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Inside Out: This is who we are!

The Big Idea of this week’s message is: When we clarify our spiritual identity it gives us confidence to fulfill our mandate as God’s image bearers.

Our new series is called Inside Out. It is focused on the spiritual transformation God wants for each one of us. In this first message we look at the creation account in Genesis 1 to clarify our identity as God’s image bearers. When we have a clear sense of who God designed us to be, it should give us a confidence to live out the call God has on our lives. In Genesis 1 we are reminded that we are God’s creation, fearfully and wonderfully made. But we are not just an image to be displayed on a shelf, we are given the mandate of representing God in our world and working hard to see that He is glorified. It’s not easy, but the value God has placed on us should motivate and encourage us to work together to see what God can do in and through us!

Text: Genesis 1:27-28

• In Genesis 1 we get a window into the incredible act of God’s creation.
  • What is the main emphasis of this creation account? What would have stood out to those living in the ancient world when they heard these words? What should the modern day impact of the creation account be on us?
  • How is the description of the creation of man and woman different than all the other acts of God’s creation? What does this tell us about how God feels about us?
• As the pinnacle of God’s creation, there are some significant implications for us.
  • As part of God’s creation, we are reminded that we need God and we are dependent on him for everything we need. Why is it important to remember God is Lord of All and we are His creation? 
  • When God created men and women, He said they were created in His image. What aspects of who we are, and what we are called to do, does this include?

• When we clarify our identity, it should impact us personally and also on a corporate level, as the people of God. 
  • What are the most significant everyday implications of being created in the image of God? How can understanding how God sees you clarify your role at work, at home, in your school? How can the way the world defines our value negatively impact our behavior? What can we do to counteract these negative influences? 
  • As we examine the concept of being made in the image of God, there is a corporate aspect to this as well. How does the creation account suggest that we need one another to fulfill God’s plan to be His image bearers? What can we do to encourage and strengthen those we are on this journey with?

Practical Application:

This week let’s begin each day reminding ourselves that we have been created in the image of God. And, let’s consider how this can make an impact in every situation we find ourselves in.

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Inside Out: The Journey!

The Big Idea of this week’s message is: We need to pursue spiritual maturity in order to navigate our spiritual journey well. 

In our current series, called Inside Out, we are focusing on the spiritual transformation God wants for each one of us. This week we talked about the importance of pursuing spiritual maturity. The Christian life is not meant to be stagnant – God wants us to be growing in our faith and that growth leads to spiritual maturity. This maturity will enable us to remain solid in our faith, even when life is tough, or we face spiritual challenges regarding our understanding of God’s word. What is amazing is that as we pursue maturity, we discover unity within the body of Christ. God’s desire for us is not just an individual maturity but a corporate maturity where we truly live and experience life as the people of God – His church. The pursuit of maturity is worth the energy and time – so let’s pursue that together!

Text: Eph. 4:11-16

• In Ephesians 4, Paul urges the believers in Ephesus to live a life worthy of God’s calling.
  • What is the calling we have received? Why would it be necessary to challenge believers to live a life worthy of this call?
  • Consider the descriptions of unity Paul gives in verse 3-6. What stands out to you in these verses? How should this encourage unity in the body of Christ today?
• In verse 11 Paul talks about the gifts God gives people in the church.
  • How are these different gifts meant to encourage unity and maturity?  What is the implications for us today that these gifts are to equip people for works of service? 
  • What does it mean that we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? (vs. 13) How can we pursue this?
• Paul’s description of the mature is a powerful image of what God wants for us. 
  • Consider the images of an infant, and a boat tossed around in the waves. What is Paul saying we should be avoiding as we become spiritually mature? How does maturity protect us against false teachings? What are some of the most dangerous false teachings we might encounter today? 
  • In the final part of this passage, Paul outlines the impact maturity has on the church. How is unity connected to maturity? What should it look like on a corporate level when the people of God have developed a level of spiritual maturity?

Practical Application:

This week, let’s consider how maturity is showing up in our everyday lives. Let’s consider how our priorities are being affected. Or, how maturity is impacting our decision-making process. Take time to consider whether others see in us a maturity built on the fullness of Christ.

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Inside Out Week 3: The Work We Can’t Do

Big Idea: God Saves Sinners through Faith in Jesus.

Summary

• There is a lot we can do to grow as individuals and a community. But what about the stuff we can’t do? Scripture reveals to us that we are radically corrupted by sin, and our choice of self-rulership over the rightful lordship of God has brought guilt, shame and death into all creation. How can we be made right before God if there’s nothing we can do to wipe out the evil in our hearts? God, out of His great love for us, has revealed His plan to bring salvation to humanity and to demonstrate His righteousness over all things. God offers Jesus, His begotten Son, as a ransom to atone for the sin humanity has committed – revealing Himself as both merciful and just. Because Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, his death and resurrection are sufficient to deliver new life to humanity. This new life is received by believing faith rather than any sort of human achievement or advantage; it’s truly a gift of grace. We live by faith when we submit ourselves to Jesus’ lordship, at once allowing him to deal with the sin in our lives as we endeavour to obey Him and follow His will. 

Life Group Questions:

• What are some of the cultural challenges of communicating Christianity’s doctrine of sin? How is this teaching actually helpful or even encouraging to someone who is otherwise non-faithed?
  • Refer to Psalm 51, 1 Kings 8:46-53, 1 John 1:5-10, Romans 1:18-3:20, Romans 5:1-19 for some scriptures regarding sin.
• Why do you think Paul’s focus is on the ‘righteousness of God’ in the Romans 3 passage? 
• Why is it crucial to Paul’s argument that grace is a gift received through faith? 
• How might faith in Jesus function on a day-to-day basis? How might we explain to someone the way in which God’s saving work interacts with our faith? 

Application: Faith in Action

• Recognizing that Jesus has made a way for us to deal with the sin in our lives, how might we respond in faith? We suggest a process of self-examination, confession of sin, adoration of things that are good, and then an imitation of the ways of God outlined in Scripture.

• Sunday: Romans 3:9–26; Ps. 14, 53 (For All Have Sinned)
• Monday: Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12-14 (Where the Struggle Began)
• Tuesday: Mark 7:14-23; Jer. 17:9-10 (The Condition of the Heart)
• Wednesday: Ps. 51:1-12; Deut. 30:6; Jer. 32:38-41; Ez. 36:26-27 (The New Heart)
• Thursday: Eph. 2:1-10; Is. 6:5-7; Col. 2:13-15 (God’s Redeeming Work)
• Friday: Is. 53:4-12; Matt. 9:2-8; 1 Cor. 15:55-57; 1 John 2:1-2 (Christ our Hope from sin)
• Saturday: 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Zech. 3:1-5; Luke 15:18-24 (Being Clothed Anew)

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Inside Out: Inherited Baggage!

The Big Idea of this week’s message is: It is possible to break the cycle of inherited struggles by embracing our position as God’s children!

Our current series is called Inside Out. In it we are focusing on the spiritual transformation God wants for us. One of the challenges we face in our pursuit of spiritual transformation is that we inherit behaviors and characteristics from our family. Sometimes these are helpful in deepening our relationship with God, while at other times they can hinder our spiritual development. This isn’t uncommon as even people like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had to deal with inherited baggage. Thankfully God can help us overcome the challenges we face. He does that by adopting us into His family. If we can embrace our identity as a child of God and live confidently as a member of God’s family, we will be able to overcome any inherited baggage we may have been carrying.

Text: 1 John 2:28-3:3

1. In the Old Testament we get a picture of how one famous family struggled with dishonesty and that was passed on from one generation to the next. And yet, God blessed them in some incredible ways (see Gen. 12; 20:1-18; Gen. 26; Gen. 27)
   1. What are some of the positive characteristics that Abraham’s family would have inherited from him? Why do you think it was so hard Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be honest? 
   2. The fact that God was faithful to his promise to Abraham and his family, in spite of their struggles, shows us how God will deal with us.  What can we learn from this that is both encouraging and challenging? Does this mean God condones sin?
2. In our text John talks about how incredible it is that God has called us his children.
   1. What does it mean to abide or continue in Christ (vs. 2:28)? Why is this so important?
   2. Why is the fact that God has called us his children considered a lavish display of God’s love? What are the benefits of being a child of God?
   3. How should being a part of a God’s family impact the way we live each day?
3. If we take time to examine our lives today, we may notice our family has had a powerful impact on who we have become.
   1. What can you do to make a positive spiritual impact on your family? And, have you taken the time to say thank you to your family for the positive impact they have had on you?
   2. At the same time, if you notice attitudes or behaviors that have been passed on from your family that need correcting, how should you respond? What role does the Holy Spirit and your Christian community play in this process of discernment and correction?

Practical Application:

This week, let’s take time to examine our attitudes and behaviors, and repent where needed. But, let’s also make sure we take time to dwell on God’s love and do our best to imitate Him!

• Sunday: Gen. 12:10–20; 20:1-18; 26:1-11 (Abraham’s Deception Repeated by Isaac)
• Monday: Gen. 27:1-45; 37:12-36 (Jacob Deceives his Father, Gets Deceived by Sons)
• Tuesday:2 Sam. 11:1-27; 1 Kings 11:1-8 (Solomon Increasing David’s Sins)
• Wednesday: 2 Kings 21:10-26; 2 Chr. 33:1-25 (Amon Repeating Manasseh’s Sins) 
• Thursday: John 1:9-14; Rom. 8:12-17 (Becoming a child of God)
• Friday: Hosea 1:10; Gal. 4:1-7 (New Fatherhood)
• Saturday: Mark 10:13-16; Eph. 5:1-2; 1 John 2:26-3:10 (Living Out Childhood)

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Inside Out: Failing Forward!

The Big Idea of this week’s message is: While we may never fully be free from the power of sin in this life, we can discover hope and forgiveness as we trust and rely on Jesus!

We are continuing our series called Inside Out, which focuses on the spiritual transformation God wants for each of us. Unfortunately, on our journey of becoming more like Jesus we may discover patterns of sin, ungodly behaviors, and habits we can’t seem to overcome. In a startling statement from someone who was such a devoted follower of Jesus, Paul talks about his own experience with sin in Romans 7. He says there are things he does he doesn’t want to do but can’t help himself. This can be an encouragement and challenge to us when we struggle. It is encouraging in that struggling is not unique to us, but it can be discouraging in that we don’t want to struggle. And so, knowing that the struggle is real, we need to manage ourselves and our struggles well if we are going to live a victorious Christian life. This doesn’t mean adding more laws or rules to follow – instead, we rely on Jesus and what He has done for us!

Text: Romans 7:14-20

1. In the book of Romans, we get a deep theological study of our struggle with sin.
   1. In Romans 3:23 Paul says we all have sinned. Why is it important acknowledge our struggle with sin? How does this impact our daily lives?
   2. In Romans 6:11 Paul says that we told to count ourselves dead to the power of sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. How does this get lived out in our daily lives?
2. In Romans 7 Paul talks about our relationship with the Old Testament law and his personal struggle with sin.
   1. What was the purpose of the law? What good comes from the law? What are the limitations of the law?  Why do we need to be free from the law?
   2. For someone who followed the law diligently Paul’s honest reflection of his struggle with sin might be surprising. How do you relate to Paul’s struggles with sin that he describes in verses 14-24? As you consider your own struggles with sin, are Paul’s words encouraging or discouraging? Why?
3. In Romans 7:25 Paul shares with us where we get our hope – its Jesus. We may stumble and fall on the journey of life, but Jesus offers us hope and forgiveness.
   1. What does it mean to call out to Jesus? How do we experience the hope Jesus provides?
   2. What should our expectation be in regards to overcoming sin? Will we ever truly have victory over sin? How can we keep ourselves from just accepting sin as normal?
   3. How can the gifts of the Holy Spirit, our ability to cooperate with God, and our fellow believers in Christ help us navigate a healthy response to our personal struggles?

Practical Application:

This week, let’s take time to examine our lives and the sin we may be dealing with. If you find there are some significant struggles you are facing, don’t try and hide them but bring them to God. And, find people in your life who can support and encourage you along the way!

• • Sunday: Romans 7:14–25 (The War Within)
  • Monday: Exodus 4:1–17 (Moses: The Reluctant Leader)
  • Tuesday: Jeremiah 20:7–13 (Jeremiah: The Emotional Struggle)
  • Wednesday: Luke 22:54–62 (Peter: Impulse and Regret)
  • Thursday: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (When Weakness becomes Strength)
  • Friday: Proverbs 16:32 & 25:28 (Wisdom on Self-Control)
  • Saturday: Romans 12:3–8 (Gifts, Personality, and Humility)

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Inside Out: Light up the Darkness!

The Big Idea of this week’s message is: We are called to be light in a dark world!

This week we are concluding our series called Inside Out. The goal of this series has been to encourage and challenge each of us to let God make us more like Jesus! Unfortunately, there are obstacles or challenges that may hinder or slow down our transformation. One of those challenges is that we live in a spiritually dark world that seems opposed to Christianity. It can be hard to figure out how we are to interact with, and live in a world like that. Thankfully Paul gives us some insight into how to handle this challenge using the images of darkness and light. First, we need to recognize that we have been transformed from darkness to light. As children of light we are called to learn to please God, separate ourselves from the darkness, and expose the darkness to God’s glorious light. Let’s ask God for wisdom as we endeavor to do this well!

Text: Ephesians 5:7-13

1. In Ephesians, Paul is writing to a congregation that was learning what it means to follow Jesus in a world which was not upholding Godly values.
   1. Why is this contrast of darkness and light so helpful for those who may be learning to live according to the Godly standards? How can we lovingly help new believers who may struggle to understand the purity God calls us to?
   2. One of the realities that Paul expresses here is that we were darkness, and now we are light (see Acts 26:18, Rom. 13:12, 2 Cor. 4:6, Col. 1:13, 1 Thess. 5:5, 1 Pet. 2:9). This is suggesting a spiritual transformation, not just a change of location or our social sphere. Why is this difference important to note? Is it possible to be around the light and not be the light? How can we make sure this isn’t our reality?
2. As Paul talks about living as children of light, he highlights several important realities that will help us be light in the darkness.
   1. First, Paul says we are to find out what pleases God. What does it mean to please God? What are some scriptures that outline what this looks like? (consider Romans 12:1-2; Matt. 22:34-40)
   2. Paul then says we are to have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. What are deeds of darkness? How can we live in the world, and still be separate from it? (see John 17:15, 2 Cor. 6:14, 2 Tim. 3:1-5) 
   3. The third challenge Paul gives is to expose the deeds of darkness. What does this look like? What is our motive to be? How can we do this with a heart of love for the lost? (consider Matt. 5:13-16)

Practical Application:

This week, pay attention to the world around you. How are you interacting with the darkness? Is the darkness influencing you, or are you chasing away the darkness by being the light? Ask God for wisdom to help you be a light that points people to Jesus.

• Sunday: 2 Timothy 3:1–5, 14–17 (Navigating Difficult Times)
• Monday: Romans 12:1–2 (Do Not Be Conformed)
• Tuesday: 1 John 2:15–17 (Love Not the World)
• Wednesday: Daniel 1:1–21 (Faithfulness in a Foreign Culture)
• Thursday: John 17:13–19 (In the World, Not of It)
• Friday: Matthew 5:13–16 (Called to be Salt and Light)
• Saturday: Philippians 2:12–16 (Shining Like Stars)