3. Ephesians 2 (NLT) v 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

4. “The Glory of God is a human being fully alive.” - Iraeneus

5. v 6 letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8 (NLT) v 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.

6. Genesis 1 v 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Ephesians 2 (NLT) v 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 1.Where do we see ‘echoes’ of the Image of God and the fall in people and situations around us? 2.In Ephesians 2 Paul refers to us as God’s masterpiece (also means ‘work of art’ in the Greek). Do we connect with this truth or does our sense of being damaged get in the way? 3.Iraeneus wrote “The glory of God is a human being fully alive”. What does a ‘fully alive’ human being look like? 4.Where or how have you seen God’s restoration work in yourself or others? 5.How can we cooperate with God in this process? 6.Which of the words on the left do you see in yourself (feel free to add others!)? 7.Which would you like to see more or less of? 8.How can we work with God to bring restoration to each other? Questions for Small Groups