{"id":4368,"date":"2019-01-24T10:15:46","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T16:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=4368"},"modified":"2019-03-14T11:19:08","modified_gmt":"2019-03-14T16:19:08","slug":"thinking-rightly-about-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/01\/24\/thinking-rightly-about-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking Rightly About God"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Stephen Jones, Student Ministries Team Leader<\/strong><\/p>\n

I recently began a brand-new, open-ended Bible study with a group of high school teens.<\/p>\n

When I say open-ended<\/em>, I mean I am allowing them to choose the topics of our conversations over the next several weeks. I\u2019ve entitled this series simply, \u201cHey, I Have a Question…\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be alarmed\u2014I\u2019ve definitely done this before. In fact, each time I\u2019ve opened this door with teens, I\u2019ve found it to be some of the most interactive conversations we have.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

I always start with a caveat.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s critical for them to understand from the outset that I DO NOT have ALL THE ANSWERS to their questions. There is no pretense that I could fully explain every mystery related to life and godliness. Those teens are way more engaged with the world (and with God) than we often realize, and their questions are not always simple or detached from real-world applications. Moreover, if they thought I was trying to be The Answers-Man, <\/em>I would actually undermine my own credibility.<\/p>\n

So we start there.<\/p>\n

First, I don\u2019t claim to know everything, and second, I don\u2019t even promise to completely answer their questions. (Kind of a letdown, right?) I only promise to hear their questions, empathize with their confusion or misunderstandings, and then try to offer insights from the Scriptures that speak to their inquiries.<\/p>\n

This past week, I began with a familiar quote from one of my favorite authors and one of his most inspiring books.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.<\/em>\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

A.W. Tozer began \u201cThe Knowledge of the Holy,<\/em>\u201d by asserting that how one thinks about God is more important than any other quality or accomplishment in a person\u2019s life\u2026 that their conception of God will dictate their spiritual futures and the trajectory of their entire lives… that the foremost task of the church, and every spiritual leader, should be to recalibrate and realign our thoughts about God to the truth of His revelation. The first chapter of the book is aptly titled, \u201cThinking Rightly About God.<\/em>\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

We thus began our series of questions by acknowledging the importance of thinking rightly about God, agreeing that a fair and honest question about God deserves a thoughtful, even-handed response, that who God is and what He actually said<\/em> is worth examining, that He should be allowed to speak for Himself, and that He is quite capable of doing so.<\/p>\n

I started that way because we needed a common starting point. Not every one of my students believes in God, and even among those who do, there are some radical differences in education, experience, and how they perceive His character and nature. In order to answer their toughest, most intimate questions, we needed a foundation to build on; we needed to find the right wall on which to lean our learning-ladder. Having been checked into that conversation by Tozer\u2019s words of caution, we concluded that meaningful answers to questions about Him, what He said, who we are, or what He desires from us MUST begin with an accurate picture of Him\u2014at least one as accurate as we can conceive.<\/p>\n

Then we dove into Scripture. We understand that Jesus Christ is the foremost revelation of Himself to us (Hebrews 1:1-3), and every word of Scripture is God-breathed, infinitely profitable for every application in our lives, revealing to us the Person and work of the son of God. Such is the definition and beginning of a biblical world-view\u2014starting with Scripture, examining the questions of our lives within the lens of who God is, by what He said about Himself. What questions might arise whose answers can\u2019t be found within the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of all creation?<\/p>\n

That approach was modeled for us in the book of Acts by the first converts on the day of Pentecost. We should observe the way the early church devoted themselves \u201csteadfastly to the apostle\u2019s doctrines\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

They measured their lives using the plumb line of Scripture. They searched the scriptures and devoted themselves to sound doctrine\u2013 to thinking rightly about God and His Son, so that they might align their lives with the truth.<\/p>\n

Consider those who first heard the gospel at Pentecost. Observe the diversity in their ethnicity and experience. Imagine the questions they must have held about God.<\/p>\n

What about the Jews who responded to the fisherman, who claimed God had resurrected Jesus of Nazareth from the dead?<\/p>\n

Their response is a model for each of us\u2014to continue steadfastly <\/em>in studying the doctrines delivered to us, by those whom the Lord sent.<\/p>\n

Such is the task of all spiritual leaders and especially Student Ministry leaders, both personally and professionally. It is our task to shepherd the flock God entrusted to us, and to teach them to obey all that God has commanded us. We search the scriptures, that we might be sound in doctrine and face whatever questions this life brings, with a clear sense of direction from His word\u2026 and we lead our students in that very same steadfast pursuit.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> For more information about how to host a similar series in your youth group (or adult group), contact me at students@iphc.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Tozer, Aiden Wilson, The Knowledge of the Holy<\/em> (HarperCollins: New York, 1961), 1.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid. Tozer continued, \u201cThe gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. \u2026 Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, \u2018What comes into your mind when you think about God,\u2019 we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,305,3],"tags":[940,16,941,288,997],"class_list":{"0":"post-4368","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general","8":"category-student-ministires","9":"category-youth-ministries","10":"tag-940","11":"tag-discipleship","12":"tag-sound-doctrine","13":"tag-stephen-jones","14":"tag-thinking-rightly-about-god","15":"entry"},"title_es":"Pensando correctamente en Dios","content_es":"Pensando correctamente en Dios<\/strong> Por Stephen Jones, L\u00edder del equipo de Ministerios Estudiantiles<\/strong> Hace poco comenc\u00e9 un nuevo estudio b\u00edblico abierto con un grupo de adolescentes de secundaria. Cuando digo abierto<\/em> , quiero decir que les estoy permitiendo elegir los temas de nuestras conversaciones en las pr\u00f3ximas semanas. He titulado esta serie simplemente: \"Oye, tengo una pregunta ...\" No te alarmes, definitivamente he hecho esto antes. De hecho, cada vez que abr\u00ed esta puerta con adolescentes, descubr\u00ed que es una de las conversaciones m\u00e1s interactivas que tenemos. [1]<\/a> Siempre empiezo con una advertencia. Es fundamental que comprendan desde el principio que NO TENGO TODAS LAS RESPUESTAS a sus preguntas. No hay pretensi\u00f3n de que pueda explicar completamente todos los misterios relacionados con la vida y la piedad. Esos adolescentes est\u00e1n mucho m\u00e1s comprometidos con el mundo (y con Dios) de lo que a menudo nos damos cuenta, y sus preguntas no siempre son simples o est\u00e1n separadas de las aplicaciones del mundo real. Adem\u00e1s, si pensaran que estaba tratando de ser El hombre de las respuestas, en<\/em> realidad socavar\u00eda mi propia credibilidad. As\u00ed que empezamos all\u00ed. Primero, no pretendo saberlo todo, y segundo, ni siquiera prometo responder por completo sus preguntas. (Una especie de decepci\u00f3n, \u00bfno?) Solo prometo escuchar sus preguntas, empatizar con su confusi\u00f3n o malentendidos, y luego tratar de ofrecer ideas de las Escrituras que hablan de sus preguntas. La semana pasada, comenc\u00e9 con una cita familiar de uno de mis autores favoritos y uno de sus libros m\u00e1s inspiradores. \u201c Lo que nos viene a la mente cuando pensamos en Dios es lo m\u00e1s importante de nosotros.<\/em> \" [2]<\/a> AW Tozer comenz\u00f3 con\" El conocimiento de lo sagrado<\/em> \" ,<\/em> al afirmar que la forma en que uno piensa acerca de Dios es m\u00e1s importante que cualquier otra cualidad o logro en la vida de una persona ... que su concepci\u00f3n de Dios dictar\u00e1 su futuro espiritual y la trayectoria de toda su vida ... que la tarea m\u00e1s importante de la iglesia, y todo l\u00edder espiritual, debe ser recalibrar y realinear nuestros pensamientos acerca de Dios a la verdad de su revelaci\u00f3n. El primer cap\u00edtulo del libro se titula acertadamente: \u201c Pensar correctamente acerca de Dios.<\/em> \" [3]<\/a> Por lo tanto, comenzamos nuestra serie de preguntas reconociendo la importancia de pensar correctamente acerca de Dios, coincidiendo en que una pregunta justa y honesta sobre Dios merece una respuesta reflexiva e imparcial, de que Qui\u00e9n es Dios y lo que realmente dijo<\/em> vale la pena examinar. que se le permita hablar por s\u00ed mismo y que es capaz de hacerlo. Comenc\u00e9 as\u00ed porque necesit\u00e1bamos un punto de partida com\u00fan. No todos mis alumnos creen en Dios, e incluso entre aquellos que lo hacen, hay algunas diferencias radicales en la educaci\u00f3n, la experiencia y en c\u00f3mo perciben su car\u00e1cter y naturaleza. Para responder a sus preguntas m\u00e1s dif\u00edciles e \u00edntimas, necesit\u00e1bamos una base sobre la cual construir; ten\u00edamos que encontrar el muro correcto en el que apoyar nuestra escalera de aprendizaje. Habiendo comprobado esa conversaci\u00f3n con las palabras de precauci\u00f3n de Tozer, llegamos a la conclusi\u00f3n de que las respuestas significativas a las preguntas sobre \u00c9l, lo que dijo, qui\u00e9nes somos o lo que \u00c9l desea de nosotros DEBEN comenzar con una imagen precisa de \u00c9l, al menos una de ellas. Como podemos concebir. Luego nos sumergimos en la Escritura. Entendemos que Jesucristo es la principal revelaci\u00f3n de s\u00ed mismo para nosotros (Hebreos 1: 1-3), y cada palabra de la Escritura es inspirada por Dios, infinitamente rentable para cada aplicaci\u00f3n en nuestras vidas, revel\u00e1ndonos la Persona y la Obra del Hijo de Dios. Tal es la definici\u00f3n y el comienzo de una cosmovisi\u00f3n b\u00edblica, comenzando con las Escrituras, examinando las preguntas de nuestras vidas dentro de la lente de Qui\u00e9n es Dios, por lo que \u00c9l dijo acerca de \u00c9l mismo. \u00bfQu\u00e9 preguntas podr\u00edan surgir cuyas respuestas no puedan encontrarse dentro del Alfa y la Omega, el Autor y el Finalizador de toda la creaci\u00f3n? Ese enfoque fue modelado para nosotros en el libro de Hechos por los primeros conversos en el d\u00eda de Pentecost\u00e9s. Debemos observar la forma en que la iglesia primitiva se dedic\u00f3 \" firmemente a las doctrinas del ap\u00f3stol ...<\/em> \" Midieron sus vidas utilizando la l\u00ednea de la Escritura. Buscaron en las Escrituras y se dedicaron a la sana doctrina, a pensar correctamente sobre Dios y su Hijo, para que pudieran alinear sus vidas con la verdad. Considere a aquellos que escucharon el Evangelio por primera vez en Pentecost\u00e9s. Observar la diversidad en su etnicidad y experiencia. Imagina las preguntas que deben haber tenido acerca de Dios. \u00bfQu\u00e9 pasa con los jud\u00edos que respondieron al pescador, que afirm\u00f3 que Dios hab\u00eda resucitado a Jes\u00fas de Nazaret de entre los muertos? Su respuesta es un modelo para cada uno de nosotros: continuar con firmeza<\/em> en el estudio de las doctrinas que nos fueron entregadas por aquellos a quienes el Se\u00f1or envi\u00f3. Tal es la tarea de todos los l\u00edderes espirituales y especialmente los l\u00edderes del Ministerio de Estudiantes, tanto personal como profesionalmente. Es nuestra tarea pastorear el reba\u00f1o que Dios nos ha confiado, y ense\u00f1arles a obedecer todo lo que Dios nos ha ordenado. Buscamos en las Escrituras, para que podamos ser sanos en la doctrina y enfrentar cualquier pregunta que traiga esta vida, con un claro sentido de la direcci\u00f3n de Su palabra ... y guiamos a nuestros estudiantes en esa misma b\u00fasqueda constante. [1]<\/a> Para obtener m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n sobre c\u00f3mo organizar una serie similar en su grupo de j\u00f3venes (o grupo de adultos), cont\u00e1cteme en students@iphc.org<\/a> . [2]<\/a> Tozer, Aiden Wilson, El conocimiento de lo sagrado<\/em> (HarperCollins: Nueva York, 1961), 1. [3]<\/a> Ibid. Tozer continu\u00f3: \u201c La pregunta m\u00e1s grave ante la Iglesia siempre es Dios mismo, y el hecho m\u00e1s importante acerca de cualquier hombre no es lo que en un momento dado puede decir o hacer, sino lo que en su coraz\u00f3n profundo concibe a Dios para que sea. ... Si pudi\u00e9ramos extraer de cualquier hombre una respuesta completa a la pregunta, '\u00bfQu\u00e9 viene a tu mente cuando piensas en Dios', podr\u00edamos predecir con certeza el futuro espiritual de ese hombre?<\/em> \u201d","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Thinking-Rightly-About-God.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-18s","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}