Chapter 6 Discussion Questions

Chapter 6:  It’s Not About You

1.            Reflect on the paragraph on page 82:  “The real issue in life is always about God…”  How does finding freedom from ourselves, and adopting the reality that our lives are not about us but about God, change our outlook on our lives: relationships, career, ministry, etc.?  Do you find this insight freeing?

2.            So, if it’s all about God, who is God?

The doctrine of the Trinity, a central theological tenet of the Christian faith, defines God as three persons in one being with a single divine nature:  Father (the Creator), Son (the Begotten), and Holy Spirit (the one who proceeds) (Fourth Lateran Council).  While all three persons of the Trinity were mentioned by various Christians in various letters through the early centuries following Jesus’ death and resurrection, there was much controversy and debate, primarily about Jesus’ relationship to God the Father.  The doctrine of the Trinity as we know it took shape during the late 4^th Century, and has been addressed, clarified, and refined by various Councils throughout history.

Barnes says (p. 87): “Granted, the nature of one God existing in three persons may be a mystery, but … there are some clear, and maybe even painful, truths the doctrine of the Trinity teaches us.” 

How do some of the truths he explains change your perception of YOURSELF (It’s not all about you!) in relation to GOD?

For example:

(p. 87):  It was not necessary for God to love you.  The blessing is that he chose to love you.

(p. 88): We must start, not with our own thirst for God, but with God’s decision to enfold us into his family….  (p. 89):  Beginning with God’s love for us frees us from worrying so much about our love for God.

(p. 90):  As we open our lives to being filled with the Spirit, we are transformed into the very image of Christ.

(p. 92):  Do we have a lot of work to do once the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ’s relationship to the Father?

(p. 93):  … nearly all churches believe that Christ’s followers are urged to come to this table, and all believe that something important happens in the process….  We cannot experience such communion without being changed.