Main Point: If we know God’s love, we will increasingly love like Him.

Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What ideas challenged you or encouraged you?

How do the world’s ideas about love differ from God’s? How are they similar?

Read 1 John 2:7-11. How is the command to love others both and old command and a new command? What is a biblical definition of love (agape)?

What does it mean if a person claims to walking in the light (have a relationship with God) and regularly hates his or her brother or sister? How does John describe a person who walking in the light? How does he describe a person walking in the darkness?

Read 1 John 2:12-14. In these verses it seems that John is referring to Christians at different levels of maturity and not biological age. With that in mind, what does John say to each of the different groups? How are these things true of all Believers?

Which description in these verses means the most to you? Why?

Read 1 John 2:15-16. What does John mean when he uses the term “World”? What does it mean to love the world? What does it revel about a person if he or she loves the world?

What three things does John use to describe the world? Can you see these things in the culture around you? What ways can a Christian work against the world’s influence?

What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Questions:

1. Read 1 John 1:1-5. Why do you think John places so much emphasis and importance on what has already been preached and heard?

2. Read 1 John 1:6-7. What does claiming to have fellowship with Christ look like in our culture? What does John say indicates the truthfulness of those claims? What is "walking in darkness"?

3. Read 1 John 1:8-10. How does modern culture view sin? What would modern culture claim concerning what John says?

4. John tells his readers in 1 John 2:1-2 that while he desires their purity. What role does Christian purity (or its pursuit) play in Christian faith?

5. Read 1 John 2:3-6. Why is obedience to God so important for a Christian?

6.Review the 3 lies combated in this week's passage:

Lie #1. God is ok with sin/God can abide sin

Lie #2. It is possible to be sinless apart from Christ

Lie #3. The way I live my life doesn’t affect my Christianity

Which is most common broadly in our culture?

Which one is most common among Christians?

7. How do you think Jesus would respond to someone under the influence of these lies?

8. How can you put into practice the things you learned this week? How can you work to combat the 3 lies in your own life?

Main Point: The Gospel connects us to God and with others in authentic community.

Questions:

1.    What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about the Apostle John and the background of book of 1 John?

2.    How would you describe the incarnation of Jesus? Why is the incarnation important to understanding the Gospel?

3.    Read 1 John 1:1-2. Who or what is the Word of Life that John described in these verses? Why did John emphasize that the Word of life could be touched, heard, and seen?

4.    How does the Gospel of John 1:1-3 relate to 1 John 1:1-2? How is the “In the Beginning” of John 1:1 different from the “From the beginning” of 1 John 1:1?

5.    Read 1 John 1:3-4. What was the goal of John proclaiming the message of the Gospel (“eternal life”) to the churches? What does the word fellowship mean?

6.    How does the Gospel create and sustain true fellowship? What can happen in churches where the Gospel is not central?

7.    How is joy connected to fellowship with God and with other Christians?

8.    What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

9.    By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: Silence and Solitude refines and deepens our faith by removing distractions and renewing our focus.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about silence and solitude?

2. Which is harder for you - being silent or being alone? What are the purposes of the habit of silence and solitude?

3. How does silence and solitude help us to battle against busyness and distraction?

4. Read Luke 5:12-16. What did Jesus do in this passage? After the healing, people came to Jesus for healing. How did Jesus respond? What does this tell us about the importance of silence and solitude?

5. Read Matt 14:13, 23 and Mark 1:25. What do these passages tell us about Jesus’ pattern of life? Why do you think silence and solitude were so important for Jesus?

6. Read Acts 7:27-30 and Galatians 1:11–20. How long did Moses and Paul spend in solitude and silence? How did their time in solitude and silence prepare them for what God has called them to?

7. Read Psalm 46:10. What does it mean to “be still”? How good are you at being still?

8. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

9. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: Fasting helps us to seek God and desire Him above all things.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about fasting?

2. What is fasting? Name a few reasons Christians fast?

3. Read Matthew 6:16-18. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus is talking about the three main forms of Jewish piety: giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting.

4. What principle extends to all three activities? Why is this principle significant?

5. Why would people who are fasting want other people to know they are fasting? What reward do they receive when they let people know they are fasting?

6. What is the reward of fasting when only God knows a person is fasting?

7. Read Acts 13:1-3. At a pivotal point, the church gathered together to worship and fast. What happened while to church was worshipping and fasting?

8. What does this tell us about one of the possible goals of fasting?

9. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

10. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: All that we have is a gift of God meant to be used for his glory and our good.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about stewardship?

2. How do you define stewardship? Give an example of something you steward.

3. Read Psalm 24:1. What difference does it make that God owns everything? How does this understanding impact the way Christians live and their understanding of possessions?

4. Read Psalm 90:12 and 139:16. What do these verses tell you about stewarding your time? How does knowing your time on earth is limited affect your stewardship of your time?

5. Read 1 Peter 4:10-12. How are Christians supposed to use the gifts that God has given them? What two broad categories of spiritual gifts does Peter talk about in these verses?

6. Read Matthew 6:19-24. What does Jesus say about the effect that money can have on the heart? How can money become a rival to God?

7. Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10. What perspective does Paul give us about money and possessions in these verses? How is “the love of money the root of all evil”?

8. How does knowing that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can talk nothing out of it” affect our understanding of stewardship?

9. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

10. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: Evangelism grows our love for God and shows our love for others.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about evangelism?

2. What is evangelism? How would you define the Gospel message that Christians share when they evangelize?

3. What experience have you had with sharing the Gospel? How do feel about sharing the Gospel? What do you think keeps people from sharing the Gospel?

4. Read John 3:16-18. What is the good news communicated in these verses? What is the bad news? How are people saved?

5. Read John 14:16. What is Jesus saying in this passage? Is Jesus the only way to eternal life? How do you feel about the exclusivity of Jesus’ words? Is it hard to believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved?

6. Read Matthew 28:18-20. These verses are known as the Great Commission. What does Jesus command his Disciples to do in this passage? How do we make disciples?

7. Read 1 Peter 3:13-17. Do you think the current culture is hostile to Christians? How does Peter instruct the Christians to live while enduring persecution?

8. What is the hope Peter writes about? How can Christians be prepared to give an answer for the hope they have in Christ? How is this answer to be given?

9. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

10. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: Through Worship, God transforms our affections and connects us more deeply to himself.

Questions:

What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about worship?

What does it mean to worship? God has created humanity to worship, and everyone worships something. How can you get an idea of what a person worships?

Read Romans 12:1. What does this verse communicate about worship? What does Paul mean by “God’s mercy”? What does Jesus’ sacrifice tell us about the character of God?

What does it mean to offer yourself to God as a “living sacrifice”? How is offering oneself to God “true and proper worship”?

Read John 4:1-26. What did you learn about Jesus from this passage? What did you learn about worship? What does Jesus’ discussion with the Samaritan woman teach us about the location of worship?

True worshippers worship God in “Spirit and Truth.” What does this mean? Why are both elements important?

Read Hebrews 10:24-25. What is the author of Hebrews encouraging his listeners to do? Why is it important to meet together regularly with other Christians to worship? How did Jesus model this?

What are some common reasons for missing church? What are the consequences of sporadic church attendance? Why is it important to encourage each other?

What did you learn about God in these verses? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: Prayer deepens our relationship with God and has impact the world around us.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the message this weekend? What did you learn about prayer?

2. How would you describe your prayer life right now? What do you find good or frustrating with your prayer life?

3. Read Matthew 6:9. What did Jesus teach you about your relationship with God in this verse? How does knowing God relates to us as perfect and loving Father impact your prayer life?

4. Read Matthew 7:7-12. What do these verses tell us about the results of prayer? What does it reveal about the character of God and his desire to care for his children?

5. Does this mean your prayers will always be answered the way you want? Why is it a good thing that God does not always do what we ask for?

6. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. What does it mean to “pray continually”? Why does God command us to pray? What does praying continually look like to you?

7. Read Philippians 4:6-7. From these verses, what are some of the benefits of connecting with God in prayer? How can prayer lead us to a deeper sense of God’s peace in our lives?

8. Are there any other verses that come to your mind when you think about prayer? How has the Bible shaped your understanding of prayer?

9. What did you learn about God in these verses? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

10. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?