Message Big Idea

We are saved by grace, but we are also meant to live by grace.

Scripture

Luke 15:1-2, 11-31

Ice Breaker & Opening Thought

1. If you were stuck in an elevator for 3 hours with one other person, who would you want that person to be?
2. God has shown us his grace in the person of Jesus, and when we can comprehend that grace in our head, heart, and body, we will be able to show the same kind of grace to others. In your own words, how would you define grace?

Bible Discussion

3. Read Luke 15:1-2, 11-31. What do you notice in these passages?
4. This story can be seen from multiple perspectives. How many different ones can you identify. What do they each teach us about grace and ungrace? Don’t forget about verses 1 & 2.
5. What do you think about the definition of grace by Brennan Manning below? “That the God of Jesus loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity—that he loves you in the morning sun and in the evening rain—that he loves you when your intellect denies it, your emotions refuse it, your whole being rejects it. God loves you this moment just as you are and not as you should be.” ― Brennan Manning, All Is Grace

Life Application

6. We live in a world that practices the opposite of unmerited grace. What are some everyday examples of “ungrace?”
7. Is the unmerited favor of God something you have a hard time accepting? Why or why not?
8. How might the practice of grace make a difference in your everyday life?

Challenge

This week understand and receive God’s unmerited favor and forgiveness, and find ways to give out that same kind of unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace to other people. Let’s live out grace this week wherever we go. Try praying this prayer every day: “Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace; may others see you in me.”