Little G Gods

In one paragraph

Connor, who runs the young adult program at Tribe, brought the message this Sunday while Brian was away. Working through Exodus 32 and the story of the golden calf, he pushed past the familiar "modern idols" application and asked a harder question: what if the problem is not just worshiping the wrong thing, but carrying a wrong or incomplete picture of God himself? The congregation read through...

Read together

1. Exodus 32 Read in full as the primary text for the sermon
2. 1 Kings Mentioned briefly in connection with two golden calves being built

What was said

• Open Exodus 32 and read the whole chapter in one sitting, then sit quietly and ask God to show you any area where your picture of him might actually be an idealized version of yourself.
• Pull up Blue Letter Bible or a similar tool and look up one word from a passage you are currently reading to see what the original Hebrew or Greek actually says.
• Before going straight to a commentary this week, read your passage first and give the Holy Spirit a few minutes to speak to you personally before you look at what anyone else says about it.
• Find one verse that rubs you the wrong way, sit with why it bothers your flesh, and then write down one way you can submit that reaction to God rather than glossing over it.
• If you want to get plugged into a men's community Bible study, talk to Clay after the next service.

Talk about it

1. Connor talked about how the Israelites kept going back to their failures and dead things instead of walking in the freedom God offered them. Where in your own life do you find yourself tending a grave the enemy keeps pointing you back to, and what has helped you walk away from it?
2. The congregation noticed that Aaron specifically called the festival one for Yahweh, the Lord, not just for a generic god. What does it mean to you personally that someone can be worshiping an incorrect image of the true God rather than a different god altogether, and where do you think that happens in the church today?
3. Timothy Keller's quote came up: if your God never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself. What is a passage or teaching from Scripture that has rubbed you the wrong way, and how did you work through submitting your reaction to what God actually says?
4. Connor suggested three ways to make sure our picture of God stays accurate: digging into what the word actually says, surrounding ourselves with godly counsel, and intentionally seeking out perspectives that challenge us. Which of those three comes least naturally to you, and why?
5. Someone in the room made the point that prayer and intercession actually changed God's response to Israel in Exodus 32. How does that land with you, and has there been a time in your own life when you saw prayer shift something you thought was already decided?