The Sovereignty of God - Adult SS - Lesson 1: Sovereignty & God

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Easter holiday that we just had.

Thank you for this new turn back.

! And we pray that as we consider the glorious truths of Scripture,

! glorious truths of who you are, would you please help us to understand these weighty, these lofty things.

We need your help with this. We need your spirit.

And so please, would you be at work today,

giving us, transforming and renewing our minds.

And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

And welcome to Sunday School, everyone. Welcome back.

If you're new to Adult Sunday School, welcome.

Or if you're just new in the past few months, welcome.

It's great to have you.

Or if you're just a veteran and you've been coming for the past few years,

welcome back. Hope you've had a good Easter.

And whether you're new to Adult Sunday School or you've been coming for years, maybe decades,

before we begin our new series, I just want to kind of lay out what Sunday School is.

Okay, so just stick with me for a few minutes.

I want us to think what we're doing here every week and why we're doing this, the purpose of it.

So I just want us to think, what is Adult Sunday School?

Well, in Adult Sunday School, we're here.

The main objective that I love to kind of do here is I want us to learn doctrine.

So I want us to see what the Bible teaches about different topics of the Bible,

like topics like God, topics like the cross, which we did last term, the church, covenants.

Right. That's what doctrine is.

Doctrine just means teaching.

It's different topics of the Bible.

And I want us to just get a clear and a deep understanding of these things.

And so if learning about the Bible is like learning about animals.

All right.

There are two ways that you can learn about animals.

So one way is you can go on a safari and kind of see the animals as they come.

All right.

So you kind of you go in your van through the wild and say, OK, well, there's a giraffe.

You learn a bit about giraffes.

Oh, there's an elephant.

Oh, there's another elephant.

Oh, there's a lion.

Oh, there's a warthog.

Right.

And you learn the animals as they come along.

Well, that's a bit like preaching.

OK, so you can learn about the Bible just as you can travel through the wild of it.

Or you can learn about animals by going to the zoo.

Right.

And you can gather all the giraffes into one place and learn everything about giraffes and gather all the lions together and learn about lions.

Well, the zoo is like Sunday school.

OK, every week we're gathering into one place what the Bible says about the church or the Holy Spirit or this term, the sovereignty of God.

And we're going to learn in that way.

OK, and why adult Sunday school?

What's the purpose?

Well, it's about transforming our minds and our hearts.

So look at Romans 12.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

So as Christians, we are called, do you see, for our minds to be transformed and renewed.

So to think in the way that God wants us to think.

So to view the world and God and salvation and ourselves and everything in the way that God wants us to.

Right. So you can think as a non-Christian and you can think as a Christian.

And this calls us to think as a Christian.

And that's what happens when we go to the zoo.

Right. Adult Sunday school is there for our minds to be transformed and to help us to think clearly and deeply as Christians.

And that means for our hearts to be transformed, too.

So because the more we understand these things, do you see in Romans 12, the more we are able to live well as Christians, to discern what is the will of God,

to discern what is good from bad, right from wrong.

And that will lead us to worship and love God in the right way.

Right.

And so adult Sunday school, in a nutshell, is this.

We are going to the zoo to have our minds and hearts transformed.

Right. So welcome to the zoo this morning.

Welcome.

And this term, the doctrine I want us to think about is the sovereignty of God.

So that's the section of the zoo we're going to this half term.

And God's sovereignty.

You might have heard that word.

Maybe you haven't.

God's sovereignty means his rule and his power and authority and his plan over all creation.

So the sovereignty of God, it's basically it's the kingship of God over creation.

So that's why we use the word sovereign when it comes to king.

So King Charles is sometimes referred to as the sovereign over our nation.

Well, look how God is described in the Bible.

One Timothy six.

He who is the blessed and only sovereign, the king of kings and lord of lords.

Psalm 22 for kingship belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

So even at just a first glance of who God is, first glance of scripture,

before we even get into the details, we can see at the very least, God has something called sovereignty.

He is the sovereign.

He rules and has authority and is king.

But this half term, I want us to really unpack what that means.

What that involves and how that works with things like free will and salvation and predestination and the problem of evil, things like that.

So thinking about the purpose of Sunday school.

So the purpose of this term is for our minds to be transformed,

to think about God's sovereignty and rule over this world in the right way,

in a way that honours him and in a way that I hope will comfort you.

And I want us also during this half time to answer questions that can often trouble or confuse us.

Because it's this area of God's sovereignty, this area of the zoo,

where we often scratch our heads big time and we just puzzle over,

but hold on, God's sovereignty, how can that really be, right?

And often we can puzzle about these things,

either because we're not thinking about God's sovereignty in the right way,

or we're just not realising where there is mystery and kind of humbly acknowledging the mystery.

And so we won't answer everything about God's sovereignty really neatly this half term,

but I want us to think about it in the right way

and to clear confusion where there can be clarity,

but to also acknowledge mystery where there is mystery.

So I want our hearts to be transformed in all of this.

I want us to, as we just think about God and his sovereignty over this world,

I want us to trust even more in God's power,

to be comforted by his care and just to be humbled where there is mystery.

Now, we won't get into all the details of free will or election all at once, right?

So today I wanted to just do a bit of an introduction to God's sovereignty,

and I'm guaranteed that's going to raise questions in your mind like,

oh wait, oh hold on, but if that's true,

then what about free will and our decisions?

And wait, hold on, how does that work with sin and the fall?

And so those questions will come up, all right?

Let me just encourage you, just hold on to those questions.

We're going to get onto that over the weeks.

I'm going to spend a whole week on free will and God's sovereignty,

a whole week on election and predestination,

a whole week on the problem of evil.

In fact, two weeks on that, all right?

All right, so we're going to get onto it.

So just be patient with that.

And it's actually best to when we get to those,

to deal with those issues,

it's best to kind of slowly build up the foundations

and then get to that,

because you need a lot of things in place

and thinking the right way before we get there.

But today I want us to think about what it means for God to be sovereign.

Okay, he has sovereignty.

We've seen that just from those two verses.

He is king.

Almost all Christians can agree on that.

But the key thing to ask is,

okay, but what is God sovereign over?

And in what way is he sovereign over those things?

And there are some, and so we might ask,

are there some things he isn't sovereign over?

Okay, he's king, but like,

maybe he's not king of everything.

Things he isn't kind of in control of

or doesn't have a plan for.

And is he sovereign over some things

kind of in a more hands-on way

and other things in a bit more kind of a standoffish way?

That's what I want us to see today.

So I want us to just jump in,

and I'm not trying to answer this question.

What is God sovereign over?

It's my first point today.

And I want you to break out into groups,

and I've got you a big table there,

12 different sections.

And I want you to look up the verses in this chart.

And each kind of section tells us

what God is sovereign over.

Okay, so let's do the first one together.

So first row, Genesis 1-1.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

And so the next section,

God is sovereign over dot, dot, dot.

I'll give you the answer.

God is sovereign over creation, right?

There is one creator.

God is the one who is in control

and has authority over creation.

He is the creator, right?

So there you go.

You can just write creation in that box.

And I'll go for the rest of the 11.

I'll give you six minutes for this.

Try and work quickly through them.

You don't need to kind of write a big essay in that box.

Just if you think,

okay, he's sovereign over this thing,

boom, write it in.

I'll give you six minutes.

Go for it.

Okay, let's bring it back together.

So, minds active.

Everyone on standby,

because I'm going to be picking on you.

So, number two,

Psalm 135.

Beth, what is God's sovereign over?

What did you write?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sorry, I caught you off guard.

Nature, okay?

That's exactly it.

So, God is completely in charge over nature.

So, weather patterns

and atoms in the sky

aren't random.

They aren't out of his control.

No, he is the one who makes the clouds rise.

He makes lightning strike

and brings forth wind.

It is not just Mother Nature

out there doing its thing.

God is in control

and in charge

and determining

all the events of nature.

Right?

So, you can write nature in that box.

How about number three?

David Fels.

What do you get for that?

I wasn't here, but I'm a guest.

Oh, sorry, sorry.

No, I'll pick on Lachis.

The Lord didn't want you to be here.

Yeah, yeah.

Lachis, what do you get for number three?

Times and seasons.

Yeah.

Yeah, okay.

Times and seasons.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And also, kings,

setting up kings,

removing them,

the events of all those times and seasons.

I put history, right?

Human history.

That might be an easy way

to sum it up, right?

And also,

the boundaries

of everyone's dwelling place,

where every single person

is going to live, right?

Human history.

We can put it there.

So,

history isn't kind of flowing

in a kind of

a cascade of events.

We don't know what's coming next

or God doesn't know

what's coming next.

No.

History is a story

and God is writing it

or he's written it.

Okay?

He's sovereign over it.

How about number four?

So,

a lot is like a

it's like a dice,

basically, right?

Grace.

What did you get for that?

Okay, yeah.

There's a bit of a tricky one.

I kind of wanted to highlight this.

It's randomness

or chance, right?

So,

a dice is rolled.

We think that's random.

We would say random, right?

But actually,

it's every decision

is from the Lord.

Right?

So,

that's why I'm quoting

randomness or chance.

Because actually,

there is no such thing

as random

or chance.

It looks random to us,

but God knows

even how the roll of a dice

is going to go.

Right?

It's from the Lord.

How about number five?

This one's a bit tricky.

I was trying to,

I'll answer this one.

I was just trying to kind of capture

all the things

that we've seen so far.

So,

God

not only created

everything,

but he

holds everything together.

Moment by moment,

Colossians 1.

All things

hold together in him

or in Christ.

And Matthew 10,

even down to the,

even down to the life

of a sparrow,

God is in control of that.

Right?

What I've said in that box

is providence.

Right?

The term for this

is providence.

God's control

and care

and kind of

hands-on

sovereignty

over every single moment

in creation.

So,

it's not just

he creates

and kind of

creation is set loose

and just

he's kind of

steps back

and it runs on its own.

No,

he is

upholding every moment.

How about number six?

Psalm 139.

Jeremiah,

James,

Harry,

what do you get for that?

Life.

Right.

Yeah.

So,

not just

human history

in the grand sense,

which that is true,

but also down to

individual lives.

Good fist bump.

You deserve a fist bump.

No,

there you go.

Individual human lives,

right?

So,

you formed,

your eyes saw my

unformed substance.

You created me

in the womb.

all the days of my life

were written

before they even happened.

We see that with Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is an example of that.

So,

it's not just prophets.

He's an example of that.

But that goes for all of us.

And so,

all our lives depend

on the Lord's will.

If the Lord wills,

we will live

and do this or that,

right?

He's sovereign

over every single

life

and the direction

of it.

And number seven,

how about number seven?

Yeah,

Katia?

It's about the heart

and the willingness

of that heart.

Oh,

excellent,

right?

Human hearts

and their willingness,

their decisions.

I put human decisions,

right?

But that,

of course,

that's all connected

to the heart.

And now,

this is where,

I know,

this can kind of be

a bit controversial.

This is where the questions

start arising.

We will get there,

but I just want to see

what the Bible says,

right?

So,

the king's heart.

And it's interesting that,

so if you look at Proverbs 21,

it's interesting it shows,

it highlights the king here

because the king

of the land

is kind of the person

with the most freedom.

Like,

the most choices

of anyone,

right?

It's kind of,

he's the pinnacle

of humanity,

but even the king,

the king's heart

is a stream of water

in the hand of the Lord

and the Lord

directs his heart

wherever he will.

And so,

we may have plans

and decisions,

but it is the Lord

who establishes them.

And we see,

even with someone

like Pharaoh,

a king,

the Lord is in control

of his heart

and what he does,

right?

God is sovereign

over human decisions.

And John,

and look at number eight,

I'll give you this one.

God is sovereign

over salvation,

right?

No one can come

to the Father,

can come to me

unless the Father

who sent me

draws him.

God has mercy

on whom he has mercy.

God saves us

not because of our works,

but because of his own

purpose and grace.

God is completely

in control,

in charge,

and determines

all matters to do

with faith and salvation.

And how about number nine?

Lamentations,

1 Samuel 2.

Lucy?

We've said

blessings and curses

and sort of

the world

of fortunes

and fortunes.

Yeah,

yeah,

yeah,

yeah,

that's good.

I didn't get a neat

word for this.

I kind of just

thought in my head,

it's the whole spectrum

of events of life,

whether it's the good

and the bad,

life and death,

plenty and poverty.

Think of a neat word

for that,

but you can write that

in the box.

I've kind of written

six words there.

Right?

It's the whole spectrum

from good events

to bad events.

The Lord is in control

of all of them.

Right?

They're not chaos

to him.

Which includes

row 10.

I'll give you this one.

This includes sin

and evil

and Satan himself.

Evil is not

in control of God.

God is in control

of evil.

And it all unfolds,

even sin itself,

it all unfolds

under his sovereign control.

He's the one

in charge of it.

And we're going to see

in a few weeks

that does not mean

God is the author

of sin.

It does not mean

God

commits evil.

No,

God is pure

and good.

God is in charge of evil.

But at the same time,

he is sovereign over it.

And so,

it's either

evil is in charge of God

or God is in charge of evil.

And it's

the latter.

God is in charge of...

And even

Satan,

right?

Satan has to ask

permission

from God

to do something.

And God

is the one

who allows it.

Now,

I know

more questions

will arise in your head.

We will get on to that.

But I want us to see

this is what the Bible says.

Right?

And so,

he's sovereign over sin

and even,

11,

even

the greatest

sin,

the greatest evil

that has ever been committed,

the crucifixion

of the Son of God.

Right?

So,

Acts 2,

Peter says,

this Jesus,

you crucified

the crowd,

the Jews.

You crucified.

You're responsible.

But look,

it all happened.

He was delivered up

according to

the definite plan

and foreknowledge

of God.

Right?

God

was even in control

over the worst

evil ever committed.

It was the will

of the Lord

to crush

Jesus.

And so,

12,

what is God's

sovereign over?

Just have a look

with me.

I am God

and there is none

like me

declaring the end

from the beginning.

So,

before

history even starts,

God has declared

all that will happen.

And Romans 11,

he has no

counsellor

to tell him

what to do

or how that unfolds.

But what's that?

Just look at the last line.

For from him

and through him

and to him

are all things.

What is God

sovereign over?

All things.

Okay?

He's in charge,

in control

and determines

all things.

and so,

it is from creation,

all of human history,

all the way

to the end,

to the new heavens

and the new earth.

And everything in between

from human life,

kings rising and falling,

birth,

death,

tombstone,

nature,

everything,

everything,

everything,

all things.

So,

can you see

what this means

for God

to be sovereign?

He controls

and has authority

and determines

and is powerful

over

and has planned

all things.

There aren't

some things

he's sovereign over,

but some things

he can't really touch.

No,

every single thing

in creation,

down to the last

electron,

it is all

under

God's

sovereign control,

all things.

And I know

questions

will come from this.

How can God

be good

but also

sovereign over evil?

How can God

be in control

of human decisions

without us

just being robots?

And we will

get on to that,

but this is just

a fundamental thing

we first need

to establish

and must see

that the Bible

clearly teaches

God is sovereign

over all things.

And there's something

else we need

to see about that.

I want us to see

God is sovereign

over all these things

because

he has planned

and declared it

from all eternity.

And this is the next

thing I want to see.

We'll try and do

questions at the end

or I'll try to avoid

questions at the end

and try to overrun.

But this is the second point.

God has an eternal decree.

God has an eternal decree.

So look at Isaiah 46

again in box 12.

So do you see

that language

in Isaiah 46?

God declares

the end

from the beginning.

Do you see

he has a counsel

and a purpose

for all things.

And this is what

is often called

God's eternal decree

or eternal will.

right?

We see it in Ephesians 1

as well.

This kind of has a focus

on salvation with it

and we're going to look

at that next week.

But just look at this

eternal decree.

Ephesians 1.

He chose us in him

before the foundation

of the world.

Before creation.

He predestined us

for adoption

as sons

through Jesus Christ

according to the purpose

of his will.

Having been predestined

according to the purpose

of him

who works all things

according to the counsel

of his will.

So look what the Bible teaches.

Before time

or creation

even came to be

in eternity past

in God's divine mind

God had thought

and planned

and purposed

and willed

all that will happen

in creation.

And it will all happen

according to the counsel

of his will.

What he wants

what he says.

And the Westminster Confession

of Faith

which is kind of our guide

in Sunday school

our guide through the zoo.

It says this

look at chapter 3

verse 1

article 1

God

from all eternity

did by the most wise

and holy counsel

of his own will

freely

and unchangeably

ordain

whatsoever

comes to pass.

Ordain

is decree

declare

state

kind of

pre-plan

whatsoever

comes to pass.

So it's like

before God said

let there be light

before he said that

he already

kind of

had a blueprint

and a comprehensive

plan

for the entire universe.

He kind of

had all the history

books written

already

and then

when he said

let there be light

it all just

started happening

according to that

blueprint.

And as our lives

happen

and each

moment

passes

each moment

is unfolding

exactly

as God

has planned

and declared

it to be.

The history books

are already written

and now it's

unfolding.

And this is

expressing

the teaching of

you may have

heard this word

predestination.

This is the

biblical teaching

that God

has

pre-planned

or predestined

all things

in creation

in history.

And as soon

as you hear

predestination

you might

get

shudders

down your

spine

might strike

terror in your

heart

you may not

like this word

you might think

it's all just

kind of a bit

philosophical

but actually

I want us to

see

predestination

and God's

eternal decree

and God's

sovereignty

over all things

this is all

just fundamental

to God

being God.

Okay.

So I want you

to think of it

like this.

God

what is God?

God is

the creator

of all things.

All things.

right?

And this

means

all things

are dependent

on him.

I want to

extend that

line

making sure

you see

it's all

dependent

on God

hanging on

him.

Right?

Nothing can

exist without

God.

There is nothing

independent from

him.

Nothing that

doesn't need

him for life

or existence.

There's nothing

out here

exists floating

but I don't

need God

exist on

my own.

No.

All things

are dependent

on God

and God

is dependent

on nothing.

God is the

source of all

things.

He has no

source.

And so all

that happens,

it happens

because God

says so.

because in

eternity God

decreed and

declares all

that we're

being.

He declares

the end from

the beginning.

So everything,

all things,

hang on God's

word and his

plan.

Nothing can

happen outside

of God's

plan.

And so that

includes all

that we've seen

in the timeline.

So that timeline

on the back,

right?

It's all

things.

Creation,

new heavens,

new earth,

human history,

kings,

life and

death,

cross,

everything.

And this,

this is

simply what

it means

for God

to be God

and Lord.

This is what

it means

to be

eternal

and all

knowing.

He knows

all things

and knows

the future

and knows

the past

and knows

all things

that are

happening

right now

and is in

control of

all of it

because he

has decreed

and predestined

all of it

before the

foundation of

the world.

And what

does God

use or

rely on

to do that,

to make that

plan?

what's

above him?

Nothing.

It is all,

it's his

language of

Ephesians 1,

according to

the counsel

of his

will.

It's all

based on

what God

in his

perfect wisdom

has decided.

Look at

Romans 11,

who does he

consult?

Who's his

counselor?

No one.

Which means

when God

decreed all

things,

he didn't

look into

the future

and see

what creation

and humans

might choose

to do

and then

base his

plan on

that.

As if God

makes this

thing called

creation,

this concoction

and it's

let loose

and it's

a bit out

of God's

hands,

he doesn't

know what's

coming next

and he

doesn't

intervene

too much

out of

love.

And so

he looks

through the

corridor of

time of

what that

creation is

going to

do,

kind of

looks ahead

and he

sees the

choices

and the

decisions

and the

preferences

of that

creation

he's just

made.

As if

he looks

into the

future

and sees

Andrew

Quay in

2026

and oh

that's what

Andrew likes

to choose

and oh

that's what

he wants

there and

oh he

wants to

live in

Ealing,

okay,

okay I

like that,

I see

that.

And then

so he

starts writing

his decree

according to

that and

then somehow

that's the

plan that

happens.

That's not

the case.

That is a

wrong teaching

called,

do it in,

do it in,

that's a

wrong teaching

called open

theism.

You don't

need to

remember this,

I'm just giving you the term

just in case I come

across it,

open theism.

And this teaching

basically says

there's kind of a

back and forth

between

creation.

creation.

And so

God creates

fine,

God creates

all things,

all things.

But,

but also

creation is

free

in a way

that God

doesn't kind

of sovereignly

declare

anything to

be.

It kind

of just,

it happens

because it's

its own

thing.

And so

that means

God

learns

from his

creation.

Creation

provides him

knowledge of

what it's

going to

do.

And so

God plans

history with

that in

mind.

And now

just think

about that.

What is

the issue

with that?

Really,

that makes

God

dependent

on

creation.

Creation

is now

this thing

that feeds

God

knowledge

that he

didn't have

before.

And in

that case,

what does

that mean

for all

that we've

just seen?

All

things

aren't

from

God.

God

doesn't

really

declare

the end

from the

beginning.

God

can't

predestine

us for

adoption.

In fact,

there's no

guarantee

God can

do anything

in the

future because

he's

dependent

on creation

and our

choices

to plan

the future.

And now,

open theists

wouldn't

admit that.

God

does have

a plan

and he's

going to

bring it

all to

completion

and there

is going

to be a

new heavens

and new

earth.

But they

can't

account for

that,

for this

way of

thinking

about

God

because he's

dependent

on us

for the

future.

And that

ultimately

leaves God

powerless

over this

world.

He isn't

really the

sovereign.

And in

this model,

God

ceases to

be God.

there is

something

supreme

over God

and something

that he

actually

learns from

and needs.

But look

what the

confession

says,

article 2,

chapter 3.

Although God

knows whatsoever

may or can

come to

pass upon

all supposed

conditions,

he can look

through the

corridor of

time,

so to speak,

yet he has

not decreed

anything because

he foresaw

it as future.

God is

sovereign over

all things

because he

has declared

it.

It's all

happening

according to

his perfect

and holy

will.

And it's

here we

might ask,

but doesn't

God will

things that

don't happen?

So 1

Timothy 2,

God desires

all people to

be saved and

come to the

knowledge of

truth.

2 Peter 3,

the Lord is

not willing

that any

should perish.

But what

might we

ask?

So does

God will

things that

don't come

to pass?

How do we

square all

of this

with things

like this?

God

commanding

things to

happen?

Well,

it's here that

we need to

make a

distinction

between God's

hidden will

and God's

revealed will.

We'll finish

in one minute.

The difference

between God's

decretive will

and his

prescriptive will

or his

sovereign will

and his

moral will.

That's in the

little chart

on your sheet.

So God's

sovereign will

is what he

has planned

for all

things from

eternity.

And that's

secret to us.

That's in God's

mind.

We can't know

what he's

planned.

That's his

decretive will.

But God has

also revealed

what he wants

from us,

our duty.

He wants

everyone to

believe in

Christ and

be saved.

That's why we

preach to

everyone.

That is God's

will.

Come to

Christ,

repent and

believe.

he wants

that from

everyone.

It's the

simple call

to the

gospel.

And that's

his moral

command to

us.

It's just

like you

shall not

murder.

His will

is everyone

on earth

should not

murder.

That's his

will.

But it's

his moral

will.

It's his

revealed

will.

But that

doesn't mean

everyone's

going to

obey that

revealed

will.

And when

they don't,

when there

is murder

or someone

doesn't

believe in

Christ,

that doesn't

mean God

isn't in

control of

those things.

He's not

like, I

want everyone

to be saved.

That's my

will.

That's my

plan.

But I

just can't

do it.

Right?

I've

revealed it,

but I

can't really

do it.

No.

This is

just a

distinction

of how we

speak about

God's

will.

It's

revealed and

it's hidden.

There are

two aspects

to it.

And so

God is

sovereign over

all these

things because

in eternity

past, he

decreed all

things that

will come

to pass.

And it's

all according

to the

purpose of

his hidden

decretive

sovereign

will.

And why

is all this

important?

Let me

leave you

with this.

This is

important because

this makes

God,

God.

If we are

to have a

lower view

of God's

sovereignty

than this,

it makes

God dependent

on us.

He's not

the source

of all

life and

knowledge and

therefore he's

not God.

And so this

way of

thinking honours

who God

really is.

But also

God's sovereignty

is important

because this

means nothing

in your life

is out of

control.

God is in

complete control

of all of

it.

He's upholding

you every

moment with

every step

you take.

And when

you belong

to Christ,

everything in

your life

has a good

and wise

purpose.

Look at

Romans 8

28.

And we

know that

for those

who love

God,

all things

work together

for good

for those

who are

called

according

to his

purpose.

For those

in Christ,

God has

planned and

purposed all

things in

your life

for what is

good for

you.

Nothing

is in

action.

Nothing

is out of

control.

No problem

you are

facing

is too

great for

God to

deal with

because

he is

the king

of heaven

and earth.

He's not

dependent.

And so

we don't

need to

fear the

future.

We don't

need to

worry about

God's plan

for our

lives because

nothing ahead

of us is

random,

even that

roll of

the dice.

And we

know this

because of

a fundamental

truth about

God.

God is

sovereign.