Romans 8:13–17, 23; Galatians 3:26–29, 4:4–7; Ephesians 1:4–5

Icebreaker: Share about a family you know (perhaps your own) who adopted a child. What was the day of adoption like?

1. Read Romans 8:13–17, 23; Galatians 3:26–29, 4:4–7; Ephesians 1:4–5.

2. Summarize what these verses say.

3. What is God’s attitude toward us, according to the above verses?

4. Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses; Hadassah (Esther) was adopted by her uncle. How does human adoption picture God’s adoption of us as His children? How are human and spiritual adoptions different?

5. What does the fact that God adopted us mean about how He feels toward us?

6. What does this teach us about the character of God?

7. How do the verses listed in number 2 above make you feel about God’s choice of you? Talk with Him about it.

8. Notice the references to God’s choice of His children (key words: adopted, chosen, and predestined). Where do these appear?

9. Do adoptive parents want anything different for their children from what biological parents want? Why do you think God chose adoption as the analogy to show His love rather than emphasizing His creation of us?

10. In Romans 8:23, what tense is used? Note the tense used in Ephesians 1:4–5. In what sense is adoption completed, yet still future?

11. What is exciting about the implications of God giving the Spirit to each of us who has trusted in the name of Jesus? Of our being heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)?

12. A) Think of different adoption scenarios. How might an adopted child view differently his or her adoptive parents than would a child with biological parents? (For example, knowing she was adopted from a foreign orphanage, or knowing he would not have otherwise known a father)? B) How might this affect the parent-child relationship? C) What spiritual ramifications does this observation have?

13. How might God’s choice of you affect how you relate to His other children? What should be your attitude toward those who are not His children?

14. Why do you think the Bible does not say “we are all children of God” (i.e., only those who have trusted Christ “have the right to be called children of God”—John 1:12) even though every person is God’s creation?

15. What is the hope communicated in Romans 8:24? Read Revelation 21:1–7 to get a picture of the future realization of our current status as “chosen and adopted sons.” (Do you wonder about the gender of being adopted as sons, when we are women? Using inclusive language for the translation here would diminish the picture that’s being presented of our benefit: at the time in which the Book of Romans was written, sons received a far better inheritance than daughters.)

16. What do the truths in these passages tell you about how God wants you to view yourself?

17. Spend time in prayer thanking God for choosing you and adopting you as His child.

Luke 15

Icebreaker: Have you ever witnessed a reconciliation? What was it like?

1. Read Luke 15. Retell the story in your own words. (In Luke’s day, tax collectors were Jews who collected--usually unjustly--from their Jewish brothers and gave tribute to the Romans, who oppressed the Jewish people. Tax collectors were disallowed from serving as witnesses or judges because they were considered untrustworthy.)

2. Jesus showed the Pharisees that they were unloving. Despite their care in the following the letter of the law, they were being exclusive. What was the Pharisees’ objection to Jesus? (Eating with a person in that time demonstrated more than mere association – it indicated acceptance and endorsement.)

3. In what ways are we like the Pharisees? In our relationships? In our criticisms? In our exclusions?

4. List the three lost things in the three parables about losing and finding something precious.

5. What is the response when the lost item is found (vs. 5 and 9)?

6. Have you ever found something that you thought was lost forever? How did you feel once you recovered it?

7. What if the father had chosen to disown the son (which he had every right to do)? What might have happened to the son had he not repented and returned home?

8. Is there anything in your past that seems like an unforgivable sin?

9. Read Acts 7:54–8:1. A) What was Saul’s (Paul’s) involvement? B) Read Phil. 3:12–14. C) What if Paul had said, “I can’t do anything – I’ve murdered Christians?” D) What was his view on the past and future? E) Is there anything in your past that you need to quit dwelling on and “leave behind?”

10. In the prodigal son story, what was the father’s response to the “lost” son (vs. 20–25)? List all the ways the father welcomed home his son.

11. Why do you think the father does not even wait for his son to finish his speech?

12. How is the father’s view of the son different from the son’s view of himself?

13. In what ways do you think you view yourself differently from how your heavenly Father views you?

14. In what ways did the son take the short view (instant gratification) instead of the long view (delayed gratification)? In what ways do we seek immediate gratification?

15. The father does not minimize the seriousness of his son’s actions (vs. 24), nor does Jesus minimize the need to repent (vv. 7, 10, 17–20). How do these two sobering realities give added meaning to the rejoicing?

16. What was the older son doing when the party started (vs. 25)? How did he find out his brother was back?

17. Why did the older son respond the way he did? Have you ever felt resentful when someone less deserving received recognition and you were “left outside”?

18. What is the father’s response to the older son’s outburst? Does the father favor the unfaithful son? What does this tell you about how much our performance factors into God’s love for us?

19. How does this lesson relate to the theme of our study, which is your worth in Christ? If you were to end this story (which Luke did not do), where would each young man’s worth be found? How would he now face his future?

20. With which person in this story do you most identify and why?

21. Peter, who was forgiven for denying the Lord, later writes to tell Christians to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 1:2). We must move from receiving grace to being like the father, who gave it away. Who needs to receive a touch of grace from you?

For further reading: Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son.

2 Cor. 12:1–10; 2 Cor. 1:3–7

Icebreaker: Name a time (which could include ongoing circumstances) when life didn’t turn out as you’d hoped it would.

1. Prayerfully read 2 Cor. 12:1–10.

2. According to 12:7, why might Paul have been tempted to boast? (In Paul’s day it was common to speak of three heavens. The first was where the birds fly; the second was where the moon and stars are; and the third was where God dwells.)

3. What did God do to keep Paul from being prideful about his great spiritual experiences? (The word “messenger” could also be translated “angel.” We are not totally sure which Paul meant. But either way, it is clear that even what Satan intended for evil, God used for good.)

4. Three explanations are often given for the meaning of “thorn in the flesh.” Some say it was a physical ailment, such as bad eyesight. Others say it might have been a great temptation. Still others say it was persecution and opposition. Most commentators assume it is a literal physical ailment, based on Galatians 4:15. What do you consider the greatest “thorn in the flesh” in your own life?

5. Paul prayed three times that God would take away his difficulty. What was God’s response? (Grace is unmerited favor or enabling strength from God.)

6. God told Paul “no” three times. What does this say to those who teach that all Christians who are truly walking with God will have disease-free, trouble-free lives?

7. Share a time or circumstance in your life when you felt weak but found God’s grace sufficient.

8. What was Paul’s resulting response to God’s words?

9. List areas of your life in which you are having to depend on God to prove Himself strong in the face of your weakness.

10. Take a moment to pray through these areas of your life, asking for grace to endure and to glorify God through your weakness.

11. List areas in your life in which you are sometimes prideful. (This can include the pride of false humility.)

12. Read 1 Peter 5:5–6. To whom does God give grace? Take a few moments to repent of pride and ask Him to give you grace.

13. Prayerfully read 2 Cor. 1:3–7. What word is repeated?

14. Share a situation in which you received God’s comfort.

15. How can you use your past and present difficulties to comfort others?

16. What changes in your thoughts and heart would take place if you truly believed the principles taught here?

17. Who do you know who is currently experiencing a difficulty that you understand from personal experience? What will you do this week to comfort that person with Christ’s comfort?

18. Why do you think it’s important to God that we be broken but usable?

19. Read Hebrews 4:14–16. What command is given? Take a moment to do what it says.

20. Read Phil. 3:3–6. List Paul’s accomplishments.

21. Now read Phil. 3:6, 8. What worth does Paul assign to his abilities and background? (Note that Paul uses the vulgar word for “dung” to make his point. In Paul’s day that word referred to both excrement and the part of the sacrifice that was thrown away.)

22. What abilities and experiences are sometimes the source of your pride and even identity?

23. What is the only thing Paul considers “worthy”?

Concluding thoughts:

The topic of our study has been our worth in Christ.

• Why might God allow us to be wounded (Hebrews 11; 2 Corinthians 11)?
• What does God want us to do with our pain (2 Corinthians 1)?
• How can knowing these truths help us deal with having lives, marriages, health … that have failed to turn out the way we hoped?
• How might God’s truths about the source of our worth help us view ourselves when we fail or accomplish less than we dreamed of doing? When our bodies fail us?

Read Ephesians 1:1–14. Do you know who you are?

The Book of Esther describes how the Jewish holiday of Purim came to be. There was a plot to commit genocide against Jews living in Persia. God sovereignly used an orphaned, timid foreigner, Esther, to thwart the heinous plan through her presence in the right place at the right time with the right face. Purim is still celebrated (2500 years later) in celebration of God’s remarkable faithfulness to save the Jewish people in Esther’s time. God can take sin and turn it around to show his grace and glory.