Steps to Joy: Believe in a Good God
Exodus 34:5-7
Pastor Clay Smith

Sermon Notes:
· Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4
· Admit we are powerless.
· God is greater than us and he can restore us to sanity.
· Sanity is a soundness of mind, a correct understanding of reality.
· What kind of God is God, and can he help me?
· We doubt God has the power
· We doubt God is good.
· We doubt God exists.
· We doubt God intervenes.
· We doubt people can change.
· Sheldon Vanauken – The best argument of Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christians is also Christians – when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug…; when they are narrow and repressive…
· We doubt religion.
· Exodus 34:5 – And the LORD came down in a cloud to be there (with Moses). He called out with the name of the LORD.
· He wants to be with us.
· God gets you.
· Exodus 34:6 – The LORD passed in front of him and called out, “The LORD, the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God…
· God is compassionate.
· God is gracious.
· “…long to anger and having much love and truth.”
· Exodus 34:7 – “… a guardian of love for thousands, lifter of guilt and transgressions and sins. The unpunished ones are not unpunished. He pays attention to the sins of the fathers, upon their sons, and upon their sons’ sons, to the third and fourth generations.
· God is compassionate, gracious, long fused, with much love and truth, a guardian of love, a lifter of guilt and sin, and he pays attention to you and your family.
· Do you know this God?
· Anxious attachment
· Avoidant attachment
· Secure attachment.
· What kind of attachment do you have with God?
· Ask God for good enough faith.
· Heavenly Father, give me good enough faith to take my next step.
· Don’t let the “but” win.
· Lisa Terkeurst – God is bigger than your ‘but.’ (one t)
· “But I,” or “but God.”