The Refinery Church Sermon Podcast

Big Idea:

A life shaped by the love of God learns to love and honor family well. 

Scriptures:

Exodus 20:12

Psalm 133:1-3

Questions:

1. When you hear the word “honor,” what comes to mind? How do you feel you have been able to honor your parents well? Where has honoring them been a struggle? 
2. Read Exodus 20:12 together. Why do you think God begins the commandments about our relationships with other people by addressing our relationship with our parents? How can honoring family be easier at times? How can it be more challenging at times? 
3. The sermon describes honor as recognizing the “weight” or significance someone holds in our lives. What might honoring a parent look like practically as an adult?
4. The sermon makes an important distinction: honor doesn’t necessarily mean agreement, unlimited influence, or unlimited access. Why is that distinction important?
5. Our family stories usually contain some combination of beauty and brokenness. What is something good from your family story that you hope to carry forward?
6. Without sharing anything you’d rather keep private, are there patterns from your family story that you want God to help you change rather than repeat?
7. Read Psalm 133:1–3. What do you notice about the way this passage describes unity? What might unity look like within a family? How could honoring our parents and family help cultivate that kind of unity? 
8. The sermon says that healthy boundaries, forgiveness, grace, truth, and love can all be part of honoring family. Which of those feels easiest for you? Which one requires more growth?
9. What is one concrete way God may be inviting you to love or honor your family well this week? Consider ending by praying specifically for each family represented in the group. 
   
   

Big Idea:

God actively moves on our behalf, and when we rest regularly each week, we demonstrate our trust in this truth.

Scriptures:

Exodus 20:8-11

Exodus 16

Mark 2:27

Questions:

1. Read Exodus 20:8–11. What stands out to you about how God describes the Sabbath? 
2. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, where stopping work wasn’t an option. How do you think their experience in Egypt might have shaped the way they heard God's command to stop working one day each week?
3. “God built this rhythm of rest into creation before there was a Pharaoh or a deadline.” What does the creation story add to our understanding of why rest matters? (Genesis 2:1-3 for reference)
4. Read Exodus 16:19–30. Some Israelites gathered extra manna, while others went looking for manna on the Sabbath. What do their actions reveal about the relationship between rest and trust? How can that type of behavior show up in our own lives today?
5. Israel had to learn new rhythms after leaving Egypt. What old rhythms or assumptions about work, productivity, or responsibility can make it difficult for us to rest today?
6. The sermon suggested that our culture often connects our worth with what we produce, accomplish, know, or acquire. Where do you most feel that pressure in your own life?
7. Read Mark 2:27–28. Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” How does thinking of Sabbath as a gift rather than a religious obligation change the way we think about it?
8. What can make it personally difficult for you to stop? Is there something you fear might happen—or not happen—if you regularly stepped away from producing, accomplishing, or staying available?
9. The sermon offered this reminder: “God actively moves on my behalf. I can rest because I trust Him.” It’s one thing to say we trust God; it’s another to live like we trust Him. Where do you see that tension in your own life right now?
10. What could a healthy weekly rhythm of Sabbath look like for you in your present season of life? What might you stop doing, and what could you intentionally make room to enjoy or receive from God? If you're already doing well in this area, share about some best practices you've learned. 

Big Idea:

Our primary call in life is to love the God who first loved us. 

Scriptures:

Exodus 20:1-7

Questions:

1. Read Exodus 20:1–7 together. Before God gives any commands, what does He remind Israel that He has already done for them? Why is that important?
2. The sermon described the Ten Commandments not as “a difficult ladder that enables us to climb to God,” but as “a framework for living with a God who draws near to us.” How might that change the way we think about God's commands?
3. The first commandment calls Israel into an exclusive relationship with God. What are some of the “other gods” that compete for our allegiance today?
4. How can you recognize when something good—career, family, money, relationships, achievement, comfort, or even ministry—begins occupying a place in your life that belongs to God? 
5. In discussing the second commandment, we heard: “We build our lives on the character and commands of God. We don't build God on our own character and commands.” Where can you be most tempted to create a version of God who shares your own priorities, preferences, or prejudices?
6. Why do we sometimes prefer a God we can control or predict rather than submitting to God as He actually is? Why is this really a lesser picture of God?
7. The third commandment involves more than using God's name casually. What are some ways Christians might misrepresent God or use His name to give authority to something that actually comes from us?
8. The sermon presents that the first three commandments describe what it looks like for God's people to love God as God has loved them. How do you see love expressed in each of these three commands?
9. If loving God means putting Him first, take an honest look at your schedule, priorities, resources, ambitions, and desires. Which of those most clearly reflects your love for God right now? Which one might need some attention?
10. What is one practical way you could put God first this week—not to earn His love, but as a response to the love He has already shown you?

Special speaker, Julie Biddle.

Refineryohio.com

Big Idea:

Who or what we love will lead us to gladly order our lives around it. 

Scriptures:

1 John 5:1-2, 3-5, 11-12, 13-14

1 Corinthians 11:1, 23-26

Matthew 11:28-30

Questions:

1. What is something you gladly make time or rearrange your schedule for because you love it? What does that reveal about the way love can order our lives?
2. The sermon used Follow the Leader as its opening image. Who are some of the people or influences who have been important in your life? How can we recognize the influence leaders have on us? 
3. Read 1 John 5:1–5. What connections does John make between believing in Jesus, loving God, loving others, and obeying God's commands? What stands out to you?
4. John says that God's commands “are not burdensome.” What do you think that means? How can following Jesus be costly or difficult while His commands are still not burdensome? Why might it be possible for God's commands to "feel burdensome" at times? 
5. The sermon said, “Love doesn't make everything easier, it just seems lighter.” Have you experienced that in your relationship with God or with another person? What changed because love was involved?
6. “Who or what we love will have us gladly ordering our life in different ways.” If you looked at your time, attention, finances, relationships, and habits, what might they reveal about what you currently love and value most?
7. Following Jesus gets worked out in normal, day-to-day living. Where in ordinary life—home, work, school, relationships, finances, recreation, etc.—do you find it easiest to follow Jesus? Where is it more challenging?
8. Read 1 John 5:11–14. John wants believers to know they have eternal life and to have confidence approaching God. How might that kind of confidence change the way someone follows Jesus?
9. Consider this challenge: Identify one area of your life that needs to be reordered around following Jesus—and follow His lead. What area comes to mind for you? What would one concrete step of following Jesus look like there?

Big Idea:

Leaning into God’s love for us always leads to loving others as we’ve been loved.

Scriptures:

1 John 4:1-6, 7-11, 16b-17

Questions:

1. Think of a time when you and someone else saw the same situation very differently. What helped you better understand one another—or recognize that you simply disagreed?
2. Are there particular issues or topics where you find it harder to disagree lovingly with others? Why do you think those issues are more difficult for you?
3. Read 1 John 4:1–6. John tells his readers, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits.” What does that tell us about the way Christians should approach the different ideas and claims we encounter?
4. The sermon said, “Jesus is the measuring point for discerning truth.” What might it practically look like to test an idea, belief, or cultural message against what God has revealed through Jesus?
5. Read 1 John 4:7–11. What do these verses teach us about where love originates and what love looks like? How is John's understanding of love different from some ways our culture talks about love?
6. Verse 10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us…” Why does it matter that our Christian life begins with receiving God's love rather than us trying to love God first?
7. The sermon makes two parallel claims: Jesus is the measuring point for discerning truth, and Jesus is the measuring point for understanding love. Why do you think we sometimes find it easier to emphasize one of those—truth or love—at the expense of the other?
8. Read 1 John 4:16–17. What do you think John means when he says, “In this world we are like Jesus”? Where have you seen someone make the love of Jesus visible through the way they treated another person?
9. The sermon describes God's love as love that moves toward people, gives, serves, and sacrifices for another person's good. Which of those expressions of love comes most naturally to you? Which one might God be inviting you to grow in?
10. Think about the people already in your sphere—family, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, friends, even people with whom you disagree. Who is one person you could intentionally love like Jesus this week?

This week in 1 John series, we explore what it means to live as children of God. In 1 John 3, we’re reminded that our faith is more than words—it shapes how we live, how we love others, and how we respond to sin. Yet our hope isn’t found in trying harder or being good enough; it’s rooted in the truth that we are deeply loved by God. As we seek to believe in Jesus, love one another, and follow His ways, we can live with a heart at rest and choose to live from our identity as beloved children of God.

Big Idea:

We can live from the identity of being deeply loved children of God.

Scriptures:

1 John 3:1-9, 11-12, 16-18, 19-22, 23-24

Lifegroup Questions:

1. Growing up, what was one unwritten rule or “this is just how we do things” practice in your home? Is it something you've carried with you, or something you've intentionally left behind?
2. Every family, workplace, team, or friend group develops an ethos—a characteristic way of doing life together. What is something you’ve been part of that shaped the way you acted, spoke, or thought in positive ways simply because you belonged to it?
3. Read 1 John 3:1–3. What stands out to you about the way John describes our identity as children of God? What difference should “And that is what we are!” make in everyday life?
4. The sermon described the ethos of a home as, “This is how we do life here.” What are some things that should characterize the ethos of God’s family?
5. Read 1 John 3:4–9 alongside 1 John 1:8–2:2. Why is it important to read these passages together? What distinction do you see between struggling with sin and making peace with sin?
6. Think about the question from the sermon: “Have I made peace with sin?” Is there an area of your life where God may be inviting you not simply to feel bad about something, but to actively pursue change?
7. Read 1 John 3:16–18. John describes seeing a brother or sister in need and having the ability to respond. How can living in genuine community help us both recognize real needs and discern how to respond to them wisely and lovingly?
8. Which is more difficult for you personally: allowing other people to know your needs and help you, or recognizing and responding to the needs of others? Why do you think that is?
9. Read 1 John 3:19–22. What do you think it means to “set our hearts at rest in his presence”? How does knowing that God is greater than our accusing hearts give us confidence before Him?
10. The sermon ended with, “This is your family now. And this is how we do life here.” As you consider 1 John 3 as a whole, where might you sense God inviting the ethos of His family to become more evident in your life this week?

In Week 2 of our 1 John series, we explore 1 John 2:15–29 and the tension between loving people and not loving “the world.” This message unpacks how Scripture calls us to love others deeply while remaining discerning about the broken values and systems that pull us away from God. As we navigate competing influences and voices, we’re reminded to stay grounded in what is eternal, recognizing that while all people are worthy of love, not every way of living is. Ultimately, we are invited to be wise and intentional in how we choose to love.

Lifegroup Questions:

1. Read 1 John 2:15-17. When you first hear/read John say, “Do not love the world or anything in the world,” what reaction or questions does that create for you?
2. The sermon distinguishes between loving the people of the world and loving the broken values and desires of the world. Why is that distinction important?
3. The sermon mentions status, success, appearance, health, wealth, and approval as things that eventually fade. Which of these—or something else—most easily competes for your affection?
4. Read 1 John 2:18–27 again. What do you notice about John’s concern over the voices influencing his readers?
5. The sermon gives three examples of competing cultural stories: finding security through accumulation, hope through political outcomes, and fulfillment through experiences. Which story do you think is most persuasive in our culture? Why? 
6. A question from the sermon is, “Is this voice leading me toward Jesus or away from Him?” What are tangible helps to practice that kind of discernment?
7. John repeatedly tells his readers to “remain in Him.” What do you think remaining in Jesus looks like—not just on Sundays, but in everyday life?
8. The sermon says remaining in Jesus doesn’t mean we’ll never have questions, struggles, or seasons of wrestling with faith. How can someone wrestle honestly while still remaining rooted in Christ?
9. Consider the sermon’s three closing questions: What has captured my affection? Which voices have been shaping my heart? Am I remaining in Jesus? Which one do you most need to sit with this week, and why?

This week, we kick off a five-week journey through the book of 1 John—three short letters near the end of the New Testament written by the apostle John, one of Jesus’ closest followers. Throughout this series, we’ll explore a powerful truth: every one of us can grow into a full and complete relationship with God. This message invites you to reflect on your own story: How have you heard, seen, and experienced God in your life? And how might your faith become something not just believed—but fully lived?

Questions:

1. The sermon opens by describing experiences like visiting the Grand Canyon or going on safari. What are some things in life that can't truly be understood until they're experienced? How does that relate to following Jesus?
2. John emphasizes that he had heard, seen, examined, and touched Jesus (1 John 1:1-4). Why do you think he begins his letter this way? What confidence does that give us today?
3. The message says, "Christian faith isn't casual; it's something we're invited to thoughtfully consider and then dive into fully." Where do you see the difference between simply knowing about Jesus and truly following Him?
4. Read 1 John 1:5-2:2. Why do you think confession is such an important part of walking with God? What makes confession difficult for many people?
5. The sermon calls out these two truths:
   • None of us are without fault.
   • None of us are beyond being made new.
6. Which of those truths do you personally need to remember more often? Why?
7. John says Jesus is our Advocate when we sin (1 John 2:1-2). How does remembering God's grace change the way we respond after we've failed?
8. In 1 John 2:3-6, obedience is presented as evidence of knowing God—not a way to earn His love. Why is that distinction so important?
9. Jesus summarized the commands as loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:36-40). Which of those two is easier for you right now? Which is more challenging?
10. Read 1 John 2:7-11. According to John, what is the connection between loving others and walking in the light? Why do you think those two are inseparable?
11. The sermon ends by saying John wasn't simply asking people to agree with him—he was inviting them to experience the same life with Jesus that he had experienced. How have you personally experienced God's faithfulness?
12. The sermon identifies four responses we're able to live out because God is able:
    • Believe deeply
    • Confess freely
    • Walk faithfully
    • Love others well

Which one do you sense God inviting you to grow in during this season? Why? If everyone in this group took one intentional step this week in response to this passage, what might that look like? How can we encourage one another to follow through before we meet again?

When tension rises, our human instinct is often to escape rather than endure. Whether it’s chasing a bigger dream, running from a difficult season, or taking the easy exit ramp, we frequently mistake God’s divine restraint for a closed door. Drawing from the story of Jonah, the decision of the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes to return for "unfinished business," and personal testimony, Bailey explores what happens when we stop running from our placement and choose radical obedience. Discover why God isn't looking for a flawless track record, but a surrendered "Yes"—and how staying in your assignment might just be the very thing God uses to protect your future and unleash His purpose.

Lifegroup Discussion Questions

1. Identifying Your "Tarshish": Jonah ran toward Tarshish to escape a hard assignment. Have you ever felt the urge to take an "easy exit" from a difficult season, job, relationship, or ministry call just because it got uncomfortable or frustrating?
2. Recognizing Restraint as Protection: Looking back at your life, can you identify a time when God said "no" or "wait" to something you really wanted (like a dream job or relocation), only for you to realize years later that He was actually protecting or redirecting you?
3. The Trap of Reluctant Obedience: In Jonah chapter 4, Jonah technically obeyed God by going to Nineveh, but his heart was still fighting God’s grace and mercy. What is the difference between grudging compliance and surrendered heart obedience? How can we catch ourselves when we fall into the trap of doing the right things with the wrong posture?
4. God Uses Imperfect People: From Abraham and Moses to Jonah and Peter, Scripture is filled with deeply flawed people who had profound moments of obedience. How does knowing that God doesn't require a "flawless track record" before using us change the way you view your own past mistakes?
5. Executing Your Current Assignment: The 2024 Ohio State players stayed because they knew they had "unfinished business." What is the specific assignment or season God has you in right now? What would it look like for you to stop looking for the exit and simply say "yes" to executing the play right where you are?