1. LIFE
GROUP
STUDY
GUIDE
JANUARY
27,2013
SERMON
NOTES
DAVID
CLAYTON
Faith
that
pleases
God
(Hebrews
11:6)
Without
faith
it
is
impossible
to
please
God,
because
anyone
who
comes
to
him
must
believe
that
he
exists
and
that
he
rewards
those
who
earnestly
seek
him.
ASTOUNDED
by
His
Creative
Majesty
1. Technical
proof
God
exists
(MIND)
a. Cause
and
Effect
(Hebrews
11:3)
2. Physics
and
laws
(Hebrews
1:2-­‐3)
AWED
by
His
Nearness
3. Intuitive
Proof
that
God
exists
(HEART)
a. Everyone
intuitively
knows
God
(Acts
17:27-­‐
28;
Ecclesiastes
3:11)
b. “God
stitched
into
the
fabric
of
the
human
mind,
his
existence
and
power,
so
that
they
are
instinctively
recognized
when
viewing
the
created
world.”
(Thomas
Schreiner)
c. Some
examples
of
“intellectual
giants”
being
persuaded
by
the
intuitive
argument.
i. T.S.
Elliott
ii. C.S.
Lewis
iii. A.N.
Wilson
d. Standard
of
right/wrong
–
evil
AMAZED
BY
His
Pleasure
4. Natural
Proof
that
God
exists
(Nature)
a. Why
God
created
(Revelation
4:11)
b. What
pleases
God
(Hebrews
11:6)
c. Declares
His
Glory
(Psalm
19)
d. Set
in
place
by
God
(Psalm
8:3)
e. Finger
painting
of
God
(Psalm
8:3)
f. Magnitude
of
creation
(Milky
Way)
g. Implications
(Hebrews
11:6)
i. God
displeasure
5. Why
some
do
not
know
when
they
do
know
(Romans
1:18-­‐25)
a. It
is
plain
and
clear
that
God
exists
(v.20)
b. Suppression
the
truth
(v.18)
leads
to
exchanging
the
truth
for
a
lie
(v.25),
which
results
in
futility
and
foolishness
(v.21)
c. No
faith
in
God’s
existence
ends
in
experiencing
the
wrath
of
God
instead
of
his
reward
(v.18)
ASTONISHED
HIS
LOVE
6. The
Cross
a. Nature
is
proof
of
God’s
existence
but
does
not
reveal
his
love.
b. Personal
knowledge
of
God
must
come
through
coming
to
him
through
Christ
on
the
cross
(Hebrews
11:6)
where
the
love
of
God
is
fully
available
to
all.
STUDY GUIDE
BUDDY BAYLESS
DISCOVERY ADVENTURE:
1. During the week since we last met, search for
and present some event that let you know God
was present and active in your life. Has God just
set you adrift or is He guiding and caring for you?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. (from 1.(a)) “The Law of Cause and Effect
states that every material effect must have an
adequate antecedent or simultaneous cause.”
Begin a discussion identifying all the “effects”
you can think of for which there is no known
“cause.” Evaluate my state of thinking as I
affirm: WWII did not have any cause! Electric
does not have any cause! This building where we
are gathered does not have a cause! ( Apply Heb.
3:3-4) Funny, the atheist agrees with you every
step until you ask the cause of the whole physical
universe……..the physical world, he affirms,
does not have a cause!
2. From Point 2(a. and d.) Inside our heads are
ideas of what “ought to be.” Where does this
universal human sense of “oughtness” come
from? Consider the Nuremburg Nazi war crimes
trials after WWII. Eleven Nazi war criminals were
hanged. Most common defense: I was just
following legitimate orders from my leaders.
Rebutted by (and they were judged guilty by)
“there is a higher law” than the laws of nations.
"Higher law" can be interpreted in this context as
the divine or natural law ….this is definitely a
Law above the law.” Nazi “evil” might have gone
unpunished were it not for the human’s intuitive
sense of a “higher (divine) law.” Explain: this is
either proof that God exists or we hanged 11 men
who did not break any law!
3.
(see
4(b,
c))
DISCUSS:
Self
deception:
“Above
all,
don't
lie
to
yourself.
The
man
who
lies
to
himself
and
listens
to
his
own
lie
comes
to
a
point
that
he
cannot
distinguish
the
truth
within
him,
or
around
him,
and
so
loses
all
respect
for
himself
and
for
others.
And
having
no
respect
he
ceases
to
love.”
―
Fyodor
Dostoevsky,
The
Brothers
Karamazov.
4.
“Don’t
cross
the
stream
to
find
water.”
Norwegian
Proverb
—in
what
way
does
this
describe
the
rationalist
who
denies
there
is
a
God?
(Psa.
14:1;
Rom
1:19-­‐25)