Covenant Naples

What does God ask of us who are the recipients of his grace? Join us to find out.

Sermon Outline:
I. God has extended persevering grace and asks for loving loyalty
II. God has exercised electing love and asks for loving responsiveness
III. God has distributed tangible mercy and asks for loving imitation
IV. God has done mighty works and asks for loving obedience

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. How is the Christian life different if you are living it in order to earn what you have been given rather than in gratitude for what you have been given?
2. Reflect on how God’s love has persevered with you despite your repeated sin and failure. What feelings does this evoke in you?
3. The loving responsiveness God asks for is depicted as circumcision of the heart. How does Colossians 2:11-12 shed light on this?
4. God calls us to imitate his loving care for the vulnerable among us, particularly the orphan, widow, and foreigner. How can we be doing that more effectively individually and collectively?

Our sins have provoked the righteous wrath of God and we are helpless to save ourselves from the destruction we deserve. Do we have an intercessor like Moses who will stand in the gap between us and God? And are we prepared to stand in the gap for others who are under God’s wrath?

Sermon Outline:
I. The Need for Intercession

II. The Practice of Intercession
1. The Intercessor Humbles Himself
2. The Intercessor Seeks the LORD Earnestly
3. The Intercessor Pleads His Case in Prayer

III. The Future of Intercession

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. How do you perceive God’s face generally: does he have a ‘yes’ face or a ‘no’ face toward you? Why do you think you feel that way?

2. Why is it hard for many people to believe that apart from the intercession of Christ, we are all under God’s wrath?

3. When you think of your own intercessory ministry, in which of the three components (humbling, seeking, pleading) do you perceive yourself most mature, and in which are you most lacking?

4. Why do you suppose we do not humble ourselves, seek the Lord earnestly, and plead our case before him more frequently? What is God calling you to do this week?

5. Describe how Jesus’ priestly work of intercession is greater than what Moses did. What difference does that make in your life today?

The inherent danger in being the chosen people of God is that we begin to believe that we are chosen because of something good in us. We may start to think there is something inherently better in us than others, and that we were chosen by God for a reason found in us. This kind of pride and self-righteousness is not only offensive to God and others, but it robs us of the joys of knowing God’s love and grace. Join us to find out how can we overcome our proclivity to pride.



Sermon Outline:

I. God Blesses Us Not for Reasons Found in Us, But Found in Him







II. God Blesses Us Not Because of Our Righteousness, But Despite Our Sin







Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the benefits of remembering our sins, and what are some of the dangers?

2. How does the gospel enable us to remember our sins in such a way that it serves to profit us rather than harm us?

3. How does our response to hardship and trial reveal what we really think about ourselves and our relationship with God?

4. In the sermon, we saw five place names mentioned along with the associated sins committed there (e.g. Horeb, Taberah, etc.). Which of those places/sins feels most familiar to you right now?

5. Why is belief in the true gospel incompatible with an attitude of self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance? Where do you need to apply the gospel to your heart today?

The Great Commission is as binding and relevant for Christians today as it was for the believers in early church to whom it was addressed. Yet it remains unfulfilled. We need to understand why this is and get the church back on track towards its completion.

Notes:
What prevents us from fulfilling the Great Commission?
- De facto universalism
- Lack of confidence in Christ’s authority
- Disbelief in Christ’s presence and imminent return
- What must change that we might see the Great Commission to its fulfillment?

Questions:
1. How do we know that the Great Commission wasn’t only for the first generation of the church?
2. What theological misconceptions and errors have led us to neglect the Great Commission?
3. In what ways have you seen universalism manifest itself in the Christian church today?
4. How does the reality of Christ’s authority on earth change the way you live your life?
5. If you reflected daily on the imminent return of Christ, how would you pray differently?

The only place harder for God’s people to spiritually flourish than the land of wilderness, is the land of plenty. Join us to discover how the lessons God teaches us in the wilderness can help us to thrive in the land of plenty.


Sermon Outline:
I. Learn the Lessons of the Wilderness
1. God leads us in the wilderness to humble us
2. God disciplines us in the wilderness because he loves us


II. Apply the Lessons of the Wilderness in the Land of Plenty
1. By walking in obedience in the land of plenty
2. By practicing gratitude in the land of plenty
3. By remembering the Lord in the land of plenty

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Can you tell of a time you went through a wilderness experience and what that was like for you?

2. How should we as Christians understand wilderness experiences and their value?

3. Why do you think it is that living in the land of plenty is an even greater spiritual danger than living in the wilderness? Can you think of any examples?

4. How does the good news of the gospel inform our understanding of both the wilderness and the land of plenty?

5. Where are you today: in the wilderness or the land of plenty? How is God calling you to respond to this message?

The grace God gives us is to ignite our hearts in the passionate pursuit of holiness. Are you passionately pursuing holiness today?

Sermon Outline:

I. God’s Covenant People Must Passionately Pursue Holiness Because of What Sin Does

II. God’s Covenant People Must Passionately Pursue Holiness Because of Who We Are

III. God’s Covenant People Must Passionately Pursue Holiness Because of Who God Is

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being least passionate and 10 being most passionate, how passionately are you pursuing holiness today? Can you remember a time when you were pursuing holiness more diligently than you are today, and if so, why do you suppose that was?

2. Examine your own heart. Are there any sins that you have made peace with? Why is it that so dangerous for the Christian?

3. How is it that being a holy, chosen, and covenanted people is to inspire our pursuit of holiness? Why is it so important that our pursuit of holiness flow out of who God says we are, rather than out of a desire to become something we’re not?

4. How does knowing who God is give us courage to face the darkest and most intimidating of our remaining sins? Spend some time in prayer today remembering. Then trust and obey.

For many of us, there is nothing we desire more than to pass on our faith to our children and grandchildren. But how can we do that effectively? Join us to find out!


Sermon Outline:
I. We Must Cause the Question

1. They have to see us conspicuously living out our faith

2. They have to see us


II. We Must Tell the Story


Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. When you think about the last day of your life (or your life as a couple or family) what will give you the most comfort or joy? Are you living in such a way today as to see that vision become reality?

2. What are some of the ways you can intentionally live out your faith so that you cause your kids or grandkids to ask the question of Deuteronomy 6:20?

3. What are the obstacles to you being more available to the next generation for them to see your way of life and ask you about it? What changes should you make, if any?

4. When our kids or grandkids ask us why we obey God’s commands, why is it so important to start with the good news of what God has done?

5. Spend some time in prayer for the children and grandchildren who have walked away from the faith. Pray also for those still raising children or grandchildren to teach them well.

Amid the busyness and distraction of the everyday things of life, we can forget the things that are most important. As we learn to live as God’s covenant people, here are three things we don’t want to forget.

Sermon Outline:
I. Don’t Forget: God’s Commandments are For Our Good.
1. God Gave the Commandments to Instill Reverence.
2. God Gave the Commandments to Enrich Life.


II. Don’t Forget: God Calls for Total Allegiance.
1. You shall love the LORD with all you are and all you have.
2. You shall saturate your life and family with God’s words.

III. Don’t Forget: Fruitfulness Frequently Leads to Forgetfulness


Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think we’re so prone to forget fundamental truths about God and our relationship to him?

2. Explain your understanding of Deuteronomy 6:4. How does this statement function like a pledge of allegiance for God’s people?

3. What is Deuteronomy 6:5 calling us to do practically? How would your life look different if you were fully living out this commandment?

4. What are some ways that you can be intentional to remember God’s word and to saturate your life with it this year? How can you help your family do the same?

Emanuel’s consolation is the final message of our Advent series. Have you been waiting on God to do something? Are you anxious, fearful, or lonely? Is it possible you are looking to the wrong things to console you? What should we expect from God? Join us as we open the word to discover how the coming of Christ answers these questions and more.


Discussion questions:
1.What is Luke trying to tell us about how a believer is to wait for God as we observe the lives of Joseph, Mary and Simeon?
2.How does this story comfort us in our own longing and waiting for God?
3.What expectations have I placed on God to answer, that he never promised to answer?
4.What is the primary need of every person that only God can fix?
a.How does that answer free us from the tyranny of fear, loneliness, and many worries of this world.

For centuries people anticipated Emmanual, and for centuries, people have reflected on him.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14. Those words were fulfilled in the birth of Christ. And he was understood to be “Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” Our Savior is born. But who do you say he is? Your answer to that changes everything.