Grace South Bay

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

1. What time/experience/person do you think of when you think of joy in your life?
2. The past two years have left most of us restless; how has it pushed you started to search for joy/security/control?
3. Eternity is described in Rev. 19 as 'the wedding feast of the lamb' - what about that description is exciting?
4. When have you tried to recreate the circumstances that produced joy in the past?
5. Spend a few minutes thinking of recent time you were joy-full - ask Jesus to help you see that earthly joy as a window into eternal joy. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the taste of eternity. 

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

1.     If you are a Christian, how did you become one?  Do you have a conversion story?
 
2.     In what ways have you felt seen by Jesus, or not?
 
3.    When you think of Jesus call on your life, is it to come and see and be with him, or is it something else?
 
4.    How can or do you specifically spend time with Jesus?  Can you bring others along?
 
5.     If you’ve been a Christian for a while, do you sometimes suspect that your best spiritual moments and endeavors are behind you?  Why?
 
6.    Are you in the habit of expecting Jesus to show up in your life, and seeing him work in and around you? 

Q&A from the June 20 sermon, "Bloodbath" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

1.   Why do you think it’s so hard for the world (and us) to recognize who is Christ?  
 
2.    Is there anything or anyone in the world you confuse with the work or person of Christ?
 
3.    Have you ever experienced a change in your sense of identity as you experienced some success or notoriety?
 
4.    In what situations do you need to be reminded that you are not Christ?
 
5.    What captivates you?  How does it shape your life?
 
6.    Can you imagine for yourself being captivated by Jesus like John is?  Do you want that?  If so, what do you hope to do about    it? 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

1.     Do you see any ramifications for us today between everything starting from nothing rather than a community of love?
 
2.    How does it change your view of God to think of him as an eternal, loving relationship of three persons instead of an individual     in solitude before creation?
 
3.    How does your view and way of going through creation change if its purpose and design is of Jesus?  
 
4.     Do you think that darkness/evil in creation is inconsistent with a loving God?  If not, how do you reconcile them?
 
5.     To be a child of God is to be included in this eternal bond of trinitarian love and fullness and beauty. Is that what abundant life means to you?  If not, what does abundant life mean to you?

Q&A from the June 13 sermon, "That's Far Enough" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.33So Moses finished the work.34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

1.    When do you feel distant from God?  When do you feel close?  
 
2.     Do you usually feel like you must ascend to God?  Is it easy to think that God descends and condescends to you?
 
3.    What is your capacity to enjoy and fellowship with God?  Does that strike you as something worth prioritizing?
 
4.    Does being reminded that God always goes with you bring you confidence in thinking about your future and decisions you have to make?
 
5.    Does filling the earth with God’s glory seem like a fitting destination?  What destination(s) are you usually assuming you are journeying toward?
 
6.    How do you understand yourself being filled with God’s glory?

1.    How do you feel about God having specific instructions and commands for us about worship? Good or bad?
 
2.    Do you sometimes struggle with compartmentalizing the spiritual and worship away from the rest of your life?
 
3.    What is some of the work and what are some of the tasks that you take pride and joy in doing well?  Do you see this as imaging God?
 
4.     Do you think God is in the specifics and particulars of your life, or more in the general and universals of humanity broadly?
 
5.    How often is your response to God grateful, habitual or begrudging?  What can you do to respond to God more out of gratitude?
 
6.     Do you live in a world of scarcity?
 
7.     Do you trust God to supply everything he asks of you?

Q&A from the June 6 sermon, "Safe Inside" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

1. Does it make sense in God’s self-revelation that he would speak of both grace and judgment?  Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with that? 
2. Do you struggle with thinking grace or mercy is a right or entitlement?  Do you struggle thinking you have to earn grace or mercy?  
 3. Why is it uncomfortable for us that God’s grace is free and entirely up to him? Does it have to be that way?
 4. Does it seem odd that we would need a mediator with God?  Why is Jesus the truer and better mediator than Moses or Abraham or anyone else?  What benefits does he bring that no one else does?
 5. How is God’s grace integral to his mission?  Are you unimpressed with God’s grace toward you?
 6. What are ways you and our church could more deeply express our own grace-marked identity?