Lesson 9 WE ARE GIVEN A FATHER
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Day 1: I John 1
Day 2: I John 2
Day 3: I John 3
Day 4: I John 4
Day 5: I John 5
Day 6: II John
Day 7: III John
WORD STUDY: FATHER/ABBA
1. Write the Hebrew word and definition for father.
2. Write the Greek word and definition for father.
3. What is the Aramaic word for father?
We find the word Abba used only 3 times in scripture. Let's take a look at each of these instances.
4. And He (Jesus Christ) said, " _______________, _______________, all things
are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
Mark 14:36
5. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of _______________ by whom we cry out, "_______________,
_______________." Romans 8:15
6. Because you are _______________, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into your hearts, crying out, "_______________, _______________." Galatians 4:6
We are given the same privilege of calling upon God our Father in very a very
personal and intimate manner.
7. How many times is the word Father found in the New Testament?
8. List adjectives that best describe your earthly father.
MY STORY:
In December of 19??, I was born into a family living in poverty with no means
of feeding yet another mouth. Actually two mouths because I have a twin sister!
The decision was made to place us for adoption. In that era, many multiple
births were separated and adopted into two different families. However, the
Lord preserved our family and allowed Amie and I to be adopted by the same
parents! We have been so blessed to enjoy these many years together. We spent
the first three weeks of our lives living in Foster Care and fatherless. Once
we were placed with my parents, we were given an earthly father that we could
call Dad! (Just as Glen became Anderson’s father) We again were very blessed
to be placed within a family that loved the Lord and made it their goal to raise
us in the Church. Over the next few weeks we will be studying what it means to
have a Father and just what our responsibility must be to be His child.
GOD'S STORY:
In number 8 above we made a list of adjectives to describe our earthly father.
I want us to now turn our focus to our Heavenly Father above.
9. Behold, what manner of _______________ the _______________ has bestowed on
us, that we should be called _______________ of _______________! Therefore the
world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are
_______________ of _______________; and it has not yet been revealed what we
shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is. I John 3:1-2
10. Or what _______________ is there among you who, if his _______________ asks
for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then,
being _______________ know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your _______________ who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:9-11
Many of us have been blessed with wonderful, loving earthly fathers. Our list
in number 8 may have gone on for an entire page of affectionate and warm
thoughts of our dads. However, some of you may have struggled with this
exercise. You may have been fatherless or was raised in a home where your
father was not walking with the Lord. It may not have been a pleasant
experience. Please reread Matthew 7:9-11 and realize that God our Father is so
much MORE that even the best of dads on earth! Open your heart and mind to
learning about our loving eternal Father.
In the next few verses we will focus on the fact that we have only ONE Father:
11. There is _______________ body and _______________ Spirit, just as you were
called in _______________ hope of your calling; _______________ Lord,
_______________ faith, ________________ baptism; _______________ God and
_______________ of _______________, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all. Ephesians 4:3-6
12. Yet for us there is _______________ God, the _______________, of whom are
_______________ things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
are all things, and through whom we live. I Corinthians 8:6
As a child around 11 or 12 I remember answering the phone one afternoon.
Wanting to sound "grown-up" I turned and said (with great dignity),
"Father, the phone is for you" Wow! I was severely reprimanded for
calling my dad, father. That title was to be reserved for our Heavenly Father.
Let's look at the context of this passage and see what conclusions we can
make.
12. Read Matthew 23:1-12 and give your response below. Be sure to support all
your answers with scripture. Some questions you may want to ponder while
reading this passage: Who was Jesus addressing? What is the context of this
passage? Are we sinning if we call people our teachers? Is it wrong to address
earthly dads as fathers?
13. Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, opened each of His epistles
with a similar phrase. Read each of the following passages and tell whose
Father God is listed as. NOTICE: There are two different personages who can
claim Him as Father. Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; II Corinthians 1:2-3;
Galatians 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:2-3; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2-3; I Thessalonians 1:1;
II Thessalonians 1:1-2; I Timothy 1:2; and Philemon 3.
My dad was so awesome growing up! I respected him so much. I know that I chose
to stay out of a lot of trouble because I did not want to hurt my dad. In the
same way, we must desire to live a righteous life in order to please our God and
not hurt or disappoint Him. Let's turn the focus to how we should live before
God our Father.
14.Therefore, be _______________ of _______________ as dear
____________________. And walk in _______________, as Christ also has loved us
and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2
15. Do not be unequally yoked together with _______________. For what
_______________ has righteousness with lawlessness? And what _______________
has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part
has a believer with an unbeliever: And what _______________ has the temple of
God with idols? For you are the _______________ of the living God. As God has
said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their
_______________, and they shall be My _______________." "Come
_______________ from among them and be _______________, says the Lord. Do not
_______________ what is unclean and I will receive you." "I will be a
_______________ to you, and you shall be My _______________ and _______________.
Says the Lord _______________" II Corinthians 6:14-18
16. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to _______________
worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all _______________ and
_______________, with _______________, _______________ with one another in
_______________. Endeavoring to keep the _______________ of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3
17. Read I Peter 1:13-21 We are to live a life in Christ as obedient children.
We are to live with awe and respect (Fear) for our Father who bought us with the
precious blood of Jesus Christ.
18. Reread I John 3:1-3 for context. And _______________ who has this
_______________ in Him _______________ himself, just as He is _______________.
19. And now, little children, _______________in Him, that when He appears, we
may have _______________ and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you
know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices _______________
is _______________ of Him. I John 2:28-29
20. Whoever transgresses and does not _______________ in the doctrine of Christ
does not have _______________. He who _______________ in the doctrine of Christ
has both the _______________ and the _______________. II John 9
21. Give the Greek word and definition for abide.
None of us were given the choice of our earthly father. We were babes and did
not have the knowledge or ability to make a choice. However, as adults, we are
given the choice of 'Fathers". We may choose the heavenly Father studied
above or we may choose the Father of lies.
22. Jesus said to them, "If _______________ were your _______________ , you
would _______________ Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I
come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech: Because
you are not able to listen to My word. You are of _______________
_______________ the _______________, and the desires of you _______________ you
want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from
his own _______________ for he is a liar and the _______________ of it. But
because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of
sin: And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me: He who is of
_______________ hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are
not of God. John 8:42-47
23. In this the _______________ of _______________ and the _______________ of
the _______________ are manifest: Whoever does __________ practice
_______________ is __________ of ____________, nor is he who does not
________________ his brother. I John 3:10
24. Who is a _______________ but he who _______________ that Jesus is the
_______________? He is _______________ who denies the _______________ and the
_______________. Whoever denies the _______________ does not have the
_______________ either; he who _______________ the Son has the _______________
also. I John 2:22-23
LESSON IN ACTION:
Spend time this week getting to know your heavenly Father by reading His Word
and praying. Try to think of all the blessings that come from God our Father
and thank Him this week!