SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY: SONS & DAUGHTERS | LIVE LIKE AN HEIR
Message from Pastor Chad Everett
OVERVIEW
Did you know that if you belong to Jesus, you are part of God’s family and you are an heir?
An heir is someone who receives what belongs to them because they are part of a family. The Bible tells us that through faith in Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God. We do not earn our place in God’s family by being good enough. We become His children through faith in Jesus.
Galatians 4:1 tells us something important about an heir. When an heir is still a child, he may not understand how to live in everything that belongs to him. In the same way, God wants us to grow up spiritually. That does not mean just getting taller or older! It means growing in our understanding of God and learning to live by what His Word says.
The Bible helps us discover what God has given us through Jesus. We do not read the Bible so we can earn more from God. We read it so we can know Him better, learn what He says is true, and put His Word into practice.
Jesus told a story in Luke 15 about two sons. One son thought his bad choices meant he was no longer worthy to be a son. The other son stayed with his father but acted as though he had to work for everything. Both sons needed to understand their father better.
Their father said something amazing: “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.”
God wants us to know that we are His children, grow in His Word, trust what He says, and learn to live like heirs instead of slaves.
HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE
Read About It → Talk About It → Think About It
Open your Bible and read each passage together.
Look for the answers in the Bible before answering the Talk About It questions. Then use the Think About It questions to talk about how God’s Word connects to your own life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand who you are as God’s child, what God has given you through Jesus, and how you can put His Word into practice.
This guide can be used with your family, your Kidz group, or during a large group discussion.
📖 MEMORY VERSE
“And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” — Galatians 4:7 (NKJV)
BIG WORDS
- Heir = Someone who receives what belongs to them because they are part of a family.
- Inheritance = Something that is given to an heir. God has given His children wonderful things through Jesus.
- Mature = To grow in understanding and learn to put what you know into practice.
- Born Again = When we believe in Jesus and receive new life from Him. We become part of God’s family.
- Slave = Someone who is not free and must serve a master. The Bible uses this picture to show us the difference between living in bondage and living as God’s child.
- Abba = A word for father that shows a close relationship.
SECTION 1 — YOU ARE BORN INTO YOUR INHERITANCE
BIG IDEA
I do not earn my place in God’s family. Through faith in Jesus, I become God’s child and an heir.
READ ABOUT IT
Galatians 3:26–29; Galatians 4:6–7; John 3:3–6
TALK ABOUT IT
- According to Galatians 3:26, how do we become sons and daughters of God?
- According to Galatians 3:29, what do people who belong to Christ become?
- According to Galatians 4:7, what are we no longer?
- What does Galatians 4:7 say we become because we are sons and daughters?
- What did Jesus tell Nicodemus must happen in John 3:3?
THINK ABOUT IT
- Do you ever think you have to be extra good before God will love you or listen to you?
- When you make a wrong choice, do you run to God or feel like you need to hide from Him?
- How does knowing you are God’s child change the way you can talk to Him?
Further Scripture Reading
Galatians 3:26–29; Galatians 4:4–7; John 3:1–8
SECTION 2 — GROW UP INTO WHAT IS ALREADY YOURS
BIG IDEA
God wants me to keep growing so I can understand His truth and put it into practice.
READ ABOUT IT
Galatians 4:1; Hebrews 5:12–14
TALK ABOUT IT
- According to Galatians 4:1, who does an heir live like while he is still a child?
- Does the inheritance already belong to the heir?
- According to Hebrews 5:12, what should these believers have been ready to do for others?
- What two kinds of food does Hebrews 5 use to picture growing spiritually?
- According to Hebrews 5:14, what do mature people learn to tell the difference between?
THINK ABOUT IT
- When you think about growing up, you might think about what you want to be or do someday. As you grow up in the Lord, what does the Bible show you about the kind of person God wants you to become?
- What is something you have already learned from God’s Word that you are learning to do, not just know?
- As you keep growing in the Lord, how could God use what He teaches you to help, encourage, pray for, or teach someone else?
Further Scripture Reading
Galatians 4:1–2; Hebrews 5:12–14
SECTION 3 — KNOW YOUR INHERITANCE THROUGH THE WORD
BIG IDEA
God’s Word helps me discover what He has given me through Jesus and teaches me how to live.
READ ABOUT IT
1 Peter 2:2; Galatians 4:6–7; Philippians 4:6–7
TALK ABOUT IT
- According to 1 Peter 2:2, what should we desire so we can grow?
- What does God send into our hearts according to Galatians 4:6?
- What does the Spirit cry out in Galatians 4:6?
- According to Philippians 4:6, what can we do instead of worrying?
- According to Philippians 4:7, what will God’s peace guard?
THINK ABOUT IT
- When you read the Bible, are you looking for what God wants to show you?
- Have you ever worried about something and forgotten what God’s Word says?
- What is one Bible verse or truth you can remember the next time you feel worried or afraid?
Further Scripture Reading
1 Peter 2:1–3; Galatians 4:4–7; Philippians 4:6–9
SECTION 4 — LIVE LIKE AN HEIR, NOT A SLAVE
BIG IDEA
Because I am God’s child, I can live differently by believing and obeying what God says is true.
READ ABOUT IT
Galatians 4:1, 6–7; 2 Timothy 1:7
TALK ABOUT IT
- According to Galatians 4:1, who can an heir act like when he is still immature?
- According to Galatians 4:7, what are we no longer?
- What are we instead?
- According to 2 Timothy 1:7, what has God not given us?
- What three things does 2 Timothy 1:7 say God has given us?
THINK ABOUT IT
- Is there something you are afraid of even though you know God is with you?
- When you are worried, afraid, angry, or tempted to make a wrong choice, what truth from God can you remember?
- What is one way you can live differently this week because you know you are God’s child?
Further Scripture Reading
Galatians 4:1–7; 2 Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:6–7
SECTION 5 — RECEIVE WHAT THE FATHER HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU
BIG IDEA
I do not have to earn what my Father gives me. I can trust Him and receive what He has provided through Jesus.
READ ABOUT IT
Luke 15:17–24, 28–32; Galatians 4:6–7
TALK ABOUT IT
- What did the younger son decide to do after he “came to himself”?
- What did the younger son think he was no longer worthy to be called?
- Did the father treat the younger son like a servant or welcome him home as his son?
- How did the older son talk about the way he had served his father?
- What did the father tell the older son in Luke 15:31?
THINK ABOUT IT
- When you make a wrong choice, do you ever think God does not want you anymore?
- Do you ever think God will give you good things only when you have been “good enough”?
- The father said, “All that I have is yours.” What does this story help you understand about God as your Father?
Further Scripture Reading
Luke 15:11–32; Galatians 4:4–7
FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT
If you belong to Jesus, you are God’s child and an heir. You do not have to earn your place in His family. God wants you to keep growing in the Lord by knowing Him, learning His Word, and putting what He teaches you into practice.
As you grow up, think about more than what you want to do someday. Think about who you are becoming in the Lord. Keep growing, believe what God says, and let Him use what He teaches you to help others. You are God’s child. Learn what your Father says is yours, and live like an heir!
✏️ ACTIVITY — GROWING UP IN THE LORD
When someone asks, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” you might think about a job or something you dream of doing someday.
But God also wants you to think about who you are becoming as you grow up in the Lord!
Draw a picture of yourself and draw some of the ways you want to grow in the Lord. You might think about things like knowing God’s Word, trusting God when you are afraid, praying for others, helping people, obeying God, or teaching someone else what you have learned.