Abiding in Christ! (You Are an Heir of God)
LifeGroup Notes
Part of The Hope of Christ—Encourgement from the Upper Room
July 7, 2024

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LifeGroup Notes

BIG IDEA
You are not simply a slave, servant, or “saint” of God. No, you are a son or daughter. You have legal right to the family business and fortune of heaven. The will has been executed. The courts have been satisfied. Your spiritual account has been funded. The Bible says Jesus is your older brother and God is your loving Father. But are you living like it? Are you living as a prince or princess? Or do you hesitate to approach God with your struggles because you fear He is too busy or distracted to help you? If so, know this: you will never exhaust God’s resources. You will never cause the heavenly well to run dry. You will never be turned away or ignored. Understand your place in the family. You come to God not as a stranger but as an heir to the promise. You can thus approach God’s throne as a child of the King with full confidence. This week, we will look at God’s promise in his Word that He has made us His heir.

Passages we’ll review:
1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Romans 8:14-17; Joshua 1:1-9; Numbers 13:1-2; Joshua 24:28; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

OPENING
What stood out to you from the message this week? What led you to really think? Did anything challenge you? Have you ever had to share something that you really loved, something that had immense value to you?

Discuss the following statement: We often identify ourselves by our past mistakes. Has this been true for you? Would you agree or disagree that we tend to identify others in the same way?

READ

Material has been adapted from Unshakable Hope Study Guide by Max Lucado.

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

How did David describe the Lord?

Why do we need reminders of God’s strength, power, and majesty? How does worship remind us of these truths?

Read Romans 8:14-17

Can you think of a time when you were close to God? Why do you think this was?

How should seeing yourself as a co-heir with Christ change the way you approach God? Why is it difficult to view Jesus as an “older brother”?

How does suffering for Christ show evidence of a person’s relationship with God?

Why do we often devalue ourselves and others? Do you think this could be why our relationships struggle?

When we follow HIm, we can depend on Him to help us overcome our past. The spirit of this world is full of fear. It is masked by materialism, sex, substance abuse, depression, addictions, and more. Many don’t want to give up the things from their old way of life! The reason the church often looks more like the world than Christ is because many believers don’t want to put their old ways to death! —Editor’s Note

How can you live out of your inheritance rather than your circumstances? Why is it often difficult to look beyond circumstances to your true standing with God?

Read Joshua 1:1-9

What is the difference between something you inherit and something you earn?

How did God give the land to the Israelites? How can this give us strength today when we are stepping into new things?

God didn’t give the Israelites a detailed description of how He would accomplish these things. He expected them to step out in faith and trust Him! He would provide what they needed when they needed it! —Editor’s Note

Read Numbers 13:1-2 and Joshua 24:28

What did God do for His children? Given that God sees you the same way - as His heir - what does He want to do for you? How would it change the way you approach challenges if you truly lived out that promise?

DIGGING DEEPER

Read 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

What does the Spirit of the Lord offer to believers? How have you experienced the Spirit’s freedom in your own life?

How can this freedom affect those who don’t know Christ?

LET’S PRAY

Consider the following as you pray together:

  1. What are some circumstances in which you need to see God’s promises at work? Your life will change as you build it on God’s promises. So this week, proclaim with confidence: “I will live out of my inheritance, not my circumstances.”

  2. In what ways do you see the Lord’s glory reflected in your life? In what ways do you struggle to allow the Holy Spirit to control your life?

  3. Which people in your life most need to embrace their inheritance from God? Reflect on God’s promises and think about how you can share them with another person.