Message Series: Becoming - Marks of a Disciple
Week 1 | Where do we start?
Group Check in:
How is it with your soul?
Prayer Request? Praises?
How has God shown up in your life this week?
Icebreaker:
What are three adjectives that describe you best?
Who is the greatest example of someone you have witnessed that lived like Jesus?
Biblical Teaching:
John 21- Jesus forgives Peter
Do I believe that I am a child of God?
I believe that Christ died so that I could live.
I know and experience the fruits of the Spirit.
I use my spiritual gifts to feed the community around me.
I know what God wants me to do with my life.
I believe that I am created in the image of God
I believe that Christ died so that I could live.
I believe that my value is given by God, not earned by my actions
I believe that God will use me to bring hope to the world
I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the lord almighty.
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien residing among you
to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…born of God
to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship
Overview:
What is this message about? Being a disciple of Jesus isn’t something we’re born knowing how to do. It’s something we become. So in the immediate afterglow of Easter, how can we start becoming better followers of Jesus? It begins with accepting an identity grounded in belonging God’s family - above every other family.
Keep asking questions, keep learning, keep growing, and keep moving forward to be the men and women God has called us to be.
Baptismal ID = We are claimed as God's children.
The baptism of Jesus created the foundation for our identity in Christ.
The Bible unfolded Identity is understood through the Lens of the individual’s relationship to the Father and family. Why does any of that matter? Because family is the image God uses throughout scripture not only to describe himself but to describe who we are.
Your identity is grounded in the reality that God has claimed you as a child of God. Your identity doesn’t come from your accomplishments or anything else, but only from God.
If we truly believe we are children of God, we have a firm foundation; however, a house is more than just a foundation. It is good to have the foundation, but there is still work to do. Just as our relationship with God, we have a foundation when we acknowledge our identity, but we must continue to learn and grow. We must change how we live.
Discussion Questions:
How do we become better and deeper followers of Jesus?
Ask of yourself….do you believe that you are a child of God?
What are some of the “false” identities that people around you cling to?
Read Romans 12:1 together. Do you see that much of your identity is a result of copying the worldly influences around you? In what ways do you see this?
How does your view of yourself change when you accept that your identity comes from God and that you are a child of God?
How does your view of others change when reminded that all people are children of God?
How does being a child of God affect the way you live?
The Bible calls God’s family the Body of Christ . Read ROMANS 12:4-5 and 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27 . Why do you think God uses a picture of the body to describe our relationship with other Christians?
Stay updated on upcoming PTCUMC Adult Group Events/Opportunities at PTCUMC.ORG/GROUPS
State of the Church: Join us this Sunday, April 23rd at 2PM for a conversation about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed as a church. We’ll spend significant time on our identity/direction, financial position and metrics of fruitfulness within our church. This is a day to look forward with hope!