Breaking Ground
Have you been baptized? If so, talk about what your baptism means to you! Why did you get baptized? Who baptized you? How has your baptism impacted you since?
The Dig
This Sunday, we concluded our series Why by diving into the question: “How do I know if I’m saved?”
Begin by reflecting on how you understand the concept of salvation or being saved.
What does salvation or being saved mean? Why do we need to be saved? Who saves us? How has your understanding of this concept changed throughout your faith journey?
Read Ephesians 2:1-9. Here, we see a sentiment that’s repeated constantly throughout the Bible; which is that we are saved, not by our own will power, but by putting our faith or trust in God’s grace. In this passage, the word saved refers to being rescued or forgiven of our sins through Jesus Christ.
However, critically, this same Greek word is also the same word that’s used for healing in the Gospel stories. This means that anytime there’s a story where Jesus is said to have “healed” a person of their suffering, you could also read it as saying that Jesus “saved” them in that moment. Ultimately, this reminds us that salvation through Jesus is about more than afterlife insurance or cognitive belief, as it includes both God’s promise to restore all things in Creation & the lifelong process of letting Jesus transform us back into the kinds of humans God created us to be.
How does Paul’s teaching & this larger context of being saved inform our understanding of salvation? How are we saved? What does it mean to put our trust or faith in Jesus for this salvation?
Altogether, how is salvation both a singular experience of rescue & a lifelong process of healing? Why do we need to rely upon God’s grace for all aspects of this bigger, more expansive understanding of salvation?
What role does faith or trust in Jesus play in salvation? What does it mean to trust Jesus for both our forgiveness of sins & our lifelong experience of healing?
How does this understanding of salvation help us answer the central question of this week? How do we “know” that we are saved or being saved in this framework of salvation?
Where are you presently being saved by God’s grace or experiencing salvation through faith in Jesus? Where do you need to further experience God’s salvation or healing in this season?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time each week to reflect upon the Sunday sermon.
- What does salvation mean to you? How is it both a singular, one-time experience & lifelong process?
- Where have you seen Jesus rescue, save, or heal you from something that you couldn’t overcome by your own will power? How did this create greater trust in God?
- Where do you currently need to rely upon God’s power & grace for salvation, healing, or rescue? How can you further foster that trust in Jesus during this season?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
Centered Set Church by Mark D. Baker
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, October 4th: Join us next week as we continue answering YOUR questions in our Why series!
* Please see mye3.org for details.