God's Children

Sermon Summary: This All Saints Day sermon explores the profound truth of being called children of God through 1 John 3:1-3. The message addresses the complex emotions of this holy day—sadness for those we've lost, inspiration from heroes of faith, and hope in our shared identity as God's children. The sermon emphasizes that our identity as God's children is not earned through human effort but is a gift of God's lavish love and grace. This divine parentage connects us across time with all saints—past, present, and future—in one unified story where God is both beginning and end. As children of God, we inherit family traits that enable us to love as God loves, to pursue justice and righteousness, and to live with integrity. The sermon challenges the lie that we are incapable of genuine love and goodness, affirming instead that God's grace transforms us to reflect Christ's character and love others authentically.

Key Points:

-God lavishes love upon us, making us children of God not through our merit but through divine grace

-All Saints Day encompasses both sadness for those we've lost and inspiration from heroes of faith who have gone before us

-Being children of God means God is present with us in all circumstances—grief, struggle, joy, and gratitude

-We are all united in one story where God is the beginning, end, author, and sustainer throughout all time

-Our identity as God's children is both universal (God created everyone from love) and responsive (we choose to embrace this identity)

-The "how" of becoming God's children always starts with God's choice and actions, not human effort

-As God's children, we inherit family traits: the ability to love like God loves, to pursue God's justice and righteousness, and to live with unimpeachable sincerity and integrity

-Living and loving as children of God provides verification and assurance of God's love working in and through us

-We are capable of genuine love and goodness not because of our own strength, but because God's grace transforms us

Scripture Reference:

1 John 3:1-3 (primary focus)

Stories:

-The tradition of All Saints Day beginning with celebrating martyrs and heroes of faith

-The relational analogy of how children don't choose their parents but are born into love, yet daily make choices about who they truly treat as loved ones—paralleling our relationship with God

-The experience of having people in our lives (biological parents or others) who loved us and showed us possibilities we didn't think we were capable of, helping us realize we too can live with faith, generosity, and care for others