God as Father—Interactions

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411:

Known by some as “The Lords’ Prayer,” it is known by others as the “Our Father” or “Pater Noster.” When Jesus was asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray, he said this (recorded in Matthew 6:9–13):
⁹This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored;
¹⁰may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today the food we need.
¹²Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
¹³Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.’

If you want to hear the prayer prayed in the original Aramaic language that Jesus used, check out this site (the audio will start automatically after 5 seconds).

Challenge:

See if you can identify:

How are we actually able to call God our Father?
How have we been able to be a part of God’s family with his other children?
According to this, are you a member of God’s family (his body, his church)?

1 Peter 1:17–24

¹⁷You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him. ¹⁸For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; ¹⁹it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. ²⁰He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. ²¹Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God. ²²Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. ²³For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal. ²⁴As the scripture says, “All human beings are like grass, and all their glory is like wild flowers. The grass withers, and the flowers fall, ²⁵but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

Words:

God Knows Best
by Helen Steiner Rice

Our Father knows what’s best for us,
So why should we complain–
We always want the sunshine,
But He knows there must be rain–
We love the sound of laughter
And the merriment of cheer,
But our hearts would lose their tenderness
If we never shed a tear…
Our Father tests us often
With suffering and with sorrow,
He tests us, not to punish us,
But to help us meet tomorrow…
For growing trees are strengthened
When they withstand the storm,
And the sharp cut of a chisel
Gives the marble grace and form…
God never hurts us needlessly,
And He never wastes our pain
For every loss He sends to us
Is followed by rich gain…
And when we count the blessings
That God has so freely sent,
We will find no cause for murmuring
And no time to lament…
For our Father loves His children,
And to Him all things are plain,
So He never sends us pleasure
When the soul’s deep need is pain…
So whenever we are troubled,
And when everything goes wrong,
It is just God working in us
To make our spirit strong.

Audio:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Scripture:

Jude 1:1–2

John 1:10-13

1 John 1:7

Philemon 1:6

1 Corinthians 16:13–20

Romans 12:5

Ephesians 4:12

Ephesians 1:23

1 John 5:1

Matthew 5:9

Ephesians 4:17–32

Philippians 2:1

1 Corinthians 12:27

Romans 8:14

Small Group Guide:

SMALL & LARGE GROUPS – God As Father SG

Video:

This video is about a coalition of denominations and churches called Church World Services. This video demonstrates the way that the church can be family to people all around the world as well as in your personal life. As God’s children, doing things that help push back the darkness help define what kind of family it is and who their father is. Below is their mission statement and values. Take a look:

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions.

Mission Statement

Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.

Core Values

Church World Service seeks to express all of these values locally and globally throughout its life and work:

Embodying the love of Jesus Christ
Respecting all faiths and traditions
Working with the most vulnerable
Promoting the dignity and rights of all people
Advocating a social, political and economic order based on peace and justice
Working ecumenically
Working in partnership
Supporting the integrity of creation
Being responsible stewards of resources

Large Group Guide:

SMALL & LARGE GROUPS – God As Father LG

Life Questions:

Make a list of the ways your relationship with your own father has helped you in a relationship with God and list some characteristics that your father has that reflects the God of Scripture. Ask God to heal any hurts or negatives issues that you may have experienced with your own father and thank God for positive ways that your father has pointed you to God as your spiritual father.
Try going to this site and type in “God the Father.” See how many references you get concerning God being our father in Scripture. Read through some of them and try to understand the significance of this relationship. Next, type in “children of God.” Look at these verses to get an understanding of how to be a part of God’s family so that he is your spiritual father. If this connection through Jesus Christ is not part of your life experience, talk to someone like a chaplain or a Club Beyond leader about what it takes to become a part of the body of Christ with God as father.