8. What's the difference between knowing in advance what will

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Week Six Each day will address a different question texted during Can I Ask That? series.

Spend FIFTEEN - Day One - Is "once saved, always saved" true or can a person lose his or her faith? 1. Read Romans 8:38-39. List all of the things that can’t separate believers in Christ from the love of God. Is there anything on this list you have feared either now or in the past? How does reading the list in Romans encourage your faith?

2. Read Romans 6:3-4. How can we have assurance we truly belong to Christ?

3. When we take God at His word, that there is nothing that can separate us from His love and He will never leave us, why do we sometimes feel far from Him?

4. Read Matthew 23:37-38. How does Jesus feel about those who are far from Him? Does this make you feel closer or further away from God? Explain your answer.

5. Read Mark 3:28-29. What does Jesus say is the only unforgivable sin?

6. The point of the unforgivable sin is that it's something we do to reject Jesus and not something Jesus does to reject us. What would it take for you to reject God?

7. We take comfort in knowing that God will never leave us, nor forsake us. On the cross, He demonstrated a love for us with passion and determination never before seen in human history. He longs to gather all of His creation to Himself. But, He does not force himself on us; we are free to reject the love He offers freely to everyone. If you have doubts about your faith, you need only to look to your baptism to be reminded of the claim He has on your life. If you’ve never been baptized, we’d love to talk to you!* Close your FIFTEEN in prayer, asking God continue to guard and grow you in your faith.

Spend FIFTEEN - Day Two – Does God cause everything to happen?

8. What’s the difference between knowing in advance what will happen and orchestrating it?

9. God knows all of the choices you will make before you make them. Does that make Him responsible for your behavior?

10. Read Romans 8:28. How does God work in our lives, according to this verse?

11. Describe a time when you’ve seen something good come out of a bad situation in your life.

12. God doesn’t cause all things but He can use them for good. Paul understood this concept better than anyone; it’s what helped him see the good God was doing though his imprisonment. Read Philippians 1:12-14. Describe how God used Paul’s predicament.

13. How does knowing God can use even your worst circumstances for good change how you feel about them?

14. End your FIFTEEN in prayer. Ask Him to help you recognize the way He works for your good through your circumstances.

Spend FIFTEEN - Day Three - How can I know that God is with me? 15. Can you describe a time when you felt God’s presence? What made you sure it was God?

16. Are there times when you doubted His presence? How did that feel?

17. One of the promises we know we have in Christ is that we are never alone. Read Matthew 28:20. What did Jesus promise us?

18. Knowing Jesus is with us and believing it are two different things. But God gave us promises to give us reassurance of His enduring presence. Read the following verses and describe some of the different ways we can trust that He is with us. a. Jeremiah 29:13 b. Psalm 34:18 c. Psalm 46:1 d. Psalm 145:18 e. Matthew 18:20 19. Close your FIFTEEN in prayer. Thank Him for His presence, thank him for His promises, but thank Him especially for loving us enough to provide assurance of His presence, especially when we need it most.

Spend FIFTEEN - Day Four - Are all humans children of God or just those who come to Him through his Son? 20. Pope Francis made headlines when he stated, “Believers and non-believers, we're all brothers and sisters.” Do you think it’s true? Why do you think his statement was controversial?

21. Read Genesis 1:26. How did God create us?

22. Have you ever seen a biological parent and child so similar there was no doubt as to whom the child belonged? Have you seen them same thing in an adoptive parent and child? How would you account for similarities that are not biological?

23. Read John 1:12-13. Who are God’s true children?

24. As humans, we are all created in God’s image, but it is our relationship with God through His son, Jesus, that allows us to be adopted into His family. How does it feel to know that you were chosen to be a part of God’s family?

25. John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible about the nature of God, but verse 17 offers even more insight. Read John 3:16-17 and summarize God’s intention for the world in your own words.

26. We have great privilege as God’s chosen children and with that privilege comes responsibility. Read Ephesians 5:1-2. What have we been tasked to do?

27. Close your FIFTEEN in prayer. Ask God to help you live a life of love toward all people, whether or not they are already a part of God’s family.

Spend FIFTEEN - Day Five – If Muslims came from Abraham, do we worship the same God? 28. In the Bible, we see a promise made to Abraham’s son Ishmael, born of Abraham’s wife’s maid, Hagar, to become the father of a great nation. Ishmael became the father of the Arabic tribes. (See Genesis 17:19-21) Often this is cited as evidence that we worship the same God. In your opinion, is this enough evidence? Do you need more? What other factors would you also consider?

29. Read the following verses and explain what each says about knowing Jesus in order to know God. a. John 14:8-10 b. 1 John 2:21-25 c. Hebrews 1:1-4 d. 1 Timothy 2:5 30. Why is knowing who Jesus is integral to knowing God?

31. In your own words, how would you explain the importance of knowing who Jesus is to someone who claimed he believed in the same God, but didn’t believe in Jesus?

32. Close your FIFTEEN in prayer, asking God to give you the wisdom to clearly articulate who Jesus is to those who do not know Him and the courage to do so.