"An Appropriate Sovereign?"

Outline

1. We all _____________, but to someone else’s tune. Ultimately, __________________ is out of our control.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

2. God alone plays the music of the ________________ of all creation – He alone can ______________________ the wind.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-15; Romans 1:16-32

3. We are mostly left in the dark; however, we are a part of His ____________ _________________, and so we must trust.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

Life Group Discussion Questions

1. Comment on the follow questions and answers from the Heidelberg catechism.

Q 27: What do you understand by the providence of God?

A: Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty, all things, in fact, come to us not by chance, but from his fatherly hand. Jer. 23:23 24; Acts 17:24 28; Heb. 1:3; Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15 17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:29

Q 28: How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved. Job 1:21 22; James 1:3; Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18; Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3 5; 8:38 39; Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24 28

2. What does it mean to read the Bible theo-centrically? Christo-centrically? Me-centrically? What is so dangerous about the me centered approach? How does the God centered approach help in the long term?

3. Read Daniel 4. What did Nebuchadnezzar learn about God through his suffering? Who caused the suffering? Was it a good thing?