Session 1 - 23/04/25

The Apostles’ Creed - Session 1. 23/04/25​ - Intro & I believe in God, the Father Almighty (MM)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Opening Prayer ….

“The Apostle’s creed is recited by Christians throughout the world each Sunday. For many it is a dull routine, and for others it is spoken with confusion or doubt, rather than with confidence and joy.

Do we really need creeds? Increasingly people like the idea of pinning down truth. Others want to stick to the Bible alone, and think that creeds have no place in our worship.

But most churches have found it helpful to have a summary of Christian belief. Creeds summarise who we are, they teach us what is important, and they help us to avoid error.
This course aims to fill out the content of the short statements that are so familiar to us, referring to relevant Bible passages. Saying the Creed need never to be dull, confused or joyless again.” 

 
Introduction.
Q.1.  How do you feel about saying the Creed each Sunday?

Q.2.  What reasons lead you to believe in God, and what do you think makes it hard for others to believe in Him?

Read Romans 1:18-25. God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God, nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Q.3.  According to Paul, how has God made himself known, how can we know about God from creation, and why don’t people believe in God? 

Q.4. Look at verse 21. How can we get to know God and understand him better?

Read John 14:1-14 - Jesus the Way to the Father.

This passage comes from an account of Jesus’ life and teaching. In these verses Jesus refers to God as “the Father”. The reason why Christians turn to the words of Jesus to find out about God, rather than listening to anyone else, should become clearer as we listen to what Jesus had to say.

1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Q.5. According to Jesus, how can we get to know God?

Q.6. What does Jesus mean when he describes himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” in verse 6?

Q.7. How can people who have not seen Jesus, like us, know the Father? (See verses 9 and 10, and compare John 10:29-31.)

Read John 5:19-25

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

Q.8. What does the work of God, through the words of Jesus, actually do in this world?

Q.9. In John 14:12, Jesus says that those who have faith in him will do greater things than the miracles he did. How do Christians do the “greater works” that Jesus promises ? 

Q. 10. How can we apply what we have learnt today? How could we use Romans 1 and John 14 to respond to others about how God can be known and aboiut how he works in our world today ? 

CLOSING PRAYER ….