In this teaching by Pastor Ethan Bricker and David Pontzer we discuss:
What do you believe God is actually like?
Our answer to that question shapes nearly everything about our relationship with Him.
A.W. Tozer wrote that what comes into our minds when we think about God is extraordinarily important because, over time, we tend to move toward the picture of God we carry within us.
In this episode of Walking the Way, we explore one of the Bible's foundational descriptions of God's character in Exodus 34:5–8.
After Israel has rebelled against God and worshiped the golden calf, Moses asks God to show him His glory. God responds by proclaiming His name and revealing what He is like:
He is compassionate and gracious.
He is slow to anger.
He is abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
He forgives wickedness, rebellion, and sin.
And He is also just, refusing to pretend that sin and injustice do not matter.
This passage helps correct some common misconceptions about God. God is not prone to temper tantrums. He isn't constantly in a bad mood. And Scripture does not present an angry Old Testament God who somehow becomes a nicer God in the New Testament.
Instead, the Bible reveals one God whose love, holiness, mercy, justice, grace, faithfulness, and righteous anger perfectly coexist.
We also explore the biblical meaning of God's holiness through Isaiah 6 and His wrath through Romans 2.
God's wrath is not uncontrolled human rage. It is His righteous opposition to sin and everything that corrupts, destroys, and harms His beloved creation.
And the clearest expression of God's character is ultimately found in Jesus:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”
The goal isn't simply to know more facts about God. It's to know God Himself—and to allow His character to increasingly shape ours.
Questions for reflection:
What quality of God do you want to see become a deeper quality in your own life?
How can God's wrath be understood as an expression of His love for creation?
Are there beliefs about God you have inherited from your experiences, family, culture, or circumstances that need to be challenged by Scripture?
📖 Key Scriptures: Exodus 33:18; Exodus 34:5–9; Isaiah 6:1–5; John 3:16–18; 1 John 4:7–9; Romans 2:5–8; Hebrews 10:23
⛪ Church: The Clearing Church
📚 Series: Walking the Way
📌 Episode: What Is God Like?
Connect with The Clearing Church
Learn more about The Clearing Church
For more information regarding The Clearing Church, visit our website by clicking here
Follow us on Instagram today by clicking here
Watch the message on our YouTube channel here
