God skillfully designed butterflies He took more care creating you

1. God skillfully designed butterflies He took more care creating you (See Metamorphosis under “nature” tab)

2. Birds are marvels of God’s engineering • He cares for each one God cares for humans much more

3. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

4. God protected and blessed Franz Hasel • He cares for you • God lets us face trials • He uses trials to • Reveal our characters • Improve our characters • He give us strength to face them See Franz Hasel story under “history” tab

5. In several places, God’s care is compared to a hen sheltering chicks under her wings Like chicks, we can trust ourselves Or we can trust God’s shelter

6. Only with your eyes shall you look,And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place Psalm 91:8,9

7. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you willhave tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. • John 16:33 Jesus warns that His followers will have trials He promises help to overcome, as He overcame

8. in all things God works for the good of those who love him • Rom 8:28

9. God gives us freedom of choice • And freedom to face the consequences We have experienced how: • One poor choice leads to another • This chain reaction hurts ourselves and others

10. The Bible tells us: “All have sinned…” (Romans 3:23) “The wages of sin is death…” • That’s how we would all be stuck, but: “…the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23

11. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9

12. God gives caterpillars wings • His transformation of our hearts (the cleansing mentioned) is more miraculous

13. Without this transformation, living a life that doesn’t hurt others is impossible • Like a caterpillar flying hundreds of miles

14. if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. • 2 Corinthians 5:17

15. God offers to: • free us from habits and tendencies that are harmful • help us want to do good • give us wisdom and strength to do good

16. The Power and Wisdom that guides the stars through space offers to guide in your life • To guide in the most important quest: • Getting to know Him Though the universe shows God’s power and wisdom, • He reveals His character through His Word, the Bible • He offers His Spirit to help us understand His word

17. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. • John 17:3

18. See what you can learn about God’s character from the following passages:

19. As a chick running away from it’s mother’s wings, the Jews had refused to trust in God • Because of this, they were conquered and taken captive. • Look at what God told them in the following passage:

20. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. • Jeremiah 29:11-13

21. God’s character is best revealed in the life of Jesus • Here’s a summary:

22. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. • Philippians 2:5-8

23. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? • Romans 8:32

24. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” • Luke 11:13

25. Jesus is coming back for us • God longs to prepare us for eternity with Him • Regardless of your past, He desires a personal relationship with you

26. Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. • John 14:1-3 God wants to enjoy your company for eternity

27. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. • Revelation 21:4

28. Obviously, no-one in heaven will hurt anyone • That’s why we need God to change our characters

29. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus

30. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

31. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

32. In summary, we have a problem: • Not that God is too weak • But we have separated ourselves from Him Jesus came to earth to live among us and take our punishment • He made it possible for us to reconnect to God

33. Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. • Isaiah 59:1,2

34. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

35. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

36. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. • Isaiah 53:4-6

37. God isn’t a cowboy trying to rope us in • He’s a caring shepherd, searching for and calling us Though Jesus gave Himself for us, and offers us all we need, He won’t force us to accept Him

38. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

39. The reason Jesus hasn’t come back, and brought an end to all Earth’s suffering, is that we haven’t been ready for Him, and He’s still patiently calling us

40. ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ • Ezekiel 33:11

41. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. • Revelation 3:20

42. Jesus is pictured as knocking on the door of your heart • Is anything more important than letting Him in?

43. This PowerPoint is just an introduction For a more complete Bible study series, visit: http://discoveronline.org/courses/discov/guide01/1believe.htm