Living Gospel Freedom | Gospel Freedom | Galatians 2:15–21

Before we begin

Table Communities are community gatherings for the purpose of:

• Building meaningful relationships through intentional time together
• Engaging in mutual discipleship through directing one another towards Christ with truth shared in love
• Multiplying grace through love, prayer and gifts of the spirit

The notes will guide you through praying together, reading scripture and engaging in intentional relational time together. There are also notes and practices for this month's habit of grace. We know that most groups will not have time to discuss the habit of grace during their time together, but they are available if time allows and are available for those seeking to intentionally engage with God's grace during the week. If that desire is within you, please read the notes on your own time or go through the habit of grace practices with a spiritual friend or your spouse, so as to build one another up in truth and love. Finally, this gathering is not about getting through all the note content, but rather this gathering is about building meaningful relationships, engaging in mutual discipleship and multiplying grace. Let those values shape the direction and pace of your time together.

Kick off with prayer

You can use the kick off prayer below (if you are not comfortable praying aloud), and give time for others to pray into the night together. 

Example prayer, if needed. Ideally pray freely as you feel called:

‍Father we praise you for gathering us together. Despite whatever weighed on our hearts as we entered this house, we pray that your Spirit guides our time together and free us from anything that is not of you. We pray that by the strength of your might we may speak truth in love to one another. We pray that we are led by the gifts of your spirit, so that we may build up one another and your church as a whole. As we read your word, we pray that we may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner pleasing to you.  

Passage: Gospel Freedom | Galatians

We will read the text together seeking for God to give life to the text through his Spirit. "Lord please help us to hear your word and receive what you have for each of us"

Galatians 2:15–21

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Passage Summary

Paul clarifies the heart of the gospel: we are made right with God not by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. The Christian life begins and continues the same way—by trusting Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. Our old identity is crucified with Christ, and our new life is lived by faith in Him.

Discussion Questions

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1. When you picture being brought before God, what do you instinctively feel—peace, pressure, confidence, anxiety? Why?

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Facilitator Guide:
This question is meant to provoke a deeply personal reflection on how each person emotionally and spiritually responds to the idea of facing God. It draws out core beliefs about how we are accepted or rejected, and whether we are living in gospel freedom or under the pressure to perform. 

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2. Do you ever feel like you need to make up for past failures or sins—either before God or others? Where does that pressure show up most?

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Facilitator Guide:
This reworded question is designed to make the concept of self-justification more personal and emotionally accessible. It helps participants notice where guilt or shame still leads to striving or people-pleasing, and opens the door to seeing how the gospel frees us from needing to earn restoration or worth.

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3. If you are constantly trying to make up for past failures or sins, how might that impact the sense of freedom experienced in that relationship? [Wait for responses.] Are you free from those failures or sins or not?

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Facilitator Guide:
This question deepens the previous one by helping participants reflect on how their sense of relational closeness to God or others is shaped by unresolved guilt. It pushes them to confront whether they truly believe the gospel offers freedom from condemnation—or if they still act as though they are on probation with God. It moves the conversation toward the liberating truth that in Christ, we are no longer defined by our failures. Participants are invited to identify what they're clinging to—reputation, self-image, control—that may be keeping them from fully living in the freedom of union with Christ.

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4. What would change in your life, if the Gospel was received into the depths of your soul? You are completely forgiven, fully loved and desired by God.

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Facilitator Guide:
This question is designed to draw participants out of surface-level understanding and into deep personal reflection. It invites them to imagine what life could look like if they truly believed and lived out of their complete forgiveness and belovedness in Christ. It is meant to awaken longing, joy, and rest—replacing spiritual performance with gospel-rooted confidence. This question points the group toward the relational and emotional transformation that flows from knowing they are desired by God.

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Closing Prayer Prompt

Prompts:

• Thank God that our righteousness rests fully in Christ.
• Confess where we try to add to His finished work.
• Ask the Spirit to help us live by faith, not self-effort.
  
  

Silent Reflection (1 minute):

• Where am I still trying to prove I’m enough?
• What truth about Christ’s love and life in me do I need to receive again?
  
  

Invite anyone to share briefly, then pray for one another—especially for courage, honesty, and freedom in Christ.

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