Spiritual Formations: Good Good Father

SPIRITUAL FORMATIONS #3: GOOD, GOOD FATHER

PERSONAL TESTIMONY: Grew up in a single parent family, dad was an alcoholic.

Mom remarried when I was ten, my step-father was strict, didn’t get along with him well.

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

• We are living in a loveless, fatherless generation, and God wants to give us a new and fresh revelation of the extraordinary love of God the Father!

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SCRIPTURES:

“1 A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:1-13).

THE BIG IDEA: God wants us to know, believe and receive the extraordinary, unconditional love that He has for us.

PRAYER: “I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:17-21).

QUOTE: “People fear God because of wrong concepts of God. Let a man meet God in Christ Jesus, and he will love God.” (John G. Lake).

TEXT:

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14:7-9).

• Jesus came to reveal to us a picture of the Father’s loving heart.

• If you want to know how much God loves you, meditate on the life and teachings of Christ as found in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

THE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER: Luke 15

• Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant: Giving in abundance; lavish; generosity

“1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying… Skip down to verse…

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living…

17 But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:1-24).