In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read Matthew 18:21-35

1) Just for fun- Do you know your multiplication tables? When did you learn them?

2) How should knowing that Jesus died for your forgiveness affect the way you forgive others? How are you allowing it to?

3) Describe a situation where you felt unable to forgive. How did you move from bitterness and resentment to forgiveness?

4) Why did Jesus give such an extreme command as to how many times we should forgive?

5) Does forgiveness come natural for you? Or is it something you really have to work at? Has it always been this way?

6) Have you prayed for the people you are having a hard time forgiving? Can you stop right now and pray for them by name?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read Matthew 16:24-26

1) If you came from a faith tradition where you observed or practiced lent, what was that experience like? Was the practice of “Doing without” meaningful in your faith journey? If you have not observed lent, have you done any other sort of fasting or self-denial?

2) As you have spent time reading the Bible, have you found that sometimes Jesus said things that were mysterious, confusing, or hard to grasp? Do you tend to dismiss them and move on, or dig in to them to see how understanding them might change your life?

3) What are some ways that “Denying me is good for me”?

What are some ways that “Denying me is good for others”?

What are some ways that “Denying me is good for the kingdom”?

4) “Taking up one’s cross” doesn’t mean simply putting up with an annoying roommate or having to live with noisy neighbors. What did Jesus mean by it? How does that impact the way you live?

5) What did Jesus mean by his command to “Follow me”? What are some ways that we actually obey that command?

6) It’s been said that “Only a cause worth dying for is truly worth living for.” Is your relationship with Jesus worth living for? Is it worth dying for? How can you make it better?

DIG IN QUESTIONS

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read 2 Peter 3:1-18

1) In the first verse, Peter says he wants to stimulate the wholesome thinking and refresh the memory of his listeners. What were some of the things he wanted them to remember? Why was this so important for them? Is it still important for us?

2) When was there a time in your life where you needed to be reassured that Jesus had not forgotten you?

3) There are a lot of opinions about what the return of Jesus will look like. There are also opinions as to why he has not come back yet. What reason did Peter give for the Lord’s delay? How should knowing the reason for His delay change how we live our lives?

4) What does it mean to be ready for the Lord’s return? What are some things it doesn’t mean?

5) Reread 2 Peter 3:11, 14, & 18. What are some ways individual believers should be living as we prepare for and await the Lord’s return?

6) Who is a valued guest you need to invite to the wedding?

DIG IN QUESTIONS

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read 2 Peter 2:1-22

1) Hey, How’s your week going?

2) In what ways do people abuse the freedom found in Jesus Christ today?

3) What is the difference between a false teacher and someone who teaches something false? Why do you think the distinction is important?

4) Peter closed out the chapter by referring to the proverb about a dog returning to its vomit. How could someone who has known the love of Jesus return to the unrighteousness that they once came from?

5) How can we protect ourselves from the teachings of false teachers? What qualities does Peter try to remind us of? (Hint: look back to verses 5-8) Why are these qualities so important to be reminded of?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read 2 Peter 1:12-21

1) What qualities does Peter try to remind us of? (Hint: look back to verses 5-8) Why are these qualities so important to be reminded of?

2) Why are reminders so important? Which of the things listed in verses 5-7 do you need to be reminded to live out?

3) How is Jesus central to this passage?

4) Read verses 19-20 again. How does what Peter says about God’s Word shape how you feel about it?

5) Why is what Peter says in these last verses so important to our understanding of God’s Word and the role it plays in our lives?

6) What are you going to do today to remind yourself of the power of God’s Word to help you live the truth of Jesus?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read 2 Peter 1:1-13, Colossians 3:10, & Galatians 5:16-17.

1) Have you ever described your faith as precious? How would you describe your faith in a sentence or two? Why was Peter’s faith precious to him?

2) Peter says that we have all that we need to live a Godly life. According to 2 Peter 1:3-4, what have we received that enables us to live this way?

3) What are some differences between our old nature and our new nature? Read Colossians 3:10 & Galatians 5:16-17.

4) According to 2 Peter 1:5-7, what should our response to God’s promises be? How can we supplement our faith with these characteristics?

5) In the teaching it was said, “Just because we have been given everything we need to live a godly life doesn’t mean that we are using everything we have been given to live a godly life.“ Have you seen the truth of that played out in your life? How?

6) How can you personally prove that you are among those that God has called and chosen (Vs 10)?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read Matthew 28:18-20

1) Do you agree with the notion that we already have enough churches in America? Why or why not?

2) In the teaching it was said that “By the intentional, creative design of God…every living thing reproduces itself, after its kind.” What are some different ways the Church acts like a living thing?

3) In the teaching it was said that regarding the great commission “Churches don’t make Disciples; Churches make Churches. It is Disciples that make Disciples.” How does that change your perspective of your role as part of a “church” and your role as an individual “disciple”?

4) What are you currently doing to reproduce followers of Jesus, or make disciples?

5) Who are the 2 or 3 people you regularly interact with that you could mentor or model what living a life of faith looks like? Are there things you should be doing or stop doing so that you can have them actually follow your example?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Acts 2:42-47

1) Have you ever found yourself in a place where you had fallen emotionally, mentally, or spiritually and you felt like you had no one to help you back up? What was that experience like?

2) Why did Jesus make relationships a priority? How did he model it for us?

3) Read Acts 2:42-47. Why did the early Church make relationships a priority? How was it modeled for us?

4) Are there ways that Jesus’ church could do better at relationships? What about our church? What about you?

5) When it comes to seeing needs and meeting them there are usually 2 types of responses- There is the Super-hero who wants to and thinks that they can be everyone’s problem solver and there are those that actually avoid putting themselves in a place to help. Which way do you lean? How can recognizing that we are all in this together help to balance your approach?

In light of this week's message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Read Luke 12:13-34

1) When you think of the word worship what comes to mind first? How has your definition of worship informed how you worship God? Why is it important that we define worship rather than just say that we are “people of worship”? How would you define worship?

2) Read Luke 12:21 again. What does this statement from Jesus’s teaching say about our worship, if we worship what we treasure?

3) In verse 29, Jesus tells us not to worry about having what we need. In the teaching, it was said that, “Worry distracts us from treasuring Jesus and it syphons the worship God deserves.” How do worry and worship relate to each other? Can they coexist? What is worrying you that is competing for the worship Jesus deserves?

4) Identify what it is you love and treasure the most this week by using this quote as a guide:

“How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most? Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or gods we love and worship.”

- Bob Kauflin

5) Now that you have honestly identified that thing, take it to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to replace that with Himself today!

Read James 1:19-20, Acts 2:42-47, Mark 9:35

1) Have you ever made a commitment to spend more time reading/studying your Bible? How has that worked out?

2) When it comes to the Bible, sometimes Christians struggle with being educated without obedience, and sometimes Christians struggle with ignorance without obedience. Have either of these ever described you or do either of these currently describe you?

3) In the teaching, it was said that “reading the Bible is not the end result; the end result is changed hearts, changed lives, and a changed world.” How can our spending time reading Scripture lead to those changes?

4) What are some ways that reading the gospels help us to understand the heart of Jesus and, in turn, help us to love and live like Him?

5) How can reading the book of Acts and the various letters written to churches and individuals help us know how we should live in the context of our families, churches, and communities?

6) What are some steps that you will personally take to ensure that you are a people of the Bible?