Speaking of God

The Bible’s figurative language for God is rich and diverse. God is described as a natural object, as a parent, and with a variety of other personal metaphors. In this series we will talk about God: our father, our mother, our rock, our judge, our king, and more. And we will talk about the consequences and implications of using metaphorical language to describe a living God.

Message line-up:

7/7

God as a Natural Object

Pastor Scott Austin

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Although we often understand God best as personally close to us, many biblical authors rely on an understanding of nature to convey their descriptions of God. These “natural object” metaphors are very accessible and can be deeply meaningful to us.

7/14

God as a Person

Pastor Scott Austin

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The biblical authors refer to God with many personal metaphors, and these can be even more helpful in understanding God, who is our King, our friend, our judge, our shepherd, and more.

7/21

God as a Parent

Pastor Scott Austin

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The most familiar term for God in common speech and prayer is “Father,” and there are indeed many references in the Bible to God as our father. It may be surprising to some people to learn that there are also many biblical references to God as a mother. This parental language can be deeply moving for us, and not always in positive ways. What does it mean to think of God as our parent?

7/28

God as a Reconciler

Special guest: Rev. Judy Davis

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God has given us the ministry of reconciliation, but what is reconciliation? Why is reconciliation important for the church to pursue? Could an understanding of God as a Reconciler help us live out our faith beyond our walls in a way that brings healing to relationships broken across ethnic group lines?

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