Day 7: Extending Grace to other races

Racism dishonors the Image of God in others. Racism is not just a skin problem; it is a sin problem. Racism is a problem that discounts the life Jesus lived. It disregards His desires for His church. It also distorts the picture that we will one day see in Heaven. We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation and we can celebrate differences without demanding sameness. As we seek to understand ourselves and the racism that lives inside of each of us, we seek to pursue understanding of others to live differently.

Q: What has been your personal experience with racism, racist thoughts or racist attitudes?

Read Acts 17:24-28
Q: What does God say about the origin of humanity and race in these verses? What does God say about His purpose behind creating the nations? Practically speaking, how may a diversity of peoples cause men to seek Him?

Q: Racism is not a skin problem, but a sin problem. What is at the root of racism? How can we begin to assess whether we have racist thoughts?

Read Ephesians 2:11-18
Q: How is the word ‘peace’ being used in this passage? How was peace achieved? To whom is peace given?

Q: Describe the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. How did the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ break down the wall of hostility?

Q: How does racism disregard His command for His church?

Q: How does unity and peace among believers of different races effectively convey the gospel to an unbelieving world? How does a lack of unity and peace hinder the gospel message to an unbelieving world?

Q: What does it look like for you personally to pursue a deeper understanding of other races?