Podcast on The Way

God is Holy

God is Immutable

God is Self-existent

God is Incomprehensible

Read the following verses Job 11:7–9 Psalm 145:3 Psalm 147:5 Romans 11:33–35 before small group.
God is incomprehensible. We cannot comprehend Him completely. This isn’t the same as knowing Him. He desires that we come to know Him. We should be coming to know Him more throughout our lives, despite knowing that we will never know Him completely. Additionally, we should want to see the knowledge of God increase in others as well.
In what ways are you growing in your knowledge of God personally and corporately?
Think of a time you felt misunderstood by someone. Why is it difficult to see and acknowledge our own sin in a misunderstanding? How should the truth that God knows you fully affect the way you respond in that kind of situation?
Think of a difficult person in your life. How well do you truly know him or her? How might acknowledging your limited understanding change the way you interact with him or her?

God in Infinite

This week's message was on the infinite nature of God. Take some time to read through the following passages:
Isaiah 40:28
Psalm 147:5
1 Corinthians 2:9
Have you ever considered God's infinite nature and how it affects you? How have you attempted to "Take the measure" of God? What limits have you placed (or wanted to place) on his character or will?
One of the consequences of God's infinite nature is that His plan for this world and everything in it is beyond our ability to conceive. Whatever your vision of what God is doing in this world, his infinite nature means your biggest dream can't come close. Have you ever thought about this? How does this perspective change you?
If it's true that this infinite God is working out His plan for this universe, that He is restoring and reconciling all things, what are the ideas, organizations, or movements that we should support and/or oppose? In other words, what are the ideas, organizations, or movements that are helping to bring about God's kingdom by increasing justice, equality, love, mercy, and grace?

God is Self-Sufficient

This week's message introduced us to the concept of God's self-sufficiency. God is. He always has been and always will be. He is in a state of being, not becoming. He is eternally independent and He needs nothing. We, on the other hand, need. We need God and we need each other.
 
When we get this wrong, our view of the world changes. For instance, have you ever assumed that someone's financial need was caused by something they did or didn't do? Talk with your group about other ways this view of God affects how you live your life.
 
Does God ever get frustrated or disappointed? What does your answer to that question say about your God?
 
Growing in your relationship with God is not the process of diminishing your need and increasing your autonomy. Is this something you struggle with? How can your group help you unlearn this?

God is ____ (Introduction)

We’re taking a break from Hosea to go through a short series on the Attributes of God. This week’s intro message focused on why the study of God is important.
Talk with your group about your pre-existing ideas about the nature of God. Are there any significant ways that your view of God has changed?
In addition, there was a word of warning, “To be preoccupied with getting theological knowledge as an end in itself, to approach Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied self-deception.
There can be no spiritual health without doctrinal knowledge; but it is equally true that there can be no spiritual health with it, if it is sought for the wrong purpose and valued by the wrong standard. In this way, doctrinal study really can become a danger to spiritual life, and we today, no less than the Corinthians of old, need to be on our guard here.” (J.I. Paker)
How can learning more about God be a danger to one's spiritual life? Has it been a danger in your life? Spend some time praying for each other as we begin this study that we would not become conceited Christians.

012 Hosea 3:1-5

In this week's message, we see God telling Hosea to go and buy back Gomer, who has returned to her former ways and is now a slave up for auction to pay her debt. This is the redemptive story of Israel, God's people, as they left the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to worship other Gods. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God pursues them and is waiting for their return.
This is our story now, too. We wander away from God to worship other things. We pursue things that don't build toward His kingdom in the age to come. Instead, they build our kingdom in the present day. God is patient with us and longs for us to return to Him. He longs for us to “come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness.”
Talk with your group about this illustration and how you see it play out in your life. Talk about times when you have been faithful to God and times when you have failed. Are there things in your life right now that are distracting you from this truth?