Bethlehem Community Church

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 10/25/2015“Real Blessings” (Part III)1. Read Ephesians 1:9-10. What does mystery mean in the New Testament?2. According to Ephesians 1:9-10, what is God doing – what is His plan (see also Revelation 19:11-16)?3. Why do you think this world is in turmoil? Why do you think so many people and families struggle?4. What is God’s main goal for the believer in this life (see Romans 12:2 and Romans 8:29)? Are these verses true of your life? Can you list specific ways these verses are being fulfilled in your life?5. Read Ephesians 1:11-12 in the NIV version. What do these verses seem to be saying? What are they, in fact, saying (also look at John 3:16 and 2 Peter 3:9)?6. Read Ephesians 1:13. What is our part in the salvation process?7. Why are Ephesians 1:9-13 such an incredible blessing to the believer? How should they affect our lives?

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 10/18/2015“Real Blessings” (Part II)1.Read Eph. 1:7. What does redemption mean?2.What picture is being drawn in Eph. 1:11 from the word, redemption?3.Read Hosea Chapters 1-3.A. What is the main point of the story?B. How would you feel if you were Hosea?C. Who does Hosea represent in the story? Who does Gomer represent?D. How are you like Gomer now?E. Read Hosea 3:3. What important point is being made here (see also 2 Peter 2:20-22)?F. How has Jesus’ redemption of you set you free and changed you?

Geoff does an incredible job looking at a difficult passage, Matthew 7:22 is hard to understand to say the least but Geoff makes it plain.. Dig in you will enjoy it.Geoff Ekstein “To Be Known” I. The Introduction II. Are You Known?Matt 7:22 III. Whose Are You? IV. The Stolen Gospel V. To Be Known

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 10/4/2015“Real Blessings” (Part I)1.In your opinion, what is a blessing?2.How do you know if something is a blessing from God? How do you know it is not from Satan?3.What is the difference between a trial and temptation?4.Read Eph. 1:3-14. What strikes you about the blessings God gives to believers? What kind of blessings are they? What blessings seem to be missing?5.When the average Christian or preacher/teacher talks about blessings, what are they generally talking about?6.Read Deut. 28:1-8 and 28:15-26. Who are these blessings and curses for? How are these blessings generally taught by preachers and teachers today? Do they ever preach/teach on the curses?7.Read Eph. 1:4. What is the blessing here? What makes this blessing so powerful?8.Read Eph. 1:5-6. What is the blessing here for the believer (i.e. talk about “adoption” and what it meant in the Roman culture)?9.If someone asks you, “Who are you?”, how have you answered that question?10. Read Eph. 1:4. What does it mean to be “holy and blameless”? What is God asking of the believer? You? (See 1 Peter 2:9)

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 9/27/2015“Why Introductions Matter” (Part II)1.What does it mean when Paul says that he is an apostle in Eph. 1:1 (note only 12 apostles – see Rev. 21:10-14)? What are the implications for us as believers when Paul tells us he is an apostle?2.Paul in Eph. 1:1 tells us he is an apostle by the will of God. What is Paul’s point here?3.There are all kinds of people today claiming to be an apostle or prophet or bishop. How can a person know who is a true leader of God (remember the Didache teaching)?4.What does Paul mean when he calls Christians (i.e., believers) “saints” (see Eph. 1:1)? Are you a saint? How do you know? What is the relationship of being a saint to being faithful and experiencing God’s grace and peace (see Eph. 1:1-2)?

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 9/20/2015“Introductions Matter” (Part I)1.Who was the Book of Ephesians probably written to?2.When the Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Ephesians, he was in prison. Why does this matter? What does this say about followers of Jesus (see 2Tim 3:10-13)?3.Paul was the author of the Letter to the Ephesians (see Eph 1:1). What do we know about Paul (see Phil 3:5-6)? Why does this matter (i.e., what does it say about Jesus’ saving power)?4.What do you think is the greatest miracle of all? Why?5.Why do you think so many “Christians” do not really change? Why are so many caught in the cycle of sin/confess, sin/confess, sin/confess?6. Repentance is a main theme in both the Old and New Testament (see Ez 18:30-32; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38, 3:19-20, 26:20). Why do you think the modern church barely talks about it? What are the consequences of not teaching/preaching on repentance?7. What is repentance? What happens when a person repents?8. How do you know if you have truly repented?9. Read Acts 26:20. What are the deeds of repentance (i.e. talk about the absence of rationalization, genuine sorrow (Psalm 51:17), an open confession of sin and restitution (see Luke 19:8)?10. What do you need to repent of? What keeps you from doing it?

Series: The Book of EphesiansSermon Questions -- 9/13/2015“The Greatest Company in the World” 1.When you think of the church, do you think of it as great? Why or why not?2.What did you think of the Pastor’s conversation on this airplane with “Me MBA”?3.Read Matthew 16:13-19. What do these verses tell you about the church?4.What is the church? (See Ephesians 2:19-22)5.What does the church have that no one else in this world can offer people? (I.e., talk about Jesus – John 14:6, 8:34-36 & Ephesians 2:19-22; and Purpose – Matthew 4:19 and Hope.)