Startled by Grace Part 11: "A House of Grace"

In week 11 of the series “Startled by Grace” we hear a message from our good friend and local pastor of The Calling, Jereme Jeane. In this sermon Pastor Jereme teaches about the House of Grace we are all invited to live in. As the forgiven and loved children of God, we are now called to pass along this grace by practicing radical forgiveness, because that’s exactly what we have received. Key verses: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, John 1:14, 16, Romans 5:19-21, Ephesians 2:19-22, Romans 7:18-25, Matthew 6:9-15, Mark 11:25 Read the key verses and discuss the following questions: 1. What does it mean to live in a House of Grace? (Read Lord’s Prayer for context: Matt 6:9-15) 2. What did you think about the picture of God that Jereme gave us, where God isn’t an angry judge waiting to smite you for your sins, but a loving God, longing to forgive you? (Read Romans 7:18-25 for context) How would our lives look different if we viewed God like this? How would the people around us view God different if this was the picture of God that Christians gave the world? 3. On Sunday Jereme said: “Ephesians 4 says that we are all given Grace according to the “Measure” of Christ’s gift to us. The Greek word used in that verse is “Metron” and it literally describes a measuring stick… So the picture is that Jesus has literally “measured out” Grace as a gift to us. That means that before you ever even missed the target, before you ever messed up…Jesus measured out sufficient Grace for you!” - How does that “Measure of Grace” for each of our lives affect our ability to face the circumstances, struggles, and our own failures that come along regularly? What might look different in your life if you considered this truth when problems arise? 4. Looking at the prodigal son story, when the son was returning home, he was hoping for just enough forgiveness to be a servant in his father’s house. Was that how the Father was viewing his return? How much more grace did his father want to give? Do you ever settle for a little forgiveness, instead of the full grace of being a son or daughter of God? How can we receive and live in that full grace? 5. Once we are living in a house of grace, we are called to be people who forgive (see: Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25). Why is it so important to practice forgiving others? Why is it necessary for us personally? How does it impact the world around us if we do this? What happens if we refuse to forgive?