GOD IS GRACIOUS - so I don’t have to prove myself

We are looking at the 4 G's of God and what it means to live in light of them. Here they are -

(1) God is Great - so I don’t have to be in control
(2) God is Glorious - so I don’t have to fear others
(3) God is Gracious - so I don’t have to prove myself
(4) God is Good - so I don’t have to look elsewhere.

We looked at number 3 last Sunday from the story of the Prodigal Son’s (Luke 15.1-2 & 11-32). It is a story of TWO Son’s, one of them is transformed by the father’s grace towards him and the other is not.

Here are the symptoms that follow if you do not know God is Gracious.

Younger Brother’s feel…
(1) Inadequate (guilt and shame)
(2) The need to pay God back (punish themselves and repay debt)

Elder Brother’s
(1) Restless anger (grace offends…when others are blessed and you are not)
(2) Joyless Obedience (God is a master who you must slavishly obey and never disobey his orders)
(3) Anxious Performance (in whatever area you rely on to “prove yourself’ = make yourself acceptable, valuable and worthwhile)
(4) Proud Comparison’s (Superiority at all those who haven’t proved themselves like you have)

Reflection and Application

(1) How does the context (vs1-2) and the 2 groups of people help us understand the story Jesus tells (vs11-32)? What was Jesus implying? What was Jesus hoping would happen? Why does the story end on a cliff hanger (does the elder son go into the feast?)

(2) What is the younger brother’s sin? What does it look like? How does he relate to his father? How does he relate to the wider community?

(3) Do you think he is genuinely repentant?

(4) How does he try and prove himself to his father?

(5) How does the father act graciously towards the younger son (throughout the story)?

(6) What is the older brothers sin” What does it look like? How does he relate to his father? How does he relate to the wider community?

(7) How does he feel he has proved himself? What attitude does that leave him with? Why?

(8) How is the father gracious towards the elder son (throughout the story)?

(9) Which Son do you most look like? Why?

(10) How does knowing the grace of God affect the way you try and prove yourself?

(11) What does repentance and faith look like for you today?

- If you want to read more on this story and the grace of God then please buy Tim Keller’s short book called “The Prodigal God”

- If you are struggling to forgive someone who has sinned against you then you will need to talk this through with someone. To be free from bitterness you will need to know the grace of God (that he forgave you) that gives you the power to forgive. However the pain and consequences of that person’s actions may be so deeply entrenched that you will need to talk this through with someone. You should not feel bad for finding it hard to forgive but you do need to start moving forward to forgive them.

*****PLEASE NOTE***** these reflections and application questions are to be tailored by whoever is leading the study. You do not have to do all the questions and you can add in extra questions. If it says that you are to “meditate or reflect” on a bible passage that is to be done during your time of sung worship (not in the study).