Is there more to my story? - Week 2

We all know we can look to our future and say tomorrow I will write a new story, a new future.  I’ll go after my dreams, tomorrow, tomorrow, because tomorrow is only a day away. 

Perhaps each of us have some chapters in our life that we like to talk about and are proud of. Some chapters have caused pain and other chapters we’d like to eliminate or change, but we can’t.  Which leads us to wonder.  Is there or can there be more to my story?

We believe that God is writing a bigger story in your life, your family’s life, and friend’s life.

Today we continue the conversation about sin.

If God loves to forgive sin, why not give him more to forgive? If forgiveness is guaranteed, do we have the freedom to sin as much as we want? Paul’s direct answer is “by no means!” Having such an attitude deciding ahead of time to take advantage of God shows that a person does not understand the seriousness of sin. God’s forgiveness does not make sin less serious; His son’s death for sin shows us the seriousness of sin. Jesus paid with his life so we could be forgiven.

*Share an example of when you were first confronted about sin in your life. How did that come about and what was your response?

*Read together Romans 6:2–14 “Freedom from sin’s grasp/Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ”

Scripture Support:
v. 1-4; during Paul’s life immersion was the usual form of baptism – meaning that new Christians were totally submerged in water; rather buried in water. Which is a powerful symbol of “dying” to sin, it was buried when new life in Christ began. Baptism symbolized the death and burial of the old way of life. Coming up out of the water symbolized resurrection to new life in Christ. Having a new life in Christ provides us with power to resist sin.

v. 5; we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection.

There is a difference between our old sinful nature and our new life in Christ.

*What was your life like, before you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Explain the difference between your old self and your new self. Describe your transformation.

Read together Ephesians 4:21-24

The old way of living should be in our past, put behind us like old clothes to be thrown away.
Read together Colossians 3:3-15. (This could be a great place to hang out for a while)

Here Paul is appealing to the commitment that the believers had made urging them to remain true to their confession of faith. They were to rid themselves of the old life and “put on” the new way of living given by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit.

*What do you think it means to “put on the new self?” Discuss.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old had gone, the new is here!

Today’s message reminded us that another way of saying it is this: that we should no longer live as slaves to sin. I should no longer say yes to sin, because I’m not a slave of sin. You go, “but sometimes the temptation is so strong.” And Paul would say, “True, but you’re not a slave of sin, because when you were taken out of Adam and placed into Christ, sin, at that moment, lost its power over you.” Paul says in Christ you are dead to sin. When you are placed into Christ, what’s true of him becomes true of you.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Christ has given us:
-new life; sin’s power is broken, sin loving nature is broken, you are no longer under sin’s control

-new nature; now we can share this new life, look upon your old self as dead and be alive in Christ

-new freedom; don’t let sin control you, give yourself completely to God, you are free.

*Share with one another any other insights, truths, or application from today’s message.