Please join us as we discover how God Uses Everyday Things, Even a Pool Table, To Teach Us About Him.
Supporting Scriptures for "Turn To God" Matthew 4:17 Romans 2:5 Acts 5:31 Ezekiel 18:27-28 John 3:16
For our final Billiards Bible Study lesson, let's listen to what Jesus preached while He lived here on Earth:
"Turn from your sin and turn to God for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
Does that sound familiar? Remember what God said to Adam? "You may eat any fruit, just turn away from this one tree."
We all have a choice to believe or not. If we turn away from God in disbelief we will continue to be striped by sin like all of our striped billiard balls and we will die.
But if we choose to turn toward God in belief and obedience, He washes away our stripes of sin so that we become solid once again and He will bring us all together to live eternally with Him in the Kingdome of Heaven.
With our new understanding of death and life, let's listen to God's simple message to us in John 3:16.
For God so loved the world which He created, That He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place So that all who believe in Him, And all who turn away from their sin and turn to Him, Will not suffer the consequence of death Due to man's sinful choice of disobedience, But instead will be given eternal life with God Just like He wanted to give us "In the Beginning."
Remember at the start of our journey, you were asked whether or not you were a pool player? You had to make a decision about yourself. Now you must make another decision about yourself.
Do you believe Jesus? Have you turned from your sin and turned to God?
If not, please consider offering the following prayer up to God:
Dear Lord, Thank you for the many ways that we can learn about your Word. We have only seen a glimpse through this brief journey of how your plan of salvation is woven throughout the Bible, but this glimpse proves that your desire is still for us to live eternally with you even though we have sinned.
I want to become one of the "those who believe" and the "they who are given eternal life" that Jesus told Martha about. I am therefore responding to Jesus' question of "Do you believe" with the following prayer:
My God and Creator, Because of Adam's and Eve's sinful choice, I know the difference between good and evil. And so far in my life,
I have made many choices toward evil. Because I know that my sin must be paid for, I choose now to believe and accept the forgiveness That you offered me
Through your death on the cross in my place, And through your resurrection from the dead, Proving that only you have power over death
And have the ability to give me eternal life. Today, _____________ (insert today's date)
I am making the choice to believe in you, To turn away from what I know is evil,
And to turn toward You and to follow You Through the remainder of my life. Thank you for your forgiveness of my evil choices And thank you for your gift of eternal life. I love you Lord and I choose to follow you. Amen
Thank you for joining us on this adventure to discover how the game of pool can teach us God's Word. If you just chose to turn from your sin and turn to God, please share your decision with a friend or family member. If you have considered these Bible truths and still have questions, please discuss your questions with someone who you know to be a Christian.
Our cast of characters would like to thank you for joining us on this journey of learning how the sport of billiards can teach us God's Word.
Because of God's creative storytelling technique of using everyday things to teach about Him, We know that you will never play pool or watch pool the same again because:
The white cue ball will remind you of God, the completeness of His creation, and the goodness of the world that we live in.
The number one and number two balls will remind you that we are God's creation and that our life and worth come from Him.
The striped balls will remind you that we all have turned away from God and have become striped by sin resulting in the consequence of death.
But Jesus, represented by the red "3" ball, has taken our punishment of death on the cross represented by the cue sticks and has risen from the dead proving that He has the power to overcome death.
And Jesus now offers each one of us the opportunity to live with Him forever if we choose to turn away from our sin and turn in belief and obedience to Him.
Thank you and May God Bless You.
"TURN TO GOD"
STUDY QUESTIONS:
Question 1
What is the one simple message of the Bible and to whom is it directed?
Acts 20:21 - "I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike - the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus."
Question 2
"Turning to God' is a consistent theme throughout Scripture. What are some results of our turning to God?
Deuteronomy 30:10 - "The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul."
2 Chronicles 30:9 - "For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you."
Psalm 80:19 - "Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God Almighty. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved."
Isaiah 55:7 - "Let the people turn from their wicked diids. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Acts 3:19 - "Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins."
Acts 26:20 - "I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must run from their sins and turn to God - and prove they have changed by the good things they do."
Question 3
What does God promise for those who turn to Him?
2 Chronicles 7:14 - "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and trun from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."
Ezekiel 18:27-28 - "And if wicked people turn away from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live, because after thinking it over, they decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die."
Question 4
Turning to God requires that we turn away from something. What does the Bible tell us to turn away from?
2 Kings 17:13 - "Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: 'Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and laws, which are contained in the whole law that I commanded your ancestors and which I gave you through my servants the prophets."
Psalm 37:8 - "Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! Do not envy others - it only leads to harm."
Psalm 119:37 - "Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word."
Isaiah 26:9 - "All night long I search for you; earnestly I seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people turn from wickedness and do what is right."
Jeremiah 5:3 - "Lord, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to turn from sin. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent."
Ezekiel 14:6 - "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your loathsome practices."
Acts 26:18 - "to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me."
Titus 2:12 - "And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God."
Revelation 2:21 - "I gave her time to repent, but she would not turn away from her immorality."
Revelation 3:19 - "I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference."
Question 5
What is God's attitude toward us as we decide whether or not to turn to Him?
Romans 2:4 - "Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind He has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?
Thanks for joining us for our
"Billiards Bible Study 19 - Turn To God."
Our prayer is that the Lord has revealed Himself to you through His Word and that you have chosen to place your trust in Him.
