God the Father, Mentor's Guide, MG06

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G O D T H E F A T H E R

God as the Creator The Providence of God

Welcome to the Mentor’s Guide for Lesson 2, God as the Creator: The Providence of God . In this important lesson your aim will be to help your students comprehend some of the ways in which God the Father Almighty exercises his sovereign rulership over his creation. An abundance of biblical texts speak to God’s oversight, his protection, preservation, and governance of the world by his power and wisdom. Just a few texts of Scripture are enough to whet our appetites regarding the remarkable oversight of our sovereign God over his creation. Ps. 135.5-7 - For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. [6] Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. [7] He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 1 Chron. 16.31 - Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Ps. 33.14-15 - . . . from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, [15] he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. As you lead the students through these and other related truths, make certain that you enable them to see that these truths should lead them to marvel at the person of God, to worship him, to acknowledge in their lives that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus is God, deserving of praise and honor. This lesson especially is critical for those serving the Lord in the midst of difficult situations and circumstances, who live in times where it seems as if evil is winning, God’s power is absent and the forces of evil are large and crushing. As you emphasize your objectives in this lesson, try to keep a mental tally of how you might guide the discussions to enable your students to apply the truths of God’s providence during times and periods of suffering and loss. This has special applications for us in urban ministry and in urban neighborhoods. Ps. 47.7 - For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!

1 Page 43 Lesson Introduction