Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 2:15-21 ESV
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Key Points
- The reality of the achievement-based culture we live in often clouds our perception of what it means to be a person of faith
- Freedom from striving means:
1) We are a part of God’s family
2) We are justified
3) We can live for God - To believe in Christ is to be included as a member of God’s people
- To find freedom from striving, we need to turn to the gospel of Jesus that is meant to set us free
- Salvation does not depend on us
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
-Galatians 2:20 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: If our culture says, “hustle and grind,” what do you think God says?
2: Based on the previous question, read the following Bible passages. Then, write down the invitations you hear from God in each passage.
· Matthew 11:28-30
· Matthew 16:24-26
· Psalm 46:10-11
3: Based on your notes from Scripture in the previous question, how does the voice of God differ from the voice of our present, popular culture?
4: The New American Standard Bible translates Psalm 46:10, “Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”
If you have heard Psalm 46:10 before, it is likely you have heard it said, “be still and know…”
· Based on today’s message, how does the translation, “stop striving” affect your understanding of this popular Bible verse?
· What’s more, how does the language of “stop striving” affect your understanding of God?
· Instead of striving, what does God offer us?
5: Read Luke 10:38-42.
· What does this passage teach us about freedom from striving?
6: How will you respond to the truth God revealed to you today?
Pray
Lord, by your grace we are free to stop striving and trust you are God with us. Thank you for saving us from the rhythm of hustle and grind that surrounds us. Help us to hear your counter-cultural invitation to be free from striving, and give us the courage to believe you when we do.
