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THE FRUIT OF LOVE
Fruit-Full | Part 1
Springcreek Church | Pastor Keith Stewart
September 22, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitoflove #love #character #Christ #spiritualdisciplines 
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

This Sunday, we begin exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. These nine character qualities are a reflection of Christ Himself. The more yielded we are to the Spirit, the more others see the this fruit or evidence of His presence in us. In a sense, the first virtue, love, is more than just another dimension to the fruit of the Spirit. It represents the virtue that binds all the others together. Each of them is somehow an expression of love. Come and join us this weekend as Pastor Keith teaches us not just the importance of the fruit of the Spirit but how to begin manifesting them in your life. 

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. We have two natures within us – what the Bible calls “the flesh” or our baser nature and a new nature made alive by the Spirit. The key to defeating the flesh is by living by the Spirit. Sadly, many people try to live the spiritual life in reverse. They try to defeat the flesh so they can live by the spirit. But that doesn’t work. Why? What stood out to you in today’s message that maybe you hadn’t considered before or illustrated for you how walking in the Spirit helps to defeat the flesh?

2. Spend some time talking about the cycle of self improvement (the chart that Pastor Keith shared). The four stages are; Try Harder, Fatigue, Quit, Guilt. Have you ever experienced this before? What was the area where you struggled? Have you broken free of this pattern? What helped you to break free?

3.  In this message, we were reminded that we are only as mature as our most immature fruit. So in reading Galatians 5.22-23, of these nine virtues that reflect the character of Christ, where are you strongest and where are you weakest (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)? It’s important to remember that wherever we discover immature fruit, it reflects a failure to trust Christ in that area. As you apply that thought to your weakest virtue, how might God be trying to grow you? What wounding might exist in that area that still needs healing? Or what cultural way of thinking gets in the way of fully submitting to Christ in this way?

4. Scripture clearly teaches that being filled with the Spirit is not a one time event but a daily event. Ephesians 5.18 in the original language doesn’t say “be filled” (past tense) with the Spirit, but “be being filled” (present, linear tense). The process of yielded to the Spirit’s filling and control is a decision we make every day. And the best way is related to the four commands regarding the Holy Spirit.

Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5.16), Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5.18), Do not grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4.30), Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5.19)

To live by and be filled with the Spirit, we must never grieve or quench Him. Which means being obedient to His leadership and promptings. Have you ever felt led by the Spirit to do or say something? What was it? What happened? How did it work out?

5. Why do we elevate gifting over fruitfulness?

6. Love is the one virtue that bonds all the other fruit together. How and in what ways have you seen God’s love put on display through your life? 

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A CHURCH ON THE MOVE 
Springcreek Church | Jerrid Fletcher, Lead Associate Pastor 
September 15, 2024 

#god #realspringcreekchurch #achurchonthemove #church #churchonthemove #handsandfeet #Jesus #faithingod #faith

In this dynamic sermon, we explore what it truly means to be a "Church on the Move." Far from being stagnant or confined within four walls, the church is called to be active, vibrant, and responsive to the needs of the world around it. Through biblical examples and real-life applications, we'll examine how God is calling us to step out in faith, embrace change, and impact our communities in transformative ways. Whether through missions, outreach, or simply living out our faith in daily life, this message will inspire and challenge us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, always ready to move where He leads.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Personal Impact of Music: How has music impacted your personal faith journey or experiences within your community? Can you share a song that resonates deeply with you and why it holds significance? 

2. Understanding Church Hurt: What are some ways we can address and heal from "church hurt" in our own lives and within our church community? How can we create an environment that fosters trust and acceptance? 

3. Going to Church vs. Being the Church: Reflecting on the distinction between "going to church" and "being the church," what practical steps can we take in our daily lives to embody the mission of the church outside of Sunday services? 

4. Community Engagement: In what ways can our church community better serve those in need, particularly those who may not feel comfortable entering a church? What outreach initiatives do you think would be most effective in connecting with and supporting these individuals? 

5. Living Out the Great Commission: How can we as individuals actively participate in the Great Commission in our daily lives? What opportunities do you see in your workplace, school, or neighborhood to share your faith or support others on their spiritual journeys?

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LIVING THE MICAH MANDATE
Kingdom Politics – Part 3
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 8, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #kingdompolitics #kingdom #politics #livingthemicahmandate #micahmandate #actjustly #lovemercy #walkhumbly

https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ 

The prophet Micah perfectly summarized what God expects of us, “…and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6.8). These words are then repeated by Jesus Himself in Matthew 23.23. As we wrap up Kingdom Politics, this final message shows us how God plans to use us to change the world. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
 
1. The three parts of the Micah Mandate are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Which of the three is most developed in your life? Which of the three is underdeveloped in your life? Why are these three qualities the unique marks of God’s kids? Why is there an absence of these qualities in the world today?
 
2. Pastor Keith mentioned the most common sociological groupings in the Bible and they are as follows: the poor, the orphan, the widow and the immigrant. What do these various groups have in common? Why is God so concerned with them? Why does God see the treatment of these groups of people as an indicator of the justice or injustice of society? Take a few moments to reflect on Dr. Timothy Keller’s statement, “If you aren’t intensely concerned for the quartet of the vulnerable... it’s a sign your heart is not right with God.”
 
3. One of the more frequent objections to belief in God is the abundance of suffering in this world that He doesn’t seem to do anything about. But Scripture makes clear that the primary way God extends compassion and help to those who suffer is through His people. If we fail to do our part, it’s God’s reputation that takes the hit. Where has God moved you in the past or present to be involved with others who are hurting, suffering or neglected? What was that experience like for you? What difference did it make in those you helped?
 
4. We live in a very violent world. But Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, countered conventional thinking by insisting that His followers not mirror the evil of society. How does this teaching challenge you? Why does it seem practically foreign even to Christians today? Is it possible to live in this broken world without returning violence for violence (like what Dr. King modelled in the quest for civil rights)?
 
5. What does it mean to be a third way people? Why are we so prone to reducing every problem or issue down to just one of two choices? What does it mean to be above the system (in other words, not so caught up in partisanship that you can see other possibilities or choices that neither party can see)? Do you ever find yourself thinking, “I don’t agree with either party on this issue”?  If so, have you ever dared to envision a third way of addressing the problem or issue that was not being reflected in the public debate? If so, what was it? How did you see the issue differently? How does our unique Christian perspective and ethic change the way we engage in politics?

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OUR TRUE COMMANDER IN CHIEF
Kingdom Politics – Part 2
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 1, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #kingdompolitics #kingdom #politics #commanderinchief #jesus #christ #citizens #hope

https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

As Christ followers, the Bible teaches us to see ourselves differently from our fellow citizens. Wherever we reside and whatever the form of government we live under, believers see themselves first and foremost as citizens of another kingdom – the kingdom of God. This is a fundamental building block in our political perspective. If we lose this perspective, we lose hope and accommodate ourselves to the brokenness of this fallen world. But with it, we remain hopeful regardless of the political climate.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The Kingdom of God is the very antithesis of the kingdoms of this world. In what ways is the Kingdom of God different fr

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Red and Blue Church, Black and Blue God
Kingdom Politics - Part 1
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 25, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #kindompolitics #kingdom #politics #redandblue #blackandbluehttps://www.springcreekchurch.org/ 

Every issue is polarized. Those with whom we disagree are demonized. And we categorize people and issues with unkind labels we learn from our favorite news channel. It seems today that everybody is poli-ticked off. Have we moved past the breaking point? And how does Scripture reorient us to what is true and right and real? Regardless of where you find yourself on the political spectrum, this message challenges you to use your influence for good and for God. If you can’t join us in person, be sure to catch us online. 


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. As it relates to your use of social media, what (if any) guidelines do you use to determine what you will post? On what things will you comment? Is it important to steward your influence in regards to social media? What sort of behavior or online comments cause you concern? How do you view others who fill their social media with political content? How easily do you get caught up in the rage of the day and/or week? Would you say that you're better at building bridges to others for continued influence in their life or do you tend to make statements that shut down further conversation?

2. How is being political different from being partisan? How would you score your own political interest on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being apathetic and 10 being zealously partisan)? What problems have you encountered at work, within your family or among friends around the topic of politics?

3.  Pastor Keith asked the question, "Can we subordinate our political opinions so we can prioritize our witness?" How would you answer that question personally? Why do some people find it more important to be right than to be wise or helpful? Discuss the Dallas Willard quote, “It's very difficult to be right about something without hurting someone with it.”

4. Jesus was all about transforming society, but not by political means. Take some time as a group to discuss the limitations of political power and solutions. Why is the Jesus’ way of changing the world superior to the political way? 

5. Our uniqueness as followers of Jesus isn’t in how we vote; it’s in how we live, how we love, how we’re willing to sacrifice for others. As Paul Coelho said, “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” In what ways have you used your voice and your example to make a difference in the life of others? How would you encourage others to be the change they want to see in the world?

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MOSAIC
God's Vision for Our Community
Dr. Jessica Fernandez, Lead Associate Pastor
August 18, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #mosaic #godsvision #community
https://www.springcreekchurch.org

Just like a mosaic, which is composed of various colorful pieces that come together to form a beautiful image, our community is made up of diverse individuals, each contributing uniquely to the whole. Through biblical teachings, we will discover how each person's unique gifts, backgrounds, and stories are essential to God's grand design. We'll highlight the importance of unity in diversity, the strength found in our interconnectedness, and the purpose behind our collective journey as the body of Christ. Together, we will learn practical steps to embrace our differences and build a vibrant, loving community that reflects the love and glory of God.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

1. Reflecting on Your Community Experience: Think about a time when you felt truly connected in a community. What aspects of that community made you feel valued and supported? How did the diversity within the group contribute to your experience? 

2. Overcoming the Enemies of True Community: The message highlighted affinity, apathy, individualism, and unawareness of semantic change as enemies of true community. Which of these do you think is the biggest challenge in your current community, and what steps can we take to address it? 

3. Embracing Diversity in Our Church: The Church of Antioch was remarkable for its inclusivity and diversity. How can we, as a church, better embrace and celebrate the differences among us? What practical actions can we take to ensure that everyone feels included and valued? 

4. Living Out Koinonia: Koinonia involves deep, spiritual fellowship and shared purpose. In what ways can you personally contribute to fostering koinonia in our church community? How can we collectively ensure that our relationships go beyond surface-level interactions? 

5. Applying the Collective Approach: The collective approach at the Church of Antioch showed the power of working together to achieve God’s mission. How can we apply this collective mindset in our church today? What are some specific areas where we need to shift from individualism to a more collective, community-focused approach?

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RENEWED
Healing from Toxic Religion – Part 5
Pastor Keith Stewart
August 11, 2024 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The feeling of being unwanted or having a name put on you is one of the worst feelings in the world. In what ways have you seen or experienced this type of shaming? Pastor Keith mentioned, “When someone’s calling you names, or demeaning you, the greatest challenge is not to stop the person, but the greater challenge is to stop yourself from mutilating your own identity.” The younger we are, the more difficult it is to not let a name put on us by others become the way we see ourselves. What do you think can be done to curb name-calling? What would you say to someone who had been deeply hurt by an offensive, unfair nickname?

2. So much of today’s lesson involves moving from a place of shame to a place of acceptance. How did we see this truth in the life of Mephibosheth? What practical application can you make from his story to your own life?

3. What has been your experience with grace? Have you heard it explained before today? How has it impacted your life? Why do people fear grace? Why is the teaching of grace something in short supply in toxic churches? How is Rahab an example of grace? Can you think of any other biblical characters that help us in our understanding of grace?

4. What have been your biggest takeaways from this series? Where is God working in you right now to continue the process of healing anything and everything that was added to your spiritual life but did not belong? How can we better model a healthy, well-balanced, biblical faith?

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REBUILDING
Healing from Toxic Religion – Part 4
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 4, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #healingfromtoxicreligion #rebuilding #relationships #toxic

Wounding that occurs in relationship must be healed in relationship. To rebuild one’s life after experiencing toxic religion requires a new and better understanding of God. Let’s face it, a major driver of toxic practice is toxic theology – a faulty understanding of Who God is and what God is like. But knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. You don’t know God just because you know about Him. It takes spending time with Him, listening to Him, and daring to trust Him with your hurts, problems, and failures. Invite him into every aspect of your life.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
 
1. Discuss the following quote, “The greatest need in people’s lives is to understand the true identity of God.” – R.C. Sproul
 
2. In the parable of the prodigal son, we typically place all the emphasis on the younger son. Even the name of the parable itself (which is not a name given to it by Jesus or the writers of Scripture) emphasizes the younger son. But Jesus told this story (read Luke 15.1-3) to address the objection of the Pharisees to his eating with sinners. When you understand why Jesus told this story to begin with, it’s clear that the older brother is the Pharisees. What similarities do you see between the Pharisees and the older brother? How can you sometimes be like the older brother? 
 
3. C.S. Lewis explained the difference between sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit. What do you remember about what he said? Why do you think we scandalize the sins of the flesh? Why was Jesus so bothered by the sins of the spirit that He witnessed in the religious leaders? What implication does this teaching have for us today?
 
4. Take some time to reflect on what you learned about the following passage:
Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” Jesus says, “and not do what I tell you?”  Luke 6.46
 
Why did Jewish people repeat someone’s name? How does that alter your understanding of this verse? Why are obedience and love interconnected?  
 
5. Experience must be corrected by experience. This is a fundamental truth in our understanding of how God heals us. Of course, the obvious implication is it takes more than facts to change our hearts and minds. We need a deeper experience of the truths we say we believe. This means we must feel them and live them, not just know them in our heads. How have you experienced the love of God? How does your community aid in the experience of the love of God? 

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HEALING
Healing from Toxic Religion – Part 3
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
July 28, 2024

#realspringcreekchurch #healingfromtoxicreligion #healing #toxic #religion
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

If you carry scars from a toxic church or leader, those wounds won't heal merely by the passage of time. It takes intentionality to heal. Issues like the betrayal of trust, manipulation of our thoughts and emotions through the toxic tools of guilt and shame, and degradation of our God-image must all be exposed to the light of God's truth. Jesus once said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). In this next installment in our series, we'll examine what it takes to heal from some of the worst damage caused by toxic churches and those who lead them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
 
1. We often only associate grief with the losses we face in death but grief is God’s way of healing us from all of the losses of life. What sort of losses have you grieved? What feelings get expressed in grief? How has God met you in your grief?
 
2. Forgiveness is often misunderstood and therefore resisted. What separates real forgiveness from stereotypes and misunderstanding? Have you ever needed to forgive someone? What made it challenging? Take some time to discuss the following quotes;
 
“[Forgiveness means becoming] a hero instead of a victim in the story you tell.” – Dr. Fred Luskin, Stanford University Forgiveness Project
 
“Forgiveness is not a one-off decision; it is a journey and a process that takes time, determination, and persistence. Forgiveness is not forgetting; it is simply denying your pain the right to control your life.” -  Corallie Buchanan
 
3. Trust is often violated in instances of toxic churches and toxic leaders. Trust is something that’s never commanded in Scripture. Are we appropriately cautious in new relationships to extend trust only when it is earned as opposed to leaving ourselves vulnerable? Have you ever had someone violate your trust? What effect did it have on you? How did you deal with it? How does it affect your present relationships? What did you learn about scars as it relates to trust wounds?
 
4. When people use the feeling of guilt to manipulate others, they are most definitely using guilt in ways that Scripture never does. The Biblical word for guilt only deals with the fact of guilt. When it comes to the feeling of guilt, Scripture uses another term “worldly sorrow” which only produces death. How is godly sorrow different from worldly sorrow? When you feel guilty or are made to feel guilty, a child of God can reject that feeling as not from God. Have you ever been in an environment, church or otherwise, that heavily used the feeling of guilt? What effect did that have on you? What would you suggest to someone coming out of a toxic church that regularly practiced guilty their members?
 
5. As a group, take some time to read through the out true identity in Christ. How would your life be different if you lived like each and every one of these truths were also true of you? Print this list and post it where you can see it, read it, and remind yourself of its truth daily.
 
My True Identity in Christ:
• You are not condemned (Romans 8.1)
• You are accepted (Romans 15.7)
• You are ransomed - "restored to favor" (1 Corinthians 1.30)
• You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5.17)
• You are the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5.21)
• You are liberated (Galatians 2.4)
• You are chosen, holy, and blameless before God (Ephesians 1.4)
• You are redeemed, forgiven (Ephesians 1.7)
• You are alive (formerly dead in spirit) (Ephesians 2.5)
• You have boldness and confident access to God (Ephesians 3.12)
• You have all y

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EXODUS
Healing from Toxic Religion – Part 2
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
July 21, 2024

 #god #realspringcreekchurch #healingfromtoxicreligion #exodus #toxicreligion #journey #testimony

https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

I want to take you on a journey today – a journey out of toxic religion. To do that, I want to tell you a little of my own story; what led me out of religious fundamentalism, the breaking that occurred in me, and the flaws I began to see in my own beliefs and practice. I want to teach you how to recognize toxic environments but more importantly, I want to teach you how much God longs for you to experience Him as He actually is. It’s my prayer that this message will lead to a spiritual breakthrough for you.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
 
1. In the Exodus narrative, it is clear that delivering the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage was not nearly as difficult as delivering them from the mindset of slavery. As Pastor Keith pointed out, there are many ways this still holds true even today. We can be delivered from a bad situation, or an addiction, or terrible choices, but still desperately need healing inside, or else we may end up right back in the same situation with a different person or different substance. Can you think of ways you have seen this played out in your personal life or those you care about? Why is it more difficult to change one’s thinking than it is to change one’s circumstances?
 
2. As Pastor Keith shared how he and Brenda nearly destroyed their own marriage, what stood out to you most in the things he shared? Was there any part of his story you could personally relate to? If so, what and why? Why do so many troubled marriages resist getting the help they need? Have you ever had any experiences with 12-step recovery that you would be willing to share?
 
3. One of the dominant characteristics in all toxic religion is conformity – an emphasis on external behavior over internal transformation. Jesus rebuked this approach in the Pharisees of His day. Pastor Keith also emphasized what distinguished the way Jesus thought and defined spirituality versus how the Pharisees thought and defined it. What is the difference between bounded set thinking versus centered set thinking? How do toxic churches use bounded set thinking? Why do people think more like the Pharisees than they do like Jesus?
 
4.  Take some time to discuss Shane Claiborne’s quote, do you agree with it or not? Have you seen this in churches or groups that you have been a part of?
“One thing I’ve learned from believers and activists alike is that community can be built around a common self-righteousness or a common brokenness. Because both are magnetic. People are drawn toward folks who have it all together, or who look like they do. People are also drawn toward folks who know they don’t have it together and are not willing to fake it.” – Shane Claiborne
 
5. What have been your experiences with guilt and shame as it relates to your church experiences or how you were parented or even how you were taught? Why is guilting or shaming someone so toxic? What effect does it have on people? 
 
6. Were there any other significant learnings or takeaways from today’s message for you?