Like God vs. God Like | Greg Ford
MESSAGE NOTES
[Genesis 1:4]
And God saw that the light was good.
[Genesis 1:26]
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea…
[Genesis 1:27]
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
[Genesis 1:31]
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
[Genesis 2:15-17]
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
[Genesis 3:1]
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
[Genesis 3:2-5]
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God…
[Genesis 3:5 KJV]
…then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…
[Ephesians 2:10]
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
God doesn’t need us. He wants us.
[Romans 12:6-8]
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously…
A gift is only a gift if you give it away
[Philippians 4:18-19]
I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
[II Corinthians 9:10]
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Don’t Eat Your Seed
[II Corinthians 9:11-12]
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
[Genesis 2:9]
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
[Genesis 2:16-17]
…the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Finance Decision Grid
Why am I doing this?
How is this affecting my heart?
Does this prohibit me from being generous?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
-What was your biggest takeaway from the message content?
-How does one clearly identify their gift and “give it away”?
-What is an example from your life where you saw generosity lead to freedom, or gluttony lead to bondage?
-How do we lead ourselves to remain “like God” and avoid the pitfalls of thinking of ourselves as “god like”?
-How do we practically apply this message content in our lives today?