SCRIPTURE: James 4

You will need to turn the volume to max to hear this sermon!!

SCRIPTURE: James 1:18-27; 5:14-16

SCRIPTURE: James 3:1-18

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. James 3:9-10 says, 'With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so!' Why do you think it's so easy for the same person to speak words of love and words of harm so close together?

2. Think of a time your words hurt someone, even if that wasn't your intention. What did that experience teach you about the kind of person you want to be—and what, if anything, have you done differently since then?

3. Kenny described 'the meekness of wisdom' as having the humility to learn from other people's experiences (especially from Jesus). What does it look like in real life to approach your faith with that kind of humility, rather than thinking you already have it figured out?

4. Is there an area of your life right now where pride or self-reliance might be getting in the way of you genuinely learning from God or from someone else? What would it take to open up in that area?

5. Have you ever been in a season where your faith or your hope in the Church felt like it was running out? Who or what helped carry you through it? Is there someone in your life right now who might need you to do that for them?

6. How connected do you feel to this church community right now? Are there ways you've been pulling back—or ways you wish you were more involved? What's one small step you could take toward deeper connection?

   
   

SCRIPTURE: James 2:1-13 & 5:1-6, Hebrews 13:2

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Kenny used a story about baseball cards to explain how we often determine value: that something is only worth what someone will pay for it. How does that idea change the way you think about your own worth… knowing that Jesus paid for you with his life?

2. Is there an area of your life where you still tend to measure your worth by comparing yourself to others (social media, work, relationships)? What would it look like practically to replace that habit with remembering what Jesus paid for you?

3. Have you ever caught yourself making a quiet assumption (even for just a moment!) that someone's hardship was their own fault? What do you think shaped that instinct, and how might the gospel challenge it?

4. Kenny said that one interpretation of James 5:6 suggests when we show partiality, the 'righteous person' we condemn and murder is actually ourselves… and the person God is in the process of making us into. Does this resonate with you? How so?

5. Is there a pattern of judgment or comparison in your own life that you sense might be getting in the way of who God is making you into? What would it take to let go of it?

6. Kenny closed by saying that practices like generosity, volunteering, and giving charitably aren't just nice things to do… they are spiritual disciplines that actually help short-circuit our pride and remind us that we didn't earn God's blessing. Do you agree that generosity can change the way we think and feel about ourselves and others? How can you take a step towards living more generously and charitably this week?

SCRIPTURE: James 1:1-15 & 2:14-18

YOU CAN ALSO FIND KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The story of Gustave Whitehead illustrates that beliefs need to be tested—visibly!—in the real world. What do you think it means to 'test' your faith in everyday life, and why do you think so many people keep their faith private?

2. Think about an area of your own life where your faith has stayed mostly 'private.' What would it look like to bring it into the open? What holds you back from doing that?

3. James 2:14-18 says, 'What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?... Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.' Kenny describes the difference between thinking like Jesus and acting like Jesus. How would you explain that difference in your own words, and why does it matter?

4. Is there a situation in your life right now where you've been offering 'good thoughts' or kind words but haven't yet taken a concrete action? What might a next step look like?

5. Kenny warns that one of the greatest dangers to our spiritual growth is becoming too settled in our own opinions—loving our current 'design' so much that we blame outside forces when things fail instead of accepting correction. How does self-righteousness get in the way of spiritual growth, and what does it look like to 'hold your beliefs in an open hand'?

6. Is there a belief, habit, or opinion you've been holding tightly that might need to be examined or revised? What would it take for you to genuinely open your hands around it and let God work?

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 32-33 & Deuteronomy 34

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. In this series, we have defined spiritual formation as a journey from being 'self-centered' to being 'other-centered.' What does that shift actually look like in everyday life, and what tends to get in the way of making that move?

2. Where would you honestly place yourself on that spectrum right now—more self-centered or more other-centered—and what is one specific thing that keeps pulling you back toward self-centeredness?

3. In Exodus 32:30-32, Moses pleads with God on behalf of the Israelites and says, 'Please forgive their sin — but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.' What does it mean to truly intercede for someone, and why is that kind of selfless 'standing in the gap' so rare?

4. Can you think of a time when you absorbed a consequence or a cost that wasn't really yours to carry? Looking back, do you see God's hand in that moment?

5. Moses’s life ends in an anonymous grave, his resting place unknown to anyone. Kenny said this reveals that 'the fruit of it all is rarely something we get to see.' How do you personally wrestle with serving faithfully when you may never see the results of what you've given?

6. 'Mercy defines us’: not power, not success, and not even ‘just being good people.’ What do you think it actually means for mercy to be the thing that defines your life, and how is that different from how most people think about what makes a life meaningful?

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 15-18

DON’T LIKE LISTENING? YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Providence is “the beneficent care of God”... not just rescuing us from bad situations, but leading us into good ones. Is this different from the way you typically think about God's “providence” in your life?

2. In Exodus 16:4, God tells Moses He will rain bread from heaven… but the people are only supposed to gather enough for each day. What do you think God was trying to teach them through this? Why can this kind of trust be so difficult for us?

3. In what area of your life do you find yourself “gathering more than the day requires,” worrying about (or trying to control) something that God may be asking you to simply trust Him with, one day at a time?

4. Kenny suggests that Moses's self-doubt is actually tied to his doubts about other people… and Jethro's challenge to share his work was really an invitation to trust God's providence. Do you think self-doubt and distrust of others are connected? Why or why not?

5. Is there a situation in your life (at work, at home, or in your community) where you are carrying something alone that you may need to trust others with? What is holding you back from sharing that burden?

6. What is one specific thing you could let go of this week (a worry, a responsibility, a need for control) that might free you to be more present and useful to the people around you?

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 5-14

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The sermon describes three places people can feel 'stuck' in their faith journey: doubtful like Moses, exhausted like the Israelites, or disinterested like Pharaoh. Which of these three do you most relate to right now? Why do you think that is?

2. What would it look like in your daily life to take one small step toward getting 'unstuck' from whichever of these three places you identified with?

3. In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses confidently tells the Israelites, 'Do not be afraid! Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' But then God immediately tells Moses to stop crying out and to move forward instead. Can you think of a time when you felt confident you knew what God wanted, but things unfolded differently than you expected? What did you learn from that experience?

4. At the end of the sermon, Kenny suggests that one of the most important roles a church community can play is helping each other notice where God is at work—especially when we're too stuck to see it ourselves. How does this idea change the way you think about your relationships with other people here at Revolution?

5. Is there someone in your life right now who might need you to gently point out where God could be moving for them? Or is there someone you trust enough to ask that same question of yourself?

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 3-4

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Moses didn't go looking for God at the burning bush: God showed up while Moses was just doing his job! What does this tell us about how God pursues us? 

2. Think about times in your life when you felt God's presence unexpectedly. How might staying open to God in your everyday routine - work, school, chores - change how you experience Him?

3. When God tells Moses 'I AM who I AM' in Exodus 3:14, He reveals that His character never changes. How does knowing God's unchanging nature help us when we're struggling with our own identity? What aspects of your identity feel unstable or uncertain right now?

4. What “masks” or false versions of yourself do you feel pressure to maintain? What would it look like to be completely honest with God about who you really are, including your fears and insecurities?

5. What messages from your past make it hard for you to believe you're worthy of love just as you are? How might you begin to see yourself through God's eyes instead of through the lens of your mistakes or shortcomings?

6. The sermon ended with the image of God as 'a fire that doesn't consume': the burning bush that transforms without destroying. How might this picture of God address our fears about letting Him use us? How might viewing God as someone who strengthens rather than depletes you change your willingness to step into what He's calling you toward?

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 1-2

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The sermon begins by looking at Moses’s traumatic origins: he is raised among his people, but moves overnight into the house (and privilege!) of Egyptian royalty. How might this have shaped Moses’s sense of identity? How did this divided identity affect Moses's early attempts at heroism?

2. When Moses kills the Egyptian overseer and “chooses his people,” those people don’t choose him back! What might this teach us about the difference between well-intentioned action and effective service? Think of a time when you tried to help someone but it didn't go as expected. What did you learn about the importance of understanding a situation fully before jumping in to 'fix' it?

3. What is the difference between Moses’s actions at the well and the encounter with the overseer? How can you tell the difference between serving others to meet your own needs (like proving your worth) versus serving others simply because it's the right thing to do?

4. We all have “soil” (meaning: life circumstances, trauma, insecurities, and even privilege) that shapes who we are and how we grow. How might God be working in your life right now to heal your past? How might He be calling you to serve… even as you’re still maturing?