Ice Breaker Option: What is something that has brought you joy this week?
HOPE: How was your sense of awe of God deepened in this past week?
Sermon Recap
Pastor Justin Kendrick discusses the transformative message of the Gospel from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, emphasizing that through Christ’s love believers are made into new creations. He highlights the pervasive feeling of loneliness and despair in today's society, particularly among younger generations, and how many are struggling with an "orphan heart" created by sin and alienation from God. He explains that true understanding of Christianity means recognizing one's status as a beloved child of God, leading to a deep and fulfilling relationship with Him. Ultimately, he calls for a shift from mere information about God to a genuine encounter that encourages action, compelling believers to share the love of Christ with the world.
DISCUSSION:
HEART:
• How does the concept of being spiritually adopted impact how you view God and how you approach prayer & worship?
• Can you identify ways you have acted like a spiritual orphan?
HEAD: Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, 6:18
• According to this passage, what has God done through Christ?
• How are we described in this text? What is in the past and what is our present reality?
• What actions flow from this new identity?
HANDS: review this chart together then answer the following questions: ORPHAN VS SON CHART
• In what areas of your life do you need healing from an orphan heart? How will you invite God to transform this area of your life, allowing him to uproot and heal?
• What are some practical ways we can shift our focus from feeling isolated or anxious to embracing our status as God's children?
• In what way will you step out as God’s ambassador, embracing His mission to love our neighbor and spread the hope of the gospel, this week?
Prayer
• Express your praise for your spiritual adoption into God’s family.
• Pray for a deeper understanding of your identity as a child of God and a greater awareness of this truth in your daily life.
• Pray for opportunities to share God's love with others in meaningful ways.
GOING DEEPER: Questions to reflect upon and encourage the conversation to go deeper.
"If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all." - J.I. Packer
Deepen your understanding of your status as God’s child by studying the following scriptures: John 1:10-13, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 3:7-9 and 3:27-4:7
• How do these verses impact how you view God and how you relate to Him?
• How did the Jewish people determine a person's identity as part of God's people? What was God’s intention from the beginning?
• Compare and contrast the concepts of justification (the cancellation of judgement against us) and adoption. What is the implication of these truths in your life?
• Commit to memorizing one of these scriptures. Place your own name in the text and invite God to help you live out the truth of this scripture this week