Here are the notes from the study last night on finding God’s will. Click here to download the entire document that includes the list of verses on the will of God.
Finding God’s Will / Study 1 / Doing What You Know
Intro Questions:
Why do you want to know God’s will for your life?
What is hard about trying to figure out God’s will?
What areas of life is this a concern for you?
Small Groups: Seeing what Scripture says
A: Verses that say specifically what God’s will is for us:
1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 – God’s will is that we’d be holy, especially in sexual purity.
What does Paul say is God’s will for us?
What specific area of life does he highlight?
Why do you think this area is highlighted as part of God’s will for our lives?
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – God’s will is a life of joyful asking and thankfulness.
What three things does Paul say are God’s will for us?
What kind of life does this describe?
What direction does this give you in knowing God’s will?
3. 1 Peter 4:1-3 – God’s will is that we’d prefer suffering to sin. (also 4:19)
What are the two “wills” Peter writes about?
How are they different?
So then, what kind of life does Peter say is God’s will for us?
B: Verses that tell us God’s plan in general:
4. Romans 8:28-29 – God’s will is that we’d become like Jesus
What does Paul say is God’s plan for us?
How does Paul say God is doing this?
How does this help us know God’s will for our lives?
C: Verses that give us direct commands:
5. Matthew 6:33 + 28-18-20 – God’s will is that we’d seek His kingdom and Preach the Gospel
Based on what Jesus says in these verses, what’s God’s will for us?
How does this help you know God’s will for your life?
Wrap up: 2 Last Scriptures and Applications
Acts 2:36-38 What does God wants from usfirst? Repent. Be forgiven from sins. Be saved.
Colossians 1:9. God is not a God who hides away, with some secret plan that He won’t tell us. He’s not playing games or seeing if we luck our way into figuring out what He wants from us. He’s not waiting for us to say some secret prayer or say the magic words. He’s a God who communicates clearly, and who has shown that He wants His people to know what He wants, and is able to show them.
So: – We need to make it our goal to find out what He has already, clearly shown us.
– Then we need to go do those things.
– What things do you already know God wants of you? Is there anything you’re not doing?
– Instead of wasting time worrying about the things He hasn’t shown us yet, we can spend our lives being busy doing the things He has shown us. As we make it our aim to find out what He’s said, and then to do it, we’ll find the answers to the other questions becoming more clear.
The key: It seems like God wants to refocus us from thinking about ourselves (“What does God want for my life?”) to thinking about Him (“What does God want?”). That kind of thinking leads us to all kinds of information and guidance.