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    The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist
    The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist
    The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist

    By Craig Groeschel

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    About this ebook

    Be more than just "Christian" in name.

    In this six-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), pastor and author Craig Groeschel leads you and your group on a personal journey toward an authentic, God-honoring life. This honest, hard-hitting, and eye-opening look into the ways people believe in God but live as if he doesn't exist is a classic of church small groups and discipleship training.

    You believe in God, attend church, and you generally treat people with kindness. But, have you surrendered to God completely, living every day depending upon the Holy Spirit?

    In this small group Bible study, Groeschel encourages you and your group to develop your faith with the gospel, to be honest before God, and to break free of hypocrisy to live a more authentic, God-honoring life.

    Sessions include:

    1. When you Believe in God but Don’t Really Know Him
    2. When you Believe in God but Don’t Think He’s Fair
    3. When You Believe in God but Aren’t Sure He Loves You
    4. When You Believe in God but Trust More in Money
    5. When You Believe in God but Pursue Happiness at Any Cost 
    6. When You Believe in God but Don’t Want to Go Overboard

    Designed for use with The Christian Atheist Video Study 9780310329794 (sold separately).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateApr 17, 2013
    ISBN9780310692072
    The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist
    Author

    Craig Groeschel

    New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, which created the free YouVersion Bible App and is one of the largest churches in the world. He has written more than fifteen books and hosts the top-ranking Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. He speaks regularly for the Global Leadership Network, which reaches hundreds of thousands of leaders around the world annually. Craig and his wife, Amy, live in Oklahoma. Connect with Craig at www.craiggroeschel.com.

    Read more from Craig Groeschel

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      Book preview

      The Christian Atheist Bible Study Participant's Guide - Craig Groeschel

      SESSION 1

      When You Believe in God but Don’t Really Know Him

      THEISM

      [thee-iz-uhm]

      belief in the existence of God

      ATHEISM

      [ey-thee-iz-uhm]

      disbelief in the existence of God

      PRACTICAL ATHEISM

      [prak-ti-kuhl ey-thee-iz-uhm]

      acting with apathy, disregard, or lack of interest toward belief in God

      CHRISTIAN

      [kris-chuhn]

      one who professes belief in the teachings of Christ

      CHRISTIAN ATHEISM

      [kris-chuhn ey-thee-iz-uhm]

      believing in Christ but living as if he doesn’t exist

      Play the video segment for session 1. As you watch, use the outline below to follow along or to take notes on anything that stands out to you.

      Notes

      So many people believe in God but they do not know him (Titus 1:16).

      [Your Notes]

      Three levels of knowing God

      • Level 1: I believe in God, but I don’t know him.

      [Your Notes]

      • Level 2: I believe in God, but I don’t know him well.

      [Your Notes]

      Galatians 4:8 – 9

      [Your Notes]

      • Level 3: I believe in God, know him intimately, and serve him wholeheartedly.

      [Your Notes]

      Example: David is described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

      [Your Notes]

      Psalm 63:1 – 4

      [Your Notes]

      Psalm 9:10

      [Your Notes]

      What you call God often reveals how well you know him.

      [Your Notes]

      If you seek God with all of your heart he will reveal himself to you (Deuteronomy 4:29; Ephesians 1:17 – 19).

      [Your Notes]

      Take a few minutes to talk about what you just watched.

      1. What part of the teaching had the most impact on you?

      [Your Response]

      2. How do you respond to the idea of Christian Atheism?

      [Your Response]

      Complete this activity on your own.

      1. Briefly review the following list of statements and place a checkmark next to those you feel are true for you.

      I believe God loves everyone, but I sometimes struggle to believe that God loves me.

      I often feel disconnected from God.

      I pray when I need help, but I don’t routinely spend time with God.

      I feel trapped in a cycle of shame about my past.

      I don’t feel much need or desire to read the Bible.

      I sincerely believe in God, but I can’t say I prioritize my life around him.

      I don’t feel the same devotion to God as I did when I first became a Christian.

      There are some things about me that I know aren’t what they should be, but I don’t know if I can ever really change.

      My belief in God doesn’t seem to keep me from worrying a lot.

      My lifestyle, actions, and decisions don’t always line up with what I say I believe about God.

      I don’t talk about my faith with people who don’t believe in God.

      I don’t experience worship or express praise to God in my daily life.

      I find it difficult to forgive people who have hurt me.

      My sense of security is impacted more by how I am doing financially than by how I am doing spiritually.

      I believe in God, but I’m not so big on the church.

      I’m not sure my heart breaks for the things that break the heart of God.

      I tend to diminish or overlook my sins and failures rather than grieving them.

      I don’t often experience a passionate desire to please God.

      It feels like a long time since I’ve heard God’s voice or experienced God’s leading in my life.

      I sometimes feel God is not fair.

      It’s rare for me to feel completely surrendered to God. Sometimes I’m not even sure I want to be.

      2. Circle the two or three statements on the checklist that best describe where you’re at spiritually right now. Or you may wish to write your own statement below.

      [Your Response]

      3. Based on your responses from the checklist, circle the number on the continuum that best describes the degree to which you feel you know God.

      How Well Do I Know God?

      1. Describe your experience of working through the checklist. For example, was it uncomfortable, confirming, surprising? Why?

      [Your Response]

      2. How do you feel about the number you circled for question 3 in the Individual Activity? Would you say that the level at which you know God now is the highest it’s ever been? Lowest? Somewhere in between?

      [Your Response]

      3. If you feel comfortable, share one or more of the

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