Total Time: ~2.5 to 3 hours
Focus: Understanding how the vertical grace we receive from God is meant to flow out horizontally into all our relationships, transforming them from battlegrounds of rights into playgrounds of mercy.
🧱 Session 1 — The Foundation: Forgiving as We Are Forgiven (45-60 mins)
Theme: The starting point for all gracious relationships is the profound, settled understanding of the immeasurable grace and forgiveness we have already received from God.
📖 Reading
Colossians 3:12–17 — Paul’s instruction to the church on how to live out their new identity in Christ, with forgiveness at the core.
📖 Key Passages
- Colossians 3:12 – “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
- Colossians 3:13 – “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
🔍 Word Study Suggestions
| KJV Word | Original Language | Original Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forbearing | Greek (NT) | ἀνέχομαι (anechomai) | To put up with, to bear with, to endure patiently. It implies bearing the faults of others without complaint. |
| Forgiving | Greek (NT) | χαρίζομαι (charizomai) | To grant as a favor, to give graciously. It’s the verb form of the word for Grace (charis). It means to forgive out of grace, not because the other person deserves it. |
📚 Theological Framework
- Identity Before Action: Notice the order in verse 12. We don’t act kindly to become God’s elect. We act kindly because we already are “the elect of God, holy and beloved.” Our actions flow from our secure identity, not to earn it. This is the core of GraceOS.
- The Divine Pattern: Verse 13 gives us the pattern and the power for all forgiveness: “even as Christ forgave you.” Our forgiveness of others is not a new work we have to muster up; it is a reflection of the finished work Christ has already done for us.
🗣️ Discussion Questions
- How does remembering your identity as “holy and beloved” change your motivation for being kind or forgiving to someone?
- Paul says to forgive “if any man have a quarrel against any.” That covers everything! How does the command to forgive “as Christ forgave you” reframe the hurts you may have experienced?
- What is the difference between “forbearing” (putting up with) someone and truly “forgiving” them? Why are both necessary?
🧱 Session 2 — The Mechanism: The Mind of Christ (60 mins)
Theme: The practical “how-to” of living graciously is to adopt the mindset of Jesus, which is characterized by profound humility and a focus on the needs of others over our own.
📖 Reading
Philippians 2:1–8 — Paul’s appeal for unity and humility, pointing to Christ’s ultimate example of self-emptying love.
📖 Key Passages
- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
- Philippians 2:5 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
🔍 Word Study Suggestions
| KJV Word | Original Language | Original Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowliness of mind | Greek (NT) | ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosynē) | Humility. The mindset of having a right view of oneself, not thinking of yourself as more important than others. It’s the opposite of pride and self-interest. |
| Esteem | Greek (NT) | ἡγέομαι (hēgeomai) | To consider, to count, to regard. It’s a conscious choice to value others above yourself. |
📚 Theological Framework
- The Root of Friction: Paul identifies the source of all relational conflict: “strife” (selfish ambition) and “vainglory” (a desire for empty praise). These are the hallmarks of the WorkOS, where we are constantly trying to prove our own value.
- The Frictionless Mindset: The mind of Christ is the antidote. It is a mindset of humility that doesn’t need to fight for its own rights because its identity is already secure. It is free to look to the interests of others, creating a frictionless environment of love and service.
🗣️ Discussion Questions
- “Esteem other better than themselves.” This is the opposite of how the world tells us to think. What makes this so difficult? What makes it possible for a Christian?
- How would our arguments and disagreements change if we first stopped to “look on the things of others” before defending our own position?
- Paul says we should have the same mind as Jesus, who “made himself of no reputation.” What does it mean to let go of our own “reputation” in a relationship for the sake of love?
🧱 Session 3 — The Result: A Community of Grace (45-60 mins)
Theme: When a group of people all operate under the GraceOS, the result is a beautiful, counter-cultural community characterized by genuine affection, mutual honor, and shared life.
📖 Reading
Romans 12:9–18 — A rapid-fire list of what grace-filled relationships look like in practice within the church.
📖 Key Passages
- Romans 12:10 – “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”
- Romans 12:15 – “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
- Romans 12:18 – “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
🔍 Word Study Suggestions
| KJV Word | Original Language | Original Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindly affectioned | Greek (NT) | φιλόστοργος (philostorgos) | The tender love of family members for each other. It’s a natural, deep-seated affection. |
| Brotherly love | Greek (NT) | φιλαδελφία (philadelphia) | The love of brothers (and sisters). It’s the source of the name for the city of Philadelphia. |
| Preferring | Greek (NT) | προηγέομαι (proēgeomai) | To go before and lead the way, to take the lead in showing honor to someone else. |
🧠 Reflection & Application
- “In honour preferring one another.” This means actively looking for ways to build others up, to give them the credit, to put them first. How does this contrast with the world’s model of self-promotion?
- “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” This requires empathy and a willingness to enter into someone else’s experience. Why is it sometimes harder to rejoice with someone who is succeeding than to weep with someone who is suffering?
- The passage is a beautiful picture of a frictionless community. Which of these commands do you find most challenging, and how does remembering God’s grace toward you make it more possible?