Six ways to ruin your relationship with God.
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SERMON NOTES:
All IN!
Malachi 1:1-2:9
Six ways to ruin your relationship with God:
1. Doubt His love for you. (1:2-5)
2. Give Him your leftovers. (1:6-9)
3. Make church an empty ritual. (1:10)
4. Consider God a burden. (1:11-14)
5. Don’t put your heart into it. (2:1-2)
6. Disregard the consequences. (2:3-9)
God doesn’t demand perfection, but He expects you to be ALL-IN.
study questions:
For the Next Lesson: Malachi 1:1-2:9
1.Read verses 1:1-5. What is the first thing God says in the book of Malachi in verse 2? Before continuing in your study of Malachi, pause and ask yourself, “How does God specifically love me?” Take time to brainstorm and write down every way God loves you. How did the people respond to Malachi’s statement about God’s love? What evidence for God’s love is given in verses 2-5? How have you struggled to believe God loves you? Why do you think this happens?
2.Read verses 1:6-10. What point is God making in verse 6? How are the people responding to the love of God? What is the evidence of their hard-hearted response to God’s love given in verses 7-10? How would you summarize the actions and attitude of the people toward God in verses 6-10? Do you ever respond to God in this way?
3.Read verses 1:11-14. What does God declare about Himself in verse 11? Is it arrogant or prideful for God to talk about Himself in this way? Why or why not? How are the people responding to the greatness of God in verses 12-14? How would you summarize the actions and attitude of the people toward God in verses 12-14? Do you ever respond to God in this way?
4.Read verses 2:1-9. What does God say He will do if the priests continue to dishonor Him in verses 1-3? How many times does God use the word “heart” in verses 1-2? Why do you think it is important to notice this? According to verses 4-9, what is the basis for God’s accusations against the priests? Were their expectations clear for how to follow God? How so?
5.So what. If you believed God loved you perfectly and unconditionally way down deep to the core of your being, how would it affect your relationship with God? What would your actions and attitude toward God be like? How would it change the way you walk through life? How would it change your perspective on life? What can you do to cultivate a heart-held belief that God specifically, intentionally and unconditionally loves you?