God the Son, Mentor's Guide, MG10

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G O D T H E S O N

Rom. 8.23-25 - And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. [24] For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. The controlling vision we live by is rooted in a hope that is not seen but is nonetheless real and tangible. May God grant us to the heart to lay up treasures in a place which is truly insulated from the thievery, rust, and the decay of this current system. The following contacts or discussion and attention primers are focused on getting the students to ponder the heart of Christian affection and meditation—the hope of the believer in terms of our soon experience of the fruits of Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and return. While it may seem either off-center or off-point to emphasize “prophecy-related subjects,” as is done in many evangelical circles today, the hope of the Christian faith is in fact the key to every other dimension of it–loyalty to the Kingdom, commitment to the Christian Church, fleshing out a compelling life in response to the Christian ethic, and the fuel in the engine of Christian service and mission. All of these subjects are directly related to our understanding and experience of the hope that we have in Christ, a hope that produces heroic action, selfless service, and joyous anticipation of the soon-to-be-revealed grace of God in Christ. As the heart of this lesson is on the deep application of the truths of the Christian hope to our lives, you may want to anticipate some of these concepts in your discussions in these contact offerings. Although many find the Christian hope only an occasional theme to be focused on usually during times of grief and mourning at memorial services and funerals, the apostles conceive this is as a daily confession and affirmation, a life shaping vision which underwrites all of our relationship to God and to our fellow sojourners in Christ (e.g., Col. 3.1-4). Seek to capture this spirit of excitement and anticipation throughout the lesson.

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