The Truth about God

Nearly everyone believes in God. It is our concept of God that varies from religion to religion—even from person to person. We gather our conceptions of God the way we build up any set of beliefs—partly from our own experience and partly from sound bytes of conversation and pop culture. We come to believe about God whatever “sounds right.”

That approach would be fine if we were decorating a living room. We would be free to create a pastiche of our own experiences and the preferences of others. But God is not a construct of our imagination; it’s the other way around. He is more like a freight train than an impressionist painting—he is what he is, not what we imagine him to be. We, in fact, are what he imagines us to be.

Four the next four weeks my messages at Fall Creek will center on the things we know for sure about God.

This is important because when you know who God is, you can understand him. When you understand him, you can relate to him. And when you have a relationship with God, you can grow to become like him.  And that's what we're all doing here, imitating God in the example of Jesus Christ.

This week, I'm thinking about the fact that God exists. What, too simple?

While nearly everyone acknowledges that there is a God, relating to him in real life is a different matter. I have a hunch that God is more of an idea to some folk than he is a person. I want to take people beyond knowledge about God to an experience of him.

When did you first become aware of God in some personal way?

What is the most profound encounter with God you have ever had?

Do you talk to God every day? Does he talk back?

Do you ever doubt that God is really there?

What can I say to people that will leave them with the certainty that God is real, personal, and present--right here, right now?

PS: This is also Pentecost Sunday, when we remember the day that God's Holy Spirit came to enliven the new believers. It's one of the days that we (a) think hard about who God is and (b) realize that we are part of a much, much wider fellowship than the people who gather in any one local church.