Celebrate the Creative God!

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Celebrate the Creative God! Jon Sherman, Lead Pastor 6.14.2015

SAY WHAT? [ God created the animals Gen. 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen. 1:25, God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Psalm 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

SO WHAT? [ We named the animals Gen. 1:26-27, Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Gen. 2:19, Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

NOW WHAT? [ Let’s “sub-create”! Steve Jobs, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” Eph. 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Einstein, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Connection Group Questions Taken from the sermon on June 14, 2015 Creative God Sunday!

n Questions for “Group Discussion” • What is the most amazing thing you have ever seen in creation and why? • What is a talent God has given you? (If you don’t know, a person from the group may be able to make a suggestion) • What are some ways your group can be creative in serving others?

n Questions for “Personal Growth” • Monday-Imago Dei Please read Genesis 1. What is the scope of God’s creativity? How is the creation of man/woman described? Imago Dei is the Latin phrase for “image” (shadow, likeness) of God… meaning that we are each uniquely imprinted with characteristics of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are not God, but we are reflections of Him. How, then, would you answer someone who says they are not creative? • Tuesday-Are you His creative instrument? Please read 1 Corinthians 3:9; and 2 Corinthians 6:1. What do these verses tell you about God’s desire to work with/through us in our creativity rather than have us be mindless robots? In prayerful meditation, please consider the following: Created in His likeness, our creativity as human beings becomes a mixture of the supernatural (divine intervention/inspiration) and the natural (our hard work). Just as an instrument and a musician join together to create something that would never have been produced singularly, we are living instruments, fashioned by a creative God who desires to inspire us to use our gifts to bless others. How is He using you to bless the world? • Wednesday-Following His beautiful example…We are the only species created in His likeness and have the unique responsibility, through our creative expression, to represent Him and show the world what He is like! How did Adam’s two jobs (keeping the garden and naming the animals) require creativity? Now please read as many of these passages as time permits: Exodus 26-28, 30; 1 Kings 6-7; Isaiah 6; and/or Revelation 4, 21. What do these passages tell you about God and His love for beauty? What about His attention to detail? List several careers/callings (mail deliverers, parenting, food preparers, doctors, engineers, housekeepers, farmers, and so on) and think about how each one is a unique expression of creativity. • Thursday-In Him, you are an ever-changing, new creation! Please turn to 1 Chronicles 25:1-8. How does this passage point to both a supernatural side of music (creativity) as well as a desire that we perfect our craft with purpose and training? When considering that Scripture was divinely inspired, through a variety of authors who utilized a vast array of literary types, over hundreds of years (2 Timothy 3:16-17), what does this tell you about His ability to work through any person at any time? • Friday-Letting His light shine through you…Scripture has much to say about creativity. Meditate upon a few of these passages and glean the truths of our calling in them. Exodus 35:30-33; 1 Kings 3:12; Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:23-24 and 1 Timothy 4:14-15. How will you allow our Creative God to express Himself through you?