Stand Firm In the Father’s Love

Divisions and tensions in society and even within the church threaten to tear Christians apart and distract us from our core identity in Christ. In this message, we are invited to stand firm in our identity as loved, chosen, and adopted children of God so we would give praise to God and walk with grace and humility.

Sermon Outline:

I. Stand Firm Because the Father Has Blessed You.

II. Stand Firm Because the Father has Chosen You.

III. Stand Firm Because the Father Has Predestined You.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways have you found other identities competing with or even superseding your Christian identity? How can we keep our identity in Christ foremost?

2. What stood out to you most about the blessings we have in Christ (v. 3)? Which of these blessings do you most need to be reminded of?

3. How does understanding election and predestination as acts of God's love and grace (rather than cold, fatalistic forces) change your perspective on these doctrines?

4. Why do you think God chose to adopt us as his children (v. 5)? What are the implications of being adopted into God's family?

5. How can remembering we are chosen and predestined by God's love (not anything in us) help us relate to one another in the church with more grace, humility and unity? How should it affect the way we view and treat unbelievers?