Deeply Formed Life Leaders Guide
September 9 & 10, 2023
Week 2_ “Racial Reconciliation for a Divided World”

SESSION GOALS
MAIN IDEA: The gospel unites us with God and others, so we should work to overcome the racial divisions that separate us from our neighbors.
HEAD CHANGE: To know that the gospel creates a new family made up of vastly different people.
HEART CHANGE: To feel motivated by the gospel for the work of reconciliation.
LIFE CHANGE: To reconcile with others by exploring our racial formation, repenting where we’ve gotten things wrong and living lives shaped by the gospel of peace.

MESSAGE / UNPACKING
[Gleaned from Pastor Cory’s weekend sermon and thoughts from the book “The Deeply Formed Life” by Rich Villados]
Pastor Cory and Pastor Brandon tackled the delicate and sometimes polarizing topic of racial reconciliation. What does that mean? How does it affect me?

PROBLEM
We live in a combative culture eager to separate people by our differences. But the gospel exists to break down the barriers, the dividers. However, prejudice, biases, and division still exists not just within our culture, but in the church as well.
We have been conditioned to identify and find what separates and divides us.
Jesus came to reconcile and unite us.

THOUGHTS
The gospel isn’t just about getting to heaven when we die; it’s about bringing and seeing His Kingdom come here and now!
How easily we are offended often reveals our lack of maturity.
Dead men don’t get offended (Galatians 2:20)
The Cross isn’t just a bridge to get to Jesus; it’s also a sledgehammer that breaks down walls that separate us.
From Genesis to Revelation, God’s intention is to create a new people; one family.

QUOTES
“The Gospel must not only offer a personal salvation. In the future life to those who believe; it must also transform all of the relationships of life here and now, and that caused by the Kingdom of God to prevail in all the world.”
[George Eldon Ladd]

“Reconciliation is an ongoing spiritual process, involving forgiveness, repentance, and justice, that restores broken relationships and systems to reflect God’s original intention for all creation to flourish.” [Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil]
4 WAYS WE CAN BRING DOWN THE WALLS
Explore the ways we have been RACIALLY FORMED
a. Do the hard work of exploring the ways that you have been racially formed
2. Work harder at LISTENING than BEING HEARD
a. Learn where you might have blindspots, insensitivity, indifference and stereotypes
3. Practice REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS
a. Confession, repentance, and forgiveness is an ongoing act of discipleship
4. CLING to Jesus
a. Cling top Him and His ways…a life marked by sacrificial love, forgiveness, and helping others

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In what ways have racial justice and reconciliation been important in your life personally? In what ways do you still have room to grow?
2. What attitudes were present toward people of other races? What words were used to describe them? Who was viewed as trustworthy, and who wasn’t? Who was viewed as safe, and who wasn’t?
3. Who do you view as your “neighbor?”
4. Are you more concerned with being heard (your ideas, preferences, platforms, etc.) or by listening to understand?
5. What can you intentionally and actively do to be a better listener and try to understand other people’s racial formation?
6. Is there an a person or situation where you need to practice repentance and forgiveness with?

DEEPER WALK
EXPLORE—Set aside 15-20 minutes to explore what Rich called your “racial formation.” Think about your family of origin and the environment you grew up in, especially as it relates to the topic of race. What attitudes were present toward people of other races? What words were used to describe them? Who was viewed as trustworthy, and who wasn’t? Who was viewed as safe, and who wasn’t? Explore these things and reckon with them.
LAMENT—Based on what you learn as you explore your racial formation, lament what you find that isn’t godly. Consider how your formation differed from the vision of the gospel and engage in the Christian practices of confession and repentance.
READ—For a deeper dive into the practices of racial justice and reconciliation, read chapters 3-4 of Rich’s book, “The Deeply Formed Life.”

SCRIPTURES
Ephesians 2:14-16
Matthew 22:36-39
Luke 10:25-37