CONNECT

Do you think there could be life on another planet? Why or why not? Share one thing about your childhood which helped make you who you are today. If money was no object, what would you do with your time?

WORD
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be - Psalm 139:13-16 For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10

WHAT

What does the Bible say?

Design in humans Ming Wang, a world-renowned eye surgeon, says, As a medical doctor and a scientist I can firmly attest to the fact that it is impossible for natural selection to explain the amazing intricacies of the eye. And thats just the eye. The complexity of our bodies is astounding, and surpassed only by the complexities of our brains the speed of our thoughts processes, the complexity of our thought patterns. What do you find fascinating about human complexity? What are your thoughts on whether life evolved versus being created by a designer? Which do you find harder to believe and why? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

 A life of purpose Psalm 139 talks about how God formed us and knew what wed be like and what wed do before we were even born. Ephesians 2 also says that God has lovingly created us, and designed us for works that he has prepared in advance for us to do. We are not just freaks of nature or products of chance, but we are created on purpose for a purpose. If life came about by accident then it has no real, ultimate purpose. However, if there is a creator then then it is possible to discover the purpose for his creation. What does the Bible say our ultimate purpose is? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

SO WHAT

What is the relevance of the Word to my life?

What difference does believing in a creator make to your life? What do you think some of his purposes and prepared works for you are? What would you like them to be?

NOW WHAT

How do I apply the Word to my life?

What could you do to intentionally discover more about ho God made you to be and his purposes for you? Is there something in your body or mind that needs Gods creative power?

PRAYER
Pray for God to reveal himself to you through nature. Pray for physical healing. Pray for any requests that people in the group may have.

How To Use This Material

This material is designed for small group discussion. The goal is not to just teach a lesson but to apply truth to our lives. The best preparation for each small groups leader is to have these guides in hand during the Sunday message so they can take notes to prepare for their group meeting. Each weeks lesson is taken from the GODS NOT DEAD book chapter of the same title. Reading that chapter will prepare the leader for a successful group discussion. These materials work best with a group of four to twelve people. Each lesson has four parts: connect, word, application, and prayer:

CONNECT (1015 minutes ) Most lessons have three warm-up questions provided. Pick the question or questions that will relate best to the group. If you think of a better warm-up question, feel free to use it. A good warm-up question is not controversial, should require no Bible knowledge, and should have no right or wrong answer. Good warm-up questions ask for a persons opinion and experience and should be loosely related to the topic in the word section. Everybody is encouraged to talk during the CONNECT time.

WORD (1520 minutes ) Each lesson has several key points in bold type followed by scripture, brief comments, questions, and blank lines. Use the extra lines to record additional comments, cross references, illustrations, and other thoughts that might help communicate the point.

APPLICATION (1020 minutes ) Maturity is not about how much we mark up or read our Bibles, but about how much we obey our Bibles. The goal is for truth to be absorbed into our hearts, not just into our heads. Therefore, personal application is at the very heart of discipleship and spiritual growth. Everybody is encouraged to speak during the personal application time.

PRAYER (1020 minutes ) The prayer time may begin with some answers to prayers to encourage and build the faith of the group. If your group has eight or more people, it may be a good idea to break into two or three smaller groups during the prayer time. Everyone should be encouraged to participate in the prayer time. Expect God to answer your prayers.