Valley Life Church | Tramonto: Recent Episodes
Valley Life Church
Discussion Questions
What are your biggest fears or concerns right now? How reasonable do those fears seem to you to be?
Read Hebrews 4:11-18
If God has promised his rest (see v. 1), why is it that some Christians do not seem to reach it? (disobedience)
In what way is striving (v. 11) the answer to disobedience? (We must remind ourselves regularly of the truth of the gospel as opposed to what we might believe by simply looking around us -- putting away scary thoughts, etc.)
Why does the “of course” premise of the world -- that our current circumstances naturally result in fear and insecurity -- lead us to disobedience?
V. 13 makes it clear that God knows all about every one of us. Does that thought comfort or frighten you? Why?
Why does the fact that Jesus lived on earth as a man give us “confidence” (v. 16) to ask for mercy and grace from his throne?
How can this group be praying for you this week so that you can experience faith, confidence, obedience, and God’s rest?
Sermon Questions Phil. 4:4-9 1.) What things of this world make you happy? What things make you anxious? 2.) Read Phil. 4:4-9. 3.) What does Paul say we are to do with our anxieties? 4.) Why is it “reasonable” that Christians not be anxious about anything? 5.) Why is happiness not a very good “antidote” to anxiety? How is joy different? 6.) When Brian said that we must NOT keep our joy and the reasons for it to ourselves, what was your first thought? 7.) We don’t live our lives by feelings, but we also know that feelings are important. How did watching the video that Brian shared make you feel? Would you say it made you happy? Joyful? Both? 8.) How do you think Bekah felt as she was leading her masseuse to Jesus? 9.) How would leading someone to Jesus make you feel? 10.) Who is your One? What opportunities will you have this week to speak to your One this week about Jesus? What is your plan to do so?
The missionary’s impulse is the missing ingredient in most Christian parenting.
• give them the missionary burden • send them out into a broken world • teach them to rely on Jesus and move with purpose • prepare them for rejection • show them God’s “achievementless” acceptance
1). Apostles - “Sent Ones” - What’s next for the Kingdom Expansion (can leave people feeling wounded or used) 2). Prophets - Correction & Challenge. Know and do God’s Will from the Bible. (can become belligerent activists) 3). Evangelists - Infectious recruiters for the Kingdom. Focused on reaching people who are outside and bringing them in. (can neglect maturing self and others) 4). Shepherds - Nurture and protect. Caregivers. Value stability. (can create unhealthy dependence) 5.) Teachers - Understand and explain. “What he’s saying is…” ( can be day and intellectual and dogmatic. May neglect personal ministry) To equip saints for work of ministry (Body Building) Verse 13). Until: Unity of faith Knowledge of Son of God Mature Manhood Measure of Stature of Fullness of Christ Verse 14). So that we may no longer be children. Tossed by waves
Doctrine Cunning Craftiness in deceitful schemes
Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the Spirits.” - We should attempt the same thing. We discipline for attitude more than actions. Pr. 16:6 “By the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.” - Rather than focusing on teaching your child to avoid sinning, emphasize respect for God, his Word, and the gospel. Pr. 16:8 “Better is little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice.” - It's better to do what God says than to get your intended result by doing it your way. Pr. 16:15 “In the light of the king's face is life and his favor is as the latter rain.” - We can train our children to be able to please those in authority by being fair and liberal with our praise. Pr. 16:24 “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Never use words as punishment.” - Use sweet, encouraging words and firm, swift discipline. Pr. 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” -Anger is altogether unhelpful and unproductive in our work to train wise children. Pr. 17:1 “Better is a dry morsel with quietness that a house full of feasting with strife.” - Parents have to make difficult decisions about how much time they will spend at work. Accept that more money is not necessarily better. Pr. 17:2 “A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, and will share an inheritance with the brothers.” - The fond affection (love) that you have for your child is not enough. You must train for wisdom. Pr. 17:3 “The refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.” - God will use difficulty and struggle in your child's life to reveal their hearts, a wise parent will subvert that process. Pr. 17:6 “Children's children is the crown of old men and the glory of children is their father.” - God's plan is to train children in the Lord so that they will train children in the Lord. Pr. 17:10 “Rebuke is more effective for a wise man that a hundred blows on a fool.” - Raising wise children means your conversations will be more effective when they’re adults. Pr. 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like the releasing of water, therefore stop contention before it starts.” - Parenting is not primarily handling incidents, it is primarily creating environments. Never create a negative environment as a means of punishment. Pr. 17:21 “He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.” - Laughing at a child’s foolishness now will only bring a parent sorrow later. Pr. 17:25 “A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.” - When a child grows to adulthood without God in charge of his/her life, it hurts the entire family. Pr. 17:27 “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” - Anybody can get angry. Parenting requires calm
- Decide to love - You'll improve
- Love is not a feeling - That's something else
- Parenting is less managing incidents, and more fostering environments.
- Seven things that you can do to love your child
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- You can stop bullying and start training.
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- You can believe in your selfless authority.
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- You can articulate a clear aim. (Psalm 78:5-7)
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- You can believe in the nobility of decisively winning every confrontation of the will.
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- You can make parenting a part of your "real life".
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- You can ignore popular parenting. (Proverbs 7:2)
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- You can stop hating your child, and start loving them. (Proverbs 13:24)
Shaun Hair and Anthony Alvarado are commissioned as Elders at Valley Life Church | Tramonto
Christmas is not an event, it's a person. What if we lived our lives like everyday was Christmas?
We see in the story of Mary that nothing is impossible with God. We do not always know how God will work, but we can believe even without seeing it that he will.
As the year comes to a close, our feelings of loss or dashed hopes tend to work their way to the surface. But Jesus understands our pain and is near in times of hurt.
The Christmas story can be offensive before it becomes pleasing. The truth is, we are hopelessly lost in darkness. But, God has sent a great light into the darkness, and there we find our hope.
The story of Jesus begins in the very beginning. In the beauty of the garden, and the subsequent brokenness we bring to it, God provides hope.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. As Christians, that makes our call simple: tell your friends.
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” Even if you are not a Christian, you are closer than you think. Most of the work has already been done for you.
In marriage, we often allow ourselves to be much less vulnerable than we might think. But when we look at things upside-down and move from a place of personal protection to real vulnerability, our marriages can begin to thrive.
Most people have been affected by divorce in one way or another, and it is damaging. So, what does Jesus have to say about the matter, and what hope is there for our current situation?
The things of this world aren’t ultimate; money, sex, and even marriage are all just passing shadows. Living your life like Jesus is coming back allows you to embrace singleness instead of simply enduring it.
As parents, our methods are often ineffective or—worse yet—just downright harmful. What hope and wisdom does the gospel have for struggling parents?
Armed with the gospel and the Holy Spirit, Christians should be prepared to tell anybody about Jesus. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch shows us how.
The scandal of the gospel is this: right standing with God is not gained by our obedience to the Law, but Christ’s. Salvation comes only through faith in Him.