Welcome to the Free Series! Mission Groups are officially in session during this series and the next, a total of 9 weeks.

We read this statement together before every group discussion! It helps transition the group to discussion time, it reaffirms our highest values, and sets a tone of trust, consistency, and safety for everyone in the group.

We are a group of imperfect people pursuing a perfect God. We exist to help each other find and follow Christ. These are some things we want to be true of our group:

We create a safe and honest environment, staying transparent and authentic.
We keep it inside the circle. Confidentiality is necessary for a healthy group.
We look together to the Bible for help and guidance, and keep out our own politics, sales, or agendas.
We do not try to fix each other, preach sermons, or give unsolicited advice. We instead encourage, listen to, and celebrate each other.
We handle conflict between us quickly and honestly by going to the person, owning our part, and practicing forgiveness.
We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.
We trust that it is God’s role to change people, not ours.
We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.

Let's have everybody share what their comfortable sharing! Tell us about yourself, your family, how you came to Mission, your occupation and hobbies, anything!
Tell us about your break since the last session (if you've met before), what was the highlight? What was unexpected?

Around 50 AD, a church planter named Paul wrote a letter to a group of new Christians at a church in Galatia. He writes to encourage them, to challenge them, to remind them of what God has done and who they are. He writes because he wants them to experience freedom from people-pleasing, earning, striving, fear and rule-keeping.

Freedom should be one of the primary descriptors of the Christian faith, but if you look at our world today, that is often far from true. In the first part of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he paints a clear picture of the freedom that Jesus offers us, and pleads with them to stop trying to earn the acceptance that God freely offers us.

CONNECT

What's the best news you've ever received?

DISCOVER

Read Romans 3:23-25 together.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

To Paul, one of the primary descriptors of the Christian faith was freedom - freedom from sin and condemnation. Throughout your life, what descriptors have you attached to Christianity? What about at this point in your life?
We are all in different places on the journey of understanding or trusting this good news, and this is a safe place to be on that journey! Whether you're just investigating life with God for the first time, you're coming back to it after time away, or you've been following Jesus for a long time, how do you relate to this passage personally right now?

APPLY

Jodi talked about the "Cycle of Works" that we all find ourselves on, trying to achieve so we can be significant and find acceptance from God. And it only leads to two places: pride or despair. Have you found yourself on this cycle, trying to earn God's love or fix yourself on your own? Has it led to pride or despair?
We all try to earn God's acceptance by doing the right things or living the right way, but we end up falling short of God's standard. In what areas of your life do you "perform" for God, thinking that once you get it right, THEN he'll be happy with you?
The good news in Galatians says that we are accepted by God exactly as we are, and we need that acceptance all the time - not just once. Is there an area of your life or heart that feels unlovable or unacceptable right now?

READ. PRAY. DO.

READ
- Galatians 1 - get the full picture of the 1st part of the letter we are looking at in this series.
- Acts 9:1-31 - Paul (previously known as Saul) is the author of this letter to the Galatians, and he has a crazy life story. Read the story of Paul's life-changing encounter with Jesus.
PRAY
- Prayer is simply talking honestly to God, in your own words or sometimes words written by others. Try praying this prayer, or something like it, throughout your week:
  - God, I have tried for too long to earn your love and be good enough for you to accept me. I've only ever burned myself out or become too prideful to see my own brokenness. But you are calling me recognize that your grace is free, and it is amazing. I need you, I want you to lead my life, and I want to live in the unforced rhythms of grace that you offer. Amen.
DO
- Make a playlist and listen on repeat! Letting the words of grace-filled songs sink into our minds and hearts throughout the day has a big impact! Listen in the car, during your workout, while you do chores... whenever you can! Here are some great options:

Galatians 1:1-5

“This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen."

Romans 3:23-25

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Romans 3:20

"For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

Romans 3:21-22

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

Colossians 1:13-14

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Galatians 1:6-7

“I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ."

Cycle of Works

Achievement → Significance → Sustenance → Acceptance

Matthew 11:28-30

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Cycle of Grace

Acceptance → Sustenance → Significance → Achievement

Galatians 1:23-24

"All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” And they praised God because of me."

The good news isn't that someone can be saved. The good news is that ANYONE can be saved.

- Jodi Hickerson