The Promises of God

---

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 1

The Promises of God Lesson 1: “You Will Be Forgiven” Participant Guide

Greeting Discussion Questions:

   

What criteria emerged as your group decided when it would be understandable if forgiveness was withheld? Can you think of a situation where it would seem premature or even wrong to forgive someone else? Why or why not? How do you feel when you know you’re in the wrong and you have to ask someone for forgiveness? Have you ever realized that the other person was not willing to forgive you? How did you feel in that moment?

The Promise “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9  In your own words, what is God promising in this verse?  And just as important, what are some things this verse isn’t promising? In other words, how have you noticed this promise being misused?

New Story: Jimmy Discussion Questions:  

How did Jimmy respond to his belief that nothing he could do would please God? How do you find yourself responding when you believe you’re unable to fix your relationship with another person? Have you ever found yourself feeling this way toward God?

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 2



What process did Jimmy have to go through before he came to believe to trust God’s willingness to forgive him? What would have to happen before you came to have place?

God’s Story Behind the Scenes

The 15th chapter of Luke opens with the scene of religious leaders grumbling that Jesus associated with “sinners.” Jesus did not shrink from befriending these sinners. He told a series of short stories that illustrate just how committed God is to people who are far from him. The first two stories are short and sweet. God is like a shepherd who relentlessly pursues his lost sheep. God is like a woman who up-ends her home in order to find a single silver coin. Jesus saves his most powerful story for last. “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” is an account of a rebellious child – the younger of two sons – who violated his relationship with his father. After wasting his inheritance, he decided to return home and ask his father to make him a servant. This son hopes only for his father to hire him as a lowly wage-earner. But, instead, his father throws his arms around him and forgives him. The story is powerful, but even more so when we understand the customs of Jesus’ day. The younger son’s act of asking his father for his share of the inheritance was the same thing as openly wishing his father was dead. And in the patriarchal society in which Jesus was speaking, children showed deferential respect to their father and not the other way around. But the father is so happy to receive back his wayward son and to forgive him, that he forgets all about dignity and runs down the road to meet his son. Instead of rubbing his son’s nose in his failures, the father then throws an expensive party to celebrate his son’s return. Jesus’ parable would have shocked his audience. The Pharisees, who prided themselves on their righteousness, would have been outraged by the story of a father embracing the type of person they would have considered unworthy of being accepted by God. Meanwhile, the “sinners” in the audience would have been astonished by the same story. The sinners would have understood that the Pharisees were represented by the older brother in the story, and that the Pharisees were wrong about how God felt about sinners like them. Jesus’ story would have offered them hope. God was willing and able to forgive and embrace sinners, even when God’s self-appointed representatives on earth refused to.

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 3

God’s Word Luke 15: 11-32 (ESV) 11

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25

“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 4

These are my initial thoughts and impressions:

These are some of the thoughts of others in my groups that made an impression on me:

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 5

What are some of the legitimate complaints that the father had regarding his son?

If you were in the father’s shoes, how easy or hard would it have been for you to have forgiven your son?

How do you think the father felt when his son left home with his share of the inheritance?

What sort of gossip do you think the father would have had to endure while his son was away?

What sort of welcome did the son expect to receive from his father? How were these expectations similar to how the Pharisees expected God to treat sinners?

If you were one of the “sinners” in Jesus’ audience, how would your attitude toward God change after hearing this story? Why?

The Promises of God Participant Guide, Lesson 1, Page 6 Growing

It’s one thing to know that God will forgive, but it’s another thing to actually trust that he will forgive you. Spend a few minutes now journaling in your Participant Guide, to begin applying this promise of God’s forgiveness to your own life. Write responses to these two questions:

Think about the younger son’s story: He started out being a reckless rebel, he became a fearful and desperate beggar, he ended up a forgiven son. Where would you place yourself in his story? Why?

How easy is it for you to believe that God will forgive you of your sins? Why?