The Adoptive Love of God and New Life in Christ

As we wrap up our series on Practicing the Way, I want to share a deeply personal journey that has shaped my understanding of God’s love and what it means to belong. For years, Kisa and I walked through the silent suffering of infertility—hopes raised and dashed, grief that was hard to name, and questions about what family would look like for us. In the midst of that pain, God began to open our hearts to adoption. It wasn’t an easy or quick process, but eventually, our family grew in ways we never could have planned. Through adoption, I learned firsthand about the adoptive love of our Heavenly Father—a love that is not based on biology or merit, but on a deep, intentional choice to welcome and embrace.

This is the heart of the gospel: God has adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ. When we surrender our selfishness and accept Christ, we are made new from the inside out, but we are also brought into something much bigger than ourselves—the family of God. This family is not perfect; it’s full of quirks, dysfunction, and even pain. Yet, it is God’s chosen way for us to experience belonging, healing, and transformation. Jesus Himself redefined family, saying that anyone who does God’s will—who enters into relationship with Him—is His brother, sister, and mother. Paul expands on this in Ephesians, reminding us that before the foundation of the world, God chose us, loved us, and decided in advance to adopt us as His own.

Adoption is not just a theological concept; it’s a lived reality. Just as Kisa and I didn’t need all the details to love our children, God doesn’t need us to have it all together to love us. His love is personal, sacrificial, and perfect. The blessings of being in God’s family are immense: forgiveness, hope, justification, and a sense of belonging that transcends our brokenness. But this adoption is not just vertical—between us and God—it’s also horizontal. We are called into community, to live out our adoption in tangible ways with others who are just as flawed and just as loved.

Community is where our adoption becomes real. It’s where we share joys and pains, where we are challenged and encouraged, and where we celebrate together—like today, as we witness baptisms. Baptism is a public declaration of our new identity in Christ, a celebration of being welcomed into God’s family. As we cheer for those taking this step, let’s remember that we are all invited to belong, to be loved, and to love others as part of God’s forever family.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s Adoptive Love Is Intentional and Personal God’s choice to adopt us is not accidental or reluctant; it is a deliberate act of love that began before the foundation of the world. He knows us intimately, with all our flaws and pain, and still chooses to welcome us into His family. This truth invites us to rest in the security of being wanted and loved by God, not for what we do, but simply for who we are. [14:32]
• 2. Belonging to God Means Belonging to His Family When we accept Christ, we are not just saved as individuals—we are brought into a new family, the church. This family is diverse, imperfect, and sometimes messy, but it is God’s chosen way for us to experience growth, healing, and purpose. Our faith is not meant to be lived in isolation; true transformation happens in the context of community. [06:32]
• 3. Community Makes Our Adoption Tangible Adoption creates belonging, but it is in community that our adoption becomes real and visible. Community is where we practice forgiveness, share burdens, and celebrate joys. It is where we are known and loved, even in our imperfections. Living out our faith with others is both a challenge and a gift, making the invisible reality of God’s love concrete in our daily lives. [22:11]
• 4. Baptism Is a Public Celebration of New Life Baptism is more than a ritual; it is a powerful symbol of dying to our old selves and rising to new life in Christ. It is a public declaration that we belong to God’s family and a celebration of the transformation that Jesus brings. As we witness baptisms, we are reminded of our own adoption and the joy of being part of God’s story. [24:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:49] - The Silent Suffering of Infertility
• [01:47] - God’s Call to Adoption
• [02:41] - Our Family’s Adoption Journey
• [03:33] - Learning God’s Adoptive Love
• [04:27] - Seeing Family Beyond Differences
• [05:19] - What It Means to Be Family
• [06:44] - Jesus Redefines Family in Mark 3
• [08:27] - Who Belongs in God’s Family?
• [10:32] - Paul’s Vision of God’s Family
• [11:25] - The Blessings of Belonging
• [13:33] - God Chose Us Before Creation
• [15:09] - The Realities of Human Adoption
• [17:44] - God’s Perfect Love Compared to Ours
• [18:47] - Adoption Brings God Pleasure
• [19:56] - Grace and Freedom in Christ
• [21:42] - Community: Living Out Our Adoption
• [22:11] - Adoption and Tangible Belonging
• [23:36] - Baptism: Public Declaration of Faith
• [24:48] - The Meaning of Baptism
• [26:05] - Baptism Celebrations
• [37:45] - Closing and Brownie Bar Invitation

Bible Reading

Mark 3:31-35 (ESV) — And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Observation Questions

1. In Mark 3, how does Jesus respond when told that his mother and brothers are outside? What does he say about who his true family is? [08:07]
2. According to Ephesians 1, when did God choose us to be part of his family? [13:33]
3. What are some of the blessings Paul lists in Ephesians 1 that come from being united with Christ? [11:25]
4. In the sermon, what personal story did the pastor share to help explain the idea of God’s adoptive love? [01:47]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus redefined family in Mark 3 by saying, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother”? What does this say about spiritual family versus biological family? [08:27]
2. What does it mean that God “chose us before the foundation of the world” and “predestined us for adoption”? How might this affect the way someone views their worth or identity? [13:33]
3. The sermon described the church as a family that is “diverse, imperfect, and sometimes messy.” Why do you think God designed belonging to him to also mean belonging to a community like this? [10:09]
4. The pastor said that adoption is not just a theological concept but a lived reality. How does this idea challenge the way we think about God’s love and our place in his family? [17:44]

Application Questions

1. The pastor shared about the pain and uncertainty of infertility and how it led to adoption. Is there a place in your life where you have experienced disappointment or loss, and God has used it to open a new path for you? How did that shape your understanding of God’s love? [01:47]
2. Ephesians 1 says God chose us and adopted us before we did anything to earn it. Are there areas in your life where you struggle to believe you are truly wanted and loved by God? What would it look like to rest in the security of being chosen? [14:32]
3. The sermon emphasized that belonging to God means belonging to his family, the church. Are there ways you have kept your faith private or separate from community? What is one step you could take to engage more deeply with others in the church family? [06:32]
4. Community is described as the place where our adoption becomes real and visible—where we practice forgiveness, share burdens, and celebrate joys. Is there someone in your church community you need to forgive, encourage, or reach out to this week? What’s one practical way you can do that? [22:11]
5. Baptism was described as a public celebration of new life and belonging in God’s family. If you have been baptized, what did that experience mean to you? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about taking that step? [24:48]
6. The pastor said, “We didn’t need all the details to love our children, and God doesn’t need us to have it all together to love us.” Are there areas where you feel you need to “get it together” before coming to God or his people? How can you bring those things honestly to God and community? [16:47]
7. The sermon mentioned that the church is “full of quirks, dysfunction, and even pain.” How can you contribute to making your church a place where people feel they truly belong, even with their imperfections? [10:09]