Sunday, August 21st

For what am I destined? Does God have a plan for my life? If so, am I on the right track, or did I screw it up with bad choices? Though if God knows the future and has a plan laid out for me, then what difference do my choices make anyway? If God knows, does that mean all is predestined even evil acts? But if I can choose good or evil, how can God be in control and give me confidence my future is secure?

Is your mind blown yet? This week we’re looking at the challenging question: Do we really have free will or is everything predetermined? Work through the following questions on your own, and get together with your running partner, Life Group or friends and family around the dinner table to talk through what you’re learning!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you identify more with the idea that we’re in control of our own destinies, or do you believe God plans out the details of our lives, leaving us to walk the path He picked for us? How do you think this impacts your view of God, of prayer and of personal decision-making?
2. Read Joshua 24:14-15 & Isaiah 41:9. How does this paradoxical idea that God chose us AND we are free to choose Him impact your understanding of the way God works?
3. Read Proverbs 3:5-6. How do you balance trusting God with your decisions with your freedom to choose?
4. Can you think of a time when you knew what God wanted you to do, but chose another way? What happened? How about a time when you trusted God with a choice, what happened then?
5. Read Romans 8:28. How does this verse make you feel? Can you recall an example of when God did this in your life? How can trusting this verse to be true help you in the future?
6. What areas of your life right now do you need to entrust to God? In what areas of your life do you know God wants you to act? How can you invite God’s will into your everyday decisions, and what do you think could happen if you made this more of a daily habit?

KEY SCRIPTURES

Joshua 24:14-15 — If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today.

Isaiah 41:9 — I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 — Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Romans 8:28 — And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

DIGGING DEEPER

Take a deeper dive into what the Bible infers about the question: Do we really have free will or does God predetermine everything? Verses marked with an (F) speak to our free will. Verses marked with a (P) speak to the idea of things being predetermined/predestined. Versus marked with (P&F) speak paradoxically to both.

• Revelation 20:11-15 (F)
• 1 John 2:5-6 (F)
• 1 Peter 2:21 (F)
• James 4:7 (F)
• Hebrews 6:4-12 (F)
• 1 Timothy 6:19 (F)
• Acts 2:21 (F)
• John 7:17 (F)
• Luke 10:42 (F)
• Matthew 21:21-22 (F)
• Hosea 4:4-9 (F)
• Ezekiel 18:1-32 (F)
• Jeremiah 8:4-12 (F)
• Isaiah 7:15-16 (F)
• Proverbs 8:10-19 (F)
• Psalm 14:1-3 (F)
• Job 36:21 (F)
• Joshua 24:14-27 (F)
• Genesis 13:11 (F)

• Exodus 34:24 (P)
• Deuteronomy 10:15 (P)
• 1 Kings 12:15 (P)
• 2 Chronicles 6:3-6 (P)
• Psalm 110:1-7 (P)
• Isaiah 61:10-62:2 (P)
• Jeremiah 1:4-10 (P)
• Daniel 4:4-37 (P)
• Matthew 10:28-30 (P)
• Luke 22:31-34 (P)
• Romans 8:19-33 (P)
• 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (P)
• 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (P)
• Ephesians 1:4-5 (P)
• Titus 2:11-14 (P)
• James 4:13-17 (P)
• 1 Peter 1:4-5 (P)
• 1 John 5:18-20 (P)
• Revelation 13:8-10 (P)

• Job 9:1-35 (P&F)
• Psalm 32:5-11 (P&F)
• Ecclesiastes 3:10-17 (P&F)
• Isaiah 55:6-11 (P&F)
• Jeremiah 17:5-10 (P&F)
• Hosea 5:3-7 (P&F)
• Luke 22:21-22 (P&F)
• John 8:31-47 (P&F)
• Acts 17:24-28 (P&F)
• Romans 11:25-12:2 (P&F)
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (P&F)
• Philippians 2:12-13 (P&F)
• 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (P&F)
• 2 Timothy 2:19-26 (P&F)
• Hebrews 6:17-19 (P&F)
• James 1:13-25 (P&F)
• 1 Peter 5:5-10 (P&F)
• 1 John 4:7-19 (P&F)
• Jude 1-4 (P&F)

If you’ve yet to do so, we encourage you to download the Bible App by YouVersion on your smart phone. Create a free YouVersion account. Tap Plans > Discover > Search: Outreach New Testament > Start Plan. Then you can read along each day with us!

SPIRITUAL GROWTH PATH

Did you know you can now track your progress working through the outcomes we include in Next Steps right on Gateway’s website?! Go to Spiritual Growth Path and create an account. You’ll get access to Spiritual Fitness Checks and training with the spiritual outcomes.

Spiritual Outcomes — Study God

• Learn how to wrestle with the questions about God that blow our mind by working through the STUDY GOD outcome.