Jesus 120

The parable of The Good Samaritan is familiar to most people who have spent time in church, however, this week, Andrew helped us take a deeper dive into what it really means to love your neighbor as yourself. The true and generous love from the Father flows out of us when we meet Him with a heart of total devotion, and with that overflow, the inconvenience of helping others becomes the most convenient thing because love becomes our highest priority.

Discussion Questions

Key verses: Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 22:37-40, Philippians 2:3,4

1. Andrew said that the command in Luke 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself,” was the foundation of our Christian life. Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? If you agree, why?

2. Love for our neighbors comes out of a place of overflow from the Lord. How has this been true in your life? Have you experienced difficulty in loving others when you try to do it of your own strength?

3. Andrew discussed how moments with the Lord look differently in different phases of life (fishing, skateboarding, hiking). What do your moments with the Lord look like now? Have they changed in your life? Are there times in your day that you could turn your focus on Him or that you feel Him calling you to give to Him? When you have been willing to turn that time over to Him in the past, how has it changed your attitude towards others and your circumstance?

4. What does the statement, “ Not in a hurry, even in the busyness” mean to you? Do you feel that you are capable of shifting your mindset to this type of attitude? Why or why not?

5. Why is self-hatred a tool of the enemy? What power do we have against those attacks? How have you seen self-hatred rob you or someone else?

6. The Samaritan showed love to the Jewish man on the road with his time, treasure, and talent. Why is it important to include all three of these and not just rush through helping others to check a box? How have you seen the Lord bless when you are willing to slow down and invest your time and energy into getting to know the person or people you are trying to help?

God made us to live and rule in a wonderful environment, enjoying the benefits of a good life with him as our guide. Now in our sin-soaked world, his plan still hasn’t changed, but the way to this kind of life is hidden from many of us. In today’s sermon, we explore Jesus as our way back home and discover the awesome power of living life to the fullest even in a hostile world. May we purpose to follow him and discover the kingdom of God in our midst.

Discussion Questions:

1) What stood out to you from this week’s sermon? Was there something specific you felt like Jesus was saying to you?

2) What does the story of Genesis and God’s creation of mankind teach us about him? What does it teach us about ourselves? How does the story of God’s original plan for us to live in a beautiful garden environment help us today?

3) How did Jesus live his life like we were meant to in the garden? How was this possible even in a now hostile world? How does this help us to experience God’s Kingdom now ourselves? (See: John 5:19, 8:28-29, 14:6-7)

4) Jesus called us to follow him - how can we practically do that in our lives? Why is this difficult? What do you think it means to violently take hold of the Kingdom of God (see: Matthew 11:12 & Luke 16:16)? Why does following Jesus require sacrifice? What might I have to sacrifice now to follow him more fully?

We kicked off a new sermon series this Sunday exploring Jesus' primary message to us “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In this series, we will be exploring what it means to live in the kingdom of God. Jesus told us it was a narrow path that few find, and yet it was open and available to all. Today we discuss Jesus' role as our master - teaching, guiding, and empowering us to live as his apprentices in life!

Discussion Questions:

1) What do you think it means that God’s Kingdom is hidden? If it’s available to everyone, then why does Jesus tell us that the way is narrow and few find it (Matt. 7:13-14)? What are some of the obstacles that keep us from finding and following this narrow way?

2) Jesus is called “Master" throughout the Gospels - what does that title mean to you? In the sermon we looked at 3 different words used to describe master:

a) master as a highly intelligent doctorate level teacher

b) master as a commander with power and authority

c) master as a “Rabbi” - someone I would choose to be an apprentice to and would follow with respect and devotion

Did any of these descriptions of Jesus surprise you? How do these impact your relationship with him? What does it look like for me to take him on as "My Great Master”?

3) Is there a difference between Jesus being my Savior and my Master? What does it mean to give Jesus the role of Master in my life? What does that require of me if I’m going to be an apprentice? (See: Matthew 13:10-16)

4) Read Colossians 3:1-4. What is Paul describing about my life in Jesus? What happens if I purpose to follow Jesus and discover his hidden kingdom in my life?

This week Pastor Jake gave a State of the Church update. It was a time of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year ahead. We are believing for the Lord’s continued direction and empowerment, and that we all may find our place in this church community!

Discussion Questions:

1. Thinking back over 2020, what are some high points of your year? What are some of the biggest challenges faced?

2. What goals do you have for this New Year? What would you like to see change this year – things you would add, remove, or adjust? What part do you play in accomplishing those goals?

3. Were there details from Sunday’s message that you have questions about?

4. What are you specifically praying for this year?

In light of the events at the Capitol this week and the overall turmoil of this last year, we do well to remember our eternal king Jesus and his unshakeable kingdom. Let’s purpose to fear God and not men, align our lives with his kingdom instead of investing our hope in temporary security, and realize that being spiritually minded empowers us in practical ways to live lives of peace and purpose no matter the circumstances around us. "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

Discussion Questions:

1. What stood out to you most from this week’s sermon? What do you think the Lord was trying to speak to you through this?

2. On Sunday we talked about the difference between earthy things that will be shaken and won’t last compared to Jesus’ eternal Kingdom that is unshakeable. In light of that, is there something the Lord is showing you that is shaking that maybe you need to let go of or re-prioritize? What steps can you take to walk that out?

3. How does the spiritual reality of Jesus’ future kingdom help us in the circumstances we face now today? How can we find peace and purpose in practical ways in times of chaos? (Consider these passages from Sunday’s sermon: Hebrews 13:1-8 and 1 Timothy 2:1-6)

4. Read Hebrews 12:28 & 13:15 and then discuss the role worship plays in our lives when things around us are in turmoil. How has the Lord used worship in your life during hard times? What does it look like in your life to offer God a sacrifice of praise?

This Sunday we completed our year-long series of walking through the Bible together. As we dove into the Book of Revelation, we focused on the primary message of this letter from John - beholding Jesus. In past, present, and future Jesus stands as our reigning King, may we faithfully endure and worship Him at all times in every season.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the 3 main aspects of Jesus we talked about in this week's sermon? (Son of Man, the Lamb, and the Lion)

2. What is the significance of Jesus being the Son of Man? How is He like us and why does that matter? How is He unlike us, and why is that so important?

3. Why is it essential for us that He is also the Lamb who was slain? What does that tell us about how he views us? (See: Rev 12:10-11)

4. The Book also describes Jesus as a Lion - and when He returns He is bringing justice. Why is the mercy and judgment of Jesus so important? Can these 2 aspects of Him co-exist or is it a contradiction? Is God’s coming judgment fair?

5. There are lots of descriptive images from this Book that we discussed on Sunday (The Woman, The Dragon, The Beast, etc.). What stood out to you? How is that significant for your walk with Jesus?

6. What are some examples of “beasts" that we face today - are there any, in particular, you have struggled with?

7. In light of this Book - how should we respond as followers of Jesus?

This Sunday we explore the topic of revelation - the power and importance of seeing Jesus for who he really is. There is an eternal promise for us in Jesus that can renew our strength to endure as we await His return.  There is also a work of revelation that God is doing in our lives right now, and though painful at the moment, it is sure to produce something glorious. So, as followers of Jesus, let’s be purposeful to allow His light to shine through our lives, so that others lost in darkness may have a life-changing revelation too!

This Sunday we dove into the book of Hebrews and explored how Jesus as our perfect and eternal High Priest has provided rest for us. So much of our life can be wrapped up in striving - to face our own sin and struggles, to grapple with the difficulties of the world around us, even just to maintain and endure during hard seasons. Yet, Jesus offers us peace and hope in the midst of the storms of this life. As Hebrews 6:19-20 says, Jesus has gone before us into the holy place as an anchor for our souls - may we find comfort and rest in the presence of God now and always!

Discussion Questions:

1) What stood out to you from this week’s reading or sermon? Was there something specific Jesus was showing you or asking you to do?

2) Why is Jesus' role as our eternal and perfect (sinless) high priest so important for us? Because He is the king of righteousness and peace, how can we receive that from him? How does that help us in our day to day life?

3) What does Sabbath rest mean for us? How can we receive that rest from the Lord?

4) As followers of Jesus, how can we live out Hebrews 2:1? How can we do that in our daily walk with the Lord? What role do we play in each other's lives to help each other walk this out (See: Hebrews 10:23-25)?

5) Can you share a moment from your life when the presence of God was an anchor for you in a hard time? How did the Lord share his peace or righteousness with you at that time? (See: Hebrew 6:19-20)

Thanks for joining us this week as we explore Paul’s second letter to Timothy. There is a great need in the church for people to step into their God-given areas of influence with real purpose. In this letter, Paul emphasizes some key aspects of leadership that we would do well to walk in. We are all called to have Kingdom influence in our lives, so let’s purpose to tend our faith, pour into others, and be rooted in gospel truth.

Our world is in desperate need of hope. Not some pie in the sky wishful thinking in order to cope in a hard world, but instead something solid and lasting that can offer real hope in the midst of life’s difficulties. As we discuss in today’s sermon, Jesus is the only source of true lasting hope. We can discover this hope as we trust in the promise of heaven, believe in the glorious work Jesus is doing in us, and cooperate with Him to live a fruitful life sharing this hope with a world in need.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the phrase “hope deferred makes the heart sick” mean to you? Have you experienced this before? How can we “wait on the Lord” in order to have our hope renewed?

2. Why does the promise of heaven provide us with hope now? Have you ever struggled with heaven’s hope being real to you? When the Bible describes Christians as citizens of heaven, how does that affect us while we are still living on this earth? How does heaven offer us a proper view of the difficulties of this life?

3. “Christ in me the hope of Glory” is the main theme of Paul’s message to the Colossians. How does this concept give me hope in my life today? What is Jesus trying to accomplish in my life through his presence that should fill me with hope? How can this help me in the middle of even the most difficult circumstances? How can we experience and grow in this area of our Christian walk? (see: John 15:7-15)

4. Much of our life is filled with the pursuit of things that don’t last - how can we find hope by investing our time in something that will be fruitful? (Remember what’s eternal: people) In light of this, how can we better structure the pursuits in our life to invest in sharing hope with other people? What changes might you need to make in your life now?