Embracing Our Identity as Beloved Children of God
Summary
Today, we gathered in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, acknowledging our need for mercy and the grace that only God can provide. We began by confessing our sins, recognizing that none of us can claim perfection or earn our way into God’s love. The world often sees Jesus as just another moral teacher, but for us, He is so much more—He is the one who has chosen us, created us out of love, and come to save us even in our brokenness. Our faith is rooted not in our ability to be perfect, but in the reality that we are beloved sons and daughters of the Father, adopted into His family through Christ.
It is a struggle for many to truly accept this identity, especially when we are so aware of our failures and shortcomings. We often believe the lie that God’s love is for others, but not for us, especially if we have squandered what He has given. Yet, just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son welcomes his child home, God longs to receive us, no matter how far we have strayed. The challenge is not to earn God’s love, but to let Him love us, even in the places we are most ashamed of.
We tend to hide our messiest parts, like shoving clutter into a closet before guests arrive, hoping God won’t look there. But Jesus wants to enter those very places, to heal and transform what we would rather keep hidden. When we allow Him into our brokenness, we experience the true power of His love—a love that does not recoil from our failures, but embraces us all the more. St. Therese’s image of running to the Father after breaking a vase, asking to be “punished with a kiss,” reminds us that God’s response to our weakness is always mercy and tenderness.
As we receive the sacraments and participate in the life of the Church, we are continually reminded of our inheritance as children of God. This inheritance is not something we earn, but a gift we receive. When we live in this truth, we are always ready to meet the Lord, confident in His love and mercy. No matter our struggles, we are invited to let God love us in our mess, trusting that He will transform us and prepare us for eternal life with Him.
Key Takeaways
- Our Identity as God’s Children Comes First
Before any moral effort or striving for perfection, the foundation of our faith is that we are chosen and loved by God as His sons and daughters. This identity is not something we achieve, but a gift we receive, and it is the starting point for all spiritual growth. When we forget this, we risk turning faith into a burdensome checklist rather than a relationship rooted in love. [11:08]
- God’s Love Penetrates Our Deepest Brokenness
The places in our hearts that we most want to hide—our failures, shame, and regrets—are precisely where God desires to enter and love us. He is not repulsed by our mess; instead, He seeks to heal and transform it. Allowing God into these hidden places is the path to true freedom and transformation. [27:16]
- Letting God Love Us Is Harder Than It Seems
Many of us struggle to accept God’s love, especially when we cannot forgive ourselves or believe we are unworthy. The spiritual journey often involves unlearning the lie that we must be perfect to be loved, and instead, learning to receive love in our imperfection. This is a daily act of trust and surrender. [27:16]
- Mercy, Not Perfection, Is the Heart of the Gospel
The story of St. Therese running to her father after breaking the vase illustrates that God’s response to our sin is not condemnation, but mercy and tenderness. We are invited to run to Him with our failures, confident that He will “punish us with a kiss,” restoring us with His love rather than rejecting us. [30:26]
- Living as Children of God Prepares Us for Eternity
When we embrace our identity and let God love us, we become more and more like the children He created us to be. This readiness is not about moral achievement, but about living in the security of His love and the hope of our promised inheritance—eternal life with Him. In this way, we are always prepared to meet the Lord, whenever He comes. [35:38]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Opening Prayers and Confession
[03:30] - Kyrie and Gloria
[06:10] - Prayer for Adoption as God’s Children
[11:08] - The World’s View of Jesus vs. Our Faith
[13:30] - The Foundation: God’s Choice and Love
[16:00] - The Struggle to Receive God’s Love
[19:45] - The Prodigal Son and Our Inheritance
[22:30] - Hiding Our Brokenness from God
[27:16] - St. Therese’s Image: Running to the Father
[30:26] - God’s Love in Our Messiness
[33:05] - Profession of Faith and Prayers
[34:27] - Offertory and Eucharistic Prayer
[35:38] - Thanksgiving and Hope in Eternal Life
[37:14] - Consecration and Communion
[42:38] - Blessing and Sending Forth
[56:05] - Announcements and Final Blessing
[58:06] - Closing Hymn
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Letting God Love Us in Our Mess
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### Bible Reading
Luke 15:11–24 (ESV) – The Parable of the Prodigal Son
> And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
> “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
Romans 8:14–17 (ESV) – Our Adoption as God’s Children
> For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
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### Observation Questions
1. In the parable of the prodigal son, what is the father’s response when his son returns home after squandering his inheritance? (Luke 15:20–24)
2. According to Romans 8:14–17, what does it mean to be adopted as God’s children?
3. The sermon described how we often try to hide our “messiest parts” from God, like shoving clutter into a closet before guests arrive. What does Jesus want to do with those hidden places in our hearts? [22:30]
4. What image did St. Therese use to describe how we can approach God after we have failed or sinned? [27:16]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do people sometimes find it difficult to accept their identity as beloved sons and daughters of God, especially when they are aware of their failures? [16:00]
2. How does the father’s reaction in the parable of the prodigal son challenge our assumptions about how God responds to our sin and brokenness? (Luke 15:20–24)
3. The sermon said, “Letting God love us is harder than it sounds.” What are some reasons people struggle to let God love them, even when they know in their minds that God is merciful? [16:00]
4. What does it mean that “mercy, not perfection, is the heart of the Gospel,” and how does this change the way we approach God after we have sinned? [30:26]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon compared hiding our brokenness from God to shoving clutter into a closet before guests arrive. Is there a “closet” in your life—an area you try to keep hidden from God or others? What would it look like to invite Jesus into that space this week? [22:30]
2. When you think about your relationship with God, do you tend to focus more on trying to earn His love or on receiving it as a gift? How does this affect your spiritual life and your sense of peace? [11:08]
3. The story of St. Therese running to her father and asking to be “punished with a kiss” is a picture of God’s mercy. When you fail or fall short, do you run to God or away from Him? What might help you run to Him more quickly? [27:16]
4. The sermon said, “Letting God love us is harder than it sounds.” What is one practical step you can take this week to let God love you in a place where you feel unworthy or ashamed? [16:00]
5. Romans 8:14–17 says we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” How does knowing you have an inheritance as God’s child change the way you view your struggles or failures?
6. The sermon emphasized that living as children of God prepares us for eternity. What is one way you can remind yourself daily of your identity as God’s beloved child? [35:38]
7. Think of a time when you felt God’s mercy in your life. How did that experience change you, and how can you share that hope with someone else this week? [30:26]
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Devotional
Day 1: We are adopted as sons and daughters of the Father
To be a Christian is first to receive the truth that God has chosen us, created us out of love, and adopted us as His beloved children—not because of our moral achievements, but because of His grace and mercy. This identity as sons and daughters is the foundation of our faith, and it is a reality that God invites us to accept, even when we struggle to believe it for ourselves. No matter our failures or shortcomings, God’s love and adoption remain steadfast, calling us to live in the freedom and security of being His children. [11:08]
Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Reflection: In what area of your life do you find it hardest to believe you are truly God’s beloved child, and how can you invite Him to speak His truth into that place today?
Day 2: God’s love meets us in our brokenness
God does not wait for us to be perfect before He loves us; instead, He desires to enter the very places in our hearts that we try to hide—the messy, broken, and shameful parts. Like a guest who wants to see the closet we keep closed, Jesus longs to enter those hidden places, not to condemn, but to heal and transform us with His love. When we allow Him into our brokenness, we experience the depth of His mercy and the power of His transforming grace. [27:16]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Reflection: What is one “closet” in your heart you have kept closed to God, and what would it look like to let Jesus into that space today?
Day 3: Forgiving ourselves as God forgives us
Often, the hardest forgiveness to accept is our own. We may hold onto shame or regret over past sins, believing that God could never love us in those places. Yet God’s love is not deterred by our failures; He invites us to forgive ourselves as He has forgiven us, so that nothing may hinder our relationship with Him or our growth into the people He created us to be. [27:16]
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Reflection: Is there a past mistake or sin you have struggled to forgive yourself for? How can you take a step toward receiving God’s forgiveness and extending it to yourself today?
Day 4: Living as children of God transforms us
When we truly accept our identity as God’s children, it changes how we live. We no longer strive to earn God’s love through perfect behavior, but instead, we run to Him with our joys and failures, trusting in His mercy. This childlike trust and openness allow God to continually transform us, making us more like Christ and preparing us for the inheritance He has promised. [30:26]
Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Reflection: What is one practical way you can live out your identity as God’s beloved child today, especially in how you respond to your own weaknesses?
Day 5: Our inheritance is eternal life with God
As children of God, we are promised an inheritance that far surpasses anything this world can offer: eternal life with Him. This hope gives us courage to face our struggles and failures, knowing that God’s love is constant and His promise secure. Living in the light of this inheritance, we are always ready to meet the Lord, confident in His love and mercy. [35:38]
1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
Reflection: How does the promise of your eternal inheritance with God shape the way you approach your daily challenges and decisions?
Quotes
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