What does it mean to believe in God?

 What does it mean to believe in God? 

It’s interesting to review surveys that show a much higher percentage of local people who say they believe in God, and profess to have an Anglican affiliation, but they aren't worshipping with us on Sunday or Wednesday. We would do well to ask both ourselves and those people "why?' in order to seek positive ways to bridge the gap. If all those people did join us, our buildings wouldn’t be big enough to hold them!

There’s a lot of misunderstanding out there about what it actually means to believe in God, and how that faith ought to be lived out in Australia today. Despite the cultural and chronological differences, Psalm 24 still speaks into this today. You can read it HERE https://www.bible.com/bible/113/PSA.24.1  We will be unpacking this psalm on Sunday. 

In the lead up, I encourage you to reflect on the below questions credited to teacher Paul Tripp and used with permission:

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

1. If survey data shows that so many people claim to believe in God, why aren’t the majority of those people showing up on Sunday mornings at churches? What are they doing with their time instead? What does that show they truly believe? What do you do on Sunday mornings? What does that show you believe?

2. In what areas of your life is it easier to believe that God owns everything? What evidence have you given recently - thoughts, words, or actions - that proves you truly believe Psalm 24:1-2? In what areas of your life is it more difficult for you to believe that God owns every part of you? Why?

3. In what areas of your life have you failed to ask the question, “What is God’s purpose for this?” How can you be more practically intentional about putting that question on the forefront of your mind as you walk through your days, weeks, months, and years? What might it look like to be a steward of God’s world this week? Be specific.

Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children: Do you believe in God? How can I know you believe in God? If someone said that they believed in God, but never acted like it, would you think that what they’re saying is actually true? How can we know that someone really believes what they say if they say they believe in God? How do our actions help us understand our hearts? How can our words be made stronger by our actions? How can we ask God to help us right now as we think about where our words and our actions don’t match up?

For Older Children: If I told you I believed in God, but my actions, words, and attitudes reflected the opposite of that, what would you think about me? Why is it such a big deal for our words and actions to match up? What does it mean to steward something? Why is stewardship not the same thing as ownership? If you made something at school and someone else came along and wrecked it, why would you be upset? If God made you and owns you, who ultimately calls the shots in your life: you or him? What do you think God’s purpose is for your life? How can we both be more intentional about seeking God’s purpose for our lives?

Blessings on your week.
Rev Tanya