Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 6:7-10 ESV
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Key Points
- 3 ways sowing and reaping show up in our lives:
1) Justice = we get what we deserve
2) Mercy = we don’t get what we deserve
3) Grace = we get much more than we deserve - Jesus broke the pattern of sowing and reaping by dying for us and being raised to life for us.
- As followers of Jesus, it is our joy to continue disrupting the cycle of sowing and reaping by demonstrating grace.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
-Galatians 6:10 ESV
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: How does sowing and reaping work in the natural world?
2: How does sowing and reaping work in the Kingdom of God?
3: Review this week’s memory verse (Galatians 6:10) and answer the questions that follow.
· What do you think Paul means by “doing good?” What, in this context, defines good?
· Why do you think Paul especially emphasizes the importance of doing good “to those who are of the household of faith?”
4: In the larger context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he has emphasized how God justifies us not by our good works, but by grace through faith in Jesus.
· Why do you think Paul is now emphasizing the importance of doing good?
5: How would you define “sowing to the Spirit” versus “sowing to the flesh,” (Galatians 6:8)?
6: Looking back at the last week, how did you experience Jesus breaking the cycle of sowing and reaping in your own life?
7: Looking ahead to this week, how might God want to use you to break the cycle of sowing and reaping in someone else’s life?
Pray
Lord, thank you for your justice, mercy, and grace upon grace. Though we do not deserve your unending love, you love to love us. You delight in showing us mercy. Who else is like you, Lord? There is no God but you. Help us remember your grace in every moment, and as we do, teach us to freely pour out your grace into the world around us.
