Summary
While teaching through “The Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9–15, Adam Tarnow showed us that our image of God is clouded, Jesus wants to clear up our clouded image of God, and that image is cleared up, everything in our life changes.
Discussion Questions
1. Adam gave us six incorrect images of God that affect how we relate to Him:
- Star Wars God: He is not a personal, just powerful (you better be on his good side).
- Scoreboard God: He is a drill sergeant with a clipboard, making note of all the good and bad things you have done and He is taking score.
- Chipotle God: He can be whatever we want him to be (all grace, mercy, forgiveness, but no justice, or wrath).
- Siri God: He is there only to solve your problems, and does not desire a relationship with you.
- Grandpa God: He is nice, sweet, and kind, but we are not going to him to solve our “complex” issues of 2017. He’s outdated.
- President God: He is too busy for us; we can’t go to Him (He doesn’t want to be bothered).
2. Of these six images of God, which one of these do you find yourself most often thinking God is like? How does that warp your view of the reality of God? How can you and those around you be reminded of who God is like?
3. Some of you may have father wounds that make the idea of God being your Father difficult or seemingly impossible to accept. God is not merely a reflection of your earthly father, but the perfection of your earthly father. If you struggle with this, how can those around you encourage you as you wrestle with the idea of God being your Father?
4. Read 1 John 3:1. This verse shows us that those who are adopted into God’s family are strange to everyone else because they don’t know our Father. If someone who does not know the goodness of our God crosses path with you, would they think you are strange? How are you doing in being a light to those who do not know the goodness of our Father?
5. Take a few minutes to pray and give thanks for who God is by naming the different attributes of God (His goodness, His sovereignty, His mercy, His justice, etc.) and thank Him for sending Christ to bring us into a right relationship with Him.