"Life in the Wilderness" (#3: Tested to Trust in God)

Sermon Date: 
Mar 19 2017
Sermon Audio: 

Please feel free to use the following as a reflection, personal study, or for your Life Group. Please be sensitive to other views expressed.

INTRODUCTION
1. How do you commonly respond when life doesn't seem to go as planned? How do you respond towards God?
2. When life seems to be going well do you think this is a time when Christians tend to forget about God (i.e., less prayer, church attendance, etc.)?

READ DEUTERONOMY 8

1. What was God's purpose leading the Israelites in the desert?
2. God amazingly provided for the Israelites which may not have been recognized. Even though life may have it's great difficulties what may we learn based from verse 4 in our own walk?

Comment: Satan wants you to focus on what you don't have so that you fail to give thanks in what you do have from God's intimate provisions. Satan also likes to use God's training and testing ground as a means that threatens you so you turn away from trusting God to trusting your own actions.

3. Based on these verses, what are ways that reveal we are forgetting God?

Comment: When you forget about God there is a chain of unfolding events: lack of praise, lack of thanksgiving, lack in reading his Word, which may lead you towards a dangerous path of idolatry against God.

4. What is the warning to the Israelites should they decide to forget about God and entertain idolatrous worship? What may be the warning for us who live more for self that for Christ (remember God disciples the ones he loves)?

CONCLUSION
God gave all of himself exclusively for you as revealed in Jesus Christ. Have you given God exclusive rights in all of your life?

How did this sermon/reflection speak into your heart?

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Trevor