Message by: Bethany Cseh

Date delivered: 4/25/2010

Guide By: Loren Collins

Sunday AM Weekend Blessing:

“Catalyst, may you be a people who rest in the truth that in love you were chosen and adopted and may you in turn and in love adopt the broken and unlovable, showing the meaning of adoption.”

CONNECT:

1) Read Ephesians 1:3-14 as a group.  What does this passage mean to you as one of the “Adopted?”

2) Has it been difficult or easy for you to feel like you are a part of your own family?  What about God’s family?

3) Bethany talked about understanding that God doesn’t just choose us, but actually chases after us, pursuing us to bring us into His own family, as adopted children. Do you believe that, do you live your daily life as one who knows they are wanted by God?

DISCUSS:

4) Bethany described the context of the times and the difference between adopted children and those in the blood line.  A father could disown one of his own blood lines but once he chose to adopt someone he could never revoke or disown that child. 

Does trying to understand Paul’s use of the word adoption in his time change the meaning of this scripture for you versus only trying to understand it as we know it?  Do we in our culture look at adoption differently?

5) Is adoption a two way street?  Have you adopted God as your father?  What about His family as your own?

6) If we are God’s representatives here, what would it mean for us to show others they are adopted?  If they aren’t already in the family Bethany made it clear that God was chasing after them.  How can we do the same?

CHALLENGE:

Very simple challenges but so difficult, imagine if we all did them!

Journey Together: Look around at your life group.  Adopt each other.

Live Differently: Do whatever it takes to start convincing yourself that God chased after you.

Provoke Change: Chase after someone to show the meaning of adoption!