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Opening

What stood out to you from Sunday’s message?  

 

Summary

Read Galatians 4:1-7 & Romans 8:14-17

Many Christians hold to a truncated version of the gospel that emphasizes God’s forgiveness of sin but practically omits everything that happens after that. The highest privilege that the gospel gives to us is to be adopted into God’s own family, to be called the sons and daughters of God. As J.I. Packer puts it, “To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.” Crucial to the Christian life is understanding God as our Father.  

 

Discussion Questions

  1. How is adoption a higher blessing than justification? What is the blessing of having God as father?
  2. How should our adoption shape the way we pray and relate to God?
  3. What does it mean that we are fellow heirs with Christ? What does this tell us about how God sees us because of Christ?
  4. The Bible uses family as a controlling metaphor for the church. How should we think about and treat other Christians in light of this family metaphor?
  5. How should our transracial adoption into God’s family by grace shape the way we think about orphans, widows, refugees and others? Are there practical steps we can take together?