BULLETIN OUTLINE

I Have a Friend WhoWants to Know Gods Will

05.11.14 Tom Oyler, Lead Pastor

Why?
easy out or personal responsibility

How?
special signs or wise process

What Next?
accept responsibility for your decisions (Genesis 1:26, 2:16-17; Joshua 24:15; Proverbs 24:30-34;
Galatians 6:7; Romans 14:5; 1 Corinthians 10:27)

ask the right questions (Proverbs 11:14, 15-22; Luke 14:28-32; Philippians 2:25; I Corinthians 7:39,
10:31; 2 Corinthians 9:7; James 3:16-17)

trust in the living God (Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 13:5; James 1:3-5, 4:13-17)

LOOKING BACK

I Have a Friend WhoWants to Know Gods Will

No one, at least not if we are honest, can deny it. Life is one long series of decisions. The decisions we make,
make us. No wonder so many would love to know what Gods will is. In a sense it is a very important matter,
on the other hand, not so much. What??????
Thinking It Through
Anything not expressly prohibited by the language of this agreement is allowed.
~Great Harvest Bread Company
Do not have the concert first and then tune your instruments.
~Hudson Taylor
There is no more miserable human being than one for whom nothing is habitual but decision.
~Unknown
We must face the fact: How do you know the will of God in making lifes decision? is not a biblical
question. The Bible never tells us to ask it.
~Haddon Robinson
Working it Out
1. What questions do you need to be asking regarding some of the decisions you need to make?
2. What concerns you when you accept your responsibility as a decision maker made in the image of
God?
3. What does it look like for you to trust God in the decisions you are making?
LOOKING AHEAD

I Have a Friend WhoWants to Be Married
Genesis 2:18-25

Ive had some conversations with unmarried men and women where I got the sense they felt like they were
stuck in an airport terminal having nowhere to go while watching all the other passengers board flights for
exotic locations. Of course thats a skewed and untrue perspective, but the reality is many singles feel a deep
sense of isolation or incompleteness. Marriage is one of Gods good creations, but should an unmarried person
feel incomplete without it? How do we help our unmarried friends think about their marital status from Gods
perspective?

Looking It Up
In order to understand marriage we need to go back to its creation. Read Genesis 2:18-25.

Verse 18 gives the basic reason God created marriage. What was it?

Consider Adams situation before God created Eve. He lived in paradise with no sin and a unique personal
relationship with His Creator. What did he lack? Why did that matter?

It might seem logical to conclude from this passage that it is not good for anyone to be single. Why or
why not?

If thats not what this passage means, what is verse 18 referring to (It is not good for the man to be
alone)?

Read 1 Corinthians 7:8; 32-35. What are some of the advantages of being unmarried?

Based on these passages, how might you respond to your friend who is struggling with singleness? What
questions would you ask him or her? What would you encourage them to think about or do?