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10 Steps to Knowing God

A discipleship guide to

developing an intimate relationship with God

for small groups and personal devotions

Liz Linssen

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NOT PRINT-READYCopyright © 2012 by Liz Linssen

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to

Equip Ministries, admin@equipm.org

Exception: The first lesson only may be photocopied for small group leaders and members while waiting for their own preordered copies.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America byEquip Ministries

978-0-9849601-0-1

Author: Liz Linssen

www.10stepstoknowinggod.com

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Contents

Introduction .........................................................................1

1. KNOWING GOD ................................................................. 7Can we really know God? ....................................................9Friendship with God ...........................................................17God of love ......................................................................... 21Benefits of knowing God ....................................................25Daniel—man of courage .....................................................30Application questions .........................................................34

2. CHARACTER OF GOD ........................................................ 35Faithfulness ........................................................................37Fatherhood .........................................................................42Goodness ............................................................................ 45Power .................................................................................49David—man of confidence ................................................. 53Application questions .........................................................57

3. GOD’S GRACE .................................................................. 59What is grace? .................................................................... 61Repentance .........................................................................65Freedom from guilt .............................................................72Making up for wasted years ...............................................78Rahab—woman of hope .....................................................83Application questions.........................................................86

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4. NATURE OF FAITH ............................................................ 89Faith in the unseen .............................................................91Faith and action ..................................................................96Faith like a child ...............................................................100Faith and waiting ............................................................. 105Joseph—man of faith ........................................................ 110Application questions ....................................................... 116

5. LOVE OF GOD ............................................................... 117Lavish love........................................................................ 119Love without fear ............................................................123Love through trials ...........................................................129Our greatest love .............................................................. 133Mary and Martha—loved by Jesus .................................. 138Application questions ....................................................... 144

6. THE BIBLE ................................................................... 145Flawless and reliable ......................................................... 149Foundation against storms ................................................ 155Spiritual food ................................................................... 160Powerful ........................................................................... 166Joshua—man of God’s Word ............................................ 169Application questions ....................................................... 174

7. DEVELOPING YOUR PRAYER LIFE ........................................ 175God cares ......................................................................... 178Believing and receiving .................................................... 184Principles of prayer ........................................................... 191Practicalities of prayer ......................................................208Deborah—woman of prayer ............................................. 214Application questions ....................................................... 218

8. YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE .................................................... 219Finding your purpose .......................................................223Seeking first God’s kingdom .............................................229Delighting in God .............................................................234

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Fruitful faith .....................................................................239Paul—man with purpose .................................................. 245Application questions ....................................................... 249

9. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP ........................... 251Becoming a disciple ..........................................................253Baptisms ...........................................................................257Laying on of hands ..........................................................263Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment .................265Gideon—man of small beginnings .................................... 271Application questions ....................................................... 276

10. FIVEFOLD ATHLETE PATTERN ............................................ 277Introduction: Spiritual athletes ......................................... 279Attitude ............................................................................283Strength training ..............................................................288Devotion ........................................................................... 293Perseverance .....................................................................299Nutrition ..........................................................................304Application questions ....................................................... 310

EPILOGUE .......................................................................... 311

CONFIDENT OF YOUR SALVATION ........................................... 313

FOR SMALL GROUP LEADERS .................................................. 319

HELPFUL BIBLE VERSES ......................................................... 329

ENDNOTES ......................................................................... 349

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Chapter One

KNOWING GODI will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people and I will be their God (Jeremiah 24:7).

I grew up in a Catholic family, but although I knew the name of Jesus, I can honestly say that I never really knew Him. Growing

up, I struggled with all kinds of things from depression and suicidal thoughts, to disordered eating and every sort of harmful addiction and habit. By the time I got to my first year of university, I had hit rock bottom and truly believe that if God had not intervened at that time, I would never have made it out of that year alive. But thankfully, He had bigger plans for me!

Through a few separate people in my life, I ended up attending an Evangelical Bible study/small group. It was through this group that I began to see Jesus as a living God, who loved me and wanted to participate in my life. He showed Himself to me through imme-diately answered prayers, the words and actions of others, and even through a few small miracles. It was then, when I finally turned to Him that my life changed and I began to have hope for my future!

It didn’t happen overnight, my transformation, but rather, God has been changing my heart and my life every day since the

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day I gave up battling on my own and let Him take control of my life. Life is never easy, but through His power, I have been able to triumph over the dark destructive issues of my past. He has given me forgiveness for my sins, but also the strength to forgive others whose wounds hurt me so deeply growing up. Because of this free-dom, I now know what hope, joy, peace and true, unconditional love feel like.

Most of all, I am thankful to God for the heart he has put inside me for broken people—those who are still struggling with some of the same things that almost stole my life. It amazes me that God is so powerful, so loving, and so amazing, that he could take a bro-ken, empty life like mine, and not only restore it, but make it into something beautiful, something that can offer hope to others too.

I owe my life to God, and I believe with all my heart that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life that every one of us is wandering through life searching for.

—Nicole

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DAY 1: CAN WE REALLY KNOW GOD?

I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow

in your knowledge of God (Ephesians 1:17 NLT).

If you’ve picked up this book and are reading these words, then it’s because you’re interested or even hungry to know God. You’re curious to find out who God is and whether you’re able to follow Him. Perhaps you’re eager to find out what God’s will is in a par-ticular area of your life, or perhaps you’re searching for His purpose and plan for you. If you fit into any of these categories, then keep reading! I pray that through this book, God will speak to you in all of those areas.

10 Steps to Knowing God was written for people just like you who desire to connect (or perhaps reconnect) with God. So whether you’re a brand new believer, or have been a Christian for many years, or even a prodigal who has decided to return to God, keep on reading. God desires that you truly understand His love for you and His purpose for your life, all of which are beyond your expectations and imagination! He wants you to know just how valuable and precious you are to Him, and for you to experience an intimate and real relationship with Him.

So, if you’re ready, let’s begin this journey together learning what it means to develop a relationship with God and begin by considering that all-important question that everyone, at some point in their lives, asks: is God real and if so, how can I know Him?

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DOES GOD EXIST?Whoever we are and wherever we are from, we all at some

point in our lives have pondered the universal question of God’s existence and His relevance to our lives. Everyone has an opinion about God. For some He is a distant, uncaring Being living in a galaxy far away; for others Someone who loves people discrimi-nately; still others question whether He exists at all. The Bible, on the other hand, claims Him to be a loving God, existing as Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit, and who cares for and speaks to His creation. So which of these opinions is true? Has God given any clues about His existence? What does the Bible have to say on that? Romans 1 verse 20 provides one answer:

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 men are without excuse.

What this verse means is that God’s existence can be seen in the beauty and wonder of nature all around us. In other words, through creation we see the fingerprint of God’s existence, which reveals His power and character. Creation is full of complexity and beauty, science and intelligence, order and purpose, seasons and color. Could such a world and universe really come into existence purely by some accidental Big Bang? Or is what we see and experi-ence every day the work of a great Designer? Let’s be honest, there is so much more evidence that leans towards the latter versus the former. For instance, scientists will readily tell you that the degree of the earth’s tilt has everything to do with the seasons and climate we experience. Any significant change would bring ecological disaster upon us. So how did the earth arrive at the just the perfect angle in the first place?

Surely, in light of all the scientific data and knowledge around today, it’s actually easier to believe that there is a great Designer who exists than to believe there isn’t. This, according to the Bible, is

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enough evidence to understand that God does exist and something of what His character is like. In other words, the wonder of the earth, the planets and all the galaxies are a huge neon arrow pointing to God! Wherever we live and whatever our culture we are from, from the remote tribes in the Amazon rainforest to the high tech cities of the world, we all possess enough knowledge and “evidence” through God’s handiwork to appreciate His existence and therefore seek Him. We really are, as Romans 1 says, without excuse.

1. Why do you believe in God? What evidence for you exists which points towards His existence?

But that’s not all. History confirms the fact that Jesus Christ, Son of God, was indeed someone who lived, breathed and walked on this earth. Thousands of historical documents exist which confirm His existence and His miraculous works, far more documents that testify of other major historical events, which we take for granted! For example, the earliest documented evidence of Caesar’s Gallic War (which occurred between 58–50 bc) that we have in posses-sion today dates back to ad 900, and historians possess 9 to 10 such copies. Of the literary works of Cornelius Tacitus, a senator and historian from the Roman Empire who died in ad 117, the earliest copy of his work existing today dates from ad 850 and around 20 copies of that exist. But of New Testament literary writings, around 24,000 copies exist that date back to as early as ad 130! Even the non-Christian writings of Cornelius Tacitus (in his Annals) include mention of the works and existence of Jesus Christ. Therefore, whatever our opinion of Jesus might be, no one can adequately dispute that fact that Jesus Christ did indeed exist. As Albert Einstein himself replied when asked whether he believed in the historical existence of Jesus: “Unquestionably! No one can

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read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”1

So through the awesomeness of His creation, coupled with the documented existence and miracles of Jesus Christ, it is clear that God is trying to get a message across: God exists and He wants you to know Him. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In other words, you can know God, your Creator, through His Son Jesus Christ who came to earth to make that possible and reveal God to us. I love what pastor and author John Ortberg writes:

“The story of the Bible isn’t primarily about the desire of people to be with God; it’s the desire of God to be with people.”2

2. Why do you desire to grow in your relationship with God?

Through the “signs” of Creation and the work of Jesus Christ, God has been trying to get our attention and He has been doing this simply because He loves us and wants us to know Him. He doesn’t want His creation to live in ignorance of who He is. Nor does He want us to remain lost in sin and without understanding of our God-given purpose. God is so much closer than you think and He wants to give you life to the full, which is possible through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. So that brings us to the question, if God does exist, how then can we know Him?

HOW CAN I KNOW GOD?There are two parts in answering this question: firstly, what

does it mean to know God and secondly, precisely how can we know Him? Let’s start with answering the first part of the question.

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If you were to look up the verb “to know” in a dictionary, we find this definition: firstly, to have knowledge and facts about something or someone. So, for example, I know how to make a mean Chicken Tikka Masala. I know how long it takes to burn 300 calories on the treadmill. I also know who married Prince William! But these are just facts that I know and just one aspect of its meaning. A second facet of the meaning “to know” goes deeper because it’s more that just knowing facts about some-thing or someone. It also implies having personal familiarity or experience of something or someone. So, for example, I could say that I know my best friend. Not only do I know quite a lot of factual information about her, but I also know her intimately. We have shared many life experiences together and because of these, I have to know her pretty well and vice versa. Think about someone you’ve known a long time. Isn’t your knowledge of him or her more than a mere acquisition of information and facts, and more of a familiarity, an intimate understanding of the heart and character of that person? Therefore, knowing God involves both the head and the heart. It’s much more than just knowing about someone. It’s about a real relationship and friendship. Sure, I know some facts about Prince William, but I’m sure he wouldn’t consider me a personal friend!

The same is true is in a relationship with God. He doesn’t want us to just know facts about Him. He wants us to person-ally know Him in a relational and friendship way, in our hearts, lives and experience. Knowing God then is not just a question of acquiring greater head knowledge (although of course, that helps). It’s so much more than that. It’s also about having an in-depth experience of what He’s like and how He works in our lives. It’s having an understanding of His will in all things and learning to recognize His voice and guidance. In other words, knowing God is about having a real relationship with and experience of God. Now that is exciting!

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3. Now, open your Bible and read Jeremiah 31 verses 33 and 34. What do you think these verses reveal about God’s heart for us?

These verses teach us that God genuinely wants people to know Him! He wants to have a relationship with human beings and will purposefully draw us to Himself. God will use people and circum-stances in our lives to get our attention just as Nicole experienced in the opening story of this chapter. God wants to make His home in your life and wants you to know His loving care for you, teach-ing you how to walk in His ways and how to recognize His voice:

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the

Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep . . . My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them

eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (John 10:14, 27–28)

In this passage, Jesus describes Himself as a shepherd, and us as His sheep. He used that analogy to explain how just as sheep learn to recognize their shepherd’s voice, so we too, as we get to know God, we will come to recognize our Shepherd’s voice. That means, we will understand when God is speaking to us and discern His guidance and direction for our lives. In every relationship in life, when we come to truly know someone, we recognize his or her voice. Whenever my brother Peter calls me on the phone, he doesn’t have to say his name because I immediately recognize him. That recognition has come through spending time and experiencing life together. It’s the same with knowing God: the more you get to know and experience Him through spending time with Him, the more

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you’ll learn to distinguish His voice and whispers in your life. God wants to speak to you! As pastor and author Bill Hybels explains:

“If there is a pattern in Scripture regarding whispers, it is that we serve a communicating God—a God of words. He created with a word, he healed with a word, he encouraged with a word, he rebuked with a word, he guided with a word, he prophesied with a word, he assured with a word, he loved with a word, he served with a word and he comforted with a word. Throughout all history, God has communicated, and he still is at it today. The issue isn’t whether or not God is speaking; it’s whether we will have ears to hear what he says.”3

Our communicating God then, wants you to know Him in a real way. A relationship with God is a relationship! That is what you need to be focusing on; not just gaining more head knowledge. Now that we understand something of what it means to know God, that brings us to the question, how then can we experience this for ourselves? How can we develop our relationship with God? The answer is quite simple: through faith in Jesus Christ.

As historical documents also attain, Jesus not only came to this earth to teach people the ways of God, while doing wonderful miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead. Jesus also allowed Himself to die a very painful death on a wooden cross, a cruel form of capital punishment at that time, and for a very good reason. As you read the New Testament, it becomes clear that Jesus, in fact, saw His death as His ultimate mission here on earth. It came as no surprise to Him. He knew He had to die this way and the Bible explains the reason why: “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and