Hyde Park United Methodist

Our generosity begins with the generosity of God, who calls us to be in a special relationship together, for the benefit of the world. This is the basis of the important biblical concept of covenant, seen most vividly in the call of Abraham. And just as Abraham gave a tenth of his belongings as a response to God’s covenant, we are called to be generous as a response to God’s goodness. 

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
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Reflection Questions:

1. How have you experienced God’s unconditional love for you? In what ways do you struggle with believing that?

2. How have you seen God loving all people through this church?

3. How will you respond with gratitude and generosity to God’s love in your life?

As we recognize and celebrate of missions partners this week, we are reminded of the Great Commission. As followers of Jesus, we are charged with bringing the scriptural truth to all the world.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Reflection Questions:
1. What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘missions’?

2. In what way is God calling you to be a light that shines for others?

3. What missions partnerships in our church will you learn more about and get involved in?

Jesus calls us to forgive, no questions asked, or excuses accepted. It is a requirement of all those who would choose to call themselves Christian.

HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Reflection Questions:
1. What do you think is the relationship between 1) God’s forgiveness of us, and 2) our forgiveness of others?
 
2. What for you is the most difficult aspect of forgiveness?
 
3. What steps will you take to move toward forgiveness between you and someone else?

Love is the chief distinguishing feature of a follower of Jesus. It is one whom, in Wesley’s words, the “love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts.” The Great Commandment (attested in each of the synoptic gospels) is a vivid expression of this call to love.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful

Reflection Questions:
1. How does the way you love a person change as your relationship changes over time?
 
2. In what way is time more a “pressure” than a “privilege” to you these days?
 
3. How will you spend more time sharing it in love for God and others?

God calls us to seek the way of justice, which is a central norm of the Hebrew scriptures and an integral part of Jesus’ vision for the kingdom.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful

Reflection Questions:
1. What is your understanding of justice? What new things did you discover about justice that are helpful?

2. How will you live a just life, in the way God intends you to live?

3. How will you help create a just community, helping others to be a full and equal part of it?

We are called by God to contribute to the flourishing of all human beings, because every person is of sacred worth.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful

Reflection Questions: 
1. How do you understand the sacredness of life to be an essential part of Christian character and ethics?  
 
2. When have you ever felt “out of tune” with God’s image in you? When have you felt “in tune”?
 
3. How will you contribute to the flourishing of those around you?
 

We live in a world where adherence to agreed notions of truth is elusive. We are more prone to seeing deceit, delusion, and distraction rather than truth. Good and faithful Christians claim the truth of God, even if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful

Reflection Questions:
1. In what ways do you see a need for more truthfulness in our world today?
 
2. How do you think truthfulness and trustworthiness are related?
 
3. What will you do to be a more truthful person?

God has made us to be a spectacle “theatron” of the world, so we should model the kind of holy life to which we have been called.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithful

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you think constitutes good character?

2. Which of the five qualities do you emulate best, and which do you have to work on?

3. What would it mean for you to be a “light of the world” this week?

Jesus calls us to love our enemies, those who are hardest to love, despite what they might have done to us.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Reflection Questions:
1. Who are the enemies in your life?

2. What does Jesus mean when he says, “pray for those who persecute you”?

3. How can you pray for your enemies this week?

Jesus calls us to a selfless love, which regards the dignity and worth of others, regardless of our differences.

HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Reflection Questions:

1. Which character(s) in the Good Samaritan story do you most identify with?

 
2. When have you been helped by a person who is different from you in some way?

 
3. What next step will you take to love others across our differences?