The Heavenly Father satisfies our longing for a perfect and good dad.

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God… —Mark 1:1

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” ⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. —Mark 1:7-9

You are mine. I love you. I am proud of you.

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” —Mark 1:10-11

Jesus lived the life that we were meant to live.

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, ¹³ and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. —Mark 1:12-13

Our Heavenly Father gives Jesus his love, approval and pleasure before Jesus does anything.

In Christ, God gives you his love and affirmation as a free gift.

When you come to Jesus, you get what He got.

• You’re mine!

• I love you!

• I’m proud of you!

God wants you to give you the gift of His love, approval and pleasure that rightly belongs to Jesus and now also belongs to His kids.

---

Discipleship Guide

Let’s Connect

• What was/is your earthly father like?

Let’s Talk About It

Our heavenly Father satisfies our longing for a good and perfect dad. Jesus lived the life we were meant to live. And because of Jesus, God wants to give you the gift of His love, approval and pleasure that rightly belongs to Jesus and now also belongs to His kids.

Mark 1:1-13; Psalm 103:8

• Which part of the message made an impact, caught your attention or challenged you?

• Read Mark 1:1-13. What stood out to you from these passages? What do they say about God and His love for Jesus? His love for you?

• How does living to gain the approval of God lead to exhaustion? How does living out of the affirmation of God give you the strength to live a powerful life? Describe what the end results of each would look like.

• Have you ever had the Heavenly Father speak to your heart, “You are my child. I love you and I am proud of you.” How did that make you feel?

• How does knowing you are a child of God – loved and affirmed – supply you with the strength you need to resist the lies and temptation of the devil and to live a powerful life that honors God?

Take a Step

• What step can you take this week to receive the love, approval and pleasure of God? What step can you take to reach out to another and freely give them the love you’ve freely received from God?

SOAP reading

• Day 1: Psalm 2, Philippians 3
• Day 2: Psalm 24, Philippians 4
• Day 3: Psalm 68; Colossians 1
• Day 4: Psalm 86, Colossians 2
• Day 5: Psalm 104, Colossians 3
• Day 6: Psalm 118, Colossians 4
• Day 7: Psalm 124, Mark 1

Here’s My Prayer

You, Lord, are the perfect Heavenly Father. Thank you for loving me, choosing me and affirming me as your child. Help me to live out of this approval you’ve already given me instead of striving to earn your approval.