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In Jesus’ new family we receive new identities and become one in Christ.

Matthew 12:46-50 

  • Jesus’ most common phrase for God was Father. Jesus then goes on to say how you can be part of the Father’s family - by following His Will. What a miraculous mystery it is that no matter our background, lifestage, or past, as long as we follow the will of God we can be part of His family!
  • What do you love about being part of God’s family?

Matthew 3:13-17

  • We get an insight to the core of Jesus’ identity. He is a beloved son of God. You can look at all of Jesus’ interactions and trace every response he has back to His core identity of being a beloved son of God.
  • One of the most incredible gifts in human existence is that the Spirit gives us the same opportunity to be beloved children of God.

Romans 8:14-17

  • Paul juxtaposes the identity as a slave in the house vs a son in the house and then reminds us that we have been adopted as sons or daughters into God’s Family.
  • Adoption is an identity altering experience. It changes everything about you. In the same way us being adopted into God’s family changes our entire identity. From the way we view ourselves, to the way we view the world.
  • Being sons and daughters of God is our primary identity as disciples of Christ. It alters every other identity we have. We are not just wives, brothers, and employees but we are disciple wives, disciple brothers, and disciple employees.
  • What are other identities in your life that compete with being a son or daughter of God as the primary identity? How do you think that has affected you?

 

Because we have the same identity in God’s family, we can become one.

  • You have more in common with a widowed mother living in the slums in Indonesia that is a disciple, than you do with your coworker that lives in your neighborhood and has your ethnicity that is an atheist.
  • Our identities in the family of God unite us over every difference in the world. The power of God uniting us is stronger than the power of worldly division.
  • Be honest, what are differences that would have divided you when you were in the world? 
  • In your own words, why are you willing to be united in God’s family despite those differences?

Optional way to end FG - 

Have a few people, or you can go around the circle, and proclaim these few sentences to each other -

  • “I am _______ (any identifier you want to use - lifestage, ethnicity/nationality, job title, etc). But above everything else I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ, and we are one in God’s family.”

Practicals:

  • Have a time of praise and gratitude to God for giving you an opportunity to be a part of His family.
  • Wrestles through what is your primary identity in prayer/journaling. What are identities that competed with being a son/daughter of God as your primary identity when you were in the world. How do those still affect you now?
  • How do those worldly differences affect your relationships with other disciples in the family of God? Is there anyone you need to get reconciled with? If so, pray for them now and set up a time to talk.