God-besotted Podcast

God-besotted Podcast

By Corina CaterReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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God-besotted Podcast episodes

  • #20: The Attributes of God: God Is (Self-existence/Self-sufficiency)

    Where did God come from? Does God need us? Are we important to God?

    Answers to these questions can be found in the doctrines of God’s self-existence and His self-sufficiency. Two attributes of God considered “incommunicable,” in that they are less shared with us than others like love or justice, God’s self-existence and self-sufficiency are foundational to His nature. Hebrews 11:6 says anyone who wants to please God must believe that He IS, that is, that He is the living God, the great I AM, who was, who is, and who is to come. 


    If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider these passages and questions: 

    • Read Acts 17:16-34. Jot down what distinguishes God from idols. What call to action does Paul give his listeners (verses 30-31)? How should we respond to God’s self-existence and self-sufficiency?
    • Read Isaiah 44:6-28. How is God different from idols? What’s irrational and fruitless about worshipping anything that is not God? What did God do for Israel that no idol could do? Why did He choose Israel and care for His people (verse 23)? 
    • Does the fact that God doesn’t need us confuse you or free you? How does it make you feel knowing God doesn’t need you, but He wants you? 
      • 22 min
    • #19: The Attributes of God: God Incomprehensible

      Can we know God? Can we understand Him? How do we learn about God? The doctrine of the incomprehensibility of God helps us answer these questions. In this episode, we’re kicking off a new series called the Attributes of God! Each week we’ll dive into a different attribute, learning more about God so we can know Him better and delight in Him more. 

      Want to study the themes in this passage further? Consider the following questions and passages: 

      1. Read Psalm 145:3, Psalm 147:3, Job 26:14, and Romans 11:33. Describe the incomprehensibility of God in your own words. 
      2. How does the incomprehensibility of God affect your desire to know Him? How does knowing you will spend eternity learning more about God make you feel? Does it overwhelm you, make you apathetic, or something else? Why? 
      3. God wants to know us, and He has revealed Himself so we can know Him. But learning facts about Him is not the same as knowing Him. How much time have you been spending with God? Is there something that would help improve your relationship with Him?
        4. 21 min
      4. #18: Finding Satisfaction in God (Psalm 63:1-5)
        What does it mean to be satisfied in God? How can we be satisfied, whether we’re experiencing lack or abundance, a valley or green pastures? Let’s talk about it in this episode.
        If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider the following passages and questions:
        Read Psalm 63. List the actions of David. What did he do to find satisfaction in God?
        Read Exodus 16. How did God respond to the people’s grumbling, and what does this show you about Him? What does the Israelites’ lack of faith show us about our tendencies?
        Consider the quote, “We sacrifice for what satisfies.” What do you make sacrifices for? Where does your mind go when it wanders? When you go to sleep? When you wake up? What does this show you about your heart?
        Read Ephesians 3:14-21, then pray it out loud for you and those you know.
        Follow @godbesotted on Instagram and Facebook to stay connected!
        33 min
      5. #17: Be Ready, the King is Coming (Luke 12:35-40)

        If you've been watching the news lately and wondering, "What can I do? What should I do?" I'm right there with you. The words of Jesus in Luke 12 remind us what our responsibility is as His representatives on earth and why our faithfulness matters so much. 


        If you want to study this passage and its themes further, read Luke 12. Then, consider the following reflection questions:

        1. How "ready" are you on a daily basis for Jesus's return? What do you think "being ready" means?

        2. Jesus said a servant is not greater than his master. Consider the way Jesus lived and how well you serve others. How can you intentionally allow yourself to be inconvenienced and humbled for another person this week to show them Jesus's love?

        3. As we hear of wars and rumors of wars, what can you do to put off fear and be faithful to Jesus this week? How will you commit to praying for Ukraine and for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? 

        22 min
      6. #16: How to Persevere in Suffering (James 5:7-11)
        Let's be honest, life is hard. Because we live in a world tainted by sin, we experience suffering on a daily basis. James, a leader of the early church, wrote to believers to encourage them to endure to the end during suffering. Let’s look at the life of Job and see how it points us to our compassionate and merciful God.
        If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider the following passages and reflection questions:
        1. Read Hebrews 11. How did the faithful men and women of old hold onto their faith? How we can imitate their faith?
        2. James condemns the rich who oppress the poor. What do his words of rebuke tell you about how God views oppression? How does He take care of the oppressed?
        3. Read James 1:1-12. How does James's teaching about suffering in the opening of his letter shed light on James 5:1-12? 
        4. Read Job 42. Consider "the outcome of the Lord's dealings" in Job's life. Write down how God is demonstrated to be full of compassion and merciful. 
        5. What part of James's message do you find most convicting? What is one way you can obey God's word immediately?
        29 min
      7. #15: The Secret to Success (Proverbs 3:5-6)
        We all want to live happy, healthy, wealthy, and fulfilled lives. We all want "the good life." Let's talk about what it looks like to trust in the Lord versus our own strength through the example of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-19), as well as what it means to "acknowledge" God in all our ways.
        If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider the following passages and reflection questions:
        1. Read Psalm 37:3-5. What does it look like to "commit your way to the Lord"? How can you do this today?
        2. Read James 1:5. How does God give us wisdom?
        3. How did Jesus trust in God and acknowledge God in all His ways? Refer to 1 Peter 2:23 and Luke 2:22.
        4. Hezekiah exhibited a pattern of prayer. Read Philippians 4:6 and consider what keeps you from praying "in everything" and how you can pray more fervently, expectantly, and specifically.
        5. Hezekiah sought godly counsel from the prophet Isaiah. Who are your counselors? Who do you counsel? Why is it important to know God's word when it comes to giving and receiving counsel?
        6. One of the meanings of "straight paths" is to guide, to provide a track to follow. What area(s) of your life do you need guidance, and how can you intentionally "know" God in all your ways so He can make your paths straight?
        29 min
      8. #14: Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts and Discipling Others (Exodus 31:2-6)
        Let’s look at a few short verses in Exodus to discover some principles about divine appointments, discerning our spiritual gifts, and discipling others. God’s special empowerment of a man named Bezalel to oversee the construction of the tabernacle teaches us that we have been called to draw near to God and invite others to do the same in Christ, and we do so through the Holy Spirit.
        If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider the following passages and reflection questions:
        1. Read Exodus 31:1-6 and Exodus 35:30-35. How did the Holy Spirit empower Bezalel and Oholiab?
        2. What does it mean for believers today to be filled with the Spirit? Read Ephesians 5:18 and Colossians 3:16 to help you answer this question.
        3. What is your spiritual gift? (Read Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 to help you begin to answer this question if you are unsure. Then, prayerfully consult people who know you well to help you determine how the Holy Spirit may have gifted you.) How are you using your spiritual gift(s) to serve your church?
        4. Consider Jesus’s commission to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:16-20). Who are you currently discipling? How can you obey the command to disciple others this week?
        22 min
      9. #13: We Are All Lepers Here (2 Kings 5:1-15)
        In this episode, we encounter Naaman the Syrian, a well-respected military commander who is plagued by leprosy. Thanks to the testimony of an Israelite slave girl, Naaman hears about the opportunity to receive healing from the prophet Elisha in Israel. He brings his pomp and circumstance, but it's not enough to get the healing he's after. Only humbling himself could make him whole. Apart from Christ, we are all separate from God, unclean and unable to save ourselves from our sin. In His great mercy, God paved the way by sending His Son, Jesus, so we can be cleansed through Him. 
        If you want to study the themes in this passage further, consider the following passages and reflection questions:
        1. Read chapters 4 and 5 of Luke. What are the different ways people respond to Jesus? Who does He say and show He is? Who do others think He is? 
        2. Read Ephesians 2. How does our sin separate us from God? How did God bridge the gap sin made between us and Him? How does He reconcile us to others? What were we saved from and saved to?
        3. Read Romans 13:9-28. How are both Jews and Greeks the same before God? How does God justify (declare righteous) the ungodly? 
        4. Read Psalm 130. What does it teach us about God?
        5. Have you ever been offended at God's will and work, like Naaman was? In light of Jesus's response to John the Baptist in John 11:2-6, what can you remind yourself when you feel unsure about what God is doing in your life?
        31 min
      10. #12: Becoming What We Behold (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)

        What is God's will for me? How can I change? How do I draw near to Christ? Answers to these questions can all be found in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. In this passage, Paul encourages believers with the truth of the gospel: the Holy Spirit gives us freedom to see the glory of God in the face of Christ, to draw near to God because of what Christ has done, and to change by being conformed into Christ's image as we gaze upon Him in the mirror of God's word. As we behold Christ, we become like Him, from glory to glory, until we will see Him just as He is, having gained His glory in full, enjoying intimacy with Him forever (see 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 1 John 3:1-3, and Revelation 22:1-3). 

        28 min
      11. #11: Forsaking Everything and Following God (Genesis 11:31-32)
        In this episode, we consider Genesis 11:31-32, which describes how Abraham's family moved from their homeland, Ur; the family, led by Abraham's father, Terah, intended to go to Canaan, but stopped short in Haran. Scripture says consistently that God called Abraham "out of Ur of the Chaldeans," but Genesis 12 describes God's call to Abraham and Abraham's move from Haran, not Ur, to Canaan. Did God call Abraham when he was living in Ur or when he lived in Haran? Or both? How do Abraham's baby steps of faith encourage us, and what can we learn from his example as he began to follow God, forsaking everything else? Tune in to this week's episode to find out.
        24 min

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