Read: Ephesians 2:19–22
Watch: The Temple (Bible Project)
Pray: Father, thank You for redeeming and restoring me into the image of Your Son! Help me to find my place in Your great house.
A New Family Heritage
Sometimes, the word “family” can be a mixed bag. For many, it comes with a lot of baggage. What was your heritage family like? Were you brought up in a safe, healthy, loving environment? Or was your family somehow broken?
These can be painful questions to answer. We each have a story, and often that story is shaped by the family that raised us. But the beautiful thing about the Kingdom of God is that God is in the business of making things new.
Think about the healing stories of Jesus. He touched eyes and made them new. He spoke to disease and caused skin to be renewed. He pointed to the withered hand and, while forgiving the man’s sins, caused the limb to straighten and become whole.
Jesus does this with our story and our life. He takes the broken pieces and makes something beautiful. When you came to faith in Jesus, He took your brokenness and made you a new creation. You are beautiful. You are His. You are a member of His family.
Finding Your Place in the House
One of the primary images Paul uses to describe this family is a house—a home. Jesus is the Cornerstone upon which we are all built, balanced, and based. Every one of us is a stone in this building, which rests on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (both the New and Old Testaments).
Joined together, we are becoming a Holy Temple—the modern continuation of Eden, the Tabernacle, and the Temple of old. We each have a specific place and a specific purpose in God’s great house.
Notice the tension: we are already adopted, yet we are still becoming. Both are true. You are no longer defined by your heritage family or your past brokenness. You are becoming more and more like Christ, the Perfect Stone.
As you reflect this week, ask yourself:
- What part am I playing in God’s great family?
- Am I “fitting in” and finding my place in the wall, or am I a “rolling stone” trying to build on my own?
Discussion Questions:
1. The “Heritage” vs. The “New Creation”
“Family is often a mixed bag.” When you look at your family of origin, what “broken pieces” have you found most difficult to hand over to Jesus? How does the truth that you are a New Creation (not defined by your heritage) change the way you see your future?
2. The “Cornerstone” Alignment
In Ephesians 2, the cornerstone is what “balances” and “bases” the rest of the building. If you were to look at your life right now—your schedule, your priorities, your worries—is Christ truly the Cornerstone that aligns everything else, or have you been trying to align your life to a different “stone” (like career, comfort, or the approval of others)?
3. The Tension of “Becoming”
Note that we are “adopted, but becoming.” This means we are already 100% God’s children, yet we are still being shaped. Where do you feel the “shaping” most right now? Where is the Holy Spirit “chipping away” at your rough edges so you can fit more snugly into the place He has for you in His Temple?
4. The “Rolling Stone” vs. The “Living Stone”
A “rolling stone” is independent but has no structural purpose; a “living stone” is joined to others and supports the weight of the house. In what ways are you currently “joined together” with your brothers and sisters at IBC Madrid? Are there areas where you are still acting like a “rolling stone,” and what is stopping you from “fitting in” to your place in the family?
Additions:
Leadership At IBC, Madrid
Thursday’s 20:00-21:30