God skillfully designed butterfliesGod skillfully designed butterfliesHe took more care creating youHe took more care creating you

(See Metamorphosis under “nature” tab) (See Metamorphosis under “nature” tab)

• God protected and blessed Franz Hasel• He cares for you

• God lets us face trials• He uses trials to– Reveal our characters– Improve our characters

• He give us strength to face them

See Franz Hasel story under “history” tab

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

• John 16:33

Jesus warns that His followers will have trialsHe promises help to overcome, as He overcame

if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

•2 Corinthians 5:17

God offers to:•free us from habits and tendencies that are harmful•help us want to do good•give us wisdom and strength to do good

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

•John 17:3

See what you can learn about God’s character from the following passages:

As a chick running away from it’s mother’s wings, the Jews had refused to

trust in God•Because of this, they were

conquered and taken captive.

•Look at what God told them in the following

passage:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says

the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call

upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

•Jeremiah 29:11-13

God’s character is best revealed in the life of Jesus•Here’s a summary:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

• Jesus is coming back for us

• God longs to prepare us for eternity with Him

• Regardless of your past, He desires a personal relationship with you

God wants to enjoy your company for eternity

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

•Revelation 21:4

Obviously, no-one in heaven will hurt anyone•That’s why we need God to change our characters

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus

In summary, we have a problem:•Not that God is too weak•But we have separated ourselves from Him

Jesus came to earth to live among us and take our punishment•He made it possible for us to reconnect to God

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.•Isaiah 59:1,2

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon

Him, And by His scourging

we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

•Isaiah 53:4-6

God isn’t a cowboy trying to rope us in

•He’s a caring shepherd, searching for and calling us

Though Jesus gave Himself for us, and offers us all we need, He won’t force us to accept Him

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

The reason Jesus hasn’t come back, and brought an end to all Earth’s suffering, is that we haven’t been ready for Him, and He’s still patiently calling us

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

•Revelation 3:20

Jesus is pictured as knocking on the door of your heart•Is anything more important than letting Him in?

This PowerPoint is just an introductionFor a more complete Bible study series, visit:http://discoveronline.org/courses/discov/guide01/1believe.htm