Covenant Naples

In these chapters we see two different kinds of people: one type of person takes God at his word and aims to fully possess all that God has promised. The other type sees all the reasons it won’t work, all the reasons to be afraid, all the reasons to feel sorry for themselves. As we compare these examples, we are to hold a mirror up in front of ourselves and ask which type of person we most resemble.

Sermon Outline:

I. We Must Take Hold of God’s Promises by Faith

II. We Must Not Forfeit God’s Promises Through Fear or Compromise

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways might we, as Christians, fail to “claim” the spiritual inheritance that is ours in Christ? What keeps us from living in the fullness of God’s promises?

2. Caleb, Othniel, Achsah, and the daughters of Zelophehad demonstrated faithful boldness. How do their stories challenge the way you approach prayer, obedience, or decision-making today?

3. What forms of fear, compromise, or self-pity do you see most commonly hindering Christians from whole-hearted discipleship today?

4. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past strengthen our faith for present challenges? What are some practical ways we can cultivate this kind of biblical memory in our daily walk with God?

5. If you were to take inventory of your own walk with Christ, where do you see faithful boldness at work, and where do you see tendencies toward half-heartedness? What steps could you take this week to walk more fully in God’s promises?

Many picture the path to God like a mountain to climb through religion, good works, or devotion. But Psalm 24 asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?” The reality is, none of us can. Our hands aren’t clean, our hearts aren’t pure. That’s the mess.

But the good news? The Messiah came down. Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved, and rose to bring us up into the presence of the King of Glory. The mountain, the mess, the Messiah—this is the gospel of Psalm 24.

Sermon Outline

I. The Mountain.

II. The Mess.

III. The Messiah. 

Sermon Discussion Questions

1.    David asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). How do you personally feel when you hear that question? Does it stir confidence, fear, discouragement, or something else? Why?

2.    Psalm 24 describes the requirement as “clean hands and a pure heart.” What’s the difference between outwardly “clean hands” and inwardly a “pure heart”? Which one do you tend to focus on more in your walk with God, and why?

3.    In the sermon, we saw David’s life reveal both moments of clean hands (sparing Saul) and times of failure (Bathsheba, Uriah, passivity with his children). What encouragement do we find in knowing that even David, “a man after God’s own heart”, fell short?

4.    Jesus alone has the perfectly clean hands and pure heart. How does it change your outlook on the Christian life when you realize your acceptance before God rests on His record, not yours?

5.    The sermon emphasized that Christianity is not about us climbing the mountain to God, but about God coming down to us in Christ. Where in your life are you most tempted to “climb” and prove yourself, instead of resting in Christ’s finished work?

6.    Psalm 24 shifts from instruction to worship: “Lift up your heads, O gates… that the King of glory may come in.” How can we “open the gates” of our own lives this week to let Jesus reign more fully…in our habits, relationships, or decisions?

7.    The closing challenge was framed in the question, “Do you love Jesus?” How would you answer that right now? What’s one concrete way you could live out your love for Jesus this week?

When we are guilty of sin, we try not to think about it, we try to distract ourselves, we pretend that nothing else needs to be done; but the guilt remains. Confession is the path to healing, but we run from it like it’s the disease. Psalm 32 reminds us that confession is not something to be avoided or evaded; it is a gift to be embraced.

Sermon outline:

I. The Blessed Condition

II. The Miserable Condition

III. The Transformational Act

IV. The Takeaways

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced the misery of unconfessed sin that David describes? What did that feel like, and how did it affect your daily life and relationship with God?

2. What makes it so difficult to confess completely rather than just partially? What fears or concerns hold us back from being totally honest with God?

3. How do we distinguish between godly conviction that leads to repentance and unhealthy shame or condemnation? Why might God allow us to feel the weight of unconfessed sin?

4. Verse 5 shows the immediate connection between confession and forgiveness. Why do you think we sometimes struggle to believe that God’s forgiveness is really that immediate and complete? What helps you trust in the fullness of God’s forgiveness?

5. For those who have experienced God’s forgiveness, how can we help each other live in that joy rather than returning to guilt and shame? How does understanding confession as a gift to be embraced rather than something to avoid change our approach to dealing with sin?

Whether it’s the fear of global conflict, political instability, climate change, economic collapse, or personal health issues, we are a culture ruled by fear, and our fears make us very easy to manipulate. But what if there were a people who were not ruled by fear? And what if all we need to become this kind of people is to make Psalm 46 our own song?

Sermon Outline:

I. We will not fear because God is our refuge, strength, and help.

II. We will not fear because God is in our midst.

III. We will not fear because God will be exalted.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Share about a time when something you thought was solid and dependable was shaken. How did that experience affect your faith (positively or negatively), and what did you learn about God’s faithfulness through it?

2. Where do you typically turn first when life’s storms hit: money, relationships, work, or other sources? How can we practically make God our first refuge rather than our last resort?

3. In what ways does knowing that God dwells within you and among us as a community change how you face daily fears and anxieties?

4. Two of the primary drivers of fear are news and social media. How do you balance staying informed about real issues while not being ruled by fear? What boundaries might you need to set with news and social media consumption?

5. Does understanding Psalm 46:10 in its proper context change your perspective on it? How does knowing that God’s victory over all opposition is guaranteed affect the way you view current world events, political turmoil, or personal conflicts you're facing?

What do you pray when enemies surround you?

Psalm 109 is raw, intense, and fiercely honest—a prayer for justice when evil strikes.

David sang it. Jesus fulfilled it. The Church still needs it.

Sermon Outline:

I. Introduction

II. A Look at Psalm 109

III. Six Imprecatory Principles

IV. The One Big Lesson

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. When you're slandered, mistreated, or falsely accused, do you first run to God in prayer like David did in Psalm 109:4—"But I give myself to prayer"?

2. How does your understanding of the nature of Scripture—“breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16)—shape your willingness to engage with difficult texts like the imprecatory psalms?

3. Is it possible that comfort, safety, or prosperity have dulled your sense of the spiritual war raging around you?

4. How do you hold together the biblical tension of praying for God's judgment upon the wicked while also longing for their repentance and salvation?

5. Have you fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ or are you still resisting Him as an enemy of God?

Doubt is often treated like a dirty word in Christian circles, but Scripture is filled with faithful expressions of it. In Psalm 73, Asaph wrestles with the tension between what he believes about God’s goodness and what he sees happening in the world around him. His struggle is honest and raw—but it ultimately leads him not away from God, but toward Him.

Small Group Questions

1. When have you felt like your “feet had almost slipped” spiritually, as Asaph describes in verse 2? What was the time like?

2. Asaph’s doubt was fueled by envy of the prosperity of the wicked, what about the prosperity of the wicked tempts you to question God’s justice and goodness today?

3. Have you walked with anyone through an intense season of doubt? What did you learn about how to do that well and what to avoid?

4. What has been a helpful cure for your doubts? Why would going to the sanctuary be a helpful cure?

5. How has God held you fast when your grip has felt weak?

Sermon Outline:

I. The Rebellion of the Wicked is Futile.

II. The Victory of God’s Anointed is Certain.

III. The Record of God’s Faithfulness is Perfect.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What forms of rebellion against God’s rule are most subtle in our culture—and even in our own hearts?

2. Is God’s sovereignty the basis for bold, faith-filled action in your life, or a truth you affirm but rarely apply? How might your life look different if you applied this truth to your life each day? How might you feel different?

3. What good things are you tempted to trust in instead of trusting in the name of the Lord? Can or should anything be done about that?

4. How do Romans 1 and Hebrews 3:12-13 help us understand the progression and danger of unrepentant sin? What role does the church community play in helping one another resist the hardening of the heart?

5. How are you intentionally remembering and rehearsing the faithfulness of God in your life? Or, how could you start doing so?

Doubt is often treated like a dirty word in Christian circles, but Scripture is filled with faithful expressions of it. In Psalm 73, Asaph wrestles with the tension between what he believes about God’s goodness and what he sees happening in the world around him. His struggle is honest and raw—but it ultimately leads him not away from God, but toward Him.

Small Group Questions

1. When have you felt like your “feet had almost slipped” spiritually, as Asaph describes in verse 2? What was the time like?

2. Asaph’s doubt was fueled by envy of the prosperity of the wicked, what about the prosperity of the wicked tempts you to question God’s justice and goodness today?

3. Have you walked with anyone through an intense season of doubt? What did you learn about how to do that well and what to avoid?

4. What has been a helpful cure for your doubts? Why would going to the sanctuary be a helpful cure?

5. How has God held you fast when your grip has felt weak?

Sermon Outline:

I. The Rebellion of the Wicked is Futile.

II. The Victory of God’s Anointed is Certain.

III. The Record of God’s Faithfulness is Perfect.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What forms of rebellion against God’s rule are most subtle in our culture—and even in our own hearts?

2. Is God’s sovereignty the basis for bold, faith-filled action in your life, or a truth you affirm but rarely apply? How might your life look different if you applied this truth to your life each day? How might you feel different?

3. What good things are you tempted to trust in instead of trusting in the name of the Lord? Can or should anything be done about that?

4. How do Romans 1 and Hebrews 3:12-13 help us understand the progression and danger of unrepentant sin? What role does the church community play in helping one another resist the hardening of the heart?

5. How are you intentionally remembering and rehearsing the faithfulness of God in your life? Or, how could you start doing so?

When life feels unbearably heavy—from natural disasters to personal heartbreak—what can we even say? The Bible doesn't ignore suffering or gloss over pain. Instead, it gives voice to our sorrow. Psalm 13 offers us a path from weeping to worship, showing how honest lament can lead to deep trust in a faithful God.

Outline

I. Turn

II. Complain

III. Petition

IV. Trusting Praise

Sermon Discussion Questions

1) When suffering strikes, where do you instinctively turn first? What are some reasons you don’t turn to the Lord first?

2) If you were to present some complaints to the Lord right now, what would be some of those complaints?

3) Are your prayers boldly asking God to act according to His promises? Why or why not? How specific are your requests?

4) How does suffering with the end in view change how you approach suffering? What about lament leads to trust and praise? How would this reshape your perspective?

5) Read Psalm 6 and look for the different elements of lament (Turn, complain, petition, and trusting praise). Write your own lament prayer and share it with someone you trust.

Only those whose lives reflect God’s righteousness may dwell in God’s presence, and those who receive that righteousness as a free gift of God, also receive power to live it out.

We’ve been told that a great life is a comfortable life with comfortable circumstances, but a truly blessed life is a life in harmony with God and God’s word. To prosper in all you do in life—and to experience God’s loving embrace on the day of judgement—sing the psalms day and night.

I. Sing the Psalms, day and night

II. Sing the Psalms, day and night, so that you will prosper in all that you do in this life

III. Sing the Psalms, day and night, so that you will prosper in all that you do in life—and experience God’s loving embrace on the day of judgement.

Discussion questions:

1. According to scripture, what does it mean to live a “blessed life”, and how does that differ from the version of blessing often presented by our culture?

2. Psalm 1 warns against “walking in the counsel of the wicked.” What are some modern ways we might unknowingly absorb ungodly counsel, and how can we guard against it?

3. How does singing or meditating on the Psalms shape our hearts to be “in tune” with God’s purposes, even during times of suffering or hardship?

4. How can we balance the call to spiritual disciplines (like singing the Psalms) with the gospel truth that Jesus has already fulfilled the law on our behalf?

5. In what ways can your small group or your family make singing or meditating on the Psalms a regular part of life this summer?