Date: November 17, 2019
God’s Will and the Glory of God
The Point: We bring glory to God when we obey His will.
Get Into the Study
Use the following information to introduce Question #1.
Earlier this year, Conde Nast Traveler published its list of “The 50 Most Beautiful Places in the World.” They called it “a compilation of Mother Nature’s greatest hits.” Some of the places on their list include Angel Falls in Venezuela, where the world’s highest waterfall is found; Antelope Canyon, Arizona, where the Navajo name means “the place where water runs through rocks”; Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar, where the centuries-old trees rise to nearly 100 feet in height; Cliffs of Moher, Ireland, where the rocky cliffs rise from the water more than 700 feet; or Banff National Park, Canada, famous for its pristine lakes.
Say: Seeing the awesome sights of nature call to mind God’s glory. Then call attention to Question #1 (What’s something you’ve experienced that really took your breath away?) and invite volunteers to respond.
Information for this post was gleaned from:
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-11-27/the-50-most-beautiful-places-in-the-world
Study the Bible
Use the following information to supplement Question #4.
Christians in the north African country of Algeria are experiencing persecution with the government closing churches and beating believers. “The believers in Algeria are passing through a difficult moment but they are not giving up despite difficult circumstances,” said one Algerian Christian who accepted Christ at a church the police have since closed. Just in the month of October, the government raided and closed three more churches. When the police closed the largest of these churches, a Protestant church with about 700 members, they beat the pastor and injured some of the church members. The Algerian Christian said she became a believer after God healed her brother. “It was following the healing of my little brother at this same church who had a serious sickness that I had doubts about my old religion,” she said. “I prayed and God revealed Himself to me…. I saw God’s love and peace through the people of this church.”
[The Algerian Christian is not named in the Baptist Press article for safety reasons.]
Say: This Algerian Christian became a believer when she saw God working through the healing of her brother. Then call attention to Question #4 (How have you seen God demonstrating His glory draw others to Christ?) and invite volunteers to respond.
Information for this post was gleaned from:
http://www.bpnews.net/53802/persecuted-algerians-confident-in-god-convert-says
— Donna McKinney wrote these Leader Extras. Donna is retired from a career with the federal government of the United States. She is a veteran Bible study group leader living in North Carolina.
Additional Questions
Icebreakers
- What comes to mind when you hear the word “glory”?
- How does our culture define the term “glory”?
- What element of nature showcases God’s glory to you?
John 11:1-4
- How would you explain or summarize God’s glory?
- How do you tend to react to God’s delayed response to a prayer?
- What does it look like on a practical level for God to be glorified?
John 11: 38-43
- What role do we have in glorifying God or calling attention to His glory?
- How does our faith bring glory to God?
- What’s the relationship between believing God, obeying God, and seeing His glory?
John 11:44-45
- What are some examples today of God being glorified?
- Where do you see God’s glory revealed in this story?
- In what ways has God demonstrated His glory in some of your difficulties?
Member Extra
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Created for the Glory of Another
Video
Here’s a brief video giving you an overview of this session: How to Know God’s Will, Session 6.
Love listening to Lynn as I prepare to teach our Senior Adult class at Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church outside of Madisonville Kentucky. It is a great help for me in my preparation.
Thanks for making this available.