Alignment (Part 4): The Goal of Repentance

TO START

Brainstorm/Dream about a few group fellowship gatherings y’all can plan together for the Summer (i.e. listen to live music on Georgetown Square or Downtown RR, go to an Express game, eat dinner together (get babysitter for kids if necessary), a game night of sorts, etc.) Whatever fits for y’alls group.

Discussion Guides will break for the Summer after May 23rd.

TO WATCH

Check out a clip from this week’s sermon.

TO READ & DISCUSS

Read together as a group these texts from Galatians: 1:4, 2:4-5, 16; 3:3. Then answer the following questions.

  • What did the “Judaizers” attempt to do and why were the churches open to them?

  • What threat did they present?

Tim delved deep into Paul’s letter to Galatia which deals with the problem of replacing Jesus with the law of Moses. Although most of us don’t deal with that particular issue, there is a sense in which repentance can become a law; this is, a substitute for the grace of God. Now Re-read Galatians 5:1,4

  • Do you agree that repentance can become a law? Why does that happen?

  • What does it mean to fall from grace based oon Paul’s words? Why is this such a problem?

Read this version of Galatians 4:19, “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Chris is fully developed in your lives”; now answer these 2 questions:

  • Why do we sometimes focus repentance more on moral change we need to make than growth in love?

  • What do Paul’s words teach us and how does it help us to keep the right perspective about Jesus?

To end, Tim asks the question, “How do we take repentance seriously without making it another law?” Then, Tim points us to the reality that the way to keep repentance from becoming a law is to realize that the goal of repentance is to become like Jesus. God is trying to shape us so we look more like him, “God doesn’t give us a set of rules, he gives us Jesus”

  • To close, invite your group to share 1 way that Jesus has helped them become a more loving person/more like him.

TO PRAY

Lastly, ask your group to reflect this week on a part of them that doesn’t look like Jesus that needs to be chiseled away. Ask for God to chisel away those parts for each person in your group!

Matt DeLano