September 28, 2014: God the Father

Overview:

• List the qualities of human dads and how this relates to God the Father
• Clouds as a symbol of God
• Jesus fully reveals his Father
• Prayerful exercise towards developing our sixth sense

Objectives: students learn that:

• God is beyond our comprehension
• God reveals himself as truth and love
• God as Jesus' Father, meet God in prayer

This series was awesome for last week's prep:

Agenda

1. Quick-Start Activity
1. 2 Large sheets, outline a person
2. Write The Best Qualities of Human Fathers on the 2 large sheets
3. Front of class: 3 - 5 best qualities of a human father — no repeats
4. THEN: read Chapter 2, starting on page 24
2. Welcome and Opening Prayer
1. Bring lighter for candle
2. Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God
3. Prayer in book, page 30
3. The Cloud of Unknowing
1. What's your experience with clouds? Flying through them? Fogs?
2. The difficulty of grasping the majesty of God
3. Jesus reveals the Father
4. Contest: look up:
1. Exodus 13:20-22
2. Numbers 9:15-18
3. 1 Kings 8:12
4. Matthew 17:5
5. How is God like and unlike a fog?
4. Our Father Reveals Himself
1. Look up Genesis 1:26
2. Who is someone you like?
3. How do you know this is true of this person?
4. Write on board:
1. What has God done throughout history?
2. Simple one-word responses
5. Volunteer to read from page 25
6. Review large sheet from beginning of class
7. God is bigger than just human "male" or "female"
5. Listening to the Father
1. Spiritual exercise, page 34
6. Closing Prayer
1. Volunteer to read "Pray It!" from around the candle, page 25