Topic · Who is God really?

Conversations About God

Based on the 1984 Loma Linda University Church series and book Conversations About God by Dr. A. Graham Maxwell (with Lou Venden).

The most important question in the universe isn't "what must I do?" — it's "what is God really like?" Maxwell's answer: the whole Bible is the record of a long trust war over God's character, and God is "just as loving and trustworthy as His Son." Let Sam walk you through it.

Start here Take the Trust Quiz

← Back to Welcome (Gospel Topics)

Sam says Friend, this topic is the foundation under the other two. Last Generation Theology gets God wrong — it pictures a Ruler whose reputation hangs on your performance. Maxwell asks the deeper question first: what kind of Person is God? Get that right, and a thousand other tangles come undone. This is another great lesson — come and see.

Where would you like to go?

🌌The Big Picture

The Great Controversy as a war over God's character — distrust started it, and a demonstration of trustworthiness ends it.

See the story →

🤝All God Asks Is Trust

Why faith isn't a magic ticket but a restored relationship — and why "anyone who has such faith would be perfectly safe to save."

Understand faith →

❓The Trust Quiz

Pictures of God, side by side. Which one is the real one? Where you pick the fear-image, Sam gently shows you the Father Jesus revealed.

Test your picture →

🔗Maxwell & Lehman agree

Two different Adventist voices, one gospel: where Conversations About God and Christ Our Righteousness say the same thing.

See the harmony →

⚖️vs. LGT & cheap grace

The true picture of God gets distorted from both sides — cheap grace ("nothing matters") and LGT ("prove God by performing"). Here's the answer to each.

See both ditches →

🍞Righteousness

The narrow road between cheap grace and legalism — righteousness by faith, received and transforming.

Walk the road →

📚Sources

Maxwell's book and series, pineknoll.org, and the Scripture passages used throughout.

Dig deeper →

The message in one breath

The lie about God (Satan's version) God is "arbitrary, unforgiving and severe" — a stern Ruler you obey out of fear, who needs to be persuaded to forgive, and whose justice is really just vengeance with a nicer name.

The truth about God (Jesus' revelation) "God is not the kind of person His enemies have made Him out to be… God is just as loving and trustworthy as His Son, just as willing to forgive and heal." He "even prefers to regard us not as servants but as friends" (John 15:15). The whole purpose of Christ's mission was "to set men right by revealing the truth about God's character."

Sam says Color code, like always: clay is the scary, mistaken picture of God; blue is the true Father Jesus showed us. The single most life-changing thing you can ever discover is that God is exactly as good as Jesus.

Begin: The Big Picture →