What’s Your GodView? Exit 83 Explores God’s Mysteries

By Matt Sasso, Pastor of Student Ministries 

What comes to mind when you think about God? Who do you believe God is? How do you believe God interacts with you personally and with your world? These are questions we are going to be addressing in Exit 83. You see, every one of us has a “Godview,” whether we think about it or not. For many of us, it’s just a vague impression formed when we were younger. For some, it’s an image of someone against whom we have a strong resistance. For others, God is personal and mysterious, offering an adventure to anyone ready to pursue a relationship with Him. While we can never really know everything about God – because He’s that big and mysterious – the things we can learn about Him shape the way we respond to whatever life brings. That’s why author A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Week One (September 2) 
No matter who we are, we all have a Godview. And the way we think about God affects how we interact with our world. Many people struggle because they have a negative or distorted view of God. This first week, we will take a look at the life of one of Jesus’ closest followers who struggled with this very thing. In the end, we want to challenge students to begin to see how their view of God shapes the way they live.

If you are a parent of a junior high or high school student, grab a piece of paper for each of you and take three minutes to write down all of the things that come to mind when you hear the word “God.” Both of you be honest, and don’t just write the words that you think you should. There’s no grade for this.

Week Two (September 9) 
Many of us have a distorted Godview because we think God’s primary goal is either for us to be good or for us to be happy. While there may be some truth in those statements, if we see those as His primary goals, then we walk through life with remarkable and self-made expectations. Then, when those expectations aren’t met, our faith is shattered and destroyed. This week, we want students to see that following God is bigger than our expectations. Following God requires surrendering control.

As a parent you could ask your junior high or high school student, “When you think about the things you pray for or about, or the verses you hang on to, or even the way you perceive God, are those all based on your own personal happiness? How would our prayers and likes look different if we were more concerned about surrendering control?”

Week Three (September 16) 
The tendency for each one of us is to think we have God all figured out. But this week is about one simple truth – we don’t. This week we want students to see how the more they come to know God, the more they will realize they’ll never really know Him completely. There is always more of God to know. He’s that big, that mysterious, and that amazing.

At the close of this series, we hope your student will walk away with the desire to pursue a relationship with God and to know God more every day. As a parent you could ask your junior high or high school student, “What is mysterious to you about God? Is it comforting or frightening to know there are things about God we don’t have figured out? Why or why not?”

We hope that your student is challenged in their relationship with God.