The Fundamentals of Citizenship — Pastor Trey Russell
Philippians 2:1-4
Sermon Series: Philippians
March 13, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  What is the argument Paul is making in verse 1? How do these realities function for you as motivation to live as a proper citizen of heaven?
2.  What does it mean to be “of the same mind”? What does it not mean?
3.  What is our unity in the church based on? How do we know this from the text?
4.  How does this unity allow us to reflect all kinds of diversity and weather all kinds of disagreement?
5.  What is the true enemy of unity? How do you see this working under the surface of your own heart?
6.  How does humility enable unity?

References: Phil. 3:20; Rom. 15:5; 1 Cor. 1:10; 1 Cor. 12:24-45; 1 Thess. 1:10; Rom. 5:9; Luke 14:21; Rom; 5:5; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph 4:1-3; Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor 12:18; 1 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 2:5-11

Citizens Together for the Gospel — Pastor Trey Russell
Philippians 1:27-30
Sermon Series: Philippians
March 6, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   What does Paul want the Philippian church to be known for?
2.   Consider the reality that, as Christians, we don’t belong here. How does this reality affect the way you live your everyday life?
3.   What is the relationship between being a citizen and living worthily as a citizen? In other words, what is the relationship between being and doing? If these two are mixed up, how does it distort the message of the gospel?
4.   How do we answer the call to steadfastness and being unafraid?
5.   What does it mean to strive after the gospel? What does it look like for us to raise the flag of the gospel on the battlefield?
6.   How does this text demonstrate that proper citizenship is done in community with others?
7.   How is suffering a gift from God? Have you ever considered grace from this angle? Have you ever seen how suffering well witnesses to the preciousness of the gospel?

References: Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12; Acts 16:21; Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-8; Col. 1:13; Matt. 10:22; 1 Pt. 4:12; Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 5:20-21; 2 Cor. 2:15-16.

Resurrection and Regret — Pastor Tony Carter
John 11:1-27
Sermon Series: Stand alone
February 27, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1. How do you define regret? What are some big regrets in the Bible? What are some regrets in your own life?
2. Have you ever experienced a delay in God's help to you? (see Ps. 13:12) How did you handle the delay? What did you learn about God and yourself?
3. How is the resurrection a source of hope in this life?  In what ways does the Bible describe the resurrection that might encourage us to hope?
4. Do you look forward to the resurrection? Why?

The Christ of Life and Death — Pastor Trey Russell
Philippians 1:18b-26
Sermon Series: Philippians
February 20, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How does vv.12-18 and vv.18b-26 function together as a unit? What do they have in common and what are their different focus points?
2.   While in prison, what is Paul’s singular aspiration and how do we know this? How might his mention of “deliverance” be misleading?
3.   What two things give Paul confidence in his “deliverance” and why? How does this reinterpret shame and failure for the Christian?
4.   Why is “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” a universal maxim for every Christian? What do Jesus’ comments in Luke 14 15-33 have to do with this?
5.   How can death be gain? How does this help you think of your earthly pursuits, even good ones?
6.   What will be the fruit of Paul living and returning to the Philippians, as he expects to do? What does this tell us about our relationships in the church? Are we pursuing relationships like this? 

References: Phil. 2:9-11, 3:8; Rev. 5:11-13; Luke 14:25-33; 2 Cor. 5:8

The Apostle’s Praise — Pastor Lonnie D. Bell, Jr.
Romans 16:25-27
Sermon Series: Romans (90th Sermon)
February 13, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   Which portions of Romans have most impacted you over the last two years? How can you make this epistle a key part of your life moving forward?
2.   What does Paul’s doxology say about his ultimate priority? How does this give greater meaning and direction to our lives?
3.   How does God strengthen/establish us? Why should this motivate us to make better use of our time?
4.   Where do we see God’s sovereignty in this passage? Why should his wisdom free us from worry?
5.   In what ways does Paul end the letter where he began? How does the end of v. 26 bring us all the way back to Genesis 12:3?

References: Romans 11:33-36; 1:11, 3; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Galatians 4:4; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:12; Genesis 12:3.

The Apostle’s Care — Pastor Lonnie D Bell, Jr.
Romans 16:17-23
Sermon Series: Romans (89th Sermon)
February 6, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How has the end of Romans given us insight into the heart of Paul and of Christianity itself?
2.   What does Paul warn his readers against, and what does he instruct them to do? How does this encourage humility and devotion to sound doctrine?
3.   How are the false teachers described? What is the relationship between division and false teaching?
4.   What does it look like to be naive? How have you seen people deceived and led astray “by smooth talk and flattery” (v. 18)?
5.   How does Paul view the Roman Christians? What reassurances are provided for believers in v. 20?
6.   How are the final greetings from Paul’s friends related to the previous warning?
7.   What do Gaius and Erastus tell us about the makeup of the early church?

References: Galatians 5:20; Philippians 2:2-3; Romans 8:13; 1:25, 8; 15:14; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Romans 12:9; Matthew 10:16; Romans 5:2; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16; Acts 16:1-3; Philippians 2:22.

The Apostle’s Greetings, Pt. 2 — Pastor Lonnie D Bell, Jr.
Romans 16:1-16
Sermon Series: Romans (88th Sermon)
January 30, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   What do you find most surprising, interesting, or edifying in this list of names? Are there any that stand out to you?
2.   How does this passage reflect the diversity of the Roman church? Considering the rest of the letter, how might this diversity have given rise to tension and division?
3.   What does it say about God’s purposes that many of these people were likely slaves or former slaves? How does this relate to 1 Corinthians 1:26-29?
4.   Where do we see reference to multiple house churches? Where do we find evidence that Christianity had made its way into “Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22)?
5.   What language does Paul use to emphasize unity amid diversity? How can we lose sight of the one great unifier?
6.   How does Paul’s directive in v. 16 build on his example? What is the “holy kiss,” and what are the implications for us today?
7.   How does the final sentence keep both the universal and the local church in view?

References: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Mark 15:21; Philippians 4:22; Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 5:14.

The Apostle’s Greetings, Pt. 1 — Pastor Lonnie D Bell, Jr.
Romans 16:1-16
Sermon Series: Romans (87th Sermon)
January 23, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   Why are we tempted to fly over passages like this? In the words of Chrysostom, how have you discovered “treasure” in these sorts of texts?
2.   In what ways was Christianity countercultural in its appreciation and elevation of women? How is this reflected in these greetings?
3.   How is Phoebe described? Should we view her as a deacon/deaconess?
4.   What was the history between Paul and Prisca and Aquila? Why is this couple in Rome, and how does Paul’s mention of them help to draw support for his ministry/mission?
5.   What does this list of names tell us about the Christian life? Why should it raise our affections for God’s people?

References: Acts 18:27; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13; Acts 6:3; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:11; Acts 18:24-26; Romans 15:14; Acts 18:1

The Apostle’s Prayer Requests — Pastor Lonnie D Bell, Jr.
Romans 15:30-33
Sermon Series: Romans (86th Sermon)
January 16, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   Why was Romans written? How is theology woven together with practical ministry and missions?
2.   How does Paul’s plea for prayer push us towards community? What does it mean to say that praying for one another is “basic Christianity”?
3.   In what ways is prayer labor and warfare? How can we grow discouraged if we mistakenly view it as easy?
4.   What are Paul’s two requests? What was the outcome, and what are the implications for us?
5.   Where do we see Paul’s overarching concern to further the gospel? How does he view his own life?
6.   How can our GCs grow as places of joy and refreshment?

References: Romans 1:9-10; Colossians 4:12; Ephesians 6:12, 18-19; Acts 20:22-24; Acts 21:13, 21; Ephesians 2:14; Romans 1:12; 15:29; 1:10; Matthew 6:10; Acts 21:17; 28:14-15.

The Apostle’s Plans — Pastor Lonnie D Bell, Jr.
Romans 15:22-29
Sermon Series: Romans (85th Sermon)
January 9, 2022

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  How should Paul’s example guide our goals and resolutions for the new year?
2.  What has hindered Paul from visiting the Romans? How does this illustrate the importance of our personal desires taking a back seat to God’s will?
3.  What two reasons were given for wanting to visit Rome? How does this encourage us to prioritize missions and edification?
4.  How does this passage challenge us not to have merely social relationships within the church?
5.  Why is the collection for the Jerusalem Christians so important to Paul? How does it play into his larger work as the Apostle to the Gentiles?

References: Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Romans 1:5, 9-11, 12; James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17; Acts 11:28-29; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:2-4; Romans 11:17; John 4:22; Romans 15:6.