Jesus 120

Today we explore several Bible prophecies that Jesus fulfilled on Palm Sunday about 2,000 years ago. Let's consider the impact and relevance for us today when we truly appreciate the accomplishment of such specific and powerful promises. God’s past faithfulness should encourage us that we can trust in Him during our present circumstances and the seemingly uncertain future that is in His more than capable hands.

Discussion Questions:

1. Consider the 3 main Bible prophecies from this sermon that Jesus fulfilled on Palm Sunday: An Eternal King from David’s family, the King arriving on a donkey, and Jesus’ arrival on the exact day that Daniel predicted over 500 years earlier. For each of these prophecies answer the following 3 questions:

a) Why is that prophecy special or important?

b) What does this reveal about God’s character?

c) How are these old Bible prophecies relevant to us today? What impact do they

have on our lives?

2. In the sermon, we discussed Jesus' present Kingdom - which is subtle, hidden, and not very obvious. How do we live in that Kingdom - what impact does it have on your life?

3. We also talked about Jesus' future return in full glory and power - how does his future return impact how we love our lives today?

4. Jesus warned his followers that there would be future trouble prior to his return. He described some of the very circumstances we find ourselves living in now. How does that affect us today, and why did Jesus say that this could give us peace in troubled times?

In this week’s sermon, we explore a key difference between King Saul and King David as it relates to worshipping God. How can we become people for whom worship is a way of life, instead of an occasional experience when we gather together? We pray that the Lord will speak to you through this message and that we could hear His invitation into a meaningful life of worship.

Lifegroup Questions:

1. What are the biggest differences between how Saul and David approach worship? What are some of the obstacles Saul faced that seem to keep him from true worship? Do you struggle with any of those?

2. While David faced many of the same struggles Saul did, he maintained a heart for God and had the life of a worshipper. What were 2 keys for him to keep his heart with all vigilance?

3. How can you practice meditation on God and His Word? What’s the difference between reading the bible (or listening to a sermon), and meditating on God? Is there something you could do differently to make space for this in your life?

4. A key part of spending time meditating on God is inviting him to address the issues of our hearts. Is there anything he is showing you right now that needs to change? How can we experience God cleansing or renewing our hearts?

5. What does it mean to express ourselves in worship? Is that something you are comfortable with - either alone or with others? What is a step you can take to practice expressing your love to God? What role does music and singing play in how we express worship to God?

6. What is the most challenging thing for you from this sermon? What step do you think God is asking you to take right now?

In today’s message, we take a look at the time of the Judges and the terrible tragedy that marked this season of Israel’s history. May it serve as both a warning for us and a reminder that we have a great Deliverer and Redeemer who provides for us in all seasons.

Questions:

1. What was God speaking to you through the sermon or your daily reading this week?

2. How can you apply that to your life right now - what is God asking you to do?

This past week we read through the Book of Joshua and on Sunday we took a look at Caleb's life.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you think if a time in your life when God fulfilled a promise you had waited along time for?

2. Is there a current promise you are waiting for now? What comfort can we find from David’s words in Psalm 119 - is there a particular verse you can relate to right now?

3. Can you think of any examples of Giants in your life? Past ones you have conquered? Current ones you are facing?

4. Looking at Caleb’s response to the giants he had to face (Joshua 14:10-12) are there any specific steps God is calling you to take in order to conquer them? Where do you need his help? What strength can you find in him for victory?

5. Have you experienced finding refuge in other people at times in your life? Why is it valuable to be with others who have experienced similar challenges and obstacles in life? How did that help you through your own battle?

6. Have you considered that God may want to use you to be a refuge for someone else? What could that look like? How could you partner with Jesus in your life right now to be a source of refugee?

As Moses neared the end of his life, he challenged the people of Israel to look ahead to their time in the promised land and to look up by trusting God and the promises He made to them. Moses began His adventure with God crippled by fear, but as his life came to an end, we can see how his trust in God had changed his outlook on life completely. Moses chose to take on the life that God offered him and, in the end, declared to his people that their God was worth knowing and fully trusting.

Key verses: Deut. 30:11-20, Romans 10:5-10, Deut. 34:4-6, 10-12, Luke 9:18-25, 28-31

Sermon Questions:

1. What did Moses’ attitude look like when God first spoke to him in the burning bush?

2. How did his outlook change from then to the end of his life? Why did he have such a drastic change of heart?

3. What is Moses saying about God in Deut. 30-12-14? Do you agree with the idea that God doesn’t require us to go to the ends of the earth to follow him? Why or why not?

3. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10:5-10 but makes it even more attainable through Christ. How is our journey through life similar to the Israelites journey? How has Jesus delivered you from slavery? How has he guided you through the wilderness?

4. Do you agree with the statement that the choice to follow Christ is one that must be made daily? Why or why not? How do you choose to follow Christ daily? What could you change in your life to choose Him in more ways?

5. Moses’ life ended without him entering the promised land, but he chose to trust God anyway. Have you seen someone go through their whole life and not enter their version of the promised land? How did that make you feel? Why do you think Moses was still choosing to trust in God even without that?

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

We are all on our own personal journeys of faith, and often we forget that we are a part of a bigger picture of God’s plans. In the beginning of Deuteronomy, we learn about Moses’ time as the leader of Israel coming to an end. His journey with these people was a difficult and rocky road, but Moses wanted to remind the people of the legacy left by the generations before them, how to navigate the obstacles ahead of them, and how to maintain success and avoid complacency. These are lessons that Jesus also restates when He is tempted in the wilderness. This week, we learned about these lessons and why it is so important to run our own race with intention and diligently looking to the Lord for our guidance.

Key Verses: Deut. 3:2,28, 4:1-2, 9, 31 Matt. 4:1-10, 8:2-5, Deut. 6:13-19

Sermon questions:

1. Do you agree that one of the most important transitions in your life was when your faith changed from the faith of your parent’s or a spiritual leader into your own? Talk about your own personal transition. How did that journey look for you and what happened in your life to initiate that change?

2. What are some important lessons you have learned from the generations of faith before you? What are some things you wanted to do differently (remember to not speak in a negative way about others or name them), and how can you learn from the things you didn’t want to repeat, but avoid swinging too far in the other direction?

3. The three temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness were dealing with the lust of the flesh (be careful what you eat), pride of life (be careful whose opinions you worry about), and lust of the eyes (be careful what you worship), is there one of these temptations that you feel you most regularly struggle with? Give some examples of how you have seen these types of temptations in your life, and how have you either overcome them or learned from your mistakes with them.

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

The Israelites had been promised a land over flowing with milk and honey, and it was time for them to send spies into the land to prepare to take it, but when the report came back, all but two of the spies did not believe they would be able to secure God’s promised gift. However, Caleb and Joshua trusted God’s abilities and plans were greater than the obstacles they faced. Faith takes courage; we must be willing to face the reality of our situation, see the opportunities, and trust God for the victory He has promised to us.

Key verses: Numbers 13:1-2, 17-20, 25-33, 14:1-10, 20-24

Sermon Questions

1. What is the difference between blind faith and courageous faith? How did God ask the spies to face the obstacles in front of them? Why was it important for them to see the giants and the fortified cities? Have you had a time in your life when you faced obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome?

2. Why does God call us to have a courageous faith instead of just a blind faith? What was the main difference between what the 10 doubting spies said and what Caleb and Joshua said? Did they have different reports of what was in the promised land?

3. Have you had a situation in your own life when it was easier to go back (or stay in) the difficult place instead of trusting God to bring you through to the promises He had for you? How did you handle it?

4. Do you agree that it is easy to become comfortable with your discomfort? Why or why not? Why is the discomfort sometimes easier than having the faith it takes to trust God for the change?

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

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 things that God is bringing for GCK in 2020.

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

Sermon Questions:

For group discussion, consider these questions in 3 contexts: Your personal life, this life group, and our church as a whole.

1. Thinking back over 2019, 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. Where there details from Sunday’s message that you have questions about? 

4. What are you specifically praying for this year?

God is holy. We say that a lot, but do we really grasp the meaning? His holiness means that He is set apart and unique; He is unlike any other. God’s holiness deserves perfect holiness in return, but we are unclean because of our sinful nature and the presence of death in our world. However, God calls us to be holy. This week’s reading in Leviticus shows us how seriously God takes being unclean, but it also points us to the great work that Jesus did for us on the cross. It reminds us that apart from Him is death, but with Him, we can be a part of the holy presence and family of God.

Key verses: Lev. 19:12, 20:26, 18:24-25, 16:8-10, Isaiah 53:4-6 and 11-12, and Matt. 27:50-51a

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

Sermon Questions:

1. What does it mean that God is Holy? How does he call us to be holy?

2. What lessons can we learn from Leviticus about how God views sin and uncleanness?What do we learn about how God views morality and social justice? As Christians, do you think we still view morality and social justice with the same severity that God does?

Why or why not? What needs to change within the church to get closer to the standards that God has set for us?

3. The Israelites needed the priest, the people, and the tabernacle to be cleansed before they could atone for their sins. How does Jesus cover all of those for us?

4. What is the significance of the scapegoat in Leviticus 16:8-10? How is that a picture of what Jesus did for us?

5. Does your reading of Leviticus and this sermon about holiness give you a new or different appreciation for the cross? Why?

At first glance, the story of the Israelites in the desert can feel distant and difficult to relate to our current situations, but if we take a step back, we can see that the issues that the Israelites struggled with are still pervasive in our culture. However, by openly expressing our gratitude, surrender, and striving for purity, we can shape our lives and stories into lives that are in communion with God instead of constant grumbling against Him.

Key Verses: Exodus 19:3-8, 16:2-3. 27-30, 32:1-4, and 34:5-9

Bible Reading questions/discussion prompts:

1. Have a member of the group summarize one key story from the reading until you have covered them all for the week: who are the main characters, where does the story take place, what are they doing, and why.

2. What does this week’s reading teach you about God?

3. What does it teach you about mankind?

4. How does this reading point to Jesus or our need for Him?

5. What did you learn this week about God or about the Bible that you didn’t know before?

6. What did you learn from the sermon that you maybe missed or didn’t know from the reading?

7. What lessons can you take from this reading and apply to your own life today?

8. What remaining questions do you have about this passage?

Sermon Questions:

1. What was the reason that God was giving the Israelites the laws? How did it help shape their identity?

2. Do you agree with the statement, “A Complaining Mouth sows the seeds of Bitterness which grows into a Hardened Heart” have you seen that in your own life? How can you change your actions to avoid a hardening heart?

3. We often laugh at the Israelites who gathered extra manna on the day before the sabbath when God told them it would spoil, but how do you do the same thing with your own circumstances? What are the things that you desperately try to control instead of allowing God to fulfill His promises to you?

4. What image of God have you created for yourself? How have you made your own golden calf to try to fit God into an image you understand?