Wow! As we have spent the last 5 weeks looking at the mission and vision of our church, it has been incredible to watch God move not only in our church but in individuals. To see people LIVE the mission and vision of Family by Faith. God's call to us is very clear. The only questions is, are we willing to step out on faith and follow His call? He has special plans for special people in our faith family. He has plans for both men and women, young and old, single and married, and each one that is willing to answer His call. Not my call. HIS call!!! What an awesome thought to know that the King of kings and Lord of lords has a call for me.

This past week we looked at the final step in the wheel that is our vision.
Step 1- Seek the spiritual orphans
Step 2- Show God's love
Step 3- Share Christ
Step 4- Receive a new life in Christ
The final step is: Adoption into the family of God.

There is so much I wish I could share with you so I may put this in to separate blog post. The deepest and strongest foundation of adoption is located not in the act of humans adopting humans, but in God adopting humans. This act is the heart of the gospel. Please don’t miss that last statement. This act is the heart of the gospel.

As we ask others, "Why did Christ come", we get one answer usually. To die on a cross to save us from our sins. While that answer is not wrong, it is not the complete answer. Galatians 4:4-8 (Romans 8:14-17) answer this question for us. Verse 4 starts out with, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son." Sounds like we are getting ready to hear why He came. Please read the whole text but I am going to paraphrase the 4 reasons God sent His Son.

1. To redeem those under the law.
2. That we may be adopted into the family of God.
3. That we may have an Abba! Father!- and intimate relationship, a Dad
4. That we may be an heir of God. I am an heir of the Creator of everything. Now that is cool!!!

So if we understand that Christ is the cornerstone of the church, then this must be the undergirding. So this week we looked at the final step, our adoption into the family of God. As we understand out adoption we must understand the parts of adoption. What are the steps that were taken for us to have this personal relationship?

We use the understanding of physical adoption as a metaphor for our spiritual adoption.

Step 1- We were chosen (election)
Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us that before the foundation of the world was ever made, we were predestined for adoption. What this verse tells us is that adoption is not God's Plan B. Adoption all along was God's Plan A. Imagine if He looked at someone with money and prestige and wanted them first, but after thinking about it they chose not to accept this gift. After that, He would look at Randy Grimes and say, "I guess I will take him". Praise God that is not how it works. He chose me even though He know I would not be perfect and I would disappoint Him. He still chose me.

Step 2- Legal action (justification)
Justification is a legal term that came into being around 1300. Justification means that someone must stand on behalf of those that cannot stand for themselves. They must plead the case to show what is right. We are told to be that for those that cannot stand on their own behalf. Psalms 10:14 ,"You are the helper of the fatherless." Verse 18 says, "To do justice (stand on their behalf) to the fatherless and the oppressed." Just as we are called to stand on behalf of those that can't stand up for themselves, Christ stands on our behalf. Romans 5:18 tells us that even though there was sin in this world, on Man's righteous act gave us the free gift, resulting in the justification of life. So you if you think physically adopting a child has a lot of red tape, keep in mind that this red tape is not stained with YOUR blood. Jesus satisfied all legal demands by shedding His blood.

Step 3- Expenses must be paid
Galatians 4:5, "To redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons." There sometimes are huge cost in adopting a child. Some are financial and some are emotional. I have always felt there was something deep and right about the embrace of this cost for the life of a child. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us, "for you were bought at a price". That price is the CROSS. We hear people complain about the cost of adoption. Why does it cost so much when these children need a home. I can only tell them to turn to the Bible. I ask them, "How much did your adoption cost?"

Step 4- Planning
My wife tells me this is the hardest part. I mean after you have done all of the steps before, now you wait.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:23, "but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."

There are many benefits in being adopted into the family of God but I would like to point out 2 benefits of being adopted.

1. We have an Abba! Father! Romans 8:15-16, "You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, Abba! Father!. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Why did Paul use this phrase Abba Father? Because this is the way Jesus spoke His Father. It is such an endearing, intimate term. This equates calling your father DAD. Some of my children have a birth father, but he will never be DAD. What a great benefit.

2. We are permanent heirs. Romans 8:17, "and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
We are heirs of all that God has, namely everything.

Most will tell you that the mission of every church is to make disciples. I agree completely. The question is why would someone become a disciple and what will they do. We feel that once you become a part of a family, you intimately know your Father, understand all He desires for you and know His amazing love, your desire will be to spread the teachings of your Father. That is what a disciple is.

As people come into His family, we will disciple them and lead them to a greater understanding so that they will then begin to reach out to the spiritual orphans, which is the first step of our vision wheel.
I want to thank you for all of you prayers and asking how you can help. Once again, God is working in the life of our faith family. As with anything, there are growing pains, but nothing that God will not work out. He is doing that now. I must grow in the understanding that I must feed all the sheep of the flock. Please pray that I develop that greater understanding of all the needs of our faith family.

Nov. 14th is our Adoption Financing Seminar. It is from 10-12 on Saturday. Jason Kovacs of the Abba Fund with be our guest speaker. He will be discussing practical ways to finance adoptions as well as understanding the spiritual component of this financing. If you are interested and can attend, please go to our website, http://www.familybyfaith.com/ to register. If you cannot attend and would like the information, please let us know. We are going to record and get out to those that are not able to make it. Please also be in prayer, we are going to have a number of spiritual orphans there. Please pray that God show us how we need to minister to them in their place of need.
Also, we just sent $500 to a special needs orphanage that is being built in China. God is blessing us and it is a true blessing to know how He desires us to be stewards of His money. We sent this money in honor of Maggie Fogas. Maggie is a 7 year old that attend our church and she was adopted from China. She is going to be a blessing in so many peoples lives.
Your brother in Christ,
Randy
James 1:27