TM

Bearing gods Image

fall 2013: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor

TM

Bearing gods Image

fall 2013: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor

the gospel project for students

personal study guide, Fall 2013 volume 2, number 1 PRODUCTION and MINISTRY TEAM Vice President, Church Resources: Eric Geiger General Editor: Ed Stetzer Managing Editor: Trevin Wax content editor: Andy McLean DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING: Jeff Pratt DIRECTOR, student ministry: Ben Trueblood Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, The Gospel Project for Students Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0174, Or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com Send questions/comments to: Publishing Team Leader, The Gospel Project: Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America

The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWays doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved. Photos: iStockphoto and Getty Images

TGP Personal Study Guide

C o n te n ts
Unit 1: God the Father
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Session 1: Created to Reflect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Session 2: Created to Relate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Session 3: Created to Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Session 4: Created to Rest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Session 5:  Created to Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Unit 1: Session 1. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Unit 1: Session 2 . . . . . . . . . 22 Unit 1: Session 3 . . . . . . . . . 30 Unit 1: Session 4. . . . . . . . . 38 Unit 1: Session 5 . . . . . . . . . 46

In-Class

Unit 2: God the Son

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Session 6: Jesus Reflects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Session 7: Jesus Reconciles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Session 8: Jesus Redeems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Session 9: Jesus Reigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Unit 2: Session 6. . . . . . . . . 56 Unit 2: Session 7. . . . . . . . . 64 Unit 2: Session 8. . . . . . . . . 72 Unit 2: Session 9. . . . . . . . . 80

Unit 3: God the Spirit

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Session 10: Forever Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Session 11: Forever Reflecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Session 12: Forever Trusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Session 13: Forever Restored. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Unit 3: Session 10. . . . . . . . 90 Unit 3: Session 11. . . . . . . . . 98 Unit 3: Session 12. . . . . . . 106 Unit 3: Session 13. . . . . . . . 114

about the writers

About the Devo Writers:
as a golf professional before God called him to ministry. Jason then moved to New Orleans, LA to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After earning his Master of Divinity degree, Jason and his wife, Angela, moved back to the Nashville area, where he is currently serving as an itinerant preacher.

about the encore writers:

is the one of the founding pastors of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he serves as the Executive Pastor of Worship and Arts. Hes the author of Rhythms of Grace: How the Churchs Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel and the co-author of Faithmapping with Daniel Montgomery. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Dorothy and Maggie.

Jason Reed worked six years

Unit 1: Mike Cosper

Brady Collier and his wife, Vanessa, have two children and live in north Texas. He serves as Minister of Education at Faith Baptist Church Iowa Park. Brady has a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theology Seminary and is in the process of earning a PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Michael Kell is the Student Ministry Pastor at Liberty Church in Moreno Valley, CA. Michael is husband to Janelle and the father of two. Michael is passionate about students knowing how much God loves them and wants to work in their lives. Michael is committed to seeing students plugged into Gods Word and studying it for themselves.
degree in Family and Child Studies from Louisiana Tech University. She earned her Masters of Divinity and two certificates in Womens Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Carrie traveled as a break-out speaker for LifeWays You and Your Girl Conference. She currently works with students at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA., where her husband Jared serves as Student Minister. They have one child Judah, who is quite the bundle of joy and excitement.

serves as the Senior Pastor of Montrose Baptist Church and the Chancellor of Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland. He has formerly served as Dean of Intercultural Programs and Assistant Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ken is married to Linda, and they have threechildren.

Unit 2: Ken Fentress

Carrie Osborne received a

is the Discipleship Resource Pastor for The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. He received a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2009 and has been on staff at The Village since 2006, overseeing the development of theological resources.

Unit 3: Geoff Ashley

TGP Personal Study Guide

App for Students in the iTunes App Store!

Available now

Get the app for $2.99 in the App Store.

Access your Gospel Project content whenever, wherever with this new app for iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. With three weekly devotions and group study content, its great for personal growth and Bible study. It is ideal for you on-the-go.
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Ready Your Heart

h o w t o u se t h i s st u d y
1. GET Started. The goal of these pages is to provide you an overview of where the study is heading this week. This intro page is followed by three devotional readings. These readings are provided to assist you in preparing your heart during the week as well as providing you a place to launch into studying these Scriptures. Take plenty of time to read through these and allow a few minutes to reflect over what you have read. Use the Pause and Reflect section at the bottom of each devotional to help you process what you have just read.
Look Alike

ready your heart

SESSION 1

created to reflect

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth. So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth. Have you ever noticed that so many old, married couples look alike? As a child, I was fascinated at how much my grandparents looked alike. Oddly though, when I saw pictures of when they were first married, they didnt favor each other as much as they did when they were older. Recently, I read that several scientific studies have been conducted to explain this phenomenon of old, married couples looking alike. Some of these studies suggested that couples might favor each other later in life because they share so many life situations together. They laugh together, cry together, mourn together, and celebrate together. In other words, as they share life together in becoming one, and as their relationship grows deeper throughout the years, they begin to look more and more alike. The Bible says that God created us in His image. Not only that, He desires for us to have a relationship with Him. I would suggest that as we walk spiritually with God, as we behold more of Christ, we begin to look more and more like Christ. Now when I say we look more like Christ, Im not saying that we take on His physical appearance. What I mean is that Christs desires become our desires, His character becomes our character, His concern for those hurting becomes our concern, and His passion for the lost becomes our passion. I pray that as you continue your spiritual journey that God will continue to transform you to be more like Jesus.

he story of the Bible begins with a startling fact. Once upon a time, there was nothing. No universe. No milky way. No sun, no stars, no moon. No Smoky Mountains, no Red Sea, no Andes, no Nile, no Pacific. Once upon a time, creation wasnt. And then, with a word, it was. In this vast universe, this mind-boggling expanse of life, energy, and beauty, one creature is singled out for a unique project: a special creation given a gift like no other. God made man and woman, and He made them in His image and likeness. This week we examine the biblical truth that God created humans in His image with the purpose of glorifying Him and enjoying Him forever. Because we are made in the image of God, we have inherent dignity, worth, and value and are different from the rest of creation. But due to our sin, the image of God in humanity has been distorted, and we fail to fulfill the purpose for why we were created. Thankfully, God has a plan to restore us through His Son.

Pause and Reflect

How does knowing that humans are created in Gods image change the way you see other people? In what ways do you look more like Christ than you did a year ago? In what areas of your life do you wish you looked more like Christ?

TGP Personal Study Guide

fall 2013

ready your heart

ready your heart

Dont Settle for the Temporary

Psalm 16:11 You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures. Michael Jordan is recognized by many as the greatest basketball player ever. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Jordan won six NBA championships, five NBA MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. These awards only begin to describe his success as a basketball player. He also created the Jordan brand with Nike, starred in the hit movie Space Jam, and excelled in several businesses following his basketball career. Even though he is retired, he is still one of the most influential athletes in the world. Close to his 50th birthday, Jordan said in an interview, I wish I was playing right now. I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball. When I first came across that quote, I thought of how awesome it would be to see Michael Jordan play basketball again. But as I thought about it more, it seemed to me that Jordan was struggling with what the rest of the human race often struggles with finding lasting joy and satisfaction in life. When he was younger, he woke up every day determined to become a better basketball player than he was the day before. Being the best in basketball was not only his life, identity, and purpose, but the very thing he was pursuing happiness in. The unfortunate reality is that his joy of playing basketball was a fleeting joy. At the age of 50, we see him willing to trade in all his fame, money, championships, awards, records, and prestige just to be able to play the game of basketball again. Theres nothing wrong with aiming for excellence in what you do for the glory of God, but dont find your joy, identity, and purpose in temporary things because when it is over, your joy, identity, and purpose will be lost. You can only truly find these in a relationship with Jesus Christ. God created us to have our deepest longings for joy to be fulfilled in Him, and when that happens, our lives are guaranteed to show Him to be the awesome King He is!

Life-Altering Choices
Genesis 9:1-7 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority. Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything. However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each mans brother for a mans life. Whoever sheds mans blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image. But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it. Growing up in a large city and going to a large high school, I have met a lot of different people. I distinctly remember one guy, whose name was Matthew. Matthew was one of the most gifted athletes I have ever met. He was good at football, basketball, baseball, track, golf, and any other sport he wanted to play. Not only was he a great athlete, but he was a nice guy and was popular in our school. Sadly, as Matthew got older and got his drivers license, he began making poor choices. His poor choices led to bad grades, which meant he was not eligible to play sports for our school. His disappointment in not being able to play sports just led to worse choices and his life spiraled out of control. Matthew had the ability and potential to play sports at the collegiate level and, perhaps, even the professional level. Unfortunately, his skills were wasted and his potential was never realized because of his poor choices. From a universal standpoint, God created the world and it was very good, but when Adam and Eve sinned, it altered the relationship between God and all of His creation, especially humans. From an individual standpoint, God has a plan and purpose for our lives, but our choices or the consequences from our choices may hinder us from accomplishing Gods will most effectively. Like Matthew, we still sin and make mistakes all the time, which is all the more why we need the gospel in our lives. Through our relationship with Jesus, the broken pieces of our lives are being both restored and remade into something new, something wonderful, and something beautiful.

Pause and Reflect

What are you known for? How does your previous answer relate to your relationship with Christ? Are there any sacrifices that you need to make in order for your relationship with Christ to be a higher priority?

Pause and Reflect

What are some poor choices that you made lately? How are these choices hindrances in your walk with Christ? Who can you count on to keep you accountable so you dont make life-altering mistakes? What are some ways to be equipped to make wise and biblical decisions?

TGP Personal Study Guide

fall 2013

TGP Personal Study Guide

Ready Your Heart

2. Discuss It. This section is for you to use during your group time. Spend a few minutes before class scanning these pages to help prepare you for the discussion time. During your group time, speak up. This study is designed to teach you biblical truth and allow you to process those truths together. Discussion time works best when there is discussion.

Gods image in humanity is...

God created humans in His image with the purpose of glorifying Him and enjoying Him forever. Because we are made in the image of God, we have inherent worth and value and are different from the rest of creation. But due to our sin, the image of God in humanity has been distorted, and we fail to fulfill our purpose. Thankfully, God has a plan to restore us through His Son.

Glorifying.
We hear a churchy word like glorify and think immediately of church services and praise choruses. But thats not what we see in Genesis. Instead, in a world before sin, God shows us a man working in the Garden of Eden, naming animals, and falling in love with a woman. For Adam, all of life was glorifying to God. His worship and glory-reflecting was rooted in who he was (an image-bearer), not just the specific things he did.  What does glorifying God look like outside of the church doors? At school? At home? When no one is looking? D  o we make much of something when we delight in it? If yes, how so?  If our heart is where our treasure is, as Jesus says, then do we make much of God by enjoying and treasuring Him?

Reflective.

Humanity was designed to take a central place, ruling over and caring for creation, while living in community with one another in a way that mirrored and echoed Gods own nature.  What does it mean for humans to be created in Gods image? What are some ways that human creativity is a reflection of Gods own creativity? What are some differences between human creativity and Gods creativity?

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit. - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

How do you play sports, text with friends, or do homework for the glory of God?

The gift of Gods image is the reason humanity has distinguished itself from the rest of creation. The last I checked, there were no pigs practicing medicine, no horses coaching in the NFL, no dogs earning PhDs. Its Gods image that makes humanity creative, that spurs ingenuity and imagination, that leads us to take things like iron ore, petroleum, and electricity to melt and refine them into things like iPhones, cars, and skyscrapers.
 How should humanitys inherent value as imagebearers change the way we relate to each other? How should it change the way we view teachers, people at school, competitors in sports, bad neighbors, terrorists, and persecutors of Christians?

 What are some ways

you find yourself looking for approval, recognition, and affirmation? the answer to this longing? that people who deny the existence of God nonetheless show off His glory and goodness?

Distorted.
Everything changed in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned. The harmony of creation, led by the perfect image-bearing lives of the first man and woman, turned to corruption and chaos. Death and disease followed, and every kind of evil was birthed in

 How is the gospel

 Can you think of ways

Conclusion We were made to reflect

Gods image. Sin has fractured it, denying us an experience of the glory we long for, and the gospel invites us to experience it anew. Despite what culture may say, or perhaps whatever people tell themselves, about their identity and self-worth, the fact of the matter is that they, along with the rest of humanity, are created in Gods image, intended to reflect and mirror God with all of who they are.

H  ow does knowing

H  ow does knowing

the purpose for why you were created change the way you view yourself and others? this purpose change the way you make decisions about your future?

3. Keep Going. There is a lot to learn and process with each of these lessons. There is a good chance you may miss something during the discussion or you may run out of time when your group meets to finish the study. Use these pages to look back at what you learned and also to catch up on anything you missed during the discussion.
7

Encore

Encore

created to reflect Gods image in humanity is...

1. reflective (Gen. 1:26-28). This passage shows how God gifted humanity with His image - a word that rings out with poetry and more than a little mystery. That gift is a crown of glory. It sets us apart from other parts of creation and gives us a unique place in the world. We experience it as we reflect Gods glory, relate to one another, work, and rest. In a sense, reflecting Gods image is shorthand for everything we do as image-bearers. Our working, resting, and relating are all ways of reflecting God. Humanity was designed to take a central place, ruling over and caring for creation, while living in community with one another in a way that mirrored and echoed Gods own nature. In a world without sin, the world would be marked by all that God Himself is. All of our interactions at home and school would be just and fair (Lev. 25:14). Relationships would be built upon faithfulness and trust (Matthew 5:37). Love would be at the heart of our care for one another (Zech 7:9), for creation, and most of all, for God Himself (Deuteronomy 6:5). The image of God is a mantle of glory, given to frail human flesh, setting us a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7). That gift is also the reason humanity has distinguished itself from the rest of creation. The last I checked, there were no pigs practicing medicine, no horses coaching in the NFL, no dogs earning PhDs. Its Gods image that makes humanity creative, that spurs ingenuity and imagination, that leads us to take things like iron ore, petroleum, and electricity to melt and refine them into things like iPhones, cars, and skyscrapers. 2. Glorifying (1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 16:11). Its in the person and presence of God that humanity finds its greatest joy, satisfaction, and sense of fulfillment. We were meant to live in relationship with God and one another, and this is evident in Genesis 1-2. But notice how glorifying God in Genesis isnt simply a 24-7 praise and worship service. We see no singing, no preaching, or youth services. Too often, our understanding of glorifying God is narrowly defined. We hear a churchy word like glorify and think immediately of church services and praise choruses. But thats not what we see in Genesis. Instead, in a world before sin, God shows us a man working in the Garden of Eden, naming animals, and falling in love with a woman. For Adam, all of life was glorifying to God. His worship and glory-reflecting was rooted in who he was (an image bearer), not just the specific things he did. The Psalmist also shows us that a human being is, by his or her very nature, a glorious creature. When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:3-5) Having glory isnt a conscious decision we make; its part of our being. Were made with brains and bodies that do wondrous things. Our imaginations can take us away on day dreams and fantasies. We have a remarkable capacity for building, planning, and creating together. The great achievements of the arts and sciences testify to the glory of humanity, but so is the capacity for love between a father and child or the shared wisdom of a grandparent.
TGP Personal Study Guide

3. distortive (Gen. 9:1-7). Everything changed in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned. The harmony of creation, led by the perfect image-bearing lives of the first man and woman, turned to corruption and chaos. Death and disease followed, and every kind of evil was birthed in the hearts of men. The situation became so dire that God determined to start over saving only one man and his family. Its a familiar story one that has been turned into a bedtime story and illustrated with stuffed animals and plastic toys. But its far from a cute story about animals and boats. Its a stunning example of Gods hatred of sin, as He wiped out every living thing except those on Noahs ark. In the aftermath, God gave Noah a new promise: In many ways, this passage is an echo of the original promise God gave to Adam and Eve before the fall. Do you see the similarities? But notice the difference. Even after starting afresh, God acknowledged the inevitable return of evil. Even the flood couldnt wash away the curse. So here we see God reaffirming the truth that His image remains in man, but in these instructions, its clear that something has gone horribly wrong. People will kill each other. We see dysfunction all around us. Its evident in large ways in the horrible news aired nightly on TV, and its evident in small ways as we see all kinds of human suffering disease, dysfunction, poverty, and affliction of all kinds. Sins consequences spread like kudzu, growing out of control until what was once there is no longer recognizable. A world once marked by peace and abundance now bears the scars of rampant evil. This brokenness isnt only on display on the front pages of newspapers and websites. Its on display in our living rooms and schools, our bedrooms and backyards. We hurt those we love with lies and half-truths, we manipulate and maneuver to make sure we come out on top in conflicts. We think of ourselves over and above others. Our lives, meant to be a reflective outpouring of the love of God, are instead filled with sin and corruption. Conclusion Because everyone reflects Gods image, we have a unique opportunity for mission. Imagine a girl who, at birth, was taken from her parents. For the next twenty-five years, she was deceived into believing that her kidnappers were her birth parents. For her whole life, she felt out-of-place. Why didnt she look like her parents? Why didnt she look like her brother and sister? Now imagine if, one day, a detective came to her door and told her the truth. After reuniting with her birth parents, she stands face-to-face with her mother, an older mirror-image of herself. She sees it in the slope of her shoulders, the hazel of her eyes, the way she crosses her arms and squeezes her elbows with excitement. Her father comes into view, and she sees the prototype of her own face. Her mother begins to laugh and cry at the same time, and the daughter joins her, a twin chorus of uncontainable joy. The days that follow are an ongoing discovery of familiarity. Her love of literature is present in her father. Her love of cooking shared with her mother. The connections keep forming, and it begins to dawn in her heart that at last, she is home. Her story is the story of everyone whos ever discovered, after years of longing for a sense of place and meaning, that they were made in the image of God. When we live on mission, sharing the gospel with the world around us, we have the opportunity to tell them that they were made for glory, that their love of beauty, their longing for relationships, their hunger for justice are all pointing to their heavenly Father. Youre not an orphan, we say. You have a Father and a home.

fall 2013

for more resources (podcasts, devotionals, Visit and other articles) related to this material.
fall 2013 7

GospelProject.com

TGP Personal Study Guide

unit 1

Gods Purpose for Humanity

We are frail creatures. If you doubt that, even for a moment, go visit an ER trauma room and see how fragile our bodies are, how quickly they deteriorate with age, injury, or sickness. In elementary school, we learned about life cycles in ecosystems. Animals die, their bodies decay, and they fertilize the grass. Some animals eat the grass. Other animals eat the grass-eating animals. Eventually, they all die and the cycle begins again. Its a pretty bleak way of looking at the worlda world dominated by death. But Gods Word pulls back the curtain on reality and shows us that much, much more is going onsomething in the hearts and souls of men and women never decays or dies. As frail as we may be, corrupted by our sins, and as battered as our world may be, there still exists a hope for the world and a hope for us as individuals. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote: The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven. Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man (1 Cor. 15:47-49). The ultimate hope of every image-bearer is answered in Jesus, the heavenly Man who shares His image with all who trust in Him. As frail as we may be, our hope endures because Jesus Christ lives, and in Him, we too have eternal life. What makes the image of the heavenly Man (Jesus) different from the image of the man made of dust (Adam)? Is your life marked by the hope of resurrection? Why or why not? How might confidence in the resurrection and the restoration of Gods image change the way you live and interact with others?

fall 2013

SESSION 1

created to reflect

he story of the Bible begins with a startling fact. Once upon a time, there was nothing. No universe. No milky way. No sun, no stars, no moon. No Smoky Mountains, no Red Sea, no Andes, no Nile, no Pacific. Once upon a time, creation wasnt. And then, with a word, it was. In this vast universe, this mind-boggling expanse of life, energy, and beauty, one creature is singled out for a unique project: a special creation given a gift like no other. God made man and woman, and He made them in His image and likeness. This week we examine the biblical truth that God created humans in His image with the purpose of glorifying Him and enjoying Him forever. Because we are made in the image of God, we have inherent dignity, worth, and value and are different from the rest of creation. But due to our sin, the image of God in humanity has been distorted, and we fail to fulfill the purpose for why we were created. Thankfully, God has a plan to restore us through His Son.

10

TGP Personal Study Guide

ready your heart

Look Alike
Genesis 1:26- 28 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Have you ever noticed that so many old, married couples look alike? As a child, I was fascinated at how much my grandparents looked alike. Oddly though, when I saw pictures of when they were first married, they didnt favor each other as much as they did when they were older. Recently, I read that several scientific studies have been conducted to explain this phenomenon of old, married couples looking alike. Some of these studies suggested that couples might favor each other later in life because they share so many life situations together. They laugh together, cry together, mourn together, and celebrate together. In other words, as they share life together in becoming one, and as their relationship grows deeper throughout the years, they begin to look more and more alike. The Bible says that God created us in His image. Not only that, He desires for us to have a relationship with Him. I would suggest that as we walk spiritually with God, as we behold more of Christ, we begin to look more and more like Christ. Now when I say we look more like Christ, Im not saying that we take on His physical appearance. What I mean is that Christs desires become our desires, His character becomes our character, His concern for those hurting becomes our concern, and His passion for the lost becomes our passion. I pray that as you continue your spiritual journey that God will continue to transform you to be more like Jesus.

Pause and Reflect

How does knowing that humans are created in Gods image change the way you see other people? In what ways do you look more like Christ than you did a year ago? In what areas of your life do you wish you looked more like Christ?

fall 2013

11

ready your heart

Dont Settle for the Temporary

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Michael Jordan is recognized by many as the greatest basketball player ever. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Jordan won six NBA championships, five NBA MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. These awards only begin to describe his success as a basketball player. He also created the Jordan brand with Nike, starred in the hit movie Space Jam, and excelled in several businesses following his basketball career. Even though he is retired, he is still one of the most influential athletes in the world. Close to his 50th birthday, Jordan said in an interview, I wish I was playing right now. I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball. When I first came across that quote, I thought of how awesome it would be to see Michael Jordan play basketball again. But as I thought about it more, it seemed to me that Jordan was struggling with what the rest of the human race often struggles withfinding lasting joy and satisfaction in life. When he was younger, he woke up every day determined to become a better basketball player than he was the day before. Being the best in basketball was not only his life, identity, and purpose, but the very thing he was pursuing happiness in. The unfortunate reality is that his joy of playing basketball was a fleeting joy. At the age of 50, we see him willing to trade in all his fame, money, championships, awards, records, and prestige just to be able to play the game of basketball again. Theres nothing wrong with aiming for excellence in what you do for the glory of God, but dont find your joy, identity, and purpose in temporary things because when it is over, your joy, identity, and purpose will be lost. You can only truly find these in a relationship with Jesus Christ. God created us to have our deepest longings for joy to be fulfilled in Him, and when that happens, our lives are guaranteed to show Him to be the awesome King He is!

Pause and Reflect

What are you known for? How does your previous answer relate to your relationship with Christ? Are there any sacrifices that you need to make in order for your relationship with Christ to be a higher priority?

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ready your heart

Life-Altering Choices
Genesis 9:1-7 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it. Growing up in a large city and going to a large high school, I have met a lot of different people. I distinctly remember one guy, whose name was Matthew. Matthew was one of the most gifted athletes I have ever met. He was good at football, basketball, baseball, track, golf, and any other sport he wanted to play. Not only was he a great athlete, but he was a nice guy and was popular in our school. Sadly, as Matthew got older and got his drivers license, he began making poor choices. His poor choices led to bad grades, which meant he was not eligible to play sports for our school. His disappointment in not being able to play sports just led to worse choices and his life spiraled out of control. Matthew had the ability and potential to play sports at the collegiate level and, perhaps, even the professional level. Unfortunately, his skills were wasted and his potential was never realized because of his poor choices. From a universal standpoint, God created the world and it was very good, but when Adam and Eve sinned, it altered the relationship between God and all of His creation, especially humans. From an individual standpoint, God has a plan and purpose for our lives, but our choices or the consequences from our choices may hinder us from accomplishing Gods will most effectively. Like Matthew, we still sin and make mistakes all the time, which is all the more why we need the gospel in our lives. Through our relationship with Jesus, the broken pieces of our lives are being both restored and remade into something new, something wonderful, and something beautiful.

Pause and Reflect

What are some poor choices that you made lately? How are these choices hindrances in your walk with Christ? Who can you count on to keep you accountable so you dont make life-altering mistakes? What are some ways to be equipped to make wise and biblical decisions?

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Gods image in humanity is...

God created humans in His image with the purpose of glorifying Him and enjoying Him forever. Because we are made in the image of God, we have inherent worth and value and are different from the rest of creation. But due to our sin, the image of God in humanity has been distorted, and we fail to fulfill our purpose. Thankfully, God has a plan to restore us through His Son.

Reflective.

Humanity was designed to take a central place, ruling over and caring for creation, while living in community with one another in a way that mirrored and echoed Gods own nature.  What does it mean for humans to be created in Gods image? What are some ways that human creativity is a reflection of Gods own creativity? What are some differences between human creativity and Gods creativity?

The gift of Gods image is the reason humanity has distinguished itself from the rest of creation. The last I checked, there were no pigs practicing medicine, no horses coaching in the NFL, no dogs earning PhDs. Its Gods image that makes humanity creative, that spurs ingenuity and imagination, that leads us to take things like iron ore, petroleum, and electricity to melt and refine them into things like iPhones, cars, and skyscrapers.
 How should humanitys inherent value as imagebearers change the way we relate to each other? How should it change the way we view teachers, people at school, competitors in sports, bad neighbors, terrorists, and persecutors of Christians?

Glorifying.
We hear a churchy word like glorify and think immediately of church services and praise choruses. But thats not what we see in Genesis. Instead, in a world before sin, God shows us a man working in the Garden of Eden, naming animals, and falling in love with a woman. For Adam, all of life was glorifying to God. His worship and glory-reflecting was rooted in who he was (an image-bearer), not just the specific things he did.

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit. - C.S. Lewis

H  ow do you

play sports, text with friends, or do homework for the glory of God?

 What does glorifying God look like outside of the church doors? At school? At home? When no one is looking?  Do we make much of something when we delight in it? If yes, how so?  If our heart is where our treasure is, as Jesus says, then do we make much of God by enjoying and treasuring Him?

 What are some ways

you find yourself looking for approval, recognition, and affirmation? answer to this longing? that people who deny the existence of God nonetheless show off His glory and goodness?

Distorted.
Everything changed in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned. The harmony of creation, led by the perfect image-bearing lives of the first man and woman, turned to corruption and chaos. Death and disease followed, and every kind of evil was birthed in the hearts of men.

 How is the gospel the

 Can you think of ways

Gods image. Sin has fractured it, denying us an experience of the glory we long for, and the gospel invites us to experience it anew. Despite what culture may say, or perhaps whatever people tell themselves, about their identity and self-worth, the fact of the matter is that they, along with the rest of humanity, are created in Gods image, intended to reflect and mirror God with all of who they are.

Conclusion We were made to reflect

 How does knowing the

purpose for why you were created change the way you view yourself and others?  How does knowing this purpose change the way you make decisions about your future?

Encore

created to reflect Gods image in humanity is...

1. reflective (Gen. 1:26-28). This passage shows how God gifted humanity with His imagea word that rings out with poetry and more than a little mystery. That gift is a crown of glory. It sets us apart from other parts of creation and gives us a unique place in the world. We experience it as we reflect Gods glory, relate to one another, work, and rest. In a sense, reflecting Gods image is shorthand for everything we do as image-bearers. Our working, resting, and relating are all ways of reflecting God. Humanity was designed to take a central place, ruling over and caring for creation, while living in community with one another in a way that mirrored and echoed Gods own nature. In a world without sin, the world would be marked by all that God Himself is. All of our interactions at home and school would be just and fair (Lev. 25:14). Relationships would be built upon faithfulness and trust (Matt. 5:37). Love would be at the heart of our care for one another (Zech. 7:9), for creation, and most of all for God Himself (Deut. 6:5). The image of God is a mantle of glory, given to frail human flesh, setting us a little lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7). That gift is also the reason humanity has distinguished itself from the rest of creation. The last I checked, there were no pigs practicing medicine, no horses coaching in the NFL, no dogs earning PhDs. Its Gods image that makes humanity creative, that spurs ingenuity and imagination, that leads us to take things like iron ore, petroleum, and electricityto melt and refine them into things like iPhones, cars, and skyscrapers. 2. Glorifying (1 Cor. 10:31; Ps. 16:11). Its in the person and presence of God that humanity finds its greatest joy, satisfaction, and sense of fulfillment. We were meant to live in relationship with God and one another, and this is evident in Genesis 1-2. But notice how glorifying God in Genesis isnt simply a 24-7 praise and worship service. We see no singing, no preaching, and no youth services. Too often, our understanding of glorifying God is narrowly defined. We hear a churchy word like glorify and think immediately of church services and praise choruses. But thats not what we see in Genesis. Instead, in a world before sin, God shows us a man working in the Garden of Eden, naming animals, and falling in love with a woman. For Adam, all of life was glorifying to God. His worship and glory-reflecting was rooted in who he was (an image-bearer), not just the specific things he did. The Psalmist also shows us that a human being is, by his or her very nature, a glorious creature. When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. 8:3-5). Having glory isnt a conscious decision we make; its part of our being. Were made with brains and bodies that do wondrous things. Our imaginations can take us away on daydreams and fantasies. We have a remarkable capacity for building, planning, and creating together. The great achievements of the arts and sciences testify to the glory of humanity, but so does the capacity for love between a father and child or the shared wisdom of a grandparent.
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Encore

3. distortive (Gen. 9:1-7). Everything changed in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned. The harmony of creation, led by the perfect image-bearing lives of the first man and woman, turned to corruption and chaos. Death and disease followed, and every kind of evil was birthed in the hearts of men. The situation became so dire that God determined to start oversaving only one man and his family. Its a familiar storyone that has been turned into a bedtime story and illustrated with stuffed animals and plastic toys. But its far from a cute story about animals and boats. Its a stunning example of Gods hatred of sin, as He wiped out every living thing except those on Noahs ark. In the aftermath, God gave Noah a new promise. In many ways, this passage is an echo of the original promise God gave to Adam and Eve before the fall. Do you see the similarities? But notice the difference. Even after starting afresh, God acknowledged the inevitable return of evil. Even the flood couldnt wash away the curse. So here we see God reaffirming the truth that His image remains in man, but in these instructions, its clear that something has gone horribly wrong. People will kill each other. We see dysfunction all around us. Its evident in large ways in the horrible news aired nightly on TV, and its evident in small ways as we see all kinds of human sufferingdisease, dysfunction, poverty, and affliction of all kinds. Sins consequences spread like kudzu, growing out of control until what was once there is no longer recognizable. A world once marked by peace and abundance now bears the scars of rampant evil. This brokenness isnt only on display on the front pages of newspapers and websites. Its on display in our living rooms and schools, our bedrooms and backyards. We hurt those we love with lies and half-truths; we manipulate and maneuver to make sure we come out on top in conflicts. We think of ourselves over and above others. Our lives, meant to be a reflective outpouring of the love of God, are instead filled with sin and corruption. Conclusion Because everyone reflects Gods image, we have a unique opportunity for mission. Imagine a girl who, at birth, was taken from her parents. For the next twenty-five years, she was deceived into believing that her kidnappers were her birth parents. For her whole life, she felt out-of-place. Why didnt she look like her parents? Why didnt she look like her brother and sister? Now imagine if, one day, a detective came to her door and told her the truth. After reuniting with her birth parents, she stands face-to-face with her mother, an older mirror-image of herself. She sees it in the slope of her shoulders, the hazel of her eyes, the way she crosses her arms and squeezes her elbows with excitement. Her father comes into view, and she sees the prototype of her own face. Her mother begins to laugh and cry at the same time, and the daughter joins her, a twin chorus of uncontainable joy. The days that follow are an ongoing discovery of familiarity. Her love of literature is present in her father, her love of cooking shared with her mother. The connections keep forming, and it begins to dawn in her heart that at last, she is home. Her story is the story of everyone whos ever discovered, after years of longing for a sense of place and meaning, that they were made in the image of God. When we live on mission, sharing the gospel with the world around us, we have the opportunity to tell them that they were made for glory, that their love of beauty, their longing for relationships, their hunger for justice are all pointing to their heavenly Father. Youre not an orphan, we say, You have a Father and a home.
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