1. “’We created you to share in that (fullness – a state of perpetual satisfaction). But then Adam chose to go it on his own, as we knew he would, and everything got messed up. But instead of scrapping the whole Creation we rolled up our sleeves and entered into the middle of the mess – that’s what we have done in Jesus.’” (pg. 99)
Q. Jesus said, “I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s (Satan’s) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:9-10) Is your life ‘rich and satisfying?’ If not, have you entered the ‘gate’ of salvation? (To find out how, go to http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=276)
2. “’A bird’s not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image.’” (pg. 100)
Q. God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God doesn’t want you dragging around on the ground feeling hopeless and defeated. He wants you to ‘fly’ in faith and confidence. Is your life ‘defined by your limitations’ or by being ‘created in God’s image?
Q. When you think about being created in God’s image, what aspect of God’s nature are you uniquely suited to display? (See 1 Corinthians 12)
3. “’We want male and female to be counterparts, face-to-face equals, each unique and different, distinctive in gender but complementary, and each empowered uniquely by Sarayu from whom all true power and authority originates. Remember, I am not about performance and fitting into man-made structures; I am about being. As you grow in relationship with me, what you do will simply reflect who you really are.’
“But you (Jesus) came in the form of a man. Doesn’t that say something?’
‘Yes, but not what many have assumed. I came as a man to complete a wonderful picture in how we made you. From the first day we hid the woman within the man, so that at the right time we could remove her from within him. We didn’t create man to live alone; she was purposed from the beginning. By taking her out of him, he birthed her in a sense. We created a circle of relationship, like our own, but for humans. She, out of him, and now all the males, including me, birthed through her, and all originating, or birthed, from God.’
‘Oh, I get it,’ Mack interjected… “If the female had been created first, there would have been no circle of relationship, and thus no possibility of a fully equal face-to-face relationship between the male and female. Right?’
‘Exactly right, Mack.’ Jesus looked at him and grinned. ‘Our desire was to create a being that had a fully equal and powerful counterpart, the male and the female. But your independence with its quest for power and fulfillment actually destroys the relationship your heart longs for.’
Q. The Bible begins with “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Since both genders are created in God’s image, why has there been such a struggle in human history over the concept of equality? (See Genesis 3:16)
Q. How would you define a healthy, biblical view of the opposite sex?
Q. How has the human ‘quest for independence, power, and fulfillment’ affected your relationships?
4. “’All I (Jesus) want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you. It’s not your job to change them, or to convince them. You are free to love without an agenda.’ (pg. 181)
Q. Not long before he left this earth, Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) How do you interpret this ‘new command?’ How are you doing at doing it?
Q. What does it mean to ‘love without an agenda?’ (See Luke 15:11-31)
5. “’Mackenzie, my (Papa) purposes are not for my comfort or yours. My purposes are always and only an expression of love. I purpose to work life out of death, to bring freedom out of brokenness and turn darkness into light. What you see as chaos, I see as a fractal. All things must unfold, even though it puts all those I love in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies – even the one closest to me.’
‘You’re talking about Jesus, aren’t you’ Mack asked softly.
‘Yup, I love that boy. … Everything’s about him, you know. One day you folk will understand what he gave up. There are just no words.’” (pg. 191)
Q. God’s purposes are ‘not for our comfort.’ He invites us to be part of his loving redemption of all things. This requires us to change, to release our natural selfishness and join him in expressing love. Think back over the events of your life. Can you see God’s hand shaping you through your circumstances to become more compassionate?
Q. God has ‘put those he loves in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies.’ How should we view the tragic events going on around us?
Q. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:8-9) How has God ‘redeemed’ the struggles in your life?
6. “’Papa, can you help me understand something? What exactly did Jesus accomplish by dying?’
‘Oh,’ she waved her hand. ‘…Just the substance of everything that love purposed from before the foundations of Creation.’
‘Wow, that’s a pretty broad brush. Could you bring it down a few notches?’ asked Mack rather boldly.
‘Like I said, everything is about him. Creation and history are all about Jesus. He is the very center of our purpose and in him we are now fully human, so our purpose and your destiny are forever linked. You might say that we have put all our eggs in the one human basket. There is no plan B.’
‘Seems pretty risky,’ Mack surmised.
‘Maybe for you, but not for me. There has never been a question that what I wanted from the beginning, I will get.’
‘Honey you asked me what Jesus accomplished on the cross; so now listen to me carefully: through his death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world.’
‘The whole world? You mean those who believe in you, right?’
‘The whole world, Mack. All I am telling you is that reconciliation is a two-way street, and I have done my part, totally, completely, finally. It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way.’” (pg. 191-192)
Q. Some believe that everything is the result of random events – there is no underlying cause or purpose. Others believe that everything has a reason – that God is behind the scenes orchestrating events according to his plan. Which position do you hold and why?
Q. Is it really true that ‘everything is about him’ (Jesus) as this book claims? If so, why do you believe this? (See Colossians 1:15-20) If not, what do you believe about his role in history?
Q. What do you think Jesus accomplished by dying? (See John 3:16 and Ephesians 1:9-14)
Q. Is it true that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world? If so, doesn’t that mean that everyone will someday end up with God in heaven? Why or why not? (See 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
7. “’Let me ask you something. Is what I do back home important? Does it matter? I really don’t do much other than working and caring for my family and friends…’
‘Sarayu interrupted him. ‘Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.’” (pg. 235)
Q. We all want to know that our life matters – that we have a purpose for existing on this planet. Sarayu says, “Everything matters.” What does that mean to you?
Q. The Bible says, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.” (1 Corinthians 9:25-26) Since your every action and word matters, and you’re not just ‘shadowboxing,’ how can you make sure to maximize your opportunities?
Q. In Colossians 3:11, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” How does Christ’s presence in us elevate our actions and words in this life?
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