Faith Forward: Grace

Ephesians 2:8,9

Connect:

• Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.

Prayer:

Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.

Review:

This message series looks at six essential moves found in Scripture — moves that lead to a flourishing life. There’s a reason why some people experience joy, purpose, and spiritual momentum…while others feel stuck, confused, and disconnected. At ZCC, we call these our “6Gs” which are Grace, Growth, Group, Gifts, Generosity, Go. This week, we looked at Grace…

The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…

o What did you learn about God?

o What did you learn about people?

o What did you learn about yourself?

o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?

Reflection:

Personal Experience:

• Death is a familiar, stark reminder that sin has consequences. At the same time, life in Christ gives us a confidence based in the promises of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Compare the difference between a memorial service for someone who was “ready for eternity” and someone who was not.

• Reflective Discussion (Remember to look at the context of the verses as you are reading!):

  • Read Ephesians 2:8-9. Come up with your own expression as a group for what the word GRACE means as it is used in this verse, expressed in Scripture and lived in your own experience. Take some time on this:

    • Meditate on it individually for 60 seconds, then talk in pairs, then share as a group, then write your definition using terms, Scriptures, testimonies as reference.

    • Go deeper than an objective “God’s unmerited favor” or “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. Savor the word— make your definition resonate with the depth of your experience of that favor and God’s riches!

  • Talk about lostness using the following passages as background (Luke 19:5-10, Is 53:5-6, Rom 5:8, Eph 2:4-5, John 3:16-18).

    • If we are “going our own way” why does that make us “lost”?

    • Why is it so important to confess we are lost in order to be saved?

    • How does this help us understand why Jesus is the ONLY way? (Gal 2:21, James 2:10, Matt 5:48, 2 Cor 5:21, Titus 3:5, Acts 4:12)

  • Talk about Grace using the following passages as background (Rom 3:20-26, Rom 5:20-21, Rom 10:9,10, John 1:9-17, Heb 4:15-16)

    • How do these passages deepen/sharpen your definition of Grace from the beginning?

    • What is so amazing about Grace?

    • What role does grace play in “moving our faith forward?”

Application: 

Sometimes it takes grace to give or even receive grace. What are some things in your life right now that is blocking the flow of God’s grace to as well as through you? Submit those things to the lordship of Christ.

Prayer:

Spend some time in prayer committing yourself to living thankfully for the grace you have received and being a channel of God’s grace to others.

____________________________________

Get more resources to go deeper through Commentaries and Bible Study helps HERE