Waterville Community Church Podcast

This is the second message in a three-part series called "Rend Your Hearts" which is a study of the Old Testament book of Joel.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do I mean when I say Joel’s appeal to the people is “fear-based and self-centered?”  

2. What is the difference between tearing one’s garments and tearing one’s heart? 

3. What is the inherent disconnect between the goal of people tearing their hearts and the strategy of warning against future destruction? 

4. What do I mean when I say a fear-based, self-centered appeal to repentance will eventually produce an “energy crisis?” 

5. Discuss the transition from John the Baptist to Jesus.  How does John’s message “prepare the way” for Jesus and how does Jesus move people to a different and better process of repentance? 

6. What is significant about Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 as it relates to the conversation about what should motivate authentic internal repentance?

*Due to technical issues, the first minute or so was lost.

This is the first sermon in a three-week series called "Rend Your Hearts" which is a study of the Old Testament book of Joel.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you appreciate how/why Joel interpreted the locust plague as a foreshadowing of God’s judgment?  Have you ever heard someone in our culture offering similar interpretations for “acts of God” such as hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, or earthquakes? 

2. What specifically prompted Joel to interpret the plague as a foreshadowing of God’s judgment? 

3. When you hear the phrase “the day of the Lord” what thoughts, images, assumptions come to mind? 

4. What is the connection between Israel’s ritual religious expression as bein attacked by a foreign army?  How do you see this same connection fleshed out in the life and ministry of Jesus? 

5. What am I arguing in this message is the primary purpose or utility of religious faith/expression? 

 

 

This week pastor Mike O'Shea, family pastor Mike Strole, and (as of August 2015) youth developer Addison Hirschfeld share about their experience and WCC's integration with the Young Life organization. Two students who recently attended YL Camp share their story.

This is the third and final message in a series called "Under The Sun" which is a study of the book of Ecclesiastes.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to have an “identity of possession?” 

2. Discuss the consequences of having an “identity of possession.”  How does it lead to living in a constant “fear of loss?”  What does a “fear of loss” cause us to do?  What does that ultimately prevent us from doing? 

3. Where in Israel’s story can see the signs of an “identity of possession?”  Where can you see similar signs in your own story? 

4. What does it mean to assume an “identity of gift” and how does it serve as an antidote to the problems created by an “identity of possession?” 

5. What will be the signs in your life that you have assumed an “identity of gift?” 

6. What’s the difference between living with a “fear of loss” and living as a slave to the fear of loss and how does an “identity of gift” enable us to make that shift? 

7. What can we do everyday to live in an “identity as gift?”

This is the second sermon in a three-part series on the book of Ecclesiastes called, "Under The Sun."

This is the 1st sermon in the 3 part series on Ecclesiastes called Under the Sun.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever read/studied the book of Ecclesiastes before this sermon series?  If so, what impressions, understandings, etc…of the book are you bringing into this experience? 

2.  I suggested that we usually search for “understanding” in life “under the sun” when our expectations don’t align with real experiences.  Have you had situations in your life where this has been the case? 

3.  What does the teacher mean when he says, “everything is meaningless?”  What ultimately leads him to this conclusion? 

4.  How do you respond to the suggestion that we should allow our experience with life, God, people, etc…to challenge and, where necessary, change our understanding/image/impression/expectation of God?  Why does such a suggestion often scare people in the church? 

5.  Read and discuss the story of the blind man in John 9.  What does the imagery and John’s conclusion communicate about the interplay between experience and expectation? 

6.  What is so important about the incarnation of God in Jesus as it relates to this expectation vs experience equation?

This is the final message in the 6 part series from the book of Isaiah called New Horizons.

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you been taught to think about the nature and purpose of God’s “final judgment?”  Does it look a little (or a lot) like Isaiah’s vision of God trampling his enemies and destroying the rebellious? 

2. Were you surprised to learn that in Luke 4:16-19 Jesus actually edits Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 61:1-2 by removing the line about God destroying his enemies?  What does that imply about God’s nature, Jesus’ mission, Isaiah’s vision, etc…? 

3. Why did the people of Luke 4 get so angry with Jesus that they wanted to kill him?  What’s ironic about their response? 

4. Do you find yourself or other people in the church responding in a similar way to Jesus’ implication? 

5. How should Isaiah 55:8-9 help us understand who God is and what his ultimate vision is? 

 

This is the 5th sermon in the 6 week series called "New Horizons" out of the book of Isaiah.

Discussion Questions: 

1. Recall a time when you experienced pain and suffering.  What “narratives” did you tell yourself or did others tell you to help you make sense of your pain? 

 

 2. What do I mean when I talk about a “narrative of death” vs a “narrative of life?”  Which does the Christian church seem most interested in? 

 

 3. What is the big shift in emphasis that comes through the prophets during the time of the exile? 

 

 4. What lie had the people of Judah come to believe about God and how did they arrive at that particular lie? 

 

 5. What do I mean when I use the term “right-handed” or “left-handed” strategy? 

 

 6. Did my illustration using The Life of David Gale help you to better understand the purpose and work of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53?  What questions do you still have? 

 

 7. I suggested that it’s possible the church has misread the story of the cross using a right-handed interpretive grid?  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  How does a left-handed interpretive grid change the meaning of our central story?

Mike Strole shares a message on getting back to the foundation of our faith found in Christ.

This is the fourth message in a six-week series called "New Horizons" which is a study of the book of Isaiah.

Discussion questions coming soon.