A Fresh Perspective :: Part 4 :: Getting into the Thick of It | Ryan Howell :: May 7, 2023

In A Fresh Perspective, dig into topics central to the Christian experience in fresh ways, and (re)discover a faith you can love.__What’s the Issue Anyway?_____________________ _____________ is a concept of God that many of us grew up with.This “Thin” concept of God has produced many ________________ and ________________ images of God.What Wisdom can a Fresh Perspective on God bring us?A Fresh Perspective embraces our understanding of God as ________________ and ________________. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Acts 10:17; Acts 22:4-5)A Fresh Perspective embraces a “____________” rather than “thin” concept of God.God is best understood as a _____________ presence that permeates everything in the universe.This _____________________ view is present and emerging in scripture.(Psalm 139:7-10; Romans 8:38-39; Acts 17:28)A Fresh Perspective embraces love as the ________________ nature within God. (1 John 4:8)A Fresh Perspective embraces ________________ __________________ with God. (Psalm 34:8; James 4:8)A Fresh Perspective embraces a ____________-_________ God. (John 14:9-10; Colossians 1:15-17)Don’t Miss This!A Fresh Perspective embraces God as the life-giving, unchanging and loving _____________ revealed in Jesus that we can _________ ourselves in through personal experience. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)How can this fresh Perspective on God make me a better person and the world a better place?A Fresh Perspective on God sets the prisoner _________.A Fresh Perspective on God inspires us to love mercy, do justice and walk _____________.What is God inviting you into today?Consider whether I have been rejecting an understanding of God as Zeus-like being but not considering God as a loving presence that is the ground of all beingJump into a Conversation Group to discuss more about a Fresh Perspective on GodListen to S3 E15 (Reconstruction: An Interview with Brad Jersak) from the podcast “A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar”Thought provoking questions:How can I live out the values and principles that I believe are central to God's nature, such as love, compassion, justice, and peace, in my relationships, actions, and choices?What personal experiences (if any) have you had that made you question or reevaluate your understanding of supernatural theism, and how did those experiences shape your current beliefs about God?How can I deepen my personal relationship with God and experience God's presence in my everyday life?How do you think a "thick" concept of God can inspire a more compassionate and just approach to social issues such as poverty, racism and climate change? In what ways can this understanding of God motivate you to take action and make a positive impact in the world?What aspects of a "thin" concept of God do you find limiting or unsatisfying? Conversely, what aspects of a "thick" concept of God do you find liberating or fulfilling?For Further ReadingThe Heart of Christianity by Marcus BorgA More Christ-Like God by Brad JersakThe Divine Dance: The Trinity and your Transformation by Richard Rohr