidence is available to us when we face difficulties for standing for our faith.
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QUESTION How can a deep knowledge of the one true God keep believers from being deceived into worshipping idols? |
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QUESTION Some idols in our lives can be less obvious, like money, achievement, relationships, etc. What does “absolute refusal” of these idols look like? |
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QUESTION What are some “fires” that believers are sometimes thrown into when they stand for their faith?
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Idols Cannot Compare with the One True God
Read Daniel 3:24–30.
In the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found God. He was standing with them! Their journey into terrible circumstances that should have led to their death actually brought them closer to God. At some point, we’ll likely suffer in some way for our faith in God too. Even Jesus told us our decision to serve the Lord would be the very reason some people hate us.
However, we’ll be rewarded if we remain faithful to Him. (See Matthew 10:22.) We can trust the Lord to be with us in difficulty. He will rescue us, if not here on earth, then in eternity. Our difficulties give Him opportunities to prove He is the one true God.
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QUESTION Tell about a time when God used a difficult circumstance to deepen your relationship with Him.
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QUESTION How does God’s presence with us in difficult times strengthen our testimony? |
Reflect
God Is the One True God
God did not spare Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego from the trial. They were actually thrown into the fire when they refused to worship a false god. But the one true God stood with them in the middle of the flames. His Word promises that He will be with us always, no matter what hardships we face (Isaiah 43:2; Matthew 28:20).
He will honor us when we stand for Him in front of others (Matthew 10:32). When your honest business practices mean you’re overlooked for a promotion, God will be with you. When you feel alone because you’ve ended an unhealthy relationship, God will be with you. He is a good Father.
Listen to God
Let’s pause and listen to what God might want to say to us about what we have read and shared. Be silent for a few moments and reflect on the following questions. Respond to the one that most resonates with what God is saying to you now. Then complete the others during Day 1 of your devotion time this week.
Personal Reflection Questions
Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
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QUESTION Do you believe God is the one true God? Why or why not? |
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QUESTION What are you most tempted to make a higher priority than your relationship with God? Why do you think that is? |
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QUESTION Do you feel you are ready to stand boldly for your faith when the time comes? Why or why not? |
Activate
We may never be forced to face death if we don’t publicly kneel to a giant, golden statue. But when we’re devoted to anything more than we’re devoted to God, we’ve made that thing like an idol. Being honest about where we’re spending our time, attention, affection, and money can give us a good idea of our level of devotion. Reflect on these areas of your own life. Ask God to show you if there is anything you are putting ahead of Him.
Challenge
What things compete for your devotion to God? What does “absolute refusal” of idols look like for you? Choose some to put into practice this week.
Prayer Requests
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Note any requests from the group and remember to pray for them during the week. |
Before next time, continue to learn with the personal devotions.
What We Believe
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There Is One True God
God has revealed himself as having always existed without any outside cause or agent bringing Him into being (Isaiah 43:10). He is the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1) and the One who redeems, saves, and rescues people from sin and its painful consequences (Isaiah 43:11). God has further revealed himself as a single Being (Deuteronomy 6:4), consisting of three interrelated Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22). This concept of one God or Being of three Persons is called the Trinity.
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The Significance of This Doctrine
It is contrary to the clear statement and meaning of Scripture to speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three gods or as three modes in which the one God has revealed himself. Through the centuries, such misguided teachings have created division and devastation in the Church. Though the concept of a “three in one” Trinity has no parallel in the human world, it is absolutely scriptural and essential to a proper understanding of the multifaceted nature of God. Other Scripture references support the nature of the one true God and the relationship between the Three Persons: Zechariah 14:9; Matthew 1:21–23; 11:25–27; 28:19; Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18, 29, 49; 5:17–30, 32, 37; 8:17–18; 14:16–17; 15:26; 17:11, 21; Acts 2:32–36; Romans 1:1–3, 1:7; 14:11; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 15:24–28; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:8–9; Hebrews 1:1–13; 7:3; 12:2; 1 Peter 1:8; 3:22; 1 John 1:3–4; 2:22–23; 3:8; 4:1–5, 10, 14; 2 John 3, 9; Revelation 1:13, 17; 4:8–11; 5:6–14; 7:9–10.
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Learn on Your Own
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Before you begin each devotion, pray and ask God to speak to you through His Word. Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
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Day 1: God Is the One True God
Read Daniel 3:1–30.
Look back over Learn in Community and complete your responses to the Personal Reflection Questions. Plan how to complete the Activate component if you haven’t already done so. If time permits, reread the Scripture too.
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QUESTION What is God saying to you about giving Him the rightful place in your life as the one true God? |
Learn on Your Own
Day 2: God Always Comes Through
Read 1 Kings 18:21–39.
The prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab and the people of Israel for abandoning God. Then he challenged their false god Baal and his prophets to a showdown. The god who set the altar on fire was the god the people should worship, he proclaimed. Elijah gave the other prophets every advantage and even made the challenge much harder for himself. But our God came through at Elijah’s first request—and did above and beyond what was required.
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QUESTION Why do you think God chose to do more than what was required to show that He is the one true God?
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QUESTION Describe a time when you saw God do more than what was required to answer a prayer or meet a need. |
Learn on Your Own
Day 3: God Never Changes
Read Deuteronomy 4:32–40.
Moses gave these instructions to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. He reminded them of God’s goodness, and that there is no other God but Him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were probably remembering instructions like these when the king demanded their worship. They had this history of being God’s people—a legacy of faith—to give them courage.
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QUESTION Who is part of your legacy of faith? Describe how their faith strengthens your faith.
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QUESTION What can you do to make sure your legacy of faith in the one true God continues long after you? |
Learn on Your Own
Day 4: God and Jesus Are One
Read John 10:22–42.
Jesus made it plain that He and Father God are one. When people challenged Him on this, Jesus simply pointed to the work He had done through the power of God as proof. Many people believed in Jesus when they saw the miracles He performed. The same is true today. In fact, one of the greatest miracles of all is when God transforms our life.
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QUESTION Why are miracles so effective in proving God’s authority?
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QUESTION Why do you think we often overlook the miracle of God’s life-changing work in us?
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Learn on Your Own
Day 5: God Wants Us to Know Him
Read Isaiah 42:1–9.
Even though Isaiah wrote this prophecy long before Jesus came to earth, it’s clearly about Jesus, our Savior. It also reminds us of God as our Creator and His position as the only God who is worthy of our praise. Through His many efforts to connect to us, it’s plain that God wants us to know exactly who He is.
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QUESTION How does the truth of prophecies like these increase your faith in God?
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QUESTION What do you need to praise God for? Take time to do so now.
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