Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
The Father in Me
Scripture
6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Nobody comes to the Father except by me. 7 If you really know me, you will also know my Father. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.’8 Philip said, ‘Lord, show the Father to us. That is all that we need.’ 9 Jesus answered, ‘I have been with all of you for a long time. But still you do not seem to know me, Philip! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, “Show the Father to us”? 10 I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
Main Idea
When you look at who you are and what you are maturing into, you can see the influences of your parents. This can be for good and bad. Your Mother and Father both have a role and impact who you will become.
The world and the church need godly men to guide and influence both natural and spiritual children. As you get to know God, His presence will influence you. He wants you to reflect the image of God to the world.
Whether you are a natural Father/parent of not, God wants you to influence others for His kingdom.
It's God's heart for children to be shaped by their fathers.
Discussion Questions
- Give two traits you see in yourself that you got from your Dad or parents. How have they impacted your life?
- What traits have you seen develop as you have gotten to know God as your Father?
- Where are you serving to shepherd others?
Summary
In John 14:6-10 (Easy), you can see Jesus explaining that His Father should be apparent in who He is. You can see God the Father in action by looking at Jesus. We all have a father on earth that has influenced us one way or another. They could have influenced us by their presence or lack of but Jesus wants to fill any gap by His presence.
Our enemy tries to cause a rift in our relationships with our fathers because he knows a good father will lead you to know Christ. When there isn't a natural person filling that role for our community, God's design is that the church would step in to support those who are vulnerable. Psalm 68:5,6 (CEV) explains how God intends for His church to cover and care for those who need that support.
As fathers, we should ask God to reveal his character in us and pray for Him to help us see the father in us. Fatherhood is an important calling and not simply a role to play. Too often people worry about getting it perfect but your presence is the most critical piece of that calling. As you faithfully build your relationship with God he will cultivate you into the kind of man you need to be to raise others to be nurturing, loving, respectful, and honoring.
Another prayer we all can pray is to help others see the Father in us. This is everyone's calling as a son or daughter of God. We need to spend time in His presence to become more like Him and reflect God's nature to the world around us.
Take Action
- Ask God to reveal to you how the Father loves you and wants to guide you.
- Commit to serve in the church to influence those around you.
- Pray for God to give you someone daily to bless with the heart of our Father.
Announcements
- Legacy Social - June 17th at 7pm
- Essentials every Sunday at 10am
- Honor weekend and Baptism Sunday on June 29th
