"He's Personal" Discussion Guide

INTRODUCTION

In our culture we like to put things into categories. We have different categories of food (Mexican, Italian, French, etc.), music (R&B, punk, rap, Christian), and movies (romance, action, sci-fi, etc.) to name a few.

Many times we reject God as a category. Our relationship with him is blocked because we view God as the God who hates homosexuals, or the God of the conservative religous people, or the God of judgement, or the God of blind faith, to name a few.

God is not a category. He is personal. Therefore, God will want us to relate to him personally. When we move from seeing God as a category to someone personal our relationship with him will radically change.

DISCUSSION QUESIONS

1. Describe a favorite toy or stuffed animal you had as a small child. What made that toy personal to you and not just another toy or stuffed animal?

2. Read Genesis 12:1-3 and 15:5-6. How did God relate to Abraham in these passages? What does this passage teach concerning how God will relate to us?

3. Read Exodus 3:1-15. How did God relate to Moses in this passage? How did Moses relate to God? What does this say about our relationship with God?

4. Read John 15:1-8. What does this passage say about our relationship with God?

5. What would it look like for you to relate to God in a personal way?

6. How would your relationship to God change if you were to do this?

THINK ABOUT IT
In what categories do you place God? How could these categories jeopardize your relationship with God?

CHANGING YOUR MIND
"This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into this world that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9 (NIV)