Apostles Creed

FatherApostles CreedI believe in God The FatherAlmighty Maker of heaven and Earth.Jesus called him FatherWhy call Him Father?Jesus said,I will ask the Father, and He will send you another comforter, (the Holy Spirit) who will be with you forever. (John 16:23)

This verse includes what parts of the Trinity?Jesus told us to call him FatherWhy call Him Father?Jesus said,When you pray, say Our Father in Heaven . (Matthew 6:23)

What thoughts go through your mind when you say this opening line of the Lords Prayer?

He cares for us like a FatherWhy call Him Father?Jesus said,If your heavenly Father cares for the birds and flowers, how much more will he care for you? (Matthew 6:23)

How does God care for us?

He keeps us in line like a fatherWhy call Him Father?The Bible says,Our earthly fathers disciplined us, and we respected them; how much more should we respect the father in heaven? God disciplines those he loves (Hebrews 12:23)

How does God discipline us?He defends us like a fatherWhy call Him Father?God provides me with all that I need for my body and life, and that He defends me against all danger and evil., and that He does this out of fatherly goodness and mercy, even though I do not deserve it.Luther explains that You mean you TRUST in God ore than you trust anything else.

THEREFORE . Whatever you TRUST THE MOST in is actually your God!

What do people tend to trust in for stuff they really should be trusting God for? When you say I believe in God HOW CAN YOU KNOW WHAT GOD IS LIKE?God is invisible But you can know Him through what He does.

(Just like the wind is invisible, but you know it is there by what it does)You know his greatness through natureThe heavens declare the glory of God. (Ps 19:1)You know his care through how he helped his people. Took them across the Red Sea.

HOW CAN YOU WHAT IS GOD LIKE?God is invisible But Jesus shows what God is like: No one has seen God at any time, but the .only son has made Him known. (John 1:14)

Jesus dying on the cross shows us the depths of Gods love.

WHY CAN YOU UNDERSTAND GOD?You are made in Gods image ---Even though the image is broken by sin, you are still able to understand and admire the qualities of God.

NOT ONLY THAT Since you are a Christian, God is CHANGING YOU BACK into His image

So those ideals of God are also things God is building in you.

God has already decided to conform you into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29)

Lets look at some of those qualitiesGOD IS LOVEWhat about you? Even though we often dont love,

Gods love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit He has given us (Romans 5:5)GOD IS JUST (FAIR)Even non-believers still have a sense of something being fair or not fait, and that the ideal is to be fair.

What about you? Even though we dont always act fairly, yet when Jesus changes someone, they become like the rich man, so said If I have treated anyone unfirluy, I will return three times as much. (Luke 13:27)GOD IS PUREAround the world, people have a sense that their sins have made them impure, and they dont like that. They try to get rid of it by washing in a holy river, or by sacrificing an animal.

What about you? We are not pure either, but we have experienced what Ananias told Paul to do: Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins. (Acts 10:17)GOD IS ETERNALPeople around the world hope that this life is not all there is, and wish that there will be a next life.

What about you? God has given us eternal life, and this life is IN HIS SON. Whoever has the son HAS THE LIFE. (1 John 5:11-12)What other qualitiesHow many words can you think of to finish this sentence

God is .. You cant understand everythingGod is beyond our understanding. God is like a box. We cannot see what is inside the box, so we go by what God has written outside the box, I love you.

This is no different than understanding people. You cannot understand everything about another person, so we go by what the other person tells us.HOW DO YOU SHOW THAT GOD IS IN FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LIFE?Obey God

Worship God

Pray to God

Oh LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night; please hear my prayers. Psalm 88:1