Willow Park Church

Willow Park Church

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Willow Park Church episodes

  • David and the Envy Trap (Hwy33)

    Text: 1 Sam 18:6-9

    In this passage Saul realizes that David has been chosen by God and the envy starts to boil over. Envy is a part of the DNA of our culture, but should it be? Glen preaches on the symptoms and outcomes of living with envy. But Jesus gives us a way out of this deadly sin.

    https://youtu.be/OFBO0OPiSHg

    General

    1. Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.
    2. What stood out to you in the sermon?
    3. What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?
    4. What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?
    5. What do you want to be different this week in your life?

      6. Sermon Specific

      1. Glen told the story of going to the doctor because he felt off, which uncovered high blood pressure. Like our physical body our spirit can also “feel off”. What are the warning signs in your life of being spiritually unwell? (e.g., avoiding prayer, feeling disconnected from church life, numbness toward anything spiritual, etc.)
      2. Envy has traditionally been called a deadly sin but in what sense does it lead to dying? Gluttony leads to obesity, Anger leads to murder, but what does Envy lead to?
      3. Glen cheekily told us to just stop being envious and then pointed out that we cannot. Envy emerges out of what we worship. If you could have anything in the world (money, power, intelligence, success, beauty, family, etc.) what would you choose? How does worship of that thing express itself in our culture?
      4. The overly simple way of dealing with envy is to curb our desire to strive and achieve. If there is no comparison, then there is no problem. Here is another way of saying it, “The unaimed arrow never misses.” Is there a proper place for comparison and competition in the church? (Consider 1Cor. 12).
        5. 46 min
      5. A Life Poured Out (Hwy33)

        Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

        The story of Hannah and her search for God bridges the transition from the time of the judges to kingship in Israel. Times of transition are of immense importance because God reveals His purposes within them.

        https://youtu.be/Zu05RI3brD8

        General

        1. Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.
        2. What stood out to you in the sermon?
        3. What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?
        4. What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?
        5. What do you want to be different this week in your life?

          6. Sermon Specific

          1. The period of the judges ends with this pronouncement: everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Name three way in which our culture matches this statement and name three ways in which our culture does not match this statement.
          2. Hannah experienced harsh bullying from her rival Peninnah but also from her own internal voice. Both external and internal sources told her she was worthless. Name a time when you experienced harsh treatment from either an external or an internal source that made you feel worthless. How did you find strength and resilience amid this tribulation?
          3. Hannah’s husband Elkanah asks her why his love is not enough for her. Our culture often matches Elkanah’s sentiment, but the Bible makes it clear that a spouse is not enough. Why can’t a spouse fulfill us totally and what happens when we put that kind of pressure on one person?
          4. Eli is so out of sync with God that he does not recognize earnest prayer when he sees it. Phil stressed that our Canadian church is in danger of following Eli’s example. What leads a church to fall out of sync with Jesus?
          5. Praying out of anguish is not a sin but sometimes it feels wrong. What gets in the way of pouring our hearts out before God?
            6. 49 min
          6. David - The King Whose Heart is Set (Hwy33)

            Text: 2 Samuel 9:1-8

            How do we live like Jesus in a culture that encourages transactional relationships that only result in a "swipe right" society? As we look at what is commonly agreed to be the "most beautiful human story in the Old Testament," we experience a vivid picture of Jesus' love for us and how we can love like him in a non-transactional way.

            https://www.willowparkchurch.com/sermon/david-the-king-whose-heart-is-set/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJVJD43iec

            General

            1. Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.

            2. What stood out to you in the sermon?

            3. What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?

            4. What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?

            5. What do you want to be different this week in your life?

            Sermon Specific

            1. Can you think of a “transactional relationship” in your own experience? What are the ways this kind of relationship can be destructive? What other transactional relationships are there in our culture?

            2. “Hesed” (The word “kindness” in the passage) - not just an act of kindness, but an action of unconditional love. How can we make this kindness a part of our everyday lives? Discuss ways you can bring hesed to your world.

            3. What are the implications for us in everyday life for being invited to sit at the table of the King? What impact should there be on us and others?

            4. How does remembering that God is holy and powerful increase our gratitude towards him for what Jesus did on the cross? How is this shown in the story of Mephibosheth?

            51 min
          7. Uzzah and the Forgotten God (Hwy33)

            Part of our current David series - 2 Samuel 6:1-15

            "Stories like this in the Bible sometimes cause people to reject God. Do we ignore them or try and explain them away? No - most certainly not! It is better to face them head-on, and by doing so, we discover that we need stories like this in the bible. They point toward a God who is bigger than we can imagine and who can transform the trajectory of our lives."

            42 min
          10. Location Location Location (Hwy33)

            Jesus drives out people from God’s temple and Glen reminds us that every space is Jesus’. What does it mean to make space for Jesus and what needs to be driven out of our lives?

            General

            1. Go around and share a highlight and a low light since you last met.
            2. What stood out to you in the sermon?
            3. What was one thing in the sermon that was challenging?
            4. What was one thing in the sermon that was encouraging?
            5. What do you want to be different this week in your life?

              6. Sermon Specific

              1. Historically Jesus and judgment were easily accepted. Why is it so much easier for our culture to accept the gentleness of Jesus rather than the sternness?
              2. We have a built-in desire for human flourishing and Jesus’ way hits that target. Glen reminds us that our culture wants this flourishing but without Jesus. What makes following Jesus such a stumbling block in our culture?
              3. Glen states that Christianity is supposed to be an adventure, but we have made the kingdom of God into something mundane and boring. What habits and patterns rob our church of this sense of spiritual adventure?
              4. The presence of God is meant to be in you, at the centre. But what have we brought into the temple of our life that pushed God to the side? Name a time when a hobby, job, or person drew you away from making God the king.


                5. 45 min
              5. Psalm 23 (Hwy33)

                This is a well-loved Psalm from David that reminds us that God is our shepherd and we are the sheep. When we follow God, he takes care of us and keeps us close together.

                38 min

              About Willow Park Church

              From the publisher's feed

              Welcome to the weekly podcast from Willow Park Church in Kelowna, BC. Here you will find weekly messages from all of our locations: 33, Downtown, and Lake Country.