How can Christians influence the world when we don’t fit in with the world’s values?
Verse 6: What are some of the positive and negative ways your father influenced your family?
What are some positive ways your family would say you influence them? What are some areas of improvement?
What is the power of a father/husband in a family? How is this related to church leadership?
Verse 7-9: Which of these traits most closely resembles a struggle you’ve had as a father/husband?
- Arrogance, or not putting enough value in other’s thoughts and feelings
- Quick-tempered, or a lack of patience with your family
- Drunkard, or trying to find solace in destructive habits
- Violent, or propensity to wound those around you
- Greedy, or ensuring that you are getting the most out of your relationships at the expense of others
What are some attributes of a husband/father that you value most? What are the fatherly attributes of God?
Verse 10-11:
“Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”
Galatians 4:8-9 ESV
Have you ever wondered why some people move from an abusive relationship to a relationship, or why people who had an alcoholic parent become an alcoholic themselves? Why do we end up going back to familiar bad habits, even when we know they are bad? How do we break the cycle?
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 ESV
Verse 12-16: Have you ever had a mismatch between what you believed and how you behaved? Do you ever try to change your beliefs to justify how you are behaving?
What are some beliefs and behaviors you would like to change to conform to God’s standard?