In this series, we are discussing “How you see God determines how you live your life.” It’s difficult to talk about how God could be angry, but it’s absolutely essential to knowing, loving, and worshipping God for who He really is. A God who never gets angry is God without goodness. This week we are going to discuss why it is so important that we keep these two realities together: God who is slow to anger AND abounding in love. You can’t have one without the other.
Can you share a time when you were angry, and it didn’t require an apology?
What emotions do you feel when someone you love gets hurt?
Why do you think it’s so hard for some people to accept that God gets angry?
Read Exodus 34:6. What does this verse say about God’s anger? What does that mean? Why is that important for us?
Read Ezra 8:22. Put yourself in God’s shoes for a moment; you created the universe, you created a planet where people could live, you even created every individual, and you call them all by name…why would you get angry at them?
Read John 3:36. Who were the people that Jesus was continually upset with? Why was He upset with them?
What is the difference between sinful human anger and righteous godly anger?
Read Romans 2:8-9. God’s perfect anger is an expression of His perfect love. Sometimes the most wrathful thing God can do is to give us over to our own evil desires. How does this verse help explain how we get what we chase after?
Read Psalm 81:11–12; Romans 1:18, 1:24, 1:26, 1:28 & 2:5-6. How do these verses demonstrate that God gives us over to our evil desires? How is that a demonstration of God’s perfect anger?
Read Ezekiel 18:23 & 33:11. When we get angry, our typical response is to punish and destroy. What is God’s intent when He gets angry?
Read Romans 8:1. How can we find comfort in this verse?
Can you thank God for being angry? If you can’t, what is holding you back?