#Shine Series at C4C Written Study Guide available

Here is a sample from the new series' written study guide which can be purchased at our events or downloaded for free at www.church4chicks.com (visit the events page). 

Week One

God Said, “Let there be Light”

Day 1: God created light and said that it is good (Gen 1)

            When I was in high school, I had a sweatshirt I wore ALL the time. I wore it for three different reasons:

1)     My best friend made it for me.

2)     It was super duper comfortable; and

3)     It had my favorite verse of Scripture on it.

The shirt said this,

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17 NKJV

This verse, and the whole Bible, reveals to us that there is a God and that He is the Creator of ALL good things. He created the whole universe out of nothing but His own imagination. This seemingly impossible belief is founded upon some incredible faith and upon plenty of scientific evidence to be sure. I know there are many who prefer to put their trust in some other belief system for how the world began, how mankind showed up, and how we continue to exist today, but with all my heart and mind, I believe that everything finds its existence in the One who has always existed. 

·       Read Genesis 1:1-4 here:

¹In the beginning God created heaven and earth.

²The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Spirit of God was hovering over the water.

³Then God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light. ⁴God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness.

In the beginning, things were dark. God showed up and called Light into existence. He declared that light is good. James 1:17 tells us that God is the Father of Lights—the creator, initiator, definer of light. He is the source of light—and of all good things.

·       What does this mean to the one who is grappling to believe that God is worthy of our trust and faith?

·       Circle the word “all” in the last sentence of the paragraph above. What is your response to the reality that God is the giver, the source, of ALL good things?

•  Read Hebrews 11:1-2 here:

¹Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. ²God accepted our ancestors because of their faith. ³Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.

·       What is it that God desires from us?

·       This passage reveals, yet again, that God created something out of nothing. Have you ever faced a situation or season in your life when it seemed that there were no ingredients for a miracle from God? Describe such a time… 

·       If God can create something out of nothing, then what can we hang on to when we don’t see the ingredients for His provision or protection? 

Prayer Starter for today…

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that You truly are the Source of Light and of ALL good things. Help me to see this more clearly in my own life as I begin this new series and as I seek to be an even more effective “lamp” sharing your light with those in my world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.