Jesus 120

This week Pastor Jake kicks off a new series on the life of Daniel. Let’s resolve ourselves to learn from his example of devotion even when living in the midst of the most difficult circumstances surrounded by an ungodly culture.

*Special Note* - We apologize for the poor audio quality this week due to some technical difficulties with Sunday’s audio recording.

Today we hear from Andrew Soreano and take a look at the life of Joesph and how he lived in ‘the waiting' of God’s promises being fulfilled, and what we can learn in our own times of waiting.

Today we hear from Krystal Hawkins, who shares about cultivating our spiritual life, the life the Lord has given to us, and bringing beauty into it.

Today Pastor Jake walks us through 7 different ways of how God fathers us and loves us. May God’s character be the aim & anchor of our lives, and so permeate our hearts to change our homes, our church, and our community.

Today we hear from Alex Hawkins, who shares a word on the ministry of encouragement and life-giving power our words and actions have on one another.

As we wrap up our series on contentment, we turn to one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives - our finances. Jesus invites us into a new way of living, that when properly understood and received from him will produce freedom and joy where there has previously been bondage and anxiety. May we find joy and satisfaction in the generosity of God.

In today’s message, we explore the vital role that church community plays in helping us grow in godly contentment. Being anchored in our identity in Christ is meant to produce peace in our hearts, and a place in God’s family. Though our relationships in church community can be messy and difficult at times, it’s exactly where God has placed us in order to learn to walk in peace. May we learn to rest in Jesus, and be refreshed by His family.

This week as we continue our series on godly contentment we spend some time reflecting on Paul’s ministry to the Philippian church. May we find encouragement from his example to be strengthened by the Lord Jesus at all times, so that we may experience His peace in even the most difficult circumstances of life.

Today we kicked off a new series on godly contentment. Often we long to experience a sense of peace and satisfaction yet it seems elusive or short-lived. We read in the scripture that God offers us peace, yet it is often just a wish and not a true experience for many. The reality is that God’s gift of peace is available for us, if only we can face the idols we too often turn to for peace, and instead learn to receive it from Jesus. May we experience the grace and peace that He offers!

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you share 1 or 2 things that bring you a sense of peace or satisfaction? What about something that steals your peace? How might this help expose a priority that is out of place?

2. Read James Hastings quote on how grace and peace go hand in hand: “Grace is the sum of blessing bestowed, from God. Peace the sum of blessing experienced.” Can you think of a time when God’s grace was present in a difficult situation, and even though it was difficult you experienced his peace in the midst of it? Can you reflect back on a time when you were in a difficult situation and you know now that God’s grace was there to help you, but you missed it at the time? Why do you think we miss His grace at times?

3. In the sermon we discussed that experiencing God’s peace comes through attachment to Him (since he is the only source of true peace). What role does worship play in being attached to God and experiencing peace in His presence (read & discuss Psalm 100 for some direction)?

4. This week’s “worship response” is meditation - what are some ways we can practice meditating on God’s Word and His ways? Why is meditation so beneficial in experiencing peace? What is one step you can take this week to be more intentional to receive peace from God?

In today’s sermon, we wrap up this series by considering Jesus' parable of God's Kingdom being like leaven. Let’s consider what truly has a ruling influence in our lives - is it Jesus’ kingdom or something else? May we discover how to be aware of what is truly influencing our lives, and have the ability to see clearly enough to help others bound by the false kingdoms of this world.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean for a “kingdom” to work as leaven in your life? How does Jesus' kingdom work as leaven to spread into every area of our lives? How can we co-operate with that process?

Can you remember a time in your life when you were “oblivious" to what kingdom was primarily influencing the way you thought and lived? Does that ever happen to you now? How can we be more aware of the influence of kingdoms other than Jesus that are permeating our lives?

Can you give an example in the world around us of an “obvious” kingdom mindset that is in opposition to Jesus' kingdom? Can you think of an example of that within the church? How should we handle each of these situations? How can you navigate that with specific people you know and love?

Can you think of a time when Jesus revealed a spot to you where His kingdom was being “obscured” by the influence of another kingdom in your life? How did you come to see this? How did Jesus help you remove the log? Have you asked him recently to reveal any potential logs?

What can we learn from the parable of the plank & speck about helping others to see the false kingdoms that are influencing their lives? Is this something you have walked out with someone before? Is there a current opportunity in your life for that now? How can you co-operate with Jesus to help remove the speck from your brother’s eye?