You Y’all will be my witnesses.

FOUNDATION OF A FAMILY

God reaches people through relationships.

Let’s talk about family.

Our families form and shape us. What is one way your family has shaped you?

IDEAS FOR SHARING:

  • a cherished value

  • a tradition you follow

  • a life lesson that guides you

  • an important geographic location

  • a story your family has passed down over the generations

We begin by looking at how the Bible describes God’s plan to rescue and heal the world.

We need to understand the bigger story and our role in that story.

It begins and ends with family.

BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS

▼ Read aloud.

▼ Choose someone to read the following section for your whole group.

One of the Bible's foundational themes is God's formation of a people—a family

in this world, for this world.

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

— Genesis 12:2-4

From the formation of the family of Israel

to the formation of Jesus' band of disciples

“Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. ”

— John 17:21

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

— 1 Peter 2:9-10

to the formation of the church by the Holy Spirit.

This one unifying theme of the salvation and formation of a family of God knits 1600 years and 66 books of the Bible in one continuous narrative.

▼ Choose another reader and keep reading below.

from me and Jesus to we and Jesus.

SALVATION

We often think of salvation as "inviting Christ into my life."

But what if salvation is also an invitation from Jesus into something much greater?

▲ How would you describe what is happening in the illustration above?

▼ read and discuss together.

1 JOHN 3

1 John 3 begins with a desire to give us confidence. We are God’s children.

  • Practically speaking, what does it mean that your salvation includes being part of the body of Christ— the family of God?

  • Look back over 1 John 3. What are some of the family values that show up in this chapter?

What is the Gospel?

the essence of the good news story we share

  • God loves us and made us for life with Him

    • We were created to know God personally and live in His love as part of His family.

  • Our Sin Separates Us from God

    • By choosing our own way, we’ve broken our relationship with God and can’t fix it ourselves. Sin infects all of our key relationships.

  • Jesus Brings Us Back to God

    • Through His death and resurrection, Jesus paid for our sin and offers forgiveness and new life.

  • We Respond by Faith and Join His Family

    • We receive Jesus by faith. We begin by turning from our old ways, admitting that we need Jesus to forgive us and bring us into his new way.

      He gives us His Spirit, makes us part of His people, and calls us to share His love with others.