God's Heart for youGod's Heart for you

What does God think of What does God think of you?you?

Have you ever Have you ever wondered what God wondered what God thinks of you?thinks of you?

Is it hard for you to Is it hard for you to believe He loves you believe He loves you as much as the Bible as much as the Bible says He does? says He does?

What does God think of What does God think of you?you?

God is so big and He God is so big and He sometimes seems so sometimes seems so distant … but what distant … but what is He really like? is He really like?

Do you really know Do you really know HimHim

What does God think of What does God think of youyou?

You've heard His You've heard His instructions, but do instructions, but do you know anything you know anything about His emotions about His emotions or His character?or His character?

Who is God?Who is God?

The Bible says that God is our The Bible says that God is our FatherFather

What is What is A FatherA Father??

What do you What do you think of when think of when you hear the you hear the word word fatherfather??

Do you automatically think of Do you automatically think of protection, provision, warmth, and protection, provision, warmth, and

tenderness?tenderness?

Or does the word Or does the word FatherFather paint paint

different kinds of pictures for you?different kinds of pictures for you?  

What does the Bible say?What does the Bible say?

- gentlegentle

- forgiving Fatherforgiving Father

- intimately involved with each and every intimately involved with each and every

detail of our livesdetail of our lives

God is:God is:

The problem is:The problem is:

Every person seems Every person seems to have a different to have a different

idea of what idea of what God is like…God is like…

The problem is:

They unconsciously They unconsciously tend to attach the tend to attach the

feelings and impressions feelings and impressions that they have that they have of of

their own earthly father their own earthly father to their concept of to their concept of

their Heavenly Fathertheir Heavenly Father

What did God have in mind when He What did God have in mind when He created the family? The Bible says, created the family? The Bible says,

God makes a home for the lonely God makes a home for the lonely (Psalm 68:6 NASB)(Psalm 68:6 NASB)  

A family involves a circle of relationship including an adult male

and female, into which tiny, dependent human beings are born

and raised. 

Why do we enter the

world as such

helpless, inadequate

persons, and then

slowly grow up

physically, mentally,

and emotionally into

self-sufficient adults?

Have you ever wondered

why God didn't come up

with some sort of

reproduction system that

would produce a

physically completed

person such as His

original creation

of Adam and Eve? 

Because He intends the family unit to be a Because He intends the family unit to be a place where His love is demonstrated place where His love is demonstrated

to both parent and childto both parent and child

As parents we begin to really As parents we begin to really understand God's heart towards us understand God's heart towards us

as His children.as His children.

As children, it is God's will for us to As children, it is God's will for us to see His love revealed through see His love revealed through

parental tenderness, mercy, and parental tenderness, mercy, and disciplinediscipline

But what if the ideal did not But what if the ideal did not happen? What if you have been happen? What if you have been failed in some way by parental failed in some way by parental

authority?authority?

So many have suffered hurt and So many have suffered hurt and rejection by their families that it is hard rejection by their families that it is hard

for them to see God as He really is. for them to see God as He really is.

Understanding the character of God is Understanding the character of God is essential if we are to love Him, serve essential if we are to love Him, serve

Him, and be like HimHim, and be like Him

Six misconceptions concerning Six misconceptions concerning

God and His love for usGod and His love for us

Parental AuthorityParental Authority

Parental FaithfulnessParental Faithfulness

Parental GenerosityParental Generosity

Parental AffectionParental Affection

Parental Parental attentivenessattentiveness

Parental AcceptanceParental Acceptance

Therefore a full revelation of God's parental Therefore a full revelation of God's parental lovelove

is incomplete is incomplete

without the presence of the male and without the presence of the male and female attributes of parental affectionfemale attributes of parental affection

God created man in His own image, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. male and female He created them.

(Genesis 1:27 NASB)(Genesis 1:27 NASB)

Let's look back into our personal past and see if our relationship with God has been hindered in any way because of a failure

or absence of tender loving care from one or both of our parents

Parental AuthorityParental Authority

Parental FaithfulnessParental Faithfulness

Parental GenerosityParental Generosity

Parental AffectionParental Affection

Parental attentivenessParental attentiveness

Parental AcceptanceParental Acceptance

Remember the 6 areas of Remember the 6 areas of Misconceptions:Misconceptions:

Parental Authority

Parental FaithfulnessParental Faithfulness

Parental Generosity

Parental AffectionParental Affection

Parental Attentiveness Parental Attentiveness

Parental Acceptance Parental Acceptance

http://www.fathersloveletter.com/http://www.fathersloveletter.com/

We've talked about our We've talked about our misconceptions about God. misconceptions about God.

  With your partner, discuss aspects of With your partner, discuss aspects of

your growing up years that either your growing up years that either helped you helped you

or hindered you in seeing or hindered you in seeing God as a loving Father.  God as a loving Father.  

End by praying for each other.End by praying for each other.