Fast Food Fast Guide

2 Peter 1:8-9 "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." (NIV)

1. Let's look again at the steps Peter laid out from last week's study (in verses 5-7). Verse 8 tells us that growing in these areas transforms knowing about God (pure knowledge of the Lord) into effectiveness and productiveness for Him. Which of these areas require additional attention in your life?
2. God has created spheres of influence in our lives where our relationship with God is meant to make a difference. We are part of our neighborhood. We spend the most productive hours of our day at work or in school. We know and are known in our own families perhaps better than anywhere else. Are these places where your faith feels ineffective and unproductive? Explain.
3. Verse 9 reminds us of our tendency to gloss over our sin and failure, losing sight the perspective and plan that God has for our lives. Renew your commitment to God to live by faith in his promise that "he who began a good work in you will complete it."

2 Peter 1:5-7 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to your goodness, knowledge; and to your knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." (NIV)

This is not just a grocery list of spiritual fruit to be added to your life. These traits are interrelated and logical in the progression by which these things are added to our lives. And they are part of what God's Spirit promises to produce in us as we draw close to him.

Here's an exercise for the week. Take some time now to think through why Peter would tell us to add goodness to faith? How would our evil desires seek to corrupt faith? How does adding goodness along with our faith help us in our pursuit of God? I've made a place for you to think them through below.

1. Add goodness to your faith
2. Add knowledge to your goodness
3. Add self-control to your knowledge
4. Add perseverance to your self-control
5. Add godliness to your perseverance
6. Add brotherly kindness to your godliness
7. Add love to your brotherly kindness

Pursuing God for Dummies (or how to pursue God in 8 not so easy steps)
(part 1 of 2)

2 Peter 1:2-5

1) "May God bless you with his special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better." (2 Peter 1:2, NLT)

There's good news and bad news (at least for some of us) about pursuing God.

Bad news first... It's a life-long pursuit, so for ADD (attention deficit disorder) folks like me, that's a challenge. I don't even do New Years resolutions anymore because my ability to keep them is always disappointing.

But the good news is that God promises special favor we don't deserve and wonderful peace in the process of drawing closer to him.

Question: Name an accomplishment have you achieved in your life that took time and discipline to accomplish? (Could be a childhood memory or something more recent.) How did the value of the accomplishment to you personally contribute to achieving it?

2) And the good news gets even better. "And as we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life." (2 Peter 1:3a, NLT)

Question: how could knowing Jesus better actually provide everything we need for living a godly life? What do you think Peter meant by this statement?

3) " He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!" (2 Peter 1:3b, NLT) We drawn to knowing Jesus because of his glory and goodness. His character give us assurance about his promises. And his promises provide us the means to even dream of becoming like him.

Question: Are there particular promises God has made that you count on daily for encouragement or comfort? Describe the promise and what it means to you personally. How does knowing God's glory and goodness confirm the certainty of that promise in your life?

4) "So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life." (2 Peter 1:5a, NLT)

Some of us shuttered a bit when Peter used the "effort" word. There's work ahead. There's no drive-thru window that hands out pre-cooked, ready to eat maturity. But there's help next week as we look at the rest of this passage, because Peter breaks it down for us into logical steps that take us closer to Him.

Start by trying to tell him all you know about his glory and goodness. (This might take a while.) Allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the powerful person that he is. And then ask God about all he wants for you. Ask him for specifics. Now ask him to make a resolution to help you pursue him. (Hint: it's been on his list for many a new year anyway). Don't make it your own resolution, because frankly you don't have what it takes. He does. End with a time of thanks.

1. "God is a Person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may. In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality." (AW Tozer) How does God's personality manifest itself in the world?
2. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) Why do you think John sums up life eternal as "knowing God?"
3. Can you name a time when you felt a conscious personal awareness of interaction between God and your inner self, your soul? Describe what that was like.
4. New birth is where our journey begins with God, not where it should end. It is the celebration of the beginning of a pursuit to explore the richness of the One to whom we've been restored. What are some ways you can begin to further your awareness of, knowlege about and confidence in God himself?