Mission Activity (Can be done over dinner)

Write you name at the centre of a page. Draw a circle around it.

1. Who do you know who seems far from God? Write down 3-4 names of key people you know who are not currently followers of Jesus around the circle. Then draw a larger circle around them. (Concentric circles like a target)

2. For each of these people, write down what further individuals, or communities could be impacted if god Called these people to follow him?

3. Jesus modelled this when he prayed for the people who would believe through his disciples (John 17:20). Not only do we want to pray for the people we know who are far from God, but also for their connections who might hear about God through them.

   
   Spend some time praying for these people.
   
   Alpha is starting soon (May 18) Is there anyone you could invite along?
   

Start by watching this overview of Galatians by the Bible Project

Read Galatians 1:1-9

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers[who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Discuss:

1. What stands out to you from this passage?

2. Describe Paul’s mood or frame of mind when he wrote this. What caused this attitude? Does it seem justified?

3. Paul calls himself an apostle. What can you learn from vv.1-9 that an apostle is or does?

4. Paul offers an outline of the gospel in the early verses, What things do we learn about the nature Gospel from these lines?

5. According to vv.6-7, any change to the gospel makes it null and void. Why?

6. How do people “add to the gospel” today in ways that diminish it’s power?
   

Apply:
Read this excerpt from Martin Luther’s Commentary on the Galatians
“So then, have we nothing to do to obtain this righteousness? No, nothing at all! For this righteousness comes by doing nothing, hearing nothing, knowing nothing, but rather in knowing and believing this only—that Christ has gone to the right hand of the Father, not to become our judge, but to become for us our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, our salvation!. So now we may certainly think, “Although I still sin, I don’t despair, because Christ lives, who is both my righteousness and my eternal life.” 

1. Does the knowledge of the Gospel free you from despair?

2. Are you convinced that what Christ has done for you is enough to make you right with God?

Pray