Sermons

Time and time again throughout the upper room discourse, Jesus makes it clear that there is a close connection between love and obedience. If this is true, why so often do we find it so difficult to obey him?

Discussion Questions

1. In general, why do you struggle with obedience: ignorance, pride, or injury? Expound and explain with your group.

2. Specifically, where is God prompting you to respond to his love with obedience? Is there any partial obedience happening currently? What joy are you missing out on because of this disobedience?

3. How is Jesus’ perfect obedience our only hope? How does his love actually fuel our obedience?

4. How can we help one another be the type of disciples who obey joyfully, while at the same time keeping the gospel at the forefront of our message?

Prayer Points

1. Take time to repent of pride or ignorance that would lead you to disobey Jesus.

2. Pray for yourself or others who have been wounded by bad authority. Pray that we would be able to obey Jesus because his authority is perfectly loving.

3. Pray for those who are not yet Christians and think that following Jesus is just about keeping all the rules. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with them.

Jesus uses many metaphors and images to describe his ministry, but perhaps no metaphor is so deeply woven into the biblical narrative as that of a garden. God is the gardener, and Jesus is the true vine, the one whom we must be connected to in order to have life.

Discussion Questions

1. Think through the storyline of the Bible through the lens of “garden.” Why is it significant that the story begins in a garden and ends in a garden city? How does God want us to think about our work in the world?

2. Where, apart from Jesus, are you prone to seek love and joy? How is he asking you to turn from those sources of life and remain connected to him?

3. How do those around you help you stay connected to the vine? How can you help and encourage others to remain connected to Jesus?

4. How might the use of imagery, story, and metaphor better help you to share the gospel with non-Christians in your life?

Prayer Points

1. Take time to pray individually this week, reminding yourself that this is one of the key ways that you abide in Jesus.

2. Pray for opportunities to invite others into relationship with Jesus. Remind yourself that what we see as dead branches can be brought to life by being connected to Jesus!

For Further Study:

https://derekzrishmawy.com/2012/12/07/9-reasons-the-garden-of-eden-was-a-temple 

Many people—even many Christians—feel uncertain, confused, or even downright afraid when it comes to the topic of the Holy Spirit. But Jesus wants us to know the joy that comes from walking a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit!

Discussion Questions

1. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, where do you experience confusion or fear or other emotions like that? What experiences may have led to those emotions?

2. Discuss the word paraclete. When you consider the various ways that it can be translated (helper, comforter, advocate), how does this help you understand the Spirit and his role in our lives?

3. How is the ascension of Jesus very good news? How does it sometimes get diminished or ignored in our thinking about the gospel?

4. How is Jesus inviting you into a deeper experience of himself through a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit? What steps of obedience do you need to take?

Prayer Points

1. Pray that we would be a church that walks closely with the Holy Spirit for all that he is: comforter, advocate, the one who convicts us of sin, and the one who draws us closer to Jesus.

2. Pray that the Spirit would lead us and help us to “glorify Jesus” to those in the world who don’t yet know him.

Additional Resources

• Ten Things You Should Know About Being Filled With the Holy Spirit blog post by Sam Storms

• Know the Creeds and Councils book by Dr. Justin Holcomb

In John 17, Jesus talks about glory: that he glorifies the Father, the Father is glorified in him, and Jesus is glorified in us. If we are invited into this amazing experience of God’s glory, why do we so often seek glory from other sources? Guest preacher Justin Anderson teaches on this profound truth.

Discussion Questions

1. Does it feel wrong to ask to be glorified? What is the difference between seeking glory from God and seeking glory from another human?

2. Jesus asks God to glorify him because he accomplished the mission he was given. What is the mission God has given you?

3. If God was going to glorify you, what would he talk about?

4. If your glory were tied only to how your neighbors have grown as image bearers, what glory would you receive?

5. In your worst moments, who do you seek glory from and for what behavior?

1. Prayer Points

2. 1. Pray that our lives would bring glory to Jesus in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

3. 2. Pray that we would seek Jesus' glory by sharing the good news with those in our lives who don't know Jesus.

In John 14, Jesus makes one of his most famous—and controversial—claims: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” If Jesus is the way, where are we trying to go? If he is the truth, what do we need to know? And if he is the life, why do we sometimes push back against this claim?

Discussion Questions

1. Heaven and earth will ultimately be joined together, and we will be with the Father forever. Why is this such good news? Why do we sometimes forget this amazing news?

2. Where are you prone to seek life from other sources besides Jesus? How do those sources ultimately leave us empty?

3. Read through Hebrews 9. How does the earthly temple show us a picture of heaven? How should we think of the final union of heaven and earth?

4. What are the factors that make many in our culture bristle against the idea of salvation in Jesus exclusively? How can we show people that this is actually good news?

Prayer Points

1. Pray that Jesus would return soon so that we can experience the final union of heaven and earth. Pray that we would remain faithful to Jesus until that day.

2. Pray for opportunities to share the hope of Jesus with those who don’t know him, even those who are opposed to the idea of “exclusivity.”