The Bridge Church

Psalm 139:13
For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:14-16
14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God’s loving eyes. Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by our God who is all ears for us.” – Henri Nouwen

Psalm 139:17-18
17 God, how preciousyour thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! 18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.

“Adoption is the highest expression of God’s love towards us!”
– J.I. Packer

“If I could sum up the whole Bible in one statement it would be this: “God gets his family back.” The whole Bible is about God going after His children.” ― Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew

MY NEXT STEP TODAY IS:

I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time.
https://thebridgevenice.churchcenter.com/people/forms/500390

I need to be baptized.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism

I need to attend Starting Point.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point

I need to join a serve team.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve

I need to join a small group.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups

Dig Deeper:
1. What are some questions you ask people when you first meet them? Why do we ask each other these questions?
2. Define in your own words what “identity” means.
3. What might people believe shape our identity? Why do they think that?
4. Read Psalm 139:13. Who created you? Why do you think the words “knit me together” are used in this passage?
5. What does “inward parts” mean? What is inside of us all?
6. Read Psalm 139:14-16. Why do we praise God because we are “remarkably and wondrously made”? What does it mean to be made in this way?
7. What other examples can you use to share how God’s “works are wondrous”?
8. What attributes of God do you see in this passage? How does this passage share that God is relational?
9. How does knowing that God has a purpose and a plan for your life help when you may feel that you don’t understand what is happening in your life or in the life of someone close to you?
10. Discuss this statement: Since God made you, He is the only one that has the authority to declare who you are and why you matter. What might we believe has authority to declare this other than God?
11. Read Psalm 139:17-18. Describe a difficult time when you had to fully trust God to take care of you. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about God?
12. Describe a great gift you’ve received before. Why did you think it was great?
13. What gift does God first give to us when we trust in Jesus Christ?
14. Read Romans 8:14-15. Describe what someone with a spirit of slavery might look like? How is this different than a spirit of adoption? How does the Holy Spirit provide us with a spirit of adoption?
15. Read 1 John 3:1. Describe what it means to you personally to know that you are a child of God. How do you experience God in your personal life?
16. Read Romans 8:15-16. Why is it difficult sometimes to fully understand that God is a perfect, loving Heavenly Father who loves us completely?
17. Read Mark 14:36. Why do you think Jesus calls out to God in this way at this moment? Describe a time in your life when you’ve cried out to your Abba, Father.
18. Read Galatians 4:6. Why do we cry out to God? What might stand in our way of doing so?
19. Read Romans 8:17. What does it mean to be an “heir of God and coheir with Christ”? What does an heir receive?
20. Read Galatians 4:7. Describe a time when you felt like you were in bondage. How did knowing you are a child of God change this for you?
21. Read Luke 15:20. When does the father receive his son? Why is this important to consider?
22. Read Romans 8:38-39. What can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord? What does this mean in your life specifically?
23. What details can you share with someone who might ask you, “Who am I”?

Live It Out:

Our identity is received as adopted children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Our identity isn’t found in what we do; our identity is found in who we belong to.

If you are a Christian, remember who you are in Christ. Following Jesus isn’t about trying to live for Him on our own power. Following Jesus is living from His power through the Holy Spirit. What do we spend our lives doing as children of God? Work in the family business! Go and make disciples! Those without a relationship with Jesus matter to God and to us! This is the message of the gospel that we must share, live, and know. How can you apply this to your everyday life, beginning today?

If you do not yet believe in Jesus Christ, know that our Heavenly Father shows us how much He loves us by sending His only son to pay the price of our salvation. We find who we are and what this life is all about when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. If you have not yet responded to God’s love or placed your faith in Christ alone for your salvation, you can begin a relationship with Jesus Christ by repenting of your sin and receiving Him in your heart. You can do that today.

Reading Plan:
Monday: Psalm 139:13-18
Tuesday: Romans 8:14-17
Wednesday: 1 John 3:1, Galatians 4:6-7
Thursday: Luke 15:20
Friday: Romans 8:38-39
Saturday: Hebrews 13:5, John 1:12