SCRIPTURE: John 9-12

THE MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS WEEK’S SERMON CAN ALSO BE FOUND HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What have you been learning in this series on John’s gospel? Have you felt challenged by anything in particular?

2. Do you feel afraid? What are your specific fears today? It is okay to acknowledge them… and to share them with God.

3. In what ways do you think our fears about life, like fear of not having enough or fear of death, can limit our ability to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

4. In this section of John’s gospel, Jesus is the “Sign”... but how would you describe who or what Jesus is pointing towards?

5. How does the story of “the man who was born blind” in John 9 reveal the limits we put on the Story God might be telling? What do you see in the disbelief of the Pharisees in this story? In the man’s faith (v. 35-41)?

6. How do Martha's words to Jesus about her brother Lazarus show both anger and hope? What does this teach us about processing our emotions?

7. What do you think this means: “Sin and Death might bind you, but they cannot keep you”? How does this idea shape your understanding of freedom in faith?

8. Why do you think it’s important to be open to seeing the world through a larger story? How can this perspective affect your daily choices?

SCRIPTURE: John 2-6

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The first half of John’s Gospel is known as “The Book of Signs.” Have you ever thought about Jesus’s miracles in this way–as “signs”? What do they point to? How do they work?

2. Can you think of a time when you faced a fear or need and how trusting God helped you see beyond it?

3. In the story of the wedding at Cana, how does Jesus's act of turning water into wine challenge our understanding of scarcity and abundance?

4. How do you view abundance in your own life, and are there areas where fear of scarcity is holding you back?

5. Why do you think Jesus emphasizes 'Do not be afraid' in the stories of his signs, and how does this relate to our fears?

6. What fears do you struggle with that might be preventing you from fully experiencing the life Jesus models for us?

Where can you grow in your own radical generosity during this season?

SCRIPTURE: John 1:19-51, Genesis 28:11-19

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What do you think is the significance of Jesus being called both the “Lamb of God” and the “Chosen One” by John the Baptist? 

2. What about “Rabbi” and “Son of God”? What do these names illuminate about Jesus?

3. How can understanding the different roles that Jesus fulfills impact the way you view your own faith and relationship with God?

4. Consider Jesus’s encouragement (which is echoed by Nathanael) to “come and see.” What does this reveal to us about who Jesus is and how he is working? Why is it notable that Nathanael says this, too?

5. The name Jesus gives to himself in John 1 is a reference to a dream given to the Jewish patriarch, Jacob (Genesis 28:11-19). Read that passage… what does it teach us about who Jesus is? What does it teach us about his work and purpose?

6. As “Christians,” we’ve all been given a new name, too! What do you think this name really means? What responsibility does it carry?

7. We’ve probably all had experiences with “Christians” who weren’t great representatives of that name. Take a moment to reflect on these experiences without personal judgment: what was really the source of the hurt? What can we learn about how we might carry this name ourselves?

8. Christian faith is not intended to be practiced alone. How can we support one another as “witnesses” to the name we’ve been given? How can a community like our church work together to carry this name well?

SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-18

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What might it mean to “exegete the Father” as described in the sermon, and how does this concept help us understand who Jesus is?

2. Why is it important to recognize both the humanity and divinity of Jesus when understanding His role in revealing God to us? How does understanding Jesus' dual nature influence your perspective on challenges you face as a believer?

3. The first “key” is that Jesus is God’s Words, made understandable. What does this mean to you? Does it teach you anything new about Jesus?

4. The second “key” is that Jesus is God’s Life, made undefeatable. What do you think this means? How might this offer real hope to us?

5. The third “key” is that Jesus is God’s Light, making God’s Way visible. What does this teach us about the relationship between Jesus’s example and how we live our own lives? 

6. The final “key” is that Jesus is God’s Purpose, made believable. Talk this through with a friend in your small group, or with God in prayer: how does Jesus really accomplish this? Do you believe in him? What does this mean?

7. What do you think the word “repentance” means? Why do you think it’s understood to be such a crucial part of what it means to be a Christian?

8. One way of understanding our task, as Christians, is to “exegete Jesus” in much the same way Jesus “exegetes” the Father. Have you ever thought about Christian living in this way? What does it illuminate for you? How can you act on what you are discovering?

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:10 & Acts 6-7

YOU CAN ALSO READ THE MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How does the concept of the 'good life' differ between our culture and the teachings of Jesus?

2. Kenny said the Desert Fathers and Mothers “fear safety more than persecution.” What do you think this means? Have you ever felt this way?

3. What do you think it means to be 'persecuted for righteousness’s sake'?

4. Can you think of a time when you stood up for something you believed in, even if it was hard? How did that experience shape your understanding of righteousness?

5. Kenny said the Pilgrims sought persecution by running away from their neighbors. What mistake was embedded in this decision? Can you relate to this situation?

6. In the final “skip,” Kenny talked about a moment when he imagined persecution as a middle schooler. What mistake was embedded in this attitude? Can you relate to this situation?

7. In the end, persecution isn’t something you should seek out or something you should run from… because it isn’t really supposed to be about you. What do you think of this idea? How might it apply to your current situation?

8. When we follow Jesus’s example–caring for outcasts by stepping in to their situations–persecution can happen… but we don’t need to fear it. Who can you care for and support in this season? Where can you show courage by choosing to model Kingdom values over the values of our world?

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:3-6, James 1:2-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:13-22, Galatians 3:2-3, James 2:14-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:3 & 3:5, & Philippians 1:3-6

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some of the questions that might have stumped early Christian communities? What are some of the questions you have about Christian faith or community?

2. The sermon begins with some of the direct advice of the epistles when we face uncertainty, including a) following/remembering the Law, b) finding joy in hardship, and c) learning to listen to the Holy Spirit. Are any of these easier/harder for you? Why?

3. In the second half of the sermon, Kenny goes through the indirect advice of the epistles, as evidenced by their existence and preservation through the centuries. This advice includes a) asking questions, b) remembering you’re still growing, and c) sticking together with other believers. Are any of these easier/harder for you? Why?

4. Have you ever felt supported by a church family/community? What was that experience like?

5. Have you ever worked alongside other Christians to support someone else? What was that experience like?

6. Our theme for this year is “Together On Purpose.” Now that we’re in October, what are some of the things you’ve learned about togetherness this year? What have you learned about purpose?

7. What is one step you can take this week either a) towards community or b) towards personal growth?

SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:6-11, James 5:7-9, Galatians 6:7-10, & 2 Peter 3:8-12

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. This message is all about waiting. Have you ever waited on something really important before? Are you waiting on something now? What is that experience like? What questions and struggles are an inescapable part of it?

2. The first Christians were impatient at first as they waited on Jesus’s return. So the early Church’s leaders, like James, wrote letters to remind them that good things are growing while we wait. What did those leaders mean? What “good things” might be growing as you wait?

3. After the Church spread throughout Judea, Samaria, and the eastern Roman empire, their impatience emerged again! So, the apostle Paul wrote to them about “becoming weary in doing good.” Have you ever felt this weariness? Where did it come from? What reminders about God’s heart and God’s purposes in the world might help relieve that weariness?

4. By the end of the Church’s second full decade, impatience about Jesus’s return was starting to become doubt. In this context, the disciple Peter tells the Church to remember that God wants everyone to know Him (2 Peter 3:8-12). How does this reframe “waiting” for the first Christians? How might it encourage you?

5. Kenny said that the key to Christian patience is remembering that it’s not all about you. When we hold faith in God’s promises and trust Him to finish the Story when He’s ready, we can be free to participate in it without anxiety or impatience. How can you embrace this message in your life? How can you embrace it in your week?

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 1:3-4 & 2:11-21, Romans 12:14-13:2, Colossians 3:13-14, & 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

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

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever thought about the epistles (or letters) in the New Testament as a conversation in the early Church before? How might this lens affect the way you read them?

2. The clear testimony of the first Church leaders is that Christians are no longer citizens of this world, but of God’s Kingdom. How do you think about your citizenship, as an American? What can this illuminate for you about your citizenship, as a Christian?

3. What does it mean for us to view ourselves as “foreigners and strangers” in the world? How do we live when our values, as Christians, are in conflict with the country or kingdom we are living in?

4. How can we apply the idea of 'overcoming evil with good' in our daily lives, especially when faced with difficult situations or people?

5. Why do you think the early Christians were encouraged to embrace suffering and sacrifice as part of their faith, according to the letters?

6. What freedoms or privileges has God given to you, either through your faith or through your identity… or even through your nationality? 

7. How might you be able to sacrifice those freedoms for the sake of others, or as a witness to God’s Kingdom?