GOD IS PERSONAL
Bible Time: Day 1
Day 1: GOD IS A PERSONAL SPIRIT!
Because GOD IS A PERSONAL SPIRIT, I can get to know Him better every day.
Preparation: In preparation for Day Five, take your child outside and have him break off a branch or stem from a plant. Find a place inside where it can be kept dry. Do not put the branch or stem in water.
Read or quote the memory verse: "Yes I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5 (NLT).
Today, we are going to begin an exciting adventure! We are going to begin to discover who God really is and why it matters to us. Let's start with a parable about Freddy, the microscopic mite.
FREDDY - - THE MICROSCOPIC MITE
Once upon a time, there was a microscopic mite named Freddy. He was sooo tiny that no one could even see him without a microscope. Freddy lived on a little flea, who lived on a little dog, who lived on a little farm just outside the gates of a great city. Beyond the great gates was a great palace, and in the great palace lived a great king.
Freddy had heard about the great king and wanted desperately to know him. But for a microscopic mite, his dream was beyond impossible. He had tried to make the journey to the city on his own, but he could never manage to get off the dog, let alone travel the millions of microscopic mite-miles between the farm and the gates. The dog was content to stay on the farm, and no amount of begging could convince the dog to take Freddy to the city. So, whenever he had the chance, Freddy would gaze at the great city and wonder what the great king was like. He lost all hope of ever finding out for himself.
One day, however, the king did something that Freddy had never dreamed of. The king went looking for Freddy. First, the king found the little farm, then he found the little dog, then he found the little flea, and finally, he found Freddy! With amazing lovingkindness, the great king bent down low and began telling
Freddy, in microscopic mite language of course, about himself. Now, there's no way that Freddy, being a microscopic mite, could understand everything about such a great and mighty king. But that didn't matter to Freddy, nor did it matter to the king. What mattered most was their friendship and that it was growing every day.
Freddy still lives on the flea, who lives on the dog, who lives on the farm just outside the great city. But he and the king are friends now, and they talk every day. The king watches over Freddy and makes sure he's okay. The more that Freddy learns about his great and mighty king, the more he wants to know about him. Freddy says that knowing the king is better than absolutely anything!
If God is like the king in the story, then who are we like? (The Mite)
The first step on our journey to know who God really is, is to discover the amazing fact that God is a Personal Spirit and that we can get to know Him better every day!
It's important to know that God is not an "it." Let me show you what I mean.…
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Does a rock tell you how it feels? (No!)
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Does lightning talk about itself using words like "I" and "Me?" Does a rock say, "Wow, the sun is hot today. I'm really warm!" (No!)
Of course not, that's silly! Rocks don't have a personal spirit.
Lightning doesn't have a personal spirit. They are "its."
Let's read what God has to say in Isaiah 46:3, 4.
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"Listen to Me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime - - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you." (NLT).
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Does God tell you how He feels in this verse? (Yes!)
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Does God use the words, "I" and "Me?" (Yes!)
Yes! Because He IS a Personal Spirit! He is not an "it." The Bible is God's letter to us. Only a person can write a letter. It tells us how He feels, what He thinks, and what He wants. And what He wants most is to talk with us like friends!
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What do you learn about how God feels about us from this verse? (He cares; He holds us up; He wants to carry us.)
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Read Exodus 3:7
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"Then the Lord told him, 'I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.'" (NLT).
How does this verse reveal that God is a Personal Spirit? (He sees.) (He hears.)
A cat may see its master cry, but it doesn't understand why its master is sad. Because God is a Personal Spirit, He sees His children and understands them.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
If God was an impersonal force like in Star Wars, or a statue like an idol, we could never get to know Him or have a relationship with Him. Because He is a Personal Spirit, we can have a relationship with Him and get to know Him!!! In the Bible, in the verse John 3:16, God tells us for sure that He loves us and He wants us to be able to get to know Him forever! Let the adventure begin!
TALK WITH GOD AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE VINE!
One of the ways we have a relationship with God is by talking with Him. Take a moment and let Him know how you feel about getting to know Him better.