Forestgate

Sermon Notes

1. What you hear is useless if you don’t use it, vv.16–17
2. How you hear will determine how you grow, vv.17–18
3. Whether you hear AND DO is a mark of your Adoption, vv.19–21

Reflection questions
1. Which metaphor best describes the way you live your life as a Christian: Hiding your light under a bed? Putting your light upon a lampstand for all to see? Cf. Matthew 5:14–16 and 6:5–6. How can you do a better job of letting your light shine before others while making sure to glorify God and not yourself?
2. If we put to use the gospel message that God given us, He promises to give us even more. (More wisdom? More responsibility? Both?) See Matthew 25:14–30; now ask yourself if you are making use of the spiritual resources that God has given you.
3. Jesus said that the true members of His family were those who heard the Word and put it into practice. See James 1:22ff. What do you think the following phrase means: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone”?

Sermon Notes

1. Kingdom Servants, 1–3
2. Kingdom Seeds, 4–15
1. Why Seeds? Why parables? 4, 8–11
2. Seeds in the Road, 5, 12
3. Seeds in the Rocky soil, 6, 13
4. Seeds in the Thorns, 7, 14
5. Seeds in the Good Soil, 8, 15

Reflection questions

1. The Kingdom Servants in vv. 2–3 served Jesus (and His Kingdom) by meeting their daily needs through the wealth that God had given them. What are some of the gifts (time, talents, resources) that God has given you that could you in His Kingdom Service? Cf. Romans 12:6–8.
2. Why do you think Jesus highlights “riches” (along with cares and pleasures) as one of the things that can choke our faith and cause us to not bear fruit in this life? Cf. 1 Tim. 6:5–10
3. Does being “good soil” that “bear(s) fruit with patience” mean that you will never have difficulties, disappointments, or spiritual failures in this life? Consider what Paul says about the latter in Romans 7:15–8:1.

Sermon Notes

1. Jesus is our protector (v.11–13)
2. Jesus knows and loves us (v.14–15)
Side point: We are all needy sheep (v.16)
3. Jesus gave his life for us (v.17–18)

Questions for Reflection

1. What are some of the points of imagery you remember from the sermon about sheep and shepherds?
2. How are you like the sheep? How is Jesus like the good shepherd
3. How does being on our own make us more vulnerable to hurts and pains in this life?
4. Do you feel positive or negative when you think about being known deeply by God? What hesitations might you have to being fully known?
5. How might understanding your own identity as a sheep, make you more likely to accept "outsiders" inside the church?
6. Jesus has "snatched us from the jaws of death" by his work on the cross. How does that change your life today? How might you be willing to live differently this week, in light of that truth?

### Sermon Notes

1. A servant that is worthy of saving in his master’s eyes, vv. 1–3

2. A man who is worthy in other’s eyes, vv. 3–6

3. A man who is un-worthy in his own eyes, vv. 6–7

4. A faith that is worthy of imitation in Jesus’s eyes, vv.7–10

Reflection questions

1. How does the centurion (through his Jewish friends) approach Jesus at first? See vv. 3–5. Compare and contrast this approach to these passages: Luke 18:9–14 and Phil. 3:3–11.

2. How does the centurion see himself in vv. 6–7? Compare and contrast his self-perception with these passages: Isaiah 6:1–7; Psalm 51 (especially v.17). Luke 5:1–11 (especially v.8)

3. What is commendable about the centurion’s faith (vv7–9)? Compare Romans 4:18–21 (esp. v.21).

Sermon Notes

If you Judge yourself first, (v.42)

1. … You will give and receive generously, vv. 37–38

2. … You will not follow blind guides or produce blind disciples, vv. 39–40

3. … You will be able to give good judgment and guidance, vv. 41–42

4. … You have obviously _______________________

Reflection questions

1. How would describe a judgmental attitude versus a gracious attitude? What’s one way that you’ve been judgmental in the past week, and how could you have been more gracious?

2. What kind of “guides” and leaders should we be following? Consider 1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:12–15; 1 Tim. 6:11–12; 2 Tim. 4:7

3. Consider the following verses that speak of the love and kindness of God. Do any of these verse surprise you? Luke 6:35–36; Romans 2:4; Eph. 4:32; Ex. 34:6–7; Jonah 4:1–2; Is 30:18