Discussion Questions

Week of: October 18, 2026 // Sermon Text: Galatians 3:15-29

Sermon Overview

The Law can't save you, but it can prepare you for the promise that anyone in Christ is a son.

(1) The Law Can't Save You (vv. 15-18)

(2) ...but it can prepare you for the promise (vv. 19-25)

(3) ...that anyone in Christ is a son (vv. 26-29)

Prepare

Before diving into the Digging Deeper questions, your group could take 5-10 minutes to prime deeper discussion as follows.

1. Read the passage

2. As a group, explain the passage in your own words

3. As a group, briefly recount the sermon outline

4. Open time to ask questions for understanding the passage or sermon

5. Pray for God’s help through the Holy Spirit to guide the discussion

Digging Deeper

The Law Can't Save You (vv. 15-18)

1. Why can’t the Law and the Promise coexist as ways to start a relationship with God? Or, in other words, why can’t you both achieve your way to God through obedience and receive your way to God through believing in Jesus?

2. You could never keep the law well enough to earn a right standing with God (justification). Justification comes by receiving God’s promise. Why is this really good news? How can you rest in this good news in the week ahead?

...but it can prepare you for the promise (vv. 19-25)

3. Josh preached that the law helps us see that certain things we do are not just bad but sinful. The purpose of the law is to help us see our need for a savior. If you’re a Christian, what was something you had to repent of when you first began following Jesus?

4. When we see things in ourselves, it can be tempting to diminish their importance, calling them shortcomings, challenges, struggles, or labels like that. However, the law shows us what God calls sin. How has God been convicting you in the recent past? What’s a sin you’ve confessed in the last year?

...that anyone in Christ is a son (vv. 26-29)

5. Being a son of God means getting an inheritance. Sons of God will inherit the blessing that God promises. How can you have more peace and joy in the days ahead by remembering that you are receiving an inheritance from God?

6. Josh preached, “We are one in Christ Jesus. One. Before we are any of the other things that distinguish us, we are Christians.” How might this change the way you come to Gospel Community? To Sunday service?

Prayer

Sermon Overview

Continue by faith in Christ alone, who secured our blessing by becoming our curse.

I. Remember how you began (vv. 1-5)

II. Read how Abraham was blessed (vv. 6-9)

III. Rely on Christ, who became our curse to secure our blessing (vv. 10-14)

Prepare

Before diving into the Digging Deeper questions, your group could take 5-10 minutes to prime deeper discussion as follows.

1. Read the passage

2. As a group, explain the passage in your own words

3. As a group, briefly recount the sermon outline

4. Open time to ask questions for understanding the passage or sermon

5. Pray for God’s help through the Holy Spirit to guide the discussion

Digging Deeper

The entire passage is about not only beginning the Christian life well (by trusting in Jesus alone) but also continuing and ending well. What stage of the Christian life are you in? How has it been going? How can the good news of Jesus continue to help you? How can our Gospel Community help?

Remember how you began (vv 1-5)

1. Christians begin a saving relationship with God through grace, but sometimes we are tempted to then pivot and rely on works to stay in God’s favor. But in the words of a famous hymn, “O, to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be.” Are you aware of any areas where you have needed to rely on God’s grace, instead of your own efforts, in the last week?

2. Paul was concerned that the Galatians remember the truth of the gospel, because he saw evidence that they were forgetting the truth. What steps can you take to remember the truths of the gospel in the week ahead? What steps can you take to remind fellow believers?

3. Brett preached that the Holy Spirit gives us a hunger for God and His Word, stirs our conscience to convict us of sin, grants us a new ability to obey God, and provides us a new sense of God’s love for us. Have you seen the Holy Spirit working in any of these areas in your life recently? Could you share an example to encourage others?

Read how Abraham was blessed (vv. 6-9)

4. Verse 9 says, “So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” How did Abraham demonstrate his faith, his belief in God’s promises? How have you demonstrated your faith, your belief in God’s promises?

Rely on Christ, who secured our blessing by becoming our curse (vv. 10-14)

5. Brett preached, “Relying on the law, relying on obedience [to receive God’s blessing], brings not blessing but curse.” Trying to rely on obedience to receive God’s blessing brings the curses of perfectionism, anxiety, discouragement, or pride. Have you experienced any of these curses? How can you rely on Christ instead to experience blessing?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Week of: October 4, 2026 // Sermon Text: Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon Overview

Having been justified by faith, live by faith.

I. Why the gospel can be trusted: all the apostles are accountable to it (vv. 11-14)

II. What it is: right standing with God through faith alone (vv. 15-16)

III. Two arguments for it:

A. Justification by works violates the law, which leads us to life in Christ (vv. 17-20)

B. Justification by works violates the gospel, which operates according to grace (v. 21)

Prepare

Before diving into the Digging Deeper questions, your group could take 5-10 minutes to prime deeper discussion as follows.

Read the passage

As a group, explain the passage in your own words

As a group, briefly recount the sermon outline

Open time to ask questions for understanding the passage or sermon

Pray for God’s help through the Holy Spirit to guide the discussion

Digging Deeper

Why the gospel can be trusted: all the apostles are accountable to it (vv 11-14)

1. The gospel is not just for unbelievers to start a relationship with God, but it’s news that Christians are to live “in step with” (2:14). For example, Paul addresses Peter’s racial pride and cowardice by saying that he was not living in line with the truth of the gospel. If you’re a Christian, talk about how your life is “in step with the truth of the gospel” and how it isn’t.

2. How can we make the same mistake Peter did by focusing on non-essentials? How can we fail to “eat” with other Christians?

What it is: right standing with God through faith alone (vv. 15-16)

3. Justified means we no longer are under God’s condemnation. Are there any areas of your life right now where you feel condemned? If so, how can you rest in the fact that God has justified you?

Justification by works violates the law, which leads us to life in Christ (vv. 17-20)

4. Verse 20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Have you recently seen any evidence of this new life, living by faith in the Son of God, in yourself or in another believer? Could you share that evidence as a way to encourage others?

Justification by works violates the gospel, which operates according to grace (v. 21)

5. Brett preached, “When we nullify grace, we assign it a value of zero. That’s what we do when we seek right standing with God, even in part, through our obedience.” Have you been tempted lately to try to merit God’s favor or His love? Do you realize that, if you do that, you are nullifying God’s grace?

6. Brett also preached, “Your heart has muscle memory… It snaps back every day to living as though righteousness is something you don’t receive but have to achieve.” Are there any ways where you could train the muscles of your heart to rely on grace each day?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Week of: September 27, 2026 // Sermon Text: Galatians 2:1-10

Sermon Overview

The gospel that frees us by grace also unites us in love.

I. The question: will the apostles approve the gospel of grace? (vv. 1-2)

II. The stakes: losing the truth leads to slavery (vv. 3-5)

III. The outcome: the gospel of grace is the gospel for all (vv. 6-10)

Prepare

A suggestion before the Digging Deeper questions is to do the following:

1. Read the passage

2. As a group, explain the passage in your own words

3. As a group, recount the sermon outline

4. Open time to ask questions for understanding the passage or sermon

5. Pray together

Digging Deeper

How can we use the freedom that comes with knowing Jesus to strengthen our unity together at CrossWay? In Gospel Community?

The question: will the apostles approve the gospel of grace? (vv. 1-2)

1. God used Barnabas to recruit Paul to teach the gospel to the church in Antioch.

Might God be using a human agent to recruit you into a ministry? Might God be spurring you to recruit someone else?

2. If the other apostles were preaching a different (false) gospel, then Paul’s efforts would have been “in vain” (verse 2). Paul was concerned with the truth of the gospel and with church unity. Are you ever tempted to sacrifice truth for unity, getting along with others? On the other hand, are there any areas where you should perhaps care more about unity within the church?

The stakes: losing the truth leads to slavery (vv. 3-5)

3. In verse 4, Paul refers to those who were teaching that keeping the law was required for salvation as “false brothers who were secretly slipped in.” Are you aware of any areas in your life where false teaching might secretly slip in? How can you stay vigilant?

4. Brett also preached, “Freedom is not doing whatever we want to do. That’s just slavery to sin. Freedom is doing what we were made to do.” Are there any ways right now where you are experiencing slavery to sin? How can you pursue real freedom instead?

The outcome: the gospel of grace is the gospel for all (vv. 6-10)

5. “Only they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (v. 10). The church is a family. Does anyone within the church family come to mind who is suffering because of poverty or other hard circumstances? Are there practical ways that you can remember and demonstrate real love for that person?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Week of: September 20, 2026 // Sermon Text: Galatians 1:10-24

Sermon Overview

The gospel of rescue by grace alone is a gospel revealed by God alone.

Three lines of evidence:

I. Paul's motivation: to serve Christ, not please people (v. 10)

II. Paul's transformation: from persecutor to preacher (vv. 11-16a)

III. Paul's isolation: he was taught by God, not the apostles (vv. 16b-24)

Digging Deeper

Paul’s motivation: to serve Christ, not please people (v. 10)

1. Brett preached, “Pleasing people, the fear of man, is one of the primary barriers to living in the freedom God intends for us. Proverbs calls it a snare, a trap.”

Where does fear of man show up in your life right now? What would it look like to get free?

Paul’s transformation: from persecutor to preacher (vv. 11-16a)

2. In verse 12, Paul wrote, “I received [the gospel message] through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” God chose to reveal the gospel to Paul, and to us. What does that say about the kind of person God is?

3. Paul was an archenemy of the gospel before he was transformed. Jesus tells us to love and pray for our enemies. Does anyone come to mind?

4. Grace radically transformed Paul. Are there any areas in your own life where you would like to see dramatic transformation?

Paul’s isolation: he was taught by God, not the apostles (vv. 16b-24)

5. God isolated Paul, sending him to the desert (Arabia), to teach Paul some important truths. Has God ever isolated you, or sent you into some kind of a “desert,” to teach you something? Are there any ways that He might be doing that in your life right now?

6. Brett preached, “Now, faith is essential…. But it’s not blind faith. We have reasons. There’s evidence.” What evidence for the truth of the gospel is most persuasive to you? Why is that?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Week of: September 13, 2026 // Sermon Text: Galatians 1:1-9

Sermon Overview

Reject all rivals to the gospel of grace.

I. God saves by grace through Christ's self-giving (vv. 1-5)

II. When grace is distorted, God is deserted (vv. 6-9)

Digging Deeper

God saves by grace through Christ’s self-giving (vv. 1-5)

1. Group brainstorm: If someone asked you “what the Gospel is” and you only had Galatians 1:1-5 to use, what would you say?

2. In this passage, Paul tells us that the gospel brings grace and peace (v. 3). Are there any areas in your life right now where you notice you lack the grace and peace God promises through the gospel?

3. Verse 4 tells us that Christ “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age.” In the sermon, Brett said, “We’re still here, we’re still in it - but we’re no longer of it. In your experience, what does it look like to be in this present evil age, but no longer of it? Could you give an example?

When grace is distorted, God is deserted. (vv. 6-9)

4. In Galatia, the gospel was being distorted when false teachers claimed that faith alone was insufficient for salvation; they taught that works were required for salvation, too. But Paul wrote that, “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse.” Gal. 3:10. Do you see a distorted gospel of faith plus works being proclaimed in the culture around you? Are there other distorted versions of the gospel that you have seen or heard being proclaimed?

5. Most believers regularly get tempted to add some kind of plus to their faith in Jesus. What’s your Jesus-plus?

(examples include: Jesus plus: my track record, my right alliances, my feelings, my ministry, my outward steps)

6. Paul expresses astonishment at how quickly a person can desert God. (Verse 6.) What might be some warning signs that would come before a person deserts God?

7. How do you feel about the strong words Paul uses in verses 6-10? Do they seem appropriate and necessary? Why or why not?

Prayer

Discussion Questions:

For Summer 2026 use the Swedish Method of Bible Study:

While reading a Bible passage, use the following symbols to mark what stands out to you as you read. Then talk about the marks you made with a friend, or write about them in a journal.

• A lightbulb - anything from the passage that stands out or is interesting.

• A question mark - did the passage spark any questions?

• An arrow - how does this passage help you move forward in faith and walk in better relationship with others and the Lord?

Prayer

Discussion Questions:

For Summer 2026 use the Swedish Method of Bible Study:

While reading a Bible passage, use the following symbols to mark what stands out to you as you read. Then talk about the marks you made with a friend, or write about them in a journal.

• A lightbulb - anything from the passage that stands out or is interesting.

• A question mark - did the passage spark any questions?

• An arrow - how does this passage help you move forward in faith and walk in better relationship with others and the Lord?

Prayer