When We Arrive, Sons and Daughters

Passage

Galatians 4:1-7

Sermon Summary

Do you feel like you’re constantly striving for approval, waiting for a "star on the chart" to prove you belong? In this sermon, we explore why many of us, though legally adopted as God’s children still live like slaves to performance. Discover how the Gospel moves us from the anxiety of the "employee" to the rest of the "heir."

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Discussion Questions (choose any—you don't have to answer them all!)

1. [Optional starter question] What stood out or stuck with you from the sermon?
2. The pastor shared his story about the spelling chart and the freedom of the "spell-check." Can you relate to that feeling of needing to "earn a star" to feel like you belong? Where does that show up in your life today (work, parenting, spiritual life)?
3. The sermon identified three ways we misidentify God: The Vending Machine (if I do good, He owes me), The Disapproving Boss (I’m one mistake away from being fired), or The Distant King (He’s powerful but not kind). Do you most struggle with these or some other false images of God?
4. We talked about "self-made laws" that enslave us, like "I must always be productive" or "My kids must be perfect." What is one "unwritten law" you find yourself obeying that God never gave you?
5. How does the truth of the "Great Exchange," that Jesus became a slave so we could become sons, change the way you view your failures this week?
6. We learned that "Abba" implies both deep intimacy and deep reverence. Does your prayer life currently feel more like a formal report to a manager or a conversation with your Abba? What would it look like to shift that dynamic this week?
7. Complete this sentence: "Because I am already a beloved child, this week I am free to stop striving for ________________."
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Resources Consulted

• "Man Shall Not Live by Cake Alone" - Kate Susong substack
• Galatians For You, Tim Keller
• The Papa Prayer: The Prayer You've Never Prayed, Larry Crabb