CHUKA KEN MINISTRY

BIG CROSS,DON’T GROW UP, TURN AND RUN,HEART ADULTERY

As we grow in understanding of God’s holiness and our sinfulness, we see more of the grace of Jesus in our lives.

The PROBLEM We may think we aren’t that sinful and don’t understand how holy God is, so we may take his grace for granted.

Our RESPONSE Invite God to show us more of his holiness, our sin, and his grace.

Why THIS MATTERS Having a growing appreciation of God’s holiness and our sinfulness is key for living in the grace of Jesus Christ.

KNOW: That a growing awareness of God’s holiness and our sinfulness is key to living in the grace of Jesus.

EXPERIENCE: An understanding of God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and Jesus’ grace.

Help the group see that when a person extends grace to you, it typically helps you appreciate that grace and also see that it was a big deal that you messed up.

Explain that this is similar to what we can experience with God through faith in Jesus Christ when we realize how holy God is, how sinful we are, and how Jesus’ undeserved goodness to us closes that gap.

A seraphim flies to Isaiah and touches a burning coal to Isaiah’s lips, bringing about the forgiveness of his sin.

Why do we need to see God’s holiness and our sinfulness to appreciate the grace that comes to us through Jesus Christ?

Just as Isaiah and Peter appreciated God’s grace when they experienced God’s holiness and their own sinfulness, the same is true for us.

Seeing God’s holiness and our sinfulness shows us how hopeless we are unless God steps in to help us.

Trusting in Jesus brings us forgiveness of our sin and lets us live in the presence of a holy God.

The more we grow in seeing God’s holiness and our sinfulness, the more we appreciate the grace of Jesus’ cross.

When we lose sight of God’s holiness and our own sinfulness, we “shrink Christ’s cross,” failing to see how big God’s grace (undeserved favor) is in our lives.

As I appreciate Jesus’ grace, I realize Jesus is my Defender, freeing me from justifying and defending myself.

As I appreciate Jesus’ grace, I realize that God sees everything about me and still accepts me because of Jesus.

Appreciating Jesus’ grace frees me from needing to hide from God and others since he sees, loves, and accepts me.

Appreciating Jesus’ grace means I can say things are as bad as they really are because Jesus’ grace is big enough to deal with any bad thing in my life.

How can a growing appreciation of Jesus’ grace keep you from “shrinking Jesus’ cross” in the way you mentioned?

Help your group make connections between the ways they said they “shrink Jesus’ cross” and how appreciating Jesus’ grace helps them not to do that.

For instance, if I realize that Jesus’ grace makes me acceptable before a holy God, I don’t need to defend myself to others or fake and pretend to be someone I’m not.

Those who trust in Jesus to forgive their sins become children of God.

The PROBLEM Even though we are children of God, we can live like orphans because we don’t believe God loves and accepts us.

EXPERIENCE: Joy and freedom in knowing God loves us and that we don’t have to do things to earn his favor.

The idea box is a place where you can find some creative ideas for leading this study.

The ideas come from small group leaders like you, so if you have an idea that isn’t in there, click below to share it with the community!

A spirit of slavery leads to fear, but a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters leads us to relate to God as our Daddy (this is what the word “Abba” means) and Father.

Or as followers of Christ, we’re ruled by the reality that we’re adopted into God’s family as dearly loved children.

The Holy Spirit lets our spirit know that we’re God’s children.

According to Bible scholar Doug Moo, being an heir of God and fellow-heir with Christ means we as Christ’s followers get all the good things God has promised to his people.

These good things include eternal life, forgiveness, love, God’s acceptance, joy, and peace.

Why do you think suffering with Christ is one of the good things that’s part of being an heir of God and fellow-heir with Christ?

If we’ve trusted Jesus to forgive our sins, we’re children of God.

But sometimes we act like we’re not a part of God’s family, thinking we need to take care of ourselves, be strong on our own, or do things to make God happy with us.

These things can point to places we don’t believe in the depths of our hearts that we’re part of God’s family.

Remembering your identity as a child of God in the face of fear and worry helps us realize that our Father and Daddy is the God of the universe!

How does having God’s acceptance change the way you value the acceptance of important people in your life (like parents, teachers, friends, teammates, coaches, and boyfriends or girlfriends)?

How does knowing you’re a child of God affect the temptation to base your worth on the things you do for God and others?

The PROBLEM We seek life outside of Jesus because we think other things are more satisfying.

KNOW: God calls us to live a life of repentance and faith — turning away from less satisfying things and choosing life in Christ.

DO: Turn away from less satisfying things and run to Jesus.

The idea box is a place where you can find some creative ideas for leading this study.

The ideas come from small group leaders like you, so if you have an idea that isn’t in there, click below to share it with the community!

Allow the group to discuss.

God wants us to “come to our senses,” realize the ways we think life is better without him, and run back to him.

Help your group think about things that relate to…

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God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us turn from sin and turn to God.

What are some things in your life that you need to “turn and run” from?

Turn to one other person in the group, share those things, and pray for each other.

The PROBLEM We let good things become “god things” or the most important thing in our lives, which the Bible calls idolatry.

Our RESPONSE Since true life is only found in God, seek life in him and don’t make good things “god things.”

Why THIS MATTERS True satisfaction can only come from exchanging the things we put in the place of God for Christ himself.

DO: Remain faithful to the Lord and resist the temptation to turn good things into “god things.”

The idea box is a place where you can find some creative ideas for leading this study.

The ideas come from small group leaders like you, so if you have an idea that isn’t in there, click below to share it with the community!

A prophet brought messages from God to his people and this message is about how God’s people have loved other things more than God.
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The things they pursued outside of God didn’t satisfy them like they thought they would.
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In what ways have you struggled with letting a good thing become a “god thing” in your life?

Again, start with an example from your own life of a time you made something other than God too important and experienced the emptiness that went with that.

Help your group see that making things other than God too important is like the frustration of trying to water flowers with a bucket full of holes.

How does knowing Jesus as the source of life in all its fullness (i.e., “the fountain of living waters”) help us resist the temptation to seek satisfaction in things outside of God?

What’s a practical step you can take to be satisfied in Jesus so that it’s not as easy for good things to become “god things” in your life?

Some ideas include setting aside time each day to read the Bible and pray and spending time with others who love Jesus at chukaken, download the App and join the group