SERMON NOTES

What We Really Need

The Spirit of Adoption

Text: Romans 8:12-17

In Jesus I am God's .

There is no truth we  more than this.

Even the best human parent is like a pee-wee football player compared to NFL players when it comes to  for His children. (Mt. 7:9-11)

Part of maturing in Christ is not living , as if everything is up to me. (Col. 1:28)

Maturing in Christ is increasing  - a humility that willingly embraces the Father's absolute care and control.

Our goal is to quit thinking as a slave and to begin thinking like the child we are, a child of the  of the .

Slave                                                     Child

Obeys because they have to               Obeys out of love for Daddy

Works under threat of punishment       Sees discipline as loving

Lives in insecurity                                 Lives in security

Focuses on compliance to rules          Focuses on relationship

Lives for acceptance                            Lives from being accepted

Believes it's all up to me                       Believes Abba will care for me

A slave thinks I must  so I have so I can be.

My performance earns God's favor so I can  I'm really His child.

A child thinks  therefore I have, and from what I have I do.

The gospel says that before I ever did anything, God  me fully and totally, declaring me to be His child whom He loves and with whom He is pleased simply because I said  to being in the family.

For more info on how to help in fostering/adopting: beltway.org/foster