What things in your life do you have to have a compelling reason for doing? John came along and said that the compelling reason for everything is Jesus. What life changes or decisions have you made because Jesus was your compelling reason?Have you ever had someone come alongside you at just right the time? Someone who could understand what you were going through because they too had been through it? This is what Jesus is for each of us - there is no place that we could go that J [...]

Pastor Matt shared how he enjoyed growing up in a small town. Where did you grow up? What did you like about your “hometown” and growing up there or what did you not like about it?​How do you think it would have felt to not be welcome in your hometown?Read Ezekiel 36:25-27 as a group. What is the evidence of a heart of flesh in your life? How has God been transforming you? Or how have you seen God transforming the other members of your group?  What areas do you [...]

1. Is there a “light wars” going on in your home? And if so, who wins?2. Do you have a favorite decoration? If so, why is it so special?3. How does light affect you? Do you notice when we have a stretch of dark, cloudy days? Do you do anything to combat that?4. Light is a major theme in the book of John and the bible in general. How many times do you see this word in the first chapter? 5. The first few verses of John create an obvious connection to Genesis creation. Why d [...]

1. We are told that God spoke to us in many times and in various ways. How does the audience you are communicating to influence the way in which you communicate? Do you communicate the same way to a neighbour as you would to your spouse or your children or your enemy? Why is that?2. In the past God spoke in various ways and now he has spoken to us through his Son. What does this mean to you? Why has God done this? Was there something wrong with the way He spoke in the past? Did it need up [...]

Has covid caused you to start any new habits, either positive or negative?On Sunday we talked about how Paul used his time very productively during his Roman house arrest; do you find it difficult to use your time productively these days?It seems to me that movies or series have three big themes. Are your favorite movies filled with grand adventures? Grand relationships? Or Grand tasks (like the small guys beating the odds and winning over the giant enemy)? Or a combination of these three [...]

Sometimes we can discover what a church's problems were by reading between the lines. What problem was present in the church at Philippi? (If no one can think of anything, point them to chapter 4:2-7) Why would this be a problem serious enough for Paul to confront in his letter to them?If Jesus was in very nature God, why does verse 6 talk about “grasping at equality” with God?In what sense did Jesus “empty” himself? Why did he need to empty himself of anything in [...]

     1.   What is something or someone that you have attached yourself to so strongly that you refer to it or them as “my” or “we”? For example, when speaking about the Winnipeg Jets, many fans refer to the team in ways like, “We had a great game last night.” or “I can’t believe we traded them.”      2.  In regards to Paul calling it "my gospel" - why does he refer to it that way?   [...]

How many of the friends you made in your high school and young adult years do you still keep in touch with? Do you know where most of them live today? What characteristics do you notice in the people Paul greets?Why does Paul need to add the warning of verses 17-20? What is going wrong and how are they to guard against it? What encouragement does Paul give them in verse 20? How does Genesis 3:15 help us to understand this? (Who does the crushing and under whose feet? Can you exp [...]

Have you ever received a particularly meaningful letter? What was it about the letter that made it so meaningful? (If it was a letter from a previous boyfriend or girlfriend maybe just leave that one out and think about a different one:)What have you learned about Paul since going through Romans that you didn’t notice or know before? How would you describe this author who’s letter we have been going through for the last few months? In verse 16, Paul talks about the Gentil [...]

When you were a little kid, did you ever think about what life would be like in the year 2000? What did you imagine? Were you hopeful for the future?As you look out and observe the people around you, where do most people look to find hope? Do you find that most people are generally hopeful and optimistic?According to verses 1-3, in what ways are you living to please yourself? In what ways are you living to please your neighbour? How do the three truths about Scripture in 15:4 (entire [...]