Place the full weight of your faith in Jesus.
Losing Our Religion 16 Jun 19
(Message 5) What is the role of religion in your life? Do you feel guilty because you can’t measure up to religious standards? Or are you prideful and legalistic because you believe you’ve succeeded at keeping the standards? Join us as we take a look at the role of religion and how losing our religion may be what we need most. #GCInsideOut
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Download and Print PDF of Discussion Questions
- Read, reflect, and discuss each of these passages individually.
- Matthew 23:27-28
- Philippians 3:1-9
- Philippians 3:10-11
- John 1:12
- As you reflect on these passages as a whole, what stands out the most to you? Why?
- As you reflect on the message, what one principle or insight stands out as being particularly
- helpful?
- insightful?
- difficult to grasp?
- challenging?
- What do the passages and the message teach you about God? What do they teach you about yourself?
- How could the next week be different if you incorporated these truths into your life?
- If time allows, read and discuss these passages from gotquestions.org.
- “Christianity is not about signing up for a religion. Christianity is about being born into the family of God (John 3:3). It is a relationship. Just as an adopted child has no power to create an adoption, we have no power to join the family of God by our own efforts. We can only accept His invitation to know Him as Father through adoption (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:15). When we join His family through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside our hearts (1 Corinthians 6:19; Luke 11:13; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22). He then empowers us to live like children of the King. He does not ask us to try to attain holiness by our own strength, as religion does. He asks that our old self be crucified with Him so that His power can live through us (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6). God wants us to know Him, to draw near to Him, to pray to Him, and love Him above everything. That is not religion; that is a relationship.” Is Christianity a religion or a relationship?
- ‘True religion does have rules and rituals, but there is a crucial difference. In true religion, the rules and rituals are observed out of gratitude for the salvation God has provided – NOT in an effort to obtain that salvation. True religion, which is Biblical Christianity, has rules to obey (do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not lie, etc.) and rituals to observe (water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper / Communion). Observance of these rules and rituals is not what makes a person right with God. Rather, these rules and rituals are the RESULT of the relationship with God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone as the Savior. False religion is doing things (rules and rituals) in order to try to earn God’s favor. True religion is receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and thereby having a right relationship with God – and then doing things (rules and rituals) out of love for God and desire to grow closer to Him.” What is True Religion?
in the top right of the video.