Grace South Bay: Recent Episodes

View Details

1. Think of the best leader you've ever been under — a boss, coach, teacher, parent, officer, anyone. What specifically did they do that made you willing to follow them?
2. Most of us have been on the receiving end of bad leadership. Without naming names, how did you suffer under their leadership? What did it actually cost you? An opportunity, a friendship, your confidence, something else?
3. Ancient Israel had three kinds of leaders, each with a different job: prophets told the truth even when it was unwelcome, priests represented people before God, and kings were supposed to rule justly on behalf of the most vulnerable. Which of those three leaders do you long for now, given your current life circumstances?
4. When was the last time you felt genuinely seen by someone — not flattered or managed, but actually noticed? What did they do? Why do you think that's so rare? How are you comforted by the fact that Jesus sees you?
5. Lamentations 4 ends with the confidence that what was lost would be restored. Is there something in your life you'd want restored — not fixed or replaced, but made new? What would that look like?

View Details

1. The sermon says suffering can become so overwhelming that "it begins to set the narrative for our lives"—shaping how we see our value, our identity, and even how we treat others. Have you ever noticed a hard season changing the way you saw yourself or the world around you? What was that like? How does the steadfast love of the Lord affect that narrative?
2. Jeremiah says that in his deepest despair, he "called to mind" something that gave him hope. What are the things people typically turn to for hope or stability when life falls apart? Which of those have you leaned on, and how well have they held up? Why is the steadfast love of the Lord a better thing to turn to?
3. The sermon uses the illustration of turning away from something harmful as part of healing, not just a hurdle before healing. What things give you a false sense of identity, purpose, or value that you need to turn from? What would it look like to turn from them and turn to God?
4. The sermon quotes Phil Ryken saying, "There are times when the only thing a sufferer can do is wait." What's your honest reaction to being told to wait during a hard situation? When has waiting for something ever been worth it?

View Details

Lamentations 2

1 How the Lord in his anger
has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud!
He has cast down from heaven to earth
the splendor of Israel;
he has not remembered his footstool
in the day of his anger.

2 The Lord has swallowed up without mercy
all the habitations of Jacob;
in his wrath he has broken down
the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
he has brought down to the ground in dishonor
the kingdom and its rulers.

3 He has cut down in fierce anger
all the might of Israel;
he has withdrawn from them his right hand
in the face of the enemy;
he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob,
consuming all around.

4 He has bent his bow like an enemy,
with his right hand set like a foe;
and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes;
in the tent of the daughter of Zion,
he has poured out his fury like fire.

5 The Lord has become like an enemy;
he has swallowed up Israel;
he has swallowed up all its palaces;
he has laid in ruins its strongholds,
and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah
mourning and lamentation.

6 He has laid waste his booth like a garden,
laid in ruins his meeting place;
the Lord has made Zion forget
festival and Sabbath,
and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.

7 The Lord has scorned his altar,
disowned his sanctuary;
he has delivered into the hand of the enemy
the walls of her palaces;
they raised a clamor in the house of the Lord
as on the day of festival.

8 The Lord determined to lay in ruins
the wall of the daughter of Zion;
he stretched out the measuring line;
he did not restrain his hand from destroying;
he caused rampart and wall to lament;
they languished together.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the Lord.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have thrown dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes are spent with weeping;
my stomach churns;
my bile is poured out to the ground
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babies faint
in the streets of the city.

12 They cry to their mothers,
“Where is bread and wine?”
as they faint like a wounded man
in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
on their mothers’ bosom.
13 What can I say for you, to what compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your ruin is vast as the sea;
who can heal you?

14 Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes,
but have seen for you oracles
that are false and misleading.

15 All who pass along the way
clap their hands at you;
they hiss and wag their heads
at the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was called
the perfection of beauty,
the joy of all the earth?”

16 All your enemies
rail against you;
they hiss, they gnash their teeth,
they cry: “We have swallowed her!
Ah, this is the day we longed for;
now we have it; we see it!”

17 The Lord has done what he purposed;
he has carried out his word,
which he commanded long ago;
he has thrown down without pity;
he has made the enemy rejoice over you
and exalted the might of your foes.

18 Their heart cried to the Lord.
O wall of the daughter of Zion,
let tears stream down like a torrent
day and night!
Give yourself no rest,
your eyes no respite!

19 “Arise, cry out in the night,
at the beginning of the night watches!
Pour out your heart like water
before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him
for the lives of your children,
who faint for hunger
at the head of every street.”

20 Look, O Lord, and see!
With whom have you dealt thus?
Should women eat the fruit of their womb,
the children of their tender care?
Should priest and prophet be killed
in the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 In the dust of the streets
lie the young and the old;
my young women and my young men
have fallen by the sword;
you have killed them in the day of your anger,
slaughtering without pity.

22 You summoned as if to a festival day
my terrors on every side,
and on the day of the anger of the Lord
no one escaped or survived;
those whom I held and raised
my enemy destroyed.

Sermon Questions:

1. Think of a time you felt completely out of control — an illness, a job loss, a relationship ending. What did you do with that feeling? Did you try to regain control, or did you have to just sit with it?
2. The sermon compares trusting God to trusting a pilot you've never met. Is there anyone or anything in your life you trust that way — where you don't need to understand every detail to feel secure? What makes that trust possible?
3. Einstein's quote — "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know" — got used to make a point about faith. Where in your own life have you had to accept "I don't know" as an answer, and how did you make peace with that (or not)?
4. The sermon suggests that sometimes the best response to someone's suffering isn't a theologically deep explanation, just showing up. Can you think of a time someone's presence helped you more than their words did? What did they do (or not do)?
5. Do you think personal pain can become part of something meaningful over time — a "bigger story," even if you can't see it yet? Or does that idea feel like wishful thinking to you?

View Details

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

1. The sermon opens with the "how's it going" that isn't really a question — quick, shallow, going nowhere. Do you experience much of that shallow interaction in your day-to-day life?

2. Paul's list of greetings cuts across every social line Rome used to keep people in their place — status, class, ethnicity, gender. Where in your own life do you find it hardest to cross those kinds of lines (there are others in our culture)?

3. Paul tells Apelles he’s "approved in Christ" — you've been through the fire and held on, and also, your approval was never in yourself to begin with. Which of those two do you need to hear more right now?

4. Sometimes the same quality that makes a church warm and welcoming is exactly what wolves exploit. How do you hold those two things together — staying genuinely open and also genuinely discerning?

5. If you are a Christian, what do you find to be your personal hurdles to engaging in free, full-hearted worship of God?

6. Quartus — "Number Four" — a nobody with a slave's name, whose name ends up in the most important letter ever written. Is there someone in your life right now who feels invisible or nameless to the people around them, and what would it look like for you to do what Paul did?

View Details

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

1. The sermon opens with Viktor Frankl scribbling notes in a concentration camp — already living in a story that hadn't happened yet, for people he didn't know. When you're honest with yourself, what size is the story you're living in day to day?

2. Frederick Douglass could have disappeared into a safe, quiet life after escaping slavery. Instead he gave up his anonymity for a story bigger than himself. Is there something you've already been given — a platform, a skill, an experience, access — that belongs to a bigger story than you've been using it for?

3. "A story the size of your own comfort doesn't need a very big God." Does that land for you? Are there areas of your life where you suspect you're not experiencing much of God because you're not in any situation that you think requires him?

4. Or- Is there something in your life right now that you need others to actually be striving in prayer with you over? Have you told anyone?

5. What's your Spain? The godly ambition you keep circling but haven't let yourself pursue. What comes to mind — and what's kept you from taking a step toward it?

View Details

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

• Jonah, Abraham, David, and Peter all got second chances from God. Is there someone in your life — a parent, a friend, an old relationship — who might need a second chance from you? What’s held you back from offering it?
• Jonah walked into a genuinely scary situation not on his own confidence but on God’s word. In a culture like ours that prizes competence, credentials, and self-reliance, where is God asking you to do something you don’t feel equipped for — and what would change if you trusted the strength wasn’t meant to be yours to begin with?
• When you read the “wrath” passages of Scripture, do you tend to skim past them? What might you be missing about God’s character by doing that?
• The sermon says God’s word came to Jonah, and that a healthy relationship with God involves both speaking and listening. How has God spoken to you in the past — through Scripture, prayer, other people, circumstances? And honestly, are you actually listening for his voice these days, or mostly just talking at him?

View Details

1. Jerry Sittser's story illustrates that "the only way out of the
   darkness is to walk straight through it." Has there been a moment in
   your life where facing pain head-on — rather than avoiding it —
   actually led somewhere meaningful? What sustained you?

2. The sermon suggests that minimizing or burying our suffering is
   like "trying to heal cancer with a bandaid." What does it look like
   practically to be honest about your pain, rather than just
   moving on quickly? Is there a loss or grief in your own life that you
   haven't fully acknowledged yet?

3. The sermon points out that Israel had a habit of crying out to all
   the wrong things — money, alliances, false gods — instead of God. When
   you're in pain, what are the things you tend to reach for first? What
   does that reveal about where you're actually placing your trust?

4. Jeremiah directed his raw, unpolished grief straight at God. What
   tends to be your first instinct when you're in pain — and how does it
   compare to Jeremiah's response? What would it take for you to feel
   free to bring God your anger, your questions, or your "half-baked
   thoughts"?

View Details

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

151 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

1."Annoyance is the price you pay for community." Do you think that’s an accurate statement? How do you personally navigate that tension?
2.Paul tells the strong to restrain their freedom for the sake of a tender brother or sister, even when they're right. Is there an area where you've had to hold a freedom loosely for someone else's sake? What did that cost you?
3.RC Sproul called it "the tyranny of the weaker brother" when someone tries to make their personal conviction everyone else's law. Have you seen that happen — or done it yourself? What does it look like when a disputable matter gets treated as indisputable?
4.It seems there can be a tension between living out the kingdom of God vs having the modern optimized, maximized life. Do you see that tension in your life and if so, where?
5.Mrs. Leonard's whisper — "I wish you were my little girl" — is offered as a picture of what it feels like to really be welcomed by Jesus. Have you experienced Jesus’ welcome? When/how?
6.How can the gospel make you and our community more welcoming?

View Details

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

View Details

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer…

1. Do you think that the church faces the same tensions our broader culture does in terms of disputes, judgment and division?

2. Paul had a clear position on the meat debate, agreeing with the strong but still refusing to weaponize it to win the argument. Is there a position you hold that you've been tempted to make a condition of fellowship? What makes it hard to hold the conviction without using it as a weapon?

3. Diagnostic question: what are you giving God thanks for? Are there areas of your life you haven't really brought before Jesus in thankfulness?

4. The sermon describes the "tender" places — corners of our lives where we still feel like we have to perform to keep our place. Where is that for you?

5. Have you ever had a moment, even briefly, where you saw someone you'd been judging the way God might see them? What was that like, and did it change anything?

6. Does applying the gospel personally to yourself, that you’ve been welcomed by Jesus, encourage and empower you to welcome others different from you? How so/why not?

View Details

Numbers 11:24–30

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Sermon Questions

1. How have you experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in your life or in the life of others? In what ways do you need the Holy Spirit’s power now?
2. What are the opportunities to proclaim God’s word in your life now? What is daunting about that? How do you need to the Holy Spirit to help you in doing that?
3. What ministry is the Holy Spirit empowering you to do? What are your skills, opportunities, and passions?

View Details

1215 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…

138 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

1.Which approach to South Bay (or broader) culture do you usually lean toward: harsh rejection or thoughtless embrace?
2."You can't love your neighbor if you don't care at all about what they love." Are there people around you — neighbors, coworkers, people at your kids' school — whose world you haven't really entered? What's kept you at a distance?
3.What's the darkness in your workplace or industry or other key community? What would you name? And is it something you've mostly accepted, or actively resisted?
4.Saying yes to a culture — being genuinely present and engaged — is what gives your 'no' real weight. Have you experienced that? A time when your presence earned you the right to be distinct?
5.Augustine's restlessness — the inability to feel fully at home anywhere — is offered as something universal, not just his personal neurosis. Does that resonate with you? Where do you feel it most?
6.“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh." This is preparation — what you dress for depends on what you're anticipating. What practices actually help you do that in the morning, or throughout the day? What's missing?

View Details

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1.The sermon opens with the inauguration day polling phenomenon — our view of the government flipping overnight based on who won. How much does that describe you? Is your posture toward government more shaped by who's in power than by anything else?
2.The sermon argues that a settled posture of contempt toward legitimate authority can form you and eventually shape how you relate to God. Does that connection feel real? Have you noticed resentment or suspicion in one area bleeding into others?
3.What do you want the Church to be known for?
4.“All church power…is only ministerial and declarative.” Does this expression of non-violence and separation from the government excite you or concern you?
5.Scripture draws a clear red line for when disobedience is warranted: when the government commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands. Does that line feel clear to you in practice, or are there situations where you find it genuinely hard to locate?
6.Does “keeping our powder dry” in order to proclaim a clear gospel message feel like a cop-out to you? On the other hand, speaking and acting for or against policies could lead to being overly identified with a particular ideology or party. On which side do you seem to naturally err? Is there a better side to err on depending on the historical situation? Which kind of historical situation might we be in now?

View Details

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1. When it comes to conflict/being mistreated, do you see yourself in any of the descriptions in the sermon: withdrawing, ghosting, “processing” with others, revving up the internal defense attorney? Share with the group if possible.

2. Is there anywhere in your life where you believe you are seeking resolution but might actually be seeking retribution? Or is there an example of that in your past?

3. If you are a Christian, do you ever find yourself feeling like the death of Jesus is not enough to do justice for this or that person’s sins?

4. Do you believe that every wrong will be paid for, either by Jesus or the wrongdoer? If so, how does or should that impact the way you approach conflict and being wronged?

5. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep… Is there anyone in your life, or the world out there, whose humanity you are narrowing down to a one-dimensional enemy?

6. Do you find the gospel creating space in your life to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation with others? How so/why or why not?

View Details

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1. Have you ever found it hard to embrace a church family? If so, why?

2. Do you agree you need other Christians to help you fully experience God? Is that appealing or not?

3. Is it easy or hard for you to let others serve you? What makes it difficult to receive help or show need?

4. Are there people in this church not related to you who actually know what your life looks like?

5. Would you say you’ve experienced the hospitality of Jesus? If so, how has that impacted you, or how would you like it to impact you?

6. Hospitality is described as making space for others — which doesn't require a big house, just a willingness to share your life. What's one specific way you could extend that kind of hospitality to someone in this community in the coming weeks?

View Details

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1. The sermon opens with the image of a bent writing finger — your body shaped by what you've given it to. Are there ways you can see yourself being shaped by what you've given your time and attention to, for better or worse?

2. Where in your own life have you felt most confident you were thinking for yourself, only to realize later you were absorbing a particular culture or story?

3. Paul appeals to transformation "in view of God's mercies" — not as a demand, but as a response to compassion. Is that the frame you typically operate from when you think about changing your life? What tends to crowd it out?

4. What feels transactional in your life? Does a relationship with God ever feel transactional?

5. If you are interested in being transformed by God, what role can your body play in that?

View Details

1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.

3 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me; all your breakers and your waves
passed over me.

4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight; yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’

5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I went down,
to the land whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet you brought up my life from the pit,O LORD my God.

7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.

8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you; what have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

View Details

*1 “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They shall spring up among the grass
like willows by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’
another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and name himself by the name of Israel.”

6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”*

View Details

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Questions for Sermon

1. What is frustrating--and exciting--about Mark’s conclusion that basically says, “go to Galilee to meet the resurrected Jesus”?

2. "And Peter." Is there something in your own story that those two words might be speaking to? What would it mean to hear your name there?

3. The disciples understood crucifixion to mean God had abandoned Jesus, and there was no coming back from that. Are there areas of your life — or people in your life — where you've essentially concluded there's no coming back? What shapes that conclusion?

4. How do you experience scarcity? Do you find that the resurrection meaningfully addresses that for you?

5. The sermon draws a sharp contrast between two worlds: the "real world" where death has the final word, and "Galilee" where Jesus is alive and active in the daily grind. Which world do you more often find yourself actually living in — and what pulls you toward one or the other?

6. Where is Galilee for you specifically — the place or situation where you most need to be looking for Jesus?

View Details

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

1. Did the sermon successfully depict how strange and surprising God’s ways are, compared to the expectations of ancient religions? Could his ways still be strange and surprising to you? Is that disturbing or comforting?

2. The potter became the clay. Does it land for you that Jesus took our place? Does it move you that the mind of our God is set on loving you and making you glorious?

3. Do you agree with the quote from the counselor: “Understanding is the booby prize”? Why or why not?

4. The doxology isn’t a timetable, it’s a track record. Paul had seen enough to trust when he cannot see. Have you seen enough?

5. Do you agree that God is glorified in your redemption and flourishing? How can that impact the way you pray and operate on a daily basis?

View Details

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened…

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved…

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

1. The passage suggests that arrogance and contempt are linked — that when we write someone off, it often reveals pride about our own standing (before God or otherwise). Does that connection feel true to you? Can you think of a time when you recognized that dynamic in yourself?

2. Are there paths or situations for you when you might subtly slip from resting in grace to feeling entitled by it? What are those?

3. Who, or what kinds of people, are you tempted to write off?

4. For Christians to have no enemies (consider no one beyond God’s reach) is a radical claim in a polarized world. What would it look like practically to live that out in your workplace or neighborhood this week?

5. Paul uses the o

View Details

30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

1.In what ways do you find yourself responding to your need to be special? What about you in your mind sets you apart, or you are hoping sets you apart?
2.If you are regularly involved in Christian community, do you ever get “imposter syndrome”? What is the gospel’s answer to that?
3.Paul continues to hammer the idea that forgiveness and righteous come through simple faith. Are there any ways you try “ascending into heaven” (trying to earn God’s approval) or “descending into the abyss” (trying to pay for sin)?
4.Paul gives a simple definition of faith. For those who have it, what do you find challenging about believing in the resurrection, or confessing Jesus is Lord? Do you find the two to be connected?
5.What are some challenges with sharing the Gospel in Silicon Valley? Does being reminded of God’s love and that you have nothing to prove encourage and empower you to share Jesus with others?
6.How could you articulate your personal experience of God’s grace in such a way that might make even your feet beautiful?

View Details

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,<

View Details

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. How much of the time do you assume God’s love is like human love? In what ways does that reduce your enjoyment of God’s love?

2. Does Paul’s “more than conquerors” language empower you, discourage you, or simply unimpress you?

3. Paul says God’s love for us is welling up from within us, and working every detail in our lives for our good. Does that strike you as a different kind of love? Can God’s love be the fundamental reality of your life? If God’s love isn’t, what is?

4. How often do you accuse yourself of damnable sin? Do you believe Paul when he says God is the one who justifies us, and Jesus is the one who was condemned in our place? What should you do when you get into a rut of self-accusation?

5. What are the “what ifs” that keep you up at night? Does God’s love in Christ help turn those into “even ifs”? Why or why not?

View Details

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

View Details

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

1. What are the things you groan about in life?

2. Do you believe the Spirit groans with you? Can you trust the Spirit to pray for you exactly as you need?

3. What do you think of your maximal good being defined as being conformed to Jesus? Does that sound good to you? Why or why not?

4. For the Christian, every step in every direction leads you to glory in Jesus. How does that idea affect the way you make decisions or deal with regret over past choices?

5. If you ever think God loves you, why do you think he loves you? What does scripture say about why God loves you?

6. How does God using all things for your good impact the way you go through life in your day to day? Are there any changes you hope to make in response to this?

View Details

15:13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

18:1 Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.” 3 But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.” 4 The king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” 33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

View Details

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

1. If you are a Christian, do you ever think of yourself as “just” forgiven, but not really a son and heir of God?

2. Do you ever feel like an orphan? What triggers that and how does that impact you? What can you do to remember the gospel truth of adoption in those moments?

3. Is it difficult for you to think of God as a father, and address him with the affection and familiarity of “Abba”? Why or why not?

4. Does being assured that you are a son and heir encourage you to fight, fight to grow and fight your sin? Why or why not?

5. How does current suffering and future glorification come out in your cost/benefit analysis? Do God’s promises in Jesus make the suffering worth it, or bearable, in your mind?

6. Do you see the slight difference between faith and hope? Do you ever find yourself faithful but not hopeful? How does that impact your thoughts and actions?

View Details

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

1. How often do you condemn things, people, yourself? Remember, condemning can be sentencing to death or expressing complete disapproval.

2. Being in Jesus means no condemnation for you. How does that impact you when you really believe that? How often do you mis-translate that into “probation”?

3. Have you experienced grief over sin that led you toward God? What did that look like and how did God meet you?

4. If you are in Jesus then his Spirit dwells in you. How often are you aware that you have the mind of the Spirit, or the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2)? How can having the Spirit impact your thought patterns, emotions and appetites?

5. What “debt collector” (habit, craving, or fear) keeps knocking at your door, and how might the Spirit’s power free you from it?

6. Have you ever felt God’s pleasure? Can the truth of you being in Jesus and Jesus being in you free you up to experience his pleasure? How?

View Details

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

View Details

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

1. Can you share a personal experience where you've felt a tension between your intentions and your actions?
2. The sermon states that "Rules + Effort = Failure" when it comes to truly overcoming sin and living righteously. In what ways have you experienced the truth of this statement, perhaps in your own attempts to live a "good" or "holy" life?
3. Bob talked about "Chapter 7 Christianity" as relying on our performance for our self-worth and relationship with God. How might the "upwardly mobile meritocracy ethos" (the belief that hard work and following rules lead to success) subtly influence how you approach your faith or view your spiritual struggles?
4. Paul is adamant that in Jesus you are not a slave to sin, which means change is possible and real. How does this truth empower you or challenge your perspective on ongoing struggles or areas where you've felt stuck in a "Romans 7 world"?
5. Bob said to find "windy places"—environments or practices that allow God's Spirit to work in us (e.g., prayer, worship, Christian community, accountability). What are some "windy places" in your life right now, or what steps can you take to create more opportunities for the Spirit to have His way in you?
6. Bob said to "get quick on the draw" to cry out for rescue when experiencing Romans 7 struggles, to be quick to confess, repent, and move to worship and praise (Romans 7:24-25, Romans 8:1). What does this practical advice look like for you in your daily life? How can focusing on Jesus and praise help shift you from condemnation to freedom?

View Details

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1.What are some "rules," expectations, or authorities (even seemingly minor ones) that you find yourself resisting or wanting to bend, and what drives that resistance?
2.Sin makes a deceptive offer of freedom and satisfaction, but it's a lie. Can you share an experience where something you pursued, thinking it would bring freedom or satisfaction, ultimately led to the opposite (the "wages of sin")?
3.Do you have a story about a time when you make a hard, righteous decision that led to deep satisfaction?
4.Do you ever find yourself trying “autonomous morality” to avoid slavery? How does it work or impact you?
5.Is there any place in your life now or in the past where you were unconsciously relying on cheap grace?
6.What makes Jesus a master worth following? Are there any ways in your life in 2026 you hope to follow him more closely?

View Details

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Worship in the Midst of Doubt: Matthew 28:17 says that when they saw Jesus, they worshiped him, "but some doubted." Does it change your perspective of faith to see that worship and doubt can exist in the same moment? Why do we often feel like we have to "fix" our doubts before we can serve God?

The Authority of Jesus: Abraham Kuyper famously said that Christ claims every "square inch" of our existence. Is there a specific "square inch" of your life (career, finances, a specific relationship, or a worry) that you find difficult to surrender to His authority right now?

Caught, Not Taught: Xavier mentioned that the Christian life is often "caught more than taught." Think about the people who influenced your faith—was it their "superstar" knowledge or their everyday hospitality and character that impacted you most? How does that take the pressure off your own witness?

People vs. Projects: The sermon reminds us to treat people like people, not "discipleship projects." Who is someone God has placed in your life right now (a neighbor, coworker, or family member) that you can simply love and invite to "come and see" without feeling the need to "fix" them?

The Comfort of "Behold": Jesus ends the Great Commission not with a task, but with a promise: "I am with you always." How does knowing that His presence is your greatest resource change how you feel about the challenges or uncertainties you are facing in the coming weeks?

View Details

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

1. The sermon begins by asking "Why should you try to be and do good?" What typically motivates you to act morally or pursue goodness, and how does Paul's identity-based rationale compare to those?
2. Paul states that in baptism, Christians are "baptized into his death" and become "set free from sin." What does it practically mean for you to consider yourself "dead to sin," and what implications does this have for how you view temptation?
3. Bob said fighting sin is not about "sheer determination, hard work, white knuckling it," but about "living real-time in Jesus." What has been your experience with willpower in resisting sin, and how might focusing on union with Christ offer a different path?
4. The sermon provides two scenarios (nasty email, internet shopping) to illustrate real-time application. Can you share a personal struggle or temptation and discuss how intentionally "choosing to be in Jesus" might transform your response in that specific situation?
5. What are the things that make you conscious of being in Christ? What practices or rhythms in your life help you actively "reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God"?
6. Paul concludes the passage with "you are not under law, but under grace." How does understanding your identity through grace, rather than law, impact your self-perception, your approach to personal change, and your relationship with God?

View Details

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1. What does it mean to you personally to understand that you were born into the "kingdom of sin and death" through Adam, and how does that understanding shape your view of humanity?

2. How do you reconcile the idea of being represented by someone else (Adam or Jesus) with our cultural emphasis on personal autonomy and individual responsibility?

3. Do you find the human origin account in Adam to be a powerful explanation for both humans’ inherent worth and deep brokenness?

4. In what ways are Jesus and Adam similar as representatives, and in what ways different? How does that inform your understanding of Jesus’ obedience and salvation?

5. How are these three powerful in your life: what’s been done to you, by you and for you? How would it impact you if what’s been done for you was the primary felt power over your life?

6. If you are now a "citizen of a new kingdom" through Jesus, what are some ways you might still feel like a "caveman," and how can you begin to live more fully into your new reality?

View Details

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

1. When have you experienced feelings of imposter syndrome?

2. How important is it to you to feel like you belong somewhere, in some group? What are those places for you? Where does belonging to God and his Kingdom fit into that?

3. Belonging to God is a gift from him. How easy is it for you to accept that? When/how do you feel like you have to earn your spot with him?

4. How often do you feel like a “sunk cost” for God? How often do you realize he really still loves you?

5. Have you ever noticed the difference between suffering belonging somewhere and suffering belonging nowhere?

6. Can you trust that suffering with Jesus leads to finding God’s love? Where do you need to “dig” to find it?

View Details

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

View Details

1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised…

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

1.What is challenging about living by God’s promises rather than our performance? Why do we want to be in charge?
2.Does it make sense that God would be more interested in people trusting him than performing for him? How are trust and obedience related? In what ways are they similar, in what ways different?
3.Has God promised you anything?
4.If you desire to be godly, righteous and alive, do you need a miracle or more hard work and discipline?
5.Where in your life are you saying, “I must,” and where could you be saying “God, you must”?
6.Have you been able to sustain ‘hope beyond hope’? How?

View Details

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

View Details

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

1. Can you share about a time when learning something about yourself was painful? Do you think you might (unknowingly) be resistant to learning more about yourself?

2. Do you agree with the idea of total depravity, that everything in us is touched by our self-centeredness, selfishness? That we are pinned down by sin?

3. If true, how should this idea of total depravity impact our interactions with and views of others?

4. God put [Jesus Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. If you are a Christian, do you walk around believing that there is no judgment or anger of God toward you because it was absorbed at the cross? God cannot have negative feelings toward you if you trust in Jesus. Does that change anything for you?

5. Redemption means God has bought you back through Jesus. Do you live that way, or do you live like you’ve

View Details

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

31Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

1. Do you have an idea of what the non-Christians around you think of Christians and Christianity? If they have negative opinions, are they warranted?

2. If you are a Christian, what do non-Christians in your life think of God because of you? If you don’t know, would you ask?

3. What are some externals, outward signs, symbols and practices that you might say help define you?

4. Do you ever let externals define your relationship or standing with God? How does that impact you?

5. The gospel says true change flows out of a restored relationship with God, through his grace and power. Do you believe that? Is that how you approach change in your life?

6. Bob said aspects of gospel living will be invisible to others, go unrecognized. Have you experienced that in your life? Do you find it difficult?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon, "The New Beginning," from Rev. 21:1-5,21-22:5.

View Details

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

1. What do you find yourself condemning other people for? Do you ever do that, or something similar?

2. When you find yourself doing or saying something you condemn in other people, how do you respond?

3. Do you agree with Paul that everyone has a basic morality written on their hearts? What does that mean for the average person, Christian or Non-Christian?

4. What are you go-to excuses for yourself, why the rules don’t fully apply to you in a particular situation?

5. In what situations or to which people do you have trouble apologizing?

6. Does Jesus becoming weak and vulnerable for you make it easier to repent to him and others?

7. Do you ever find yourself thinking or acting like God grades on a curve? Why is it important that God is impartial?

View Details

This conversation is based on Rev. Bob Crossland's sermon, "The Bride," from Rev. 21:1-21.

View Details

17 For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

1. Can you think of modern examples of a culture’s distorted worship distorting their humanity?

2. Where/when does your humanity get distorted? Is there any idol worship behind that?

3. Is it surprising, or convicting, that Paul says the people who judge and condemn are also without excuse?

4. Have you considered that when you judge you are taking the place of God, distorting worship? How does judging keep you from experiencing the gospel?

5. How does all of this apply to issues of sexuality in our culture?

6. The gospel saves us from both self-righteous judgment and self-centered indulgence. Where are you seeing that in your life, and where do you need to see it more?

View Details

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

1. What do you find could be shameful about the gospel or Christianity?

2. How often (if ever) does it sink in that the one perfectly righteous man ever to live had to be tortured and killed to pay for your sin and failures? What do we have to boast in?

3. How does dependence make you feel? Do you identify with the desire to prove yourself? In what areas of life do you find yourself doing that?

4. What forces, realities, habits, etc. in your life from which you cannot deliver yourself?

5. In your group, if you have the courage (!), try to share what is the deep shame at the bottom of everything you are trying to deal with or escape from.

6. Do you see in Jesus’ shame that he willingly took on for you the solution to your own shame?

View Details

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

1. In Acts 17:16–34, Paul’s heart broke over the spiritual condition of the Athenians, and that compassion moved him to be a humble witness. The question for us is this: when we see idolatry around us, do we press in with love or pull away in judgment?
2. Paul earned credibility by being present and finding common ground. Are you the kind of person who asks questions and shows curiosity about what others are going through, or are you more quick to offer advice and impart wisdom?
3. How can you grow in courage to speak the gospel naturally — not as a project, but as love?
4. How might remembering Jesus’ humility reshape the way you approach people who disagree with you or live differently?

View Details

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

View Details

This conversation is based on Rev. Bob Crossland's sermon titled, "The Final Judgment" from Rev. 20.

View Details

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1. In what ways might you see GSB as a meal in a restaurant and in what ways might you see it as a meal in a family home?

2. In terms of identifying or developing your spiritual gift-role(s), which do you need to do more: know yourself; listen to God; talk to leadership?

3. Have you ever been burned out by serving at a church? How did that happen?

4. God supplies to you whatever he asks from you. Do you believe that? How does that impact your participation in ministry and overall spiritual life?

5. Do you believe that at GSB you are free to fail? Is that important?

6. Do you find it difficult to be motivated and empowered by God’s glory? If so, what else is motivating and empowering you?

View Details

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

1. The “charismatic” spiritual gifts (vv. 8-10) are controversial in various Christian circles. How do you view them and/or have you had experiences with churches that embrace them?

2. In what ways can someone make a spiritual gift about themselves rather than about Jesus?

3. How might asking, “what does my church need?” impact your opinion of how you should use your gift?

4. We named a number of spiritual gifts and needs at the church. Among those (and others you can think of) do you have an idea what your gift(s) might be?

5. Do you ever consider yourself a lesser Christian because you don’t have a particular role or ability? What are those?

6. Jesus told his disciples, “freely you’ve been given, freely give.” Does that impact your view of how you can participate in ministry? How so?

View Details

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit…

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Romans 12

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

1. In what venues or parts of your life do you think status matters to you? Are there any skills, talents, or roles that seem to form too much of your identity?

2. Do you get tired of competing for or anxious about losing status or identity?

3. Jesus, the Head, gives his life for the members of his Body. How does this interrupt our ideas of status? If everything good in our lives is graced to us by God, even what we work on and for, how does that impact our identity and the ways we compare ourselves?

4. Jesus gives his honor to the dishonorable. Do we? How can we do that in church?

5. In the Body of Christ, everyone has value, everyone has an important role to play. Do you see that as true for you? What is your spiritual gift (role, function, appointment) for now in your church?

View Details

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

1. Do you agree it can be easy to approach church with a consumer mindset? How often is your primary question, “is this serving my needs?”

2. Have you heard something like, “my church is to go on a walk in the redwoods”? How is that possibly like church and also not like church?

3. Does the local church’s call to be the physical presence of Jesus excite you? Why or why not?

4. We talked about unity, rescue and experience as ways the church can reflect Jesus. How do you think GSB is doing along those lines, or others, reflecting Jesus?

5. Paul paints a picture that believers in the local church are connected to each other and need each other to grow collectively and individually. Do you agree with this? How does this conflict with our individualism?

6. Do you believe you are needed at your local church and have been given a role and function to play? What might that ‘serving grace’ be?

View Details

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me! 20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

1. Are you consciously aware of God’s observing presence of every moment of your life? Is that a comforting or stressful thought?

2. Do you think of God’s presence as more loving, neutral or hostile? Why?

3. Is it reasonable to believe that God doesn’t leave you because he loves you? Why or why not?

4. Do you feel God’s presence and love? When, or how?

5. Is there a time in your life when you surrendered to God and you saw him work?<

View Details

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God.

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
“This one was born there,” they say. 5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her. 6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”

7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

1. Which bothers you more, exclusivity or inclusivity?

2. God was exclusive in order to be inclusive. Does this make sense to you? Can you put that in your own words?

3. Who are your Philistines or Gazans? Who do you not want to be your neighbor?

4. How should new life in Jesus impact the way you treat and welcome others?

5. How can always re-focusing on Jesus reduce the barriers to entry in our community?

View Details

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

1. What’s your experience of the silent treatment (both giving and receiving it)?

2. Have you ever gone silent with God about something? What have been the results of that?

3. Do you take it as love that God won’t let you live in silence and deception? Does that comfort you at all?

4. Do you agree that forgiveness is the key to the blessed life? Why might that be hard to accept?

5. God’s forgiveness is immediate, repetitive, and completely paid for by him. What’s hard to believe about that for you?

6. Do you want to let God instruct you, teach you and counsel you? How can you do that? What might have to change?

View Details

1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

View Details

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!

8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

View Details

Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment. 7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies. 8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth. 10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

1. Do you think of yourself as an envious person? Or are you a complainer? What does that say about your belief in God?

2. Have you ever felt like G

View Details

By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill! 6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!” 8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us! 9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!

1. Does being angry make you uncomfortable? Is it something you resist or try not to acknowledge?

2. Is it comforting or upsetting that God gets angry? What do you think of God giving us angry words to bring to him?

3. Has anger or another strong emotion ever kept you from being able to worship? Do you agree that praying your anger might lead to a spiritual breakthrough?

4. Can you trust God with all the injustice you’ve experienced or witnessed? Explain.

5. Do you ever hesitate to pray something that might be theologically incomplete or inaccurate? Does this passage give you permission to?

6. Are you open to God responding to your anger and asking you questions? Do you see Jesus as the one who meets you in your trauma, as well as the one who redeems traumatizers? Can you accept that?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, " Two Invitations," from Rev. 19:6-21.

View Details

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

1. What parts of your life feel like chaff?

2. Where and when do you delight in God? Where and when do you delight in getting your own way?

3. Do you see prayer, and praying the psalms, as an avenue for growing in delighting in God? Why or why not?

4. What kind of fruitfulness are you hoping for? How much of that is about you?

5. Do you believe that God delights in you, even as you struggle and fumble and often fail to delight in him?

6. Does the power of Jesus’ resurrection extend to the dry stubble places of your life? Will you pray for that?

View Details

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

View Details

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) — 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

View Details

6 And the angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

1. Do the final words of Revelation strike you as anti-climactic?

2. Does it build confidence for you that Revelation is scripture that it so closely charts out the history of Christianity in the Roman Empire, before it happened?

3. How much of your mindset is ‘receive’, and how much is ‘achieve’?

4. What are you trying to prove? Do you trust that you can receive that from Jesus, free of cost?

5. What are your objects of worship on a moment by moment, day to day basis?

6. Do you ever feel like maturity means needing God less?

7. What can you do in your life to grow your longing for Jesus?

View Details

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

1. Does the thought of eternity give you any anxiety? If so, in what way?

2. Does the physical nature of eternity (e.g. you having a resurrected body) make it seem more relatable?

3. Is it a comfort that all we do in faith goes with us into eternity? Can you imagine recognition without envy or competition?

4. Is seeing God’s face, and him delighting in you, a compelling motivation for eternity? Why or why not?

5. What do you think reigning, resting and recreating might look like in the new heavens and earth?

6. What do you think needs to happen in eternity for every day to be better than the last?

View Details

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

1. In what ways would seeing your future change your present? If the future were really positive, would that address some of your worries and anxieties now?

2. Is it comforting to hear God will wipe away all the tears from your eyes? Does that impact you today?

3. It’s hard to imagine an existence without death or sorrow. How do you think it would be different?

4. In what ways do you wonder if you count? Does this description of the bride address those in any way?

5. Is nearness to Jesus attractive to you? How so, or why not?

6. Do you believe you’re made for a love story? Right now does it feel to you that God’s love will be ultimately satisfying?

View Details

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

1. How does it feel to realize everything you do and think will be revealed?

2. Do you agree your record of works will condemn rather than acquit you?

3. Do you spend more energy inviting Jesus to heal and remove your darkness or working it off yourself?

4. If you are a Christian, does having your name on the ledger of grace help you live in an ‘even if’ spirit? Where in your life do you keep saying ‘what if’?

5. “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” (Gen. 50) Can you imagine having this said over so many parts of your life’s story? How might realizing that impact you today?

View Details

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

View Details

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Sermon Questions:

1. How does Jesus' difinitive comment - there are only two paths in life (to life or to destruction) sit with you?
2. Are you prone to hear false prophets that make the path easy or that put restrcitions up to make it seem like you are safe from danger?
3. What flashy acts tend catch your spiritual attention? (prayer, knowledge, piety, miracles, etc?)
4. Jesus is the gate, and the way, and the life - what does walking with him look like today?
5. A narrow gate, a hard path, few who find it - which is the hardest for you to trust in Jesus' wisdom today?

View Details

1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Sermon Questions:

1. Would people around you (family, friends, co-workers) say that you're critical?
2. When or toward whom are you most judgemental or critical?
3. What sin (patter, habit, etc) do you tend to minimize or defend most?
4. Are there sins or failures that seem too trivial to ask God for healing? Are there some that seem to big to admit are real?
5. In which relationships do you need to be more gentle and sensitive?
6. In what ways does your heart long to be treated? and how can that shape how you engage with others?

View Details

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Sermon Questions:

1. Who is your audience? Who do you feel like you perform for?
2. What does that lead you to treasure/put your trust in?
3. Does God love you as a lavish, caring, master in your mind? If not, what does your heart tell you he is?
4. What experiences or emotions make trusting God hard?
5. What is one way you can "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" today?1. Who is your audience? Who do you feel like you perform for?
6. What does that lead you to treasure/put your trust in?
7. Does God love you as a lavish, caring, master in your mind? If not, what does your heart tell you he is?
8. What experiences or emotions make trusting God hard?
9. What is one way you can "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" today?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Babylonian Seduction," from Revelation, chapters 17 and 18.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Staying Awake," from Rev. 16.

View Details

23:50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Sermon Questions:

1. Where do you see a Good Friday Mentality at work in your heart?
2. What are 'the things' you usually cling to?
3. Have you ever, like Peter, marveled at the resurreciton? if so, when?
4. How is the resurrection bringing value/significance to every aspect of life comforting to you?
5. How does it bring you security today?

View Details

Luke 19:29-40, 45-48

29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

Sermon Questions:

1. What position does Jesus most often occupy in your life? (e.g. teacher, example, guide)
2. What control do you need to relinquish to his authority?
3. When does Jesus' character/leadership not meet your expectations?
4. How have you relegated Jesus to a part-player in your life? Does that feel like a rejection of him?
5. How can you 'hang on his every word' this week?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Surviving the Apocalypse," from Rev. 14:4-15:4.

View Details

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

1. What have you heard/learned about Armageddon in the past? Does that line up with what we see in ch. 19?

2. In what ways does Satan deceive you into potentially attending Armageddon?

3. Is it comforting that all Jesus does is come and speak to defeat evil? What does that mean for you and how you see him and the bible?

4. Can you approach God’s word as a wedding invitation and marriage proposal? How might that change how you read it?

5. Do you live like you have to dress yourself and pay for your own clothes, or like Jesus will cover you in glorious garments? How does that impact your life?

6. What does it look like for you to live as one betrothed to Jesus?

7. &

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Hell in Revelation," from Rev. 14:1-13.

View Details

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

15 And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns [which are kings] that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.

14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”

15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand

View Details

[Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished…] Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.

2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
for you brought these judgments. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”

7 And I heard the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
true and just are your judgments!”

8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

1. Have you ever mistaken God’s patience with your sin as a lack of interest in it?

2. Did the sermon lead you to identify any areas where you have been avoiding repenting? Share if appropriate.

3. Have you ever thought that God’s mercy has run out for you? Is

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Theatrical Righteousness," from Matt. 6:1-4.

View Details

These [144,000] have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations! 4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

1. Does ‘keep your bubble of aware

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "The Power of the Word," from Matt. 5:33-37.

View Details

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

1. Have you ever struggled with the concept of hell? How have you dealt with it?

2. Have you noticed how often Jesus mentions hell and judgment? Is it relieving or frustrating to you the varied images and symbolic language about hell?

3. At death we become all heaven or all hell. How does this impact your view of eternity?

4. In view of the cross, do you trust God with eternity for yourself and those you love?

5. In what ways is a discussion about hell sobering for you? Is there anyone in your life who needs to hear the gospel from you?

6. Are you willing to trust Jesus with your doubts and uncertainties?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Full-filled" based on Matthew 5:17 - 26

View Details

Matthew 6:1 - 4

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Sermon Questions:

1. In what sphere of life do you feel the push to perform the most?
2. Who are you most aware of seeing your 'perfromance' of righteousness?
3. Does the message of the Gospel feel like rest? why/why not?
4. When was the last time you felt God's closeness while giving or serving?
5. What gift of God is He inviting you to use to give to the poor or serve the needy?

View Details

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

View Details

Matthew 5:33-37

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Sermon Questions

1. When have you found yourself using words for power?
2. How has that impacted your relationship with others? with God?
3. When is it hard to trust God's words? What proves to you you can trust God's words?
4. How is Jesus shaping your life recently, into one of integrity?
   5.Where do you need to pay greater attention to your speech (i.e.words, tone, or heart)?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Stay Salty," from Matt. 5:13-16.

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Blessed," from Matt. 5:1-12.

View Details

Matthew 5:17-26

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teachers others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ Will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Sermon Questions:

1. What are some areas in your life where you've established 'little laws' to help you know you're 'doing good?'
2. How does God's requirement of holiness - perfect obedience to a perfect law - strike your heart?
3. What are your tactics to 'deal' with your anger?
4. Where is Jesus' righteousness striking tension with sin in your heart? Bring it to Jesus - repent, believe!
5. Who has 'something against you?' Go, be reconciled to them.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "The Beast and His Mark," from Rev. 13:1 through 14:3.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Resisting the Dragon," from Revelation 12.

View Details

Matthew 5:13 - 16

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Sermon Questions:

1. Have you ever thought about the 'why' of following Jesus? What would your answer be (as to 'why')?
2. What prevents you from feeling or believing that Jesus has already changed you?
3. Who has Jesus put in your life to be a blessing to? To be salt and light to?
4. Do you feel like you need to hear the charge or the comfort of Jesus? (charge = engage with your people, comfort = I've got you where I want you)
5. What is one change in your life, if you were asked about, you would say 'it was Jesus who changed me'?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "The Fruitful Witness," from Rev. 11:1-19.

View Details

Matthew 5:1 - 12
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Sermon Questions:
1. What is your initial reaction to hearing Jesus talk about blessings? Do you know where that comes from?
2. What are some ways you've avoided being (or looking) poor in spirit, joy, power, righteousness?
3. When have you experieinced mercy, purity, and peace impacting others? (on the giving end or the receiving end)
4. Is there tension between the blessing of God in your life and the world around you or sinfulness in you?
5. Does Jesus captivate you? Has he ever? - another way to ask this is do you sense Jesus himself as the blessing you heart longs for?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon, "Finally, the Scroll," from Rev. 10:1-11:3.

View Details

Revelation 13:1-14:3
[And the dragon stood on the sand of the sea.] And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.

Sermon Questions
1. Had you heard about the Beast and 666 before? What had you heard/what were your feelings about it?
2. Is it comforting at all that ch. 13 has already happened?
3. Where do you see ch. 13 happening today in our culture?
4. How do you feel about being told that if you are slated for captivity or the sword, to captivity or the sword you will go? Is it freeing at all?
5. What are the ways you can endure in faith, even through death? What does God’s vindication and victory look like for you if the Beast has power to conquer in this age?

View Details

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.1. Is it hard for you to imagine there being a literal Satan? How might he impact your life and world?

1. Is the Woman’s protection and nourishment a comfort to you as you consider the evil in this world?

2. What satanic slanders have power in your life?

3. Is it helpful to answer the slanders with the blood of Jesus? Why or why not?

4. How might Satan be deceiving you?

5. Does the truth of the gospel move you to ‘not love your own life’? What might be getting in the way of that?

View Details

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

1.“God will convert the nations through the suffering, faithful witness of the Church.” How does that sound? Does it ring true with what you know about the gospel? Is that consistent with the majority of churches and Christian movements out there?
2.If you are a Christian, in what areas might you be struggling to die with Jesus?
(

View Details

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

View Details

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

1. As a Christian, if you leaned one way as a posture towards the surrounding culture, would it be a “fortress-defensive” mentality or a “militant-offensive” mentality? Why?

2. How difficult is it for your opinion of someone to go from negative to positive? How does it happen for you?

3. Who are the people that you deem worthy of mercy, and who are the people you deem unworthy of mercy? Are you worthy of mercy?

4. How does it strike you that the time for the church to do its ministry and live out the Great Commission is the same time it will be persecuted and attacked by the nations? How does that impact your desire or willingness to faithfully witness to Jesus?

5. What does “wearing sackcloth” look like in your life as you interact with non-Christians?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Time for Trumpets," from Rev. 8-9.

View Details

6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

9 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

…11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths...

20

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Controlled," from 2 Peter 1:3-9.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Silence is Golden," from Rev. 8:1-6.

View Details

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

6 *Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

1.Does this picture of God silencing heaven to hear prayer make you want to pray more?
2.Do you talk/pray to God as if you had his rapt attention? How would it change the way you communicated with God if you believe you had it?
3.Jesus constantly made time for others. Who are the people in your life you could give more unhurried time to?
4.Do you believe that God will meet you and fill you as you make time and come before him in silence? Is it worth prioritizing?
5.If you have found ways of making time and being silent before God, share them with the group.
6.How’s the scrolling going?*

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Gentleness," from John 21:4-9;15-19.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Motivated by His Grace," from Rom. 12:1-2.

View Details

2 Peter 1:3-9
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Sermon Questions:
1. What areas of your life are easy to exhibit self-control over? What areas are hard?
2. When have you seen a lack of self-control lead to corruption/distruction?
3. Since our sinful desires can lead to corruption experienced by others, where might other people in your life say you need to grow in self-control? Do you believe them?
4. How does your freedom in Jesus fuel a move toward self control?
5. What aspect of your life do you need to give to Jesus to grow in self-control?

View Details

Romans 12:1 - 2
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Guest Preacher: Xavier Reyes - GraceTeens Director

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "You Gotta Have Faith," from Luke 19:11-27.

View Details

John 21:4-9, 15-194 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread…

15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Sermon Questions:
1. What is a scenario you often see gentleness on display (in yourself or others)?
2. Where do you tend to dominate - through words or actions?
3. When are you tempted to deaden and supress the truth?
4. When have you sensed Jesus' gentleness toward you?
5. Who do you need to be gentle toward today?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Are You Good?" from Mark 10:17-31.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "A Kind Heart," from Matt. 25:31-46.

View Details

Luke 19:11-27
11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.

13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Sermon Questions:
1. What are some things God has gifted to you in your life? What changes when you see them as gifts?
2. What often leads the way in your 'doing business' with the world? e.g. reputation, experience, intelect, etc.
3. How can you gengage the world with Jesus held out front?
4. Where have you been 'sitting on' the gift of Jesus? Why?
5. How does living faithfully change if it's not about you doing 'all the things' for Jesus but instead about being with Jesus?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Patient Perspective," from Matt. 18:21-35.

View Details

Mark 10:17-3117 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Sermon Questions:
1. In what area of your life are you pondering the question 'am I good?'
2. What do you look to assess whether or not you're good?
3. What might Jesus be asking you to let go of and depend on him for?
4. How have you already received '100 fold' from Jesus in your life?
5. Are you good?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Marriage Restoration," from Hosea, chapters one and three.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Marriage Problems," from Gen. 3.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Marriage Design," from Gen. 2:15-25.

View Details

Matthew 25:31 - 46When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Sermon Questions:

1. Would you say you are a kind person? Why?
2. When have you recently seen someone else's needs? When do you struggle to see others' needs?
3. When have you recently acted to help meet someone else's needs? When do you struggle to act to meet others' needs?
4. Is it easy or hard to identify most closely with the sick, poor, hungry, and needy in the passge? why?
5. What ways can you grow in seeing your need for Jesus?
6. What are some practical ways you can be kind, today/this week?

View Details

Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Sermon Questions:
1. What is something or some situation that causes you to regularly lose your patience?
2. What do you have that you believe is scarce? How do you attempt to protect or control it?
3. What has God blessed you with?
4. Do you believe your debt to God is really that big? How much has Jesus forgiven you?
5. How can you have patience with your impatience?

View Details

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel…

6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all…

8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”

3 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

1. Do you agree that our sin nature makes us all bad marriage prospects? If you are married, does your marriage live up (or down) to your expectations?

2. To what degree does your commitment depend on your spouse’s good behavior?

3. When you communicate in conflict, are you usually communicating to hurt or to heal?

4. How can you cultivate a habit of honestly sharing hurts and repenting of those shared with you in your marriage, or other relationships?

5. Are you Gomer or Hosea?

6. Is it comforting that Jesus is the love of your life? How can that reality impact your marriage?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Marriage Story," from Matt. 19:3-12.

View Details

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”… 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field… 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“…cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live

forever--” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

1. Do you walk around thinking your life ought to work well? Does Genesis 3 challenge that at all for you?

2. Is a marriage’s

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Shalom," from Eph. 2:11-18.

View Details

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

1. If you are married, say something like this to each other this week (in CG or in private, or both!): “You are bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. You are a blessing to me and I receive you as a gift. I will never leave you.”

2. Have you considered that you cannot fully image God without the opposite sex? Might that change how you pursue community?

3. For married couples, how can you be priests together?

4. For married couples, what keeps you from seeing your spouse as your own flesh and blood?

5. Who are the people you can be most honest and real with? Why? If you are married, what enhances or detracts from feeling safe with your spouse?

6. Do you really know God will never leave you? What difference does that make in your life?

View Details

3 And Pharisees came up to Jesus and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

1. How do Jesus’ words about marriage seem out of step with our culture?

2. Do you ever change a story in your life based on positive or negative circumstances?

3. If you are married, can you say God joined you together? When is that easier or harder to say?

4. Do you see the similarity between God’s covenant with us and our marriage covenants? Does that help make sense of biblical sexual ethics?

5. How do you feel about being a part of the bride of Christ? Is that an exciting way to think about eternity?

6. Where does your hard-heartedness show up in your life? What does it look like for you to kill your Bachelor Self?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Spark Joy," from Luke 10:1-3, 17-20.

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "Sealed," from Rev. 6:12-7:17.

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Love, Life, and Death," from 1 John 3:11-18; 4:7-12.

View Details

Ephesians 2:11 - 18Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Sermon Questions:
1. Where do you feel the chaos (tohu and bohu) in your life?
2. What are some harbors of false peace you've looked to?
3. How can you return to the sure foundation of Jesus' peace today?
4. What might it look like to preach the Gospel to yourself?
5. In what relationship do you need to examine your own heart (i.e. remove the log out of your eye)?
6. What trips you up and prevents you from following Jesus' peace making path (Matt 18)?

View Details

This conversation is based on sermon titled, "Fruit and Vine," from Galatians 5:16-26.

View Details

Luke 10:1-3, 17-20
10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Sermon Questions:
1. What is something that has brought you joy?
2. When have you expreicend Jesus' joyful presence?
3. Who is someone you've meet or know that is truly joyful?
4. What, in your life, seems to be combatting your joy?
5. How does knowing'home is secure' change how you 'run the bases' today?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "The Four Horsemen," from Rev. 6:1-11.

View Details

1 John 3:11 - 18; 4:7-12
3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Sermon Questions:
1. When was a time you've felt overwhelmingly aware of God's love for you?
2. How does your heart tend to twist the definition of 'being loved'?
3. Who have you closed your heart to? (don't beat yourself up, return to the love of God TO YOU)
4. What are some everyday deaths God has put infront of you that could bring life to others?
5. What are some simple, everyday ways you can remind yourself, and beleive, that God loves you?

View Details

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

1. How do your heart and mind react, most often, to the fruit of the Spirit?
2. Which of these fruitful outworkings that seem easiest to notice in your life? hardest?
3. In diagnosing your own heart, what do you over-desire?
4. How can you begin to cultivate (put-off/put-on) the fruit in your life this week?
5. When have you seen God growing Christ-likness in you?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon, "The Lamb's Story," from Revelation 5.

View Details

Revelation 6:12–7:17
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

12,000 [each] from the tribe of Judah… Reuben… Gad… Asher… Napthali… Manasseh… Simeon… Levi… Issachar… Zebulun.... Joseph… and Benjamin were sealed,

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Sermon Questions:

1. What are precious things that you seal up to protect? Can you see yourself as something even more important to God?
2. Do you know your tears are counted, written in God’s book? Can you imagine each one being answered, redeemed?
3. How often are you surprised that one or another aspect of life is hard? Is it encouraging to hear that while you might not be sealed from suffering, you are sealed through it?
4. Faith is washing your robe in the blood of Jesus, not the blood of your enemies. What does that look like in your life?
5. How are people different from you who you find are hard to love?
6. Is it exciting that heaven is bursting with innumerable, diverse people? Does that impact your attitude towards sharing the faith with others?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "Worthy," from Rev., chapter 4.

View Details

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.1. How do you feel about the Bible’s teaching that God will work in history, sometimes through violence, to judge people and societies?

1. “God is wrathful because God is love.” Do you agree with this? Can you explain it?

2. Have you seen people or societies fail because of self-assurance and over-confidence?

3. How do you view God’s strategy of church expansion through suffering?

4. What describes your ‘auto-pilot and chill’? Or, what default state are you always seeking? Is it good for you or the world?

5. How does God disturb and disrupt your ‘auto-pilot and chill’? Are you glad he does?

View Details

This conversation is based on a sermon titled, "The Conquering, Part Two" from Revelation 2:8-11.

View Details

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.1. In what ways do you or have you felt personally stuck, some kind of repetitive loop?

1. If you had to pick one, do you think of Jesus more as a lion or a slaughtered lamb? Were you surprised to hear how frequently he’s called a lamb yet only once a lion?

2. Can you put into your own words how/why Jesus’ sacrifice unsticks history and unsticks your story?

3. Is Jesus’ story through you (being ransomed, freed, made a king/queen and priest, ruling with God forever) compelling to you? Why or why not?

4. In which ‘stuck areas’ in your life do you find yourself unhelpfully applying more force or pressure?

5. What would worshiping and following the Lamb look like in these ‘stuck areas’?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Conquering, Part One," from Rev. 3:7-13.

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Compromising, Part Two," from Revelation 2:18-29.

View Details

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”1. God is described as holy, pure, eternal, creator, ruler…do these concepts ‘land’ with you, or do they kind of go in one ear and out the other?

1. “If we can’t explain it, it isn’t real.” Do you consciously or unconsciously go through life with that attitude?

2. What have been some of your experiences of the transcendent? Do you agree that those are pointing you to God?

3. Does it matter at all that it is God’s work to bring heaven to us rather than us trying to get to heaven?

4. What are your crowns? How can you cast them before God?

5. Do you find God to be worthy? Where can you better look and behold God’s worthiness, glory and transcendence?

View Details

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Compromising, Part One," from Revelation 2:12-17.

View Details

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

1. When you are facing suffering, are you quicker to blame others or yourself? Is finding blame helpful?

2. Do you believe Jesus can use suffering in your life for good, that it can be a good kind of test?

3. Do you believe Jesus bounds your suffering? Is that encouraging or helpful?

4. Have you ever experienced Jesus meeting you in pain or suffering? How did it happen?

5. Do you find life incoherent without an afterlife and final judgement? Are you living that way?

6. Are future, eternal rewards motivating for you right now? How so, or not?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Complacent, Part Two," from Revelation 3:14-22.

View Details

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Complacent, Part One," from Revelation 3:1-6.

View Details

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’1. What closed doors are you facing right now?

1. Have you ever faced a closed door for Jesus?

2. Are you quick to run to Jesus when you are suffering or in pain? Why or why not?

3. Do you ever take Jesus’ open door for granted? How/when?

4. Have closed doors ever led to open doors of ministry for you?

5. Is it any consolation to you that your suffering can be used for mission and ministry? Are you willing to look for those open doors in the midst of suffering?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Cold," from Revelation 2:1-7.

View Details

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’1. Do you find yourself living along different value systems based on your context (e.g. business vs. personal)?

1. Every church probably errs in one direction or another, emphasizing faith over works or works over faith. Which way do you often find yourself leaning?

2. In what ways is Jesus tolerant? In what ways is he intolerant?

3. Can you identify any parts or implications of the gospel that you ‘tune out’?

4. Why is the beginning of the solution to hypocrisy repentance, rather than just being more consistent?

5. The hope of resurrection is that our bodies and hearts will be perfectly aligned with God. Is that something that you find yourself longing for? How can the resurrection become a greater reality in your life?

View Details

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

1.What do you experience as pressures to compromise your values in Silicon Valley?
2.Do you feel resigned to anything about our culture? How does that impact your life and your relationship with Jesus?
3.In what ways is our humanity attacked and diminished in our culture?
4.Do you believe Satan exists? Does it make sense to you that evil spiritual forces are behind the things pressuring us to compromise or degrade our humanity?
5.What would holding fast to Jesus look like for you?

View Details

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

1. Where in your life do you feel most independent, most self-assured, least needy? Do you experience God showing up there?

2. Do you generally find yourself wanting to be more or less independent?

3. What do you think of the idea that the currency God accepts is need?

4. Are you willing to ask God to make you more dependent and needy?

5. In what places in your life are you resisting opening the door to Jesus? Why are you scared or resistant to doing that?

View Details

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Beginning of the End," from Revelation, Chapter One.

View Details

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

1. What parts of your name or reputation do you rest on?

2. How can you ‘busily sleepwalk’?

3. What are the ways you tend to your name and reputation?

4. Do you experience spiritual complacency? Where/how?

5. A life of repentance is a life where you are free to struggle. Does that sound good to you?

6. Where in your life can you hold fast to Jesus’ name more? Where do you need to trust him that he will hold fast your name?

View Details

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

1. Do you think love should need tending to?

2. Do you identify with the Ephesian church’s strengths? How do they sound in comparison to love?

3. Do you ever feel like it’s more important to you to be right rather than kind?

4. Do you have a time in your life when you remember having more passion and love for Jesus than you do now? Describe it.

5. What loves, fears and needs do you think might be getting in the way of enjoying Jesus’ love?

6. Do you agree that Jesus can and should be first love in your life? How would your life look if he was? How can you move in that direction?

View Details

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Questions

1. Does thinking about the end of the world or apocalypse bring you fear? Why or why not?

2. Is the idea that history is all about Jesus--he is driving it and it ends in him--exciting to you or more boring/confusing?

3. What is your testimony? What would the people closest to you say about the world you live in, it’s truth, values and purpose?

4. What are you afraid of?

5. Is Jesus a comfort to you in these fears?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Refuge" from Joshua 20:1-9.

View Details

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people…

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery , and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed.”

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.”

After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old.

Questions:
1. What are some of the 'monument moments' of your life where you've seen God's faithfulness?
2. Which 'little g' gods do you seem to worship most often?
3. How does it feel to hold out your hands, receive the sacrifice of Jesus, and say thanks?
4. Pause right now and pray the Lord's Prayer. Do it again tomorrow morning.
5. What is the most common defeater of repentance in your life? To whom can you take a baby step of faith repent?
6. Who can you extend kindness (with no expectation of return) to today?

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon titled "The King of Jerusalem" preached on April 7, 2024, based on Joshua 10:22-27.

View Details

from Joshua 22
At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you…” So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size... And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

Then the people of Israel sent…Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel… and they said to them, “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord?’”

Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said… “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord …’ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifices other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said… “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

[They] called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Sermon Questions:
1. How are you tempted to believe that it's your story?
2. What happening in your life makes it hard to believe the 4 parts God's story? (creation, fall, redemption, consumation)
3. How can you commemorate and remind yourself of God's story?
4. Spend a few moments telling others (or writing down) God's story worked out in your life.
5. Who have you written out of God's story? What questions could you ask them to see God's story at work in them?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "The Power of the Word" from Joshua 14 - on April 21st 2024.

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the Easter Sunday sermon titled "The Emmaus Hitchhiker" from Luke 24:13 - 35.

View Details

Joshua 20Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’”

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

Sermon Questions:
1. When have you seen your sin compound and accelerate division, conflict, or harm?
2. When in your life have you felt physical and emotional safety?
3. What thoughts does the idea of confessing draw to mind? e.g. fear, doubt, desperation, hope
4. What would you like rest from? How can Jesus cover that?
5. How have you added to/experienced a welcoming, shelthering community?
6. Who do you need to confess to? who can you turn to, to confess with and point you to Jesus as refuge?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "The Trap" from Palm Sunday 2024, based on Mark 12:13 - 17

View Details

Joshua 14:6 - 15
Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”

Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

Sermon Questions:
1. What are some of the deep questions that persist in your heart?
2. How do belonging, the future, your daily experience worry you?
3. What are some ways you've tried to answer or silence those deep questions?
4. How is Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for you a trustworthy answer?
5. How can you engage with The Word of God (Jesus) in times of deep questions?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "God's Fight" from Joshua 6 on Feb 18th, 2024.

View Details

Joshua 13:32-33; 18:7; 21:1-3

13:32 These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.

18:7 [Joshua said] The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage.

21:1 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.

Sermon Questions:
1. God is your inheritance. How does that statement initially strike you?
2. What are the “inheritances” you are working and waiting for? Do they seem more attractive than God sometimes? Are they permanent?
3. Why might being a steward over God’s gifts be better than being an owner of your stuff?
4. Does nearness and access to God excite you (being his “roadie”)? Why or why not?
5. If you are a Christian, do you see your role as helping others draw near to God, or is that just the pastor’s job?
6. Is God enough for you? If yes, how can you better live that way?

View Details

Joshua 10:22 - 27

Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Sermon Questions:
1. When do you like seeing vengeance, retribution or justice done? When is it really satisfying?
2. Do you look forward to a day when God’s justice will be completely done, publicly and satisfyingly?
3. Do you believe God wins? How might that belief impact your life?
4. Do you ever confuse God winning with your life going well?
5. In what ways and areas of life are you saying, “My will be done”?
6. Are you willing to share in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings in order to know Him and the power of His resurrection? Can you see His victory in your losses?

View Details

Luke 24:13-35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Fight" from Joshua 10:1 - 15 given on March 17, 2024.

View Details

Mark 12:13 - 17
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you feel like politics can be a trap? How so?
2. Do you ever try to get from politics what you can only get from God?
3. Do you agree that there are multiple ways Christians can faithfully engage politics?
4. Are there any people you categorize as ‘enemies of the good’ because of their political stances? Are you able to love and pray for those people?
5. Would you rather not think at all about politics? Do you have that luxury?
6. This political season, what would you like our culture to hear from Christians?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "I'm a Gibeonite Too" from Joshua 9 given on March 10, 2024.

View Details

As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.”

And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

Sermon Questions:
1. When does life feel like a fight?
2. When have you felt like you're alone in the fight?
3. What wakness or faliure lies to you that God wouldn't fight for someone like you?
4. How has God uprooted an idol in your life? What idol is he working against now?
5. What is a bold prayer you can pray belieivng he has won and continues to fight for you?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "For us or Against Us?" based on Joshua 5 and 6, on Feb 11, 2024.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Rubble" from Joshua 7 and 8 given on March 3, 2024.

View Details

Joshua 9:1-9,14-16,22-27As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt…

So the men [of Israel] took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.

Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us?” … They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing…” So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

Sermon Questions:
1. What do you fear?
1b. How do you attempt to protect yourself from that fear?
2. How does the fear protection dynamic play into your relationship to God?
3. When have you expereicned Jesus' presence?
4. Where in your life can you ask Jesus to show up today?

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon titled "Real World Spirituality" from Joshua 5: 1 - 12 given on Feb 4th 2024.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Past Performance/Future Results" given on Jan 28, 2024 based on Joshua 4.

View Details

7:25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

8:28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Sermon Questions
1. What failure, mis-step, or sin do you have a hard time letting go of?
2. When have you struggled to receive forgiveness?
3. What quality, action, or habit are you most proud of?
4. What have you enshrined in your heart?
5. When have you most felt God's presence?
6. What does it look like for you to 'come to Jesus' today?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Unbearable Weight" given on Sunday February 25th, 2024 based on Joshua 7.

View Details

Joshua 7:1,6,10-12, 15, 19-21, 24-26But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

Sermon Questions
1. What carries the most weight in your heart?
1b. What have you given to get that thing?
3. When have you seen your pursuit of something bring trouble to your life?
4. What leads you away from God most often?
5. Have you ever experienced God bring hope from trouble (new life from destruction)?
6. Pray that the Spirit would convict you of sin, and lead you to repent and confess to someone who can walk with you through any trouble it brings.

View Details

6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.” 7 And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”…

10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp…

14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times…16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction…all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown…and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it… 25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Sermon Questions:

Questions
1. What do you do when you come across a passage in the Bible that is troubling or offensive or confusing?
2. What would the world be like if parents/adults could live however they wanted and know that their children wouldn’t suffer for it?
3. Which is your go-to? Rocky getting in shape montage, or marching around Jericho? When (personally for you) do you trust God to fight for you?
4. What are the unscalable, unbreachable walls in your life?
5. Do you agree there are more Rahab rescue stories in the Bible than Jericho walls coming down stories? What does that tell you?
6. In which capacity do you more often relate to God? As the one who brings down the walls opposing you, or the one who rescues you as the walls are coming down?
7. Which would you say God is more interested in now? Conquest or conversion?

View Details

Joshua 5:13 - 6:5
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

Sermon Questions:
1. Has there been a time when you have found your identity in an agenda or goal or task?
2. What are the agendas or tasks that lead you to dehumanize others?
3. Do you ever treat God like he is your assistant, meant to make your day or agenda go smoothly?
4. Why is knowing and worshiping God more important than successfully completing your agenda?
5. Do you trust God to equip you to do all he calls you to do? How do you discern what God has called you to do?
6. Do you want your agenda or do you want Jesus? What can you do to put Him first as you go through your day and week?

View Details

Joshua 5:1 - 12
As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them:… Though all the people who came out [of Egypt] had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised…

When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Sermon Questions:
1. Are there parts of your life or world that seem to not be touched by gospel reality? What are they?
2. Are there ways of brining gospel reality and spirituality into those parts?
3. Do you feel a pressure to write your own story, create your own brand?
4. What are ways throughout the day and week you can be drawn back to God’s story?
5. Do you see God’s love for you in Jesus as unbreakable, unstoppable? Do you live that way?
6. What can help you see the sacraments as God’s gift to partake of his love, giving you his story, encompassing your whole life?

View Details

Joshua 4: 1-3, 8-9, 19-24
When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”

And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones…and they are there to this day.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.

Sermon Questions:
Everyone share a memorial stone story

View Details

This Q&A converstaion is based on the sermon titled "See, Hear, Follow" from Jan 21st, 2024 based on Joshua 3.

View Details

Joshua 3
Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan.

Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Sermon Questions:
1. Where in your life are you facing something that feels impossible? What causes confusion, chaos, or hopelessness?
2. When have you expereinced God doing the seeming impossible in your life?
3. At what point has God felt like 'dry ground' on which you could stand?
4. Where to do you see Jesus at work in your life recently?
5. What might following Jesus look like today and what intimidates you about following him in that way?

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on teh sermon titled Unexpected from Joshua 2 given on Jan 14, 2024.

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon titled "What Next?" from Joshua 1 given on Jan 7, 2024.

View Details

Joshua 2: 1-6, 8-14, 18, 21
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you…

Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.“

And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

Sermon Questions:
1. What is one expectation you have about God, how He operates, or works?
2. If you met Jesus in person today, how would you expect him to react to you?
3. What are some things God has done in your life?
4. What's one area of weakness you typically cover up? How could God use that to welcome you/others?
5. Pray for one person, who you wouldn't naturally expect, to meet Jesus. And then pray that He would use you to help that person meet Him.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Stand Firm" based on 1 Peter 5:6 - 14 on Dec 3 2023.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled Power Problems based on 1 Peter 5:1 - 5 preached on Nov. 26, 2023.

View Details

Joshua 1:1-11, 16-17

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

And [the people] answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses!

Sermon Questions:
1a. Who/What is your current Moses? The thing or person that acts as a stabilizing force in your life?
1b. When have you experienced the loss of such a person or thing?
2. How would you change if you could visibly see God's presence in your daily life?
3. What do you need the strength and courage of God's presence to do?
4. What promises of God (from Scripture) do you need remember?
5. With the cross as guarantee of God's presence and promise, what do you want Jesus to do in, for, and through you? As Paul says "through him utter your AMEN to God".

View Details

Romans 8:12 - 27So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

View Details

Luke 2:29 - 32“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

View Details

Luke 1: 46 - 55
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Sermon Questions:
1. Where are the places in your life that you feel like a “loser”? Where do you assume God doesn’t see you, or is displeased with you?
2. Can you accept that if God saw Mary, he sees you too?
3. Who are the people you choose not to “see”?
4. Can you believe that God particularly meets you in your places of shame and lowliness?
5. What great things can God do through you, with Jesus alive in you?

View Details

Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,

who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,

To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Sermon Questions :
1. What stories are you telling about yourself when you wake up in the morning? What are the controlling narratives? Are they satisfying?
2. Would you like to start your day in God’s story? How does, or would, it impact you?
3. Do you feel like you are wearing a number of different hats as you go through your day?
4. Do think of every moment as an opportunity for worship? How does God coming in the flesh make that possible?
5. How can you prepare the way for Jesus in your different spheres of life?
6. Do you go through your day conscious of the fact that you are an object of mercy that God will never leave nor forsake? Could praying these verses, or other prayers help you be more conscious of that?

View Details

1 Peter 5:6 - 14

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love.

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you ever think of God as distant or stern? How does that impact your relationship to him?
2. Are there concerns of yours you never express to God? What are those?
3. Does it make sense in light of the incarnation and crucifixion that God does care about everything you care about? Do you think/feel you are important to God?
4. What have been some ways you have been able to cast your cares upon God?
5. Do you believe that God will finish the good work he began in you? Does that impact how you handle your cares and concerns?
6. If you don't bring them to God, what do you do with your cares and anxieties? How does that work for you?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based off the sermon titled "Suffering Reframed" given on Nov. 19 2023 based on 1 Peter 4:12 - 19.

View Details

1 Peter 5:1 - 5
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you think of humans as inherently created to wield power (Gen. 1:28; Rev. 22:5)?
2. Do you agree that too many people try to get out of exercising legitimate power? How do you try to get out of it?
3. Under which conditions do you reject having power, and under which do you embrace it?
4. Do you agree that death-to-resurrection is the proper way of thinking about using power? What’s appealing about that, and what isn’t?
5. Do people under your authority see Jesus in how you handle power?
6. In what power environments do you need to be clothed in Jesus this week? Do you trust God will give you Jesus as you ask for him?

View Details

1Peter 4:12 - 19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Future Secured" preached on Nov 12th 2023, from 1 Peter 4:1 - 12

View Details

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Sermon Questions:
1. What are the current stressors in your life that lead you to lose control/numb/disengage?
2. How does living for today usually manifest in your life?
3. When have you seen confidence in tomorrow shift the way you dealt with a present circumstance?
4. What particular gift God has given you can be used to bless and serve others?
5. How have you experienced 'tomorrow' today?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Confidence and Strength" from 1 Peter 3:13-22 on Nov 5th 2023.

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon titled "The Christian Brand" preached on Oct 29th, 2023 based on 1 Peter 3:13 - 22

View Details

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Sermon Questions:
1. How is your conscience currently accusing or excusing your actions?
2. What do you usually do to quiet your problematic conscience?
3. Do you feel like you need to be rescued? why or why not?
4. Where in your life would you like to experience Jesus strengthening you ?
5. You were made by God, he loves you, he died for you, you are special to him. (That's not a question just a good reminder - maybe tell yourself that 10 times today!)

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Show 'em Jesus" preached on Oct 22nd 2023, based on 1 Peter 3:1 - 7.

View Details

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For

“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Sermon Questions:
1. As a Christian, what would someone say the Christian brand is, based on your life? If you're not a Christian, how would you describe the Christian brand?
2. When have you experienced someone who was others-focused?
3. How would your life change if Jesus made you more others-focused?
4. What relational changes would you like to see as Jesus changes the way you think, feel, and act?
5. When have you seen Jesus-likeness impact the world around you (in you or someone else)?

View Details

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Sermon Questions:
1. When you read a passage like this, how does your heart initially respond?
2. Where (or to whom) does your heart look for evidence of your significance, importance, and value?
3. What happens in your heart when you hear you are exceedingly valuable to God?
4. You are the loudest voice in your life, if you aren't telling yourself 'you are smart, you are kind, you are important' what are you repeating to yourself?
5. How would 1 close relationship change if, from your secure heart, you were concerned only with the other person's needs and interests?
5b. Pray for God to give you what you think you need for 5 to happen.

View Details

This Sermon Q&A is based off the sermon titled "Powerlessness" from 1 Peter 2:18-25 on Oct 15th, 2023.

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "Freedom in Fear" from 1 Peter 2:11 -17 on Oct 1, 2023.

View Details

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Sermon Questions:
1. When do you feel most powerless? Who in your life holds power over you?
2. What are some ways you try to regain power or invert the power hierarchy?
3. Thinking of the passage, what ways have you used your words to grasp at power?
4. What would it look like for you to follow Jesus' steps into submission at work, in school, in marriage, at home?
5. Have you ever experienced the Grace of God through submission and humility? either your own or someone else's toward you?

View Details

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Sermon Questions:
1. What does freedom mean to you?

1. How do you respond to unanticipated inconvenience or constraints?

2. Where/when you find yourself lashing out, whether externally or internally?

3. What or whom do you fear? What do you think can write the epitaph over your life?

4. Does it make sense to you that if you fear only God you are free? Why or why not?

5. When Peter tells his readers to do ‘good’, he’s not telling them so much to be privately pious, but to be public benefactors. How does that inform your understanding of Christian witness? How can you/we be public benefactors?

View Details

This sermon Q&A is based on the sermon titled "Church (What is it Good For?)" from 1 Peter 2:4 -10 given on Sept. 24, 2023.

View Details

As you come to [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you ever hesitate to identify as a Christian? Why/when?
2. What do suppose the non-Christians you know think of the Church?
3. Why would Jesus draw the low, the weak and the foolish (in the world’s eyes) to his Church?
4. Is it good news to you that you cannot have Jesus without his people?
5. If you talk about Christianity with others, are you focusing and making much of Jesus and his mercy?
6. What needs to change for you/us to better proclaim the excellencies of the one who called us from darkness to light?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "A Good Appetite" from 1 Peter 2:1 - 3 preached on September 17th 2023

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "All You Need is Love" from 1 Peter 1:22 - 25 preached on September 10th 2023.

View Details

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Sermon Questions:
1. In what ways would you like to change?

1. Do you agree that it’s your heart that is resisting the change you’d like to see?

2. What is discipling you? What contexts are feeding and shaping your heart?

3. “Nothing tastes as good as X makes me feel.” What is X for you?

4. Are you looking at spiritual disciplines (prayer, worship, service, etc) primarily as things to do, or as contexts in which God will feed and shape you?

5. What does it mean for you to place yourself in God’s arms? Do you believe that nothing tastes better than Him?

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon titled "Suffering > Sinning" on September 3, 2023 based on 1 Peter 1:13-25.

View Details

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

“All flesh is like grass
 and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
 and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Sermon Questions:
1. When has God's family felt loving to you?
2. What prevents you from sitting with the reality of God's love for you?
3. What limiters do you usually put on loving others?
4. When have you experienced an act of unconditional love? What change did it have in your life?
5. What are one or two ways you can 'one-another'?

View Details

This Q&A conversation was based on the sermon titled "Living Hope" preached on August 27th 2023 from 1 Peter 1: 1 - 12 

View Details

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Sermon Questions:

1. What are some areas of suffering in your life?
2. How do you naturally try to numb, avoid, or down play those struggles?
3. Which lie are you more inclined to believe? a) God is not real/God is distant, totally uninvolved in daily life so I must figure it all out or b) God's got me covered, everything is forgiven, I will go to heaven, so I can live as I want.
4. Have you ever experienced Jesus drawing close in times of suffering? When?
5. Have you ever walked with someone through their suffering?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "Failure and Succession" from August 13th based on Numbers 27:12-23

View Details

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Sermon Questions
1. When have you experienced 'uncertainty bordering on hopelessness' ? What event or series of events threw you into that?
2. Where do you see moralism comforting or distressing you?
3. Does Jesus' rescuing acts for you seem future-only?
4. What are some way-points where Jesus has shown up for you?
5. How might a true and living hope change how you live today/tomorrow/next year?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "Not Home Yet" from 1 Peter 1:1-12 on Aug 20th 2023

View Details

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Sermon Questions:

1. What are some characteristics that define 'home' to you?
2. Where do you experience the tension of not being home?
3. How do you try to alleviate suffering, conflict with the world around you?
4. How do you think God feels toward you? Do you feel like your relationship with him is secure?
5. What would rejoicing in your suffering, in your not-home-ness look like this week?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled Disruptive Grace from Numbers 26 and 27 on Aug 6th 2023. 

View Details

The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.” And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.

Sermon Questions:

1. How do you handle failure? Is it something you fear? How does that show up in your life?

2. What is one of your potential failures you fear the most? Does God’s work and plan overshadow that in your heart and mind?

3. Do you struggle with thinking you need a shepherd? In what parts of your life do you invite being shepherded, and in what parts do you resist it?

4. Do you know that Jesus is the good shepherd who loves you in your failure? Have you experienced that?

5. In what ways have you ‘seen’ or ‘encountered’ Jesus? Has that served as a view that sustains you?

6. Where in your life can you ask God to give you a view?

View Details

This Q&A Conversation is based on the sermon "Repeat Offenders" on July 30th 2023 from Numbers 25.

View Details

After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.” …

Reuben, the firstborn of Israel…

This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names.” …

These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers.”

Moses brought their case before the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.”

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you agree that there is a growing pessimism about the future? Do you feel it? What is the cause do you think?

1. Was Israel prepared, and did they deserve, to enter the Promised and receive it? Why did they ultimately?

2. Can you trust God with society and the course of history? Do you believe by his grace he will preserve the world and his people to the end? Should that impact how you live now? If so, how?

3. If you have children, do you feel the pressure and insecurity of being a parent?

4. If you have children, what are your deepest hopes for them? How much control do you have over achieving those hopes?

5. Can you leave your children in God’s hands, trusting his disruptive grace?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon titled "Curses and Blessings" from July 23rd 2023 - based on Numbers 22 and 23

View Details

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor."

And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”

The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s house in Midian.

Sermon Questions
1. Do you ever feel like your own worst enemy? When/how so?

1. What are the lies of our culture that you seem susceptible to?

2. Do you agree that evil’s best strategy against us is to distort the truth? What are the implications of that?

3. The passage suggests that idolatry is equivalent to adultery. Is that how you think about it when you find you are serving idols?

4. Do you ever struggle with falling for the same lie repeatedly? Discuss.

5. Do you walk around believing you are a part of the problem? If not, how do you think about it?

6. The sermon suggests that the main truth of Jesus is that he was crucified for our lie-believing sin. Is that how you relate to him? What are others ways you might relate to him?

View Details

When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border...And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“From Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’

How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

For from the top of the crags I see him,
from the hills I behold him;

behold, a people dwelling alone,
and not counting itself among the nations!

Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!”

And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

Sermon Questions:
1. Do you believe that there are evil forces, dark powers at work in the world? To what extent do they impact you?
2. In what parts of your life are you ‘playing defense’, bracing for bad things to happen?
3. What concerns you more: random, chaotic events happening to you or evil dark forces attacking you?
4. Where in your life do you need more courage?
5. Is Jesus a comfort to you as you consider all that can happen and go wrong in your life and the world?
6. Can you imagine how God could turn tragedy in your life into blessing? Does that give you courage?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the July 16th sermon titled "Non-Negotiable" from Numbers chapter 22. 

View Details

Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many… So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. And God came to Balaam and said… “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’” But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.” And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Beh

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "Muddy Waters" preached on July 9th 2023 based on Numbers 20:2-13

View Details

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.

Questions for reflection/discussion:
1. What's something that reminds you of your brokenness?
2. How do you deal with your brokenness most often?
3. When have you felt God's blessing in the midst of your messiness?
4. What do you think you have to do so you can be 'clean'?
5. How might God use your brokenness to bless others today?
6. What's something that offends you easily/often?

View Details

This sermon Q&A was based on the July 2nd Sermon titled "Rebel Yell" from Numbers 14

View Details

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.”

20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Here are some questions for reflection/discussion from today's sermon "Rebel Yell"

1. What has God invited you into that you are afraid of?
2. What is the 'safer thing' in that scenario?
3. Would you classify your concern as rebellion against God? why/why not?
4. Does 'disinheriting' seem like an appropriate response to fear rebellion?
5. What might it look like to step into something scary trusting in Jesus' rescue of you?

View Details

This Q&A podcast is based on the sermon titled Land Lovers from June 25th 2023 based on Numbers 13.

View Details

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.”

17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. What do you see in yourself, your relationships, the world, that scares you?
2. How do you usually respond to those fears?
3. What has God said to you about those particular fears? Find it in Scripture (ask others if you don't know).
4. How does knowing you're securely connected to God change how you face those fears?

View Details

This Q&A conversation is based on the sermon "Stories we Tell Ourselves" From June 18th 2023.  

View Details

Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4 And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5 And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

Questions for reflection and discussion:
1. What are some stories you tell yourself about yourself that seem to be on repeat? How do those stories shape your thoughts, feelings, actions?
2. What are some stories you tell yourself about God?
3. What is the story of the Gospel? I.e. simplify it into one or two phrases.
4. How can you remind yourself of this truth? What might change if you reminded yourself regularly?

View Details

This sermon Q&A comes from "Graves of Craving" based on Numbers 11 from June 4th 2023.

View Details

This  Q&A is based on the sermon "Lead" based on Numbers 9 and 10, from May 28th, 2023. 

View Details

1 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord.

31 Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.

Questions for reflection or discussion:

1. What do you grumble and complain about?
2. Do you find that your g

View Details

This Q&A comes from the May 21st Sermon "Blessed" based on Numbers 6:22 - 27 with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland. 

View Details

Q&A from the May 14th, 2023 sermon, "Counted" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Numbers 9

15 On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.

22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.

Numbers 10

11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time at the command of the Lord by Moses.

33 So they set out from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.

35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”

View Details

Numbers 6:22 - 27
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

1.     Does bearing God’s name feel more like a burden or a blessing?

2.     Where are you looking for a pat on the head?  How is God’s blessing different?

3.     Does the worship service lead you to a place to believe God’s blessing?  If not, why not?

4.     What are the “known unknowns” that God protects you from?  Can you imagine there are “unknown unknowns” he’s protecting you from?

5.     Do God’s words spoken over you give you confidence to do the scary things you are called to do?

View Details

The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. 4And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, 18and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46, 500.

23those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

25those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

27those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

29those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

31those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

33those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

35those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

37those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

39those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

41those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

43those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

44These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.

47 But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up… 54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

Sermon Reflection Questions:
1. What is your wilderness right now?
2. Do you believe God is bringing you home? Or are your hopes in God more tied to this life?
3. What is the fight you need to step into by faith right now?
4. Is it comforting to you that Jesus goes with you through the wilderness? How does he bring you reminders of home?
5. How might God be using your wilderness to draw you toward him in love and trust?

BONUS: Some of you wanted to know the end of the story of the crashing in the middle of the night. Turns out it was a bunch of dishes piled up in and on the side of our sink. Lots of crashing, no shattering thankfully!

View Details

Q&A from the February 12th, 2023 sermon, "Thine" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

John 21:17–25

[17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. [18] Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” [19] (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

[20] Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” [21] When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” [22] Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” [23] So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

[24] This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

[25] Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Sermon Reflection Questions:
1. What are some of the 'ought to's' that cloud your expectations of self? (a follower of Jesus ought to...)
2. What part of FOLLOWING Jesus feels most intimidating?
3. Where might Jesus be calling you to specifically follow him?
4. Who are you quick to compare yourself to?
5. How would you answer the question - "what kind of church would it be if everyone in church followed Jesus like me?"

View Details

John 21:1–19
[1] After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

[4] Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” [6] He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7] That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. [8] The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

[9] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” [11] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. [14] This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

[15] When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” [16] He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” [17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. [18] Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” [19] (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. How have you seen Jesus drawing you to himself?
2. When did you experience someone else drawing you to an encounter with Jesus? Or maybe when have you drawn someone else?
3. What hurdle usually prevents you from feeling like following Jesus' call to catch others?
4. What does confession look like for you today?
5. What is keeping you from repenting of THAT thing?
6. When have you experienced Jesus' renewal through confession and forgiveness?

View Details

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs vin the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Sermon Questions:
1. How do you live out of Thomas' perspective: 'Jesus can't do that or at least not for me'?
2. How do you live out of the disciples' perspective: 'Jesus why haven't you revealed yourself to them'?
3. When has God done something in your life at a time you didn't expect?
4. What is it that you want Jesus to do in your life?
5. Consider what you might need from Jesus instead? Pray that God would open your eyes to Jesus working THAT into your life.

View Details

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

1. What is currently disrupting peace in your life?
2. What ways do you try to establish peace?
3. Do Jesus' words to the disciples "Peace be with you" seem personal, powerful, possible?
4. What most often prevents you from serving others?
5. Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to ask forgiveness from?
6. PRAY that you would encounter the resurrected Jesus today.

View Details

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

View Details

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

1. Do you ever find yourself thinking and living as though mental/emotional/spiritual existence was somehow more real than your bodily and physical existence? What kinds of wrong turns can that lead to?
2. Do you ever try to bracket out Jesus’ death from your Christian life? How does that affect you?
3. Does the death of Jesus provide you any comfort as you contemplate the tragedies and injustices in the world? Why or why not?
4. How does the plan of salvation help you understand all of scripture?
5. Does the fact that there was a plan give you comfort? Why or why not?
6. Is there enough forgiveness for you?

View Details

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,“They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

1. Why might it be important that Jesus died by crucifixion and not another way?
2. If you talk to others about Christianity, do you find yourself emphasizing the cross, or skimming over it? Why?
3. Do you feel the pull to have a “respectable” Jesus and a “respectable” Christianity?
4. How comfortable are you admitting that Jesus needed to undergo crucifixion for you?
5. How would a greater focus on the cross impact your life?
6. Do you see the church as a community that Jesus gives to each of us? Meaning, Jesus gives us to each other? Is that how you experience church? Do you experience boundaries that could be addressed by the cross? What are they?

View Details

Q&A from the November 13, 2022 sermon, "Real Peace" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the October 31, 2022 sermon, "Real Peace" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

1. Do you ever have trouble looking at someone who is suffering or ashamed? Why?

2. Is it easy for you to behold Jesus in his suffering and shame? Whether yes or no, how does it impact you?

3. “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central focus the suffering and degradation of its God.” Do you think Christians frequently and easily point this out to non-Christians? How might that statement change the gospel proclamation?

4. In what ways are you trying to both serve Caesar and God?

5. What specific parts of “carrying your cross and following Jesus” seem scary to you? What’s preventing you from doing that more?

6. Do you believe Jesus will meet you in your shame and suffering?

View Details

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

1. Do you have a ‘working truth’, an ethos you find yourself often habitually following without thought? What is it?
2. How does the True truth that Jesus testifies to in his life and death disrupt or challenge your ‘working truth’?
3. Are there places in your life where you usually have to resort to brute power and position? How does it feel to do that?
4. How seriously do you take the picture of God’s kingdom, where “love is the defining character of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is where he gives himself to us, and we give ourselves back to him and each other. No one’s taking anything, no one’s forcing anything. Everything is lovingly donated.”?
5. In what ways do you hope in or fear government and politics?
6. Are you willing to lose power if it means being a better ambassador-missionary of Heaven?

View Details

Q&A from the October 23, 2022 sermon, "Resurrection Reality" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

1. How do you feel connected to God's plan for redemption for his creation?
2. When have you sensed God's invitation to proclaim his words and works to others?
3. When have you felt exposed for not being who you proclaimed to be?
   3b. What was the 'rooster crowing'?
4. How do you handle those moments of shame and guilt?
5. When have you experience God's renewal?
6. How can Jesus show up in your weakness and brokenness and use it for good?

View Details

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

View Details

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

1. What do you feel when things start to go awry and you are not in control?
2. How do you respond? What's your go to method to regain control?
3. What do you do when you DO have control in a situation?
   4 Where have you felt Jesus shielding you from evil?
4. How can you follow jesus' lead into sacrifice?
5. What could lessen the feelings of discomfort or uncertainty that come from the invitation to selflessness?

View Details

[Jesus said] “Pray then like this:Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts,    as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.”For yours is the kingdom and the power    and the glory forever.     Amen.

1. What reminds you that this world is not your 'home'?
2. Think about all the petitions in the Lord's prayer, which seems to be the easiest for you to 'control' or take care of on your own power?
   2b. Which of them seems the most intimidating; impossible to handle?
3. When do you feel most alone?
4. Why does being in God's kingdom/being under his power/being used for his glory encourage and comfort you?
5. Do you identify more with the David response (proud, independent) or the Solomon response (self-pity, hopelessness) as Steven presented it?

View Details

[Jesus said] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:“Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts,    as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power    and the glory forever.     Amen.

1. Do you/how do you usually think about the presence of evil?
2. How do you feel about the notion of having evil/wickedness in you?
3. Are you helpless? Where do you experience helplessness the most?
4. How can you lean into dependence today?
5. What lego brick have you been stepping on recently?
6. Share this prayer with someone else - Lord, let me not be led into (insert temptation here) but deliver me from (insert evil here).

View Details

[Jesus said]  “Pray then like this:“Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts,    as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power    and the glory forever.     Amen.14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

1.     As you go through your day, how do you grade the severity of your sins against God vs the severity of others’ sins against  you?  
2.     Again, as you go through your day, does it feel to you that your sins are so great that Jesus had to die for them, or does it feel like you can work them off, or at least compare favorably against others?  
3.     Do you ask for forgiveness of your sins, or for the strength to work off your sins?
4.     When have you experienced sheer grace from God?  
5.     Does it seem right to you that forgiveness serves relationship?  Does that change at all how you approach forgiveness?
6.     What keeps God’s grace toward you bottled up in your life?  Do you want to be a channel of God’s grace and mercy?

View Details

Q&A from the October 16, 2022 sermon, "Third Person" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the October 9, 2022 sermon, "It's Not You, It's Me" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the October 2, 2022 sermon, "Abide" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the September 25, 2022 sermon, "The Best Friend" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

[Jesus said]  “Pray then like this:“Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts,    as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power    and the glory forever.     Amen.” 

1.     Are you comfortable asking for things? When yes and when no?
2.     Do you feel dependent on God?  For what?  
3.     Is there a part of you that doesn’t want to depend on God?  Which areas?
4.     Which daily necessities do you receive as gifts and which do you take for granted?
5.     What ‘daily bread’ do you intend to start thanking and asking God for?  
6.     How can God work through you to meet others’ daily needs?

View Details

[Jesus said]  “Pray then like this:“Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts,    as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power    and the glory forever.     Amen.” 

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the words God’s kingdom and God’s will?  
2. Do you find it a tendency to focus exclusively on your own needs and will in prayer?
3. Have there been times when things happened to you you thought would be bad but turned out to have really positive          consequences?
4. How much do you long for God’s Kingdom and Jesus’ return?
5. Are you ever frightened of God’s will?  How do you deal with that?
6. Are you able to trust God even when you don’t understand?  If so, how?

View Details

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

View Details

[Jesus said] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:“Our Father, who is in heaven,hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come,your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread,12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

1. Is prayer something you often do? Are you drawn to it? Why or why not?

2. Is it comforting that the Father sees you better than anyone else? Why or why not?

3. Do you feel a pressure to get your prayers right? Does it help that the Father knows you and circumstances already, and he knows what’s best?

4. Can you trust that the Father hears your prayers and responds?

5. Do you find it a miracle that you can call God “Father”?

6. Does having a Father in heaven change your day to day reality on earth?

View Details

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 

View Details

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

1. How does the second coming of Jesus sound to you? real? immanent? distant? 
2. Does it feel foolish to long for or wait for Jesus' return? Why, why not? 
3. What do you look to to give your life meaning? 
4. What might waiting in weakness look like for you?
5. When you think about the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - what gets you excited? 

View Details

Q&A from the September 11, 2022 sermon, "The Only Way?" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

1. What does Christmas "smell like" to you?
2. What prevents you from spreading Jesus?
3. What area of your life do you feel responsible to clean up and have in order?
4. Where have you met Jesus in chaos or suffering?
5. How can you begin to let people into your struggle or sacrifice?

View Details

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

1. What is one marker of a good/bad Christmas for you?
2. What laws do you often turn to to secure/keep approval, belonging, and/or comfort?
3. What was do you indulge to secure/keep approval, belonging, and/or comfort?
4. When do you feel Jesus is closest to you? Does it feel different this time of year?
5. Jesus isn't in the manger or on the cross - he's in you...how does that change celebrating? worship? struggling? sin?
6. What about Christmas awakens the new life in you the most?

View Details

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

1. What hardship, pain, fear, etc. in your life are you tempted to dismiss? - 'it's not a big deal'
2. What hardship, pain, fear, etc. in your life are you confident you can handle ?- 'I can fix it myself'
3. How does it feel to say I really am that bad - my sin really is that bad?
4. Jesus sets us free to live in the 'year of the Lord's favor' - what does that life look like?
   4b. why don't you live that way?
5. How can advent point signal to you that it really is that bad but Jesus' advent fixes it?

View Details

Q&A from the September 4, 2022 sermon, "Is It Me?" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

[Jesus said] “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

1. What are the ties that keep you connected to your various communities?
2. How is the community of God (the trinity) different from other communities?
3. Would does it look like for Christian community to image the trinity?
4. If someone asked you what made Christian community different from other communities, what would you say?
5. What kind of glory is the church given and what kind of glory should it pursue?
6. Does God’s love for you propel you to love others? If not, why?

View Details

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word...

1. If you were to imagine Jesus praying for you, what do you hope he’d pray?
2. How does it sound to you that you are a gift to Jesus from the Father? What does that say about you and what does that say about God?
3. Is it appealing to you that eternal life is being adored by God and adoring him in return?
4. Do you see Jesus as a gift to you or a prize to win or a boss to appease?
5. Do you regularly see joy as the end and purpose of the Christian’s life? If not, how would seeing life that way impact you?
6. Do you long for holiness? Why or why not? Do you trust Jesus to sanctify you or he is he waiting for you to sanctify yourself?

View Details

Q&A from the August 28, 2022 sermon, "Promises, Promises" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

1. Do you consider yourself a courageous person or not? When do you find you have courage?
2. If you are a Christian, is there a place in your Christian walk you would like more courage? Where?
3. In your own words, what convictions do you hold about who Jesus is to you? What have you seen and heard from him?
4. Do you have confidence that the Christian faith and work in your life is of God? Does that translate into conviction-courage for you in specific moments?
5. Is your hope that you have Jesus, or Jesus has you?

View Details

Q&A from the August 21, 2022 sermon, "Promises, Promises" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

[Jesus said] “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

1.     What does peace mean to you?  Is it something you look or strive for?
2.     Where do you look for peace?  What do you do or not do in response to not being able to find peace?
3.     What circumstances seem to have the most impact on your peace?
4.     If you are a Christian, do you find yourself having faith in your faith?  How does that impact you?
5.     Do you believe Jesus has overcome the trials and tribulations you face?  Does that make a difference as you face them?
6.     When do you experience being “in” Jesus?  Is your experience of peace different on those occasions?  If so, how?

View Details

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

1. If you consider yourself a Christian, would you say you’ve interacted with the resurrected Christ? Do you know him?
2. What are some of your big questions? And the big questions of our culture? Does Jesus’ resurrection speak to them in any way? How so?
3. How often does resurrection make it in to your stories and assessments of yourself and others?
4. Does Jesus’ resurrection provide personal hope for you? How or how not?
5. Do you find God or does God find us?
6. Are you praying resurrection-sized prayers? Does an environment of scarcity inform your prayers?

View Details

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

1. Where have you been stuck trying to figure out what is 'right' to do?
   2 .Where are you tempted to believe THE problem with the world/you life lies rather than your sin?
2. What do you often think is THE solution rather than Jesus' work?
3. Where do you struggle to believe that God's plan for redemption will be completed? What feels un-redeemable?
4. Where would you like to be weaker?

View Details

Q&A from the August 14, 2022 sermon, "Blessings and Curses" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the August 7, 2022 sermon, "God's Economy" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

1. Where do you most feel the tension/frustration between new life in Jesus and the world?
2. Do you find yourself tending toward assimilation or isolation to resolve/protect against that tension?
3. When have you felt most connected to God? How do you usually feel?
4. What is one area of life or relationship you need the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in?
5. When has someone's life or words testified about Jesus to you? When have you borne witness in word or deed to someone else?

View Details

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

1. Do you find yourself leaning toward the inhale only (just believe) or the exhale only (just do) following Jesus?
2. When have you seen one of the four dance moves help you connect with Jesus (1. respond to God's word in prayer 2. partaking communion 3. reading, meditating, etc on Jesus' words 4. serving others)?
3. Which of those four require the biggest deep breath (i.e. the most reliance upon God's love secured)?
4. When has following Jesus brought you deep joy?
5. What do you look to for joy instead of abiding in Jesus?

View Details

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”

1. When are some times that God has felt far? When has God felt close?
2. How does ALWAYS being connected to God change the way you think or feel?
3. What are some situations in life you know for sure God is at work in? Where would it surprise you to see God at work?
4. What sin habits/patterns does your heart lead you to believe MUST change to receive God's love?
5. Where do you see yourself living out of fear or self protection?
6. How can our community bring the comfort of God to bear in your life?

View Details

Q&A from the July 31, 2022 sermon, "Crime and Punishment" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the July 17, 2022 sermon, "Check Your Calendar" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

[Jesus said,] “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

1. What does Jesus mean when he says if you see him you see the Father?
2. Is seeing God as he truly is a desire of yours? Does it makes sense that it’s the or one of the greatest desires of humans?
3. If seeing God doesn’t seem that special to you, what are you interested in seeing instead?
4. What do you generally expect God to do or accomplish through you? Could he do more? What could he do?
5. Have you seen God work in or through you? How did it impact you?
6. What are you afraid to ask of God? What should you conclude if God doesn’t say yes to your request?

View Details

Q&A from the July 17, 2022 sermon, "As Yourself" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the July 10, 2022 sermon, "Trusting God with Sex Pt. 2" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

1. How does it sound in our culture to say Jesus is the only way? Are you comfortable thinking that and saying that?
2. Do you ever celebrate and reflect on the claim that in the Father’s house there are many, many rooms? How does this inform the exclusive claims of Jesus?
3. Does our culture hear more of the exclusivity or inclusivity of Jesus? What are we communicating more?
4. How does it feel to be told Jesus is doing all the work of preparation? Do you readily receive him as “the way”, or do you try to make your own way?
5. Do you feel that heaven is wherever Jesus is, heaven is to be with Jesus? Why or why not?
6. What do you think of the statement, “for Jesus, heaven is to be with his people”? Could Jesus really love you that much?

View Details

Q&A from the July 3, 2022 sermon, "Trusting God with Sex" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

1. Making provision for the flesh opens the door to satanic, evil lies. Have you seen this play out in your life or others?
2. In what ways do we try to make excuses for sin? What is at the heart of the sin in your life?
3. What kinds of sin in your life do you think you can take care of and conquer on your own?
4. What keeps you from taking your sin to Jesus?
5. Does it ring true to you that God gives us a way out of our temptations?
6. Do you believe that if you consistently bring your sin to Jesus he will work gospel maturity into your life over time?

View Details

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

1. What are the situations in which you like or expect to be served? What are the situations in which being served makes you feel uncomfortable?
2. Do you feel/see how social gravity flows up?
3. Of the three following, which attitude do you have more of when it comes to letting Jesus wash you?
   “I’m ok, why do I need cleansing?”
   “I’m ashamed and embarrassed, and don’t want to be known.”
   “I’ll take care of it myself, then I’ll welcome Jesus.”
4. In what ways might you make yourself ‘greater’ than Jesus?
5. “Our church is only as strong as the love we show to the weakest link.” Do you agree? How are we doing in that department?
6. Do you believe that serving in Jesus’ name will bring you the blessing of knowing Jesus more? Is knowing Jesus more worth it to you?

View Details

Q&A from the June 26, 2022 sermon, "Fully Forgiven" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the June 19, 2022 sermon, "Mostly Alive/ Slightly Dead" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Part 2 of Revelation chapters 1-16 bible study recap with Rev. Bob Crossland

View Details

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons, 3 then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels. 8 And if someone is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford.9 “If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it that he gives to the Lord is holy. 10 He shall not exchange it or make a substitute for it, good for bad, or bad for good; and if he does in fact substitute one animal for another, then both it and the substitute shall be holy.14 “When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.16 “If a man dedicates to the Lord part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.26 “But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord’s.30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.34 These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.

1. What are some ways you find yourself wagering with God?
2. When have you vowed/committed to do something that you fulfilled it? When have you vowed and not fulfilled it?
3. What is your most common reaction when faced with your not keeping expectations or your commitments?
4. Is it hard to just be honest about your failure?
5. Where do you need to repent - to God or others?
6. How can you lean on the Redeemer? how can you help others lean on the Redeemer?

View Details

Part 1 of Revelation chapters 1-16 bible study recap with Rev. Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the June 12, 2022 sermon, "You Are What You Eat" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

1. How does cause and effect mentality affect govern how you think about God feeling toward you?
2. What is your response to bad things happening in your life?
3. Why do you think God was/wasn't right to enforce the curses against Israel?
4. Why should/shouldn't God enforce curses against you?
5. When you think of the crucifixion as punishment for your sin, do you feel like you are really that bad? 
6. How does - nothing you can do can make God love you more and nothing you have done will make God love you less - change the way you live? 

View Details

Q&A from the June 5, 2022 sermon, "Consumed" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

1. Why is it easy or hard to engage with rhythms of rest in your life?
2. When have you experienced or participated in redemption (using another's resources to purchase freedom of some sort)? 
3. What makes it hard to receive God's blessings?
4. Where have you recently seen God's provision and care at work in your life?
5. How might you build rhythms of blessing into your life - ways to see Jesus more often?

View Details

Q&A from the May 29, 2022 sermon, "A Clean Priest" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. 18 Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.

1. How HAVE you treated those who have hurt or marginalized you?
2. What sort of punishment do you think your sin deserves - not the RIGHT answer, but what do you feel?
3. Why is it hard to believe that you've been forgiven such a great debt?
4. Does bearing the name of Christ convict you of any particular behaviors?
5. Who do you need to forgive? What grudges do you need to repent and let go of?

View Details

Q&A from the May 22, 2022 sermon, "Early and Often" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the May 15, 2022 sermon, "Feasting With God" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

1.     Is rest difficult for you?  Do you plan it in to your calendar?  What do you think about a God who is so intentional about His people resting?
2.     What is scary about resting from work?  How much faith would it take you to rest 1 in 7 days from work and other obligations?
3.     How can parents and other care-givers find rest?
4.     Which initially seems more true to you: holiness = busyness or holiness = rest?
5.     How can you use your time and treasure to rejoice in God’s salvation?
6.     Does it makes sense that intentional rest and rejoicing in God makes our work and time holy?

View Details

Q&A from the May 8, 2022 sermon, "Gifts for God" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the May 1, 2022 sermon, "Grilling with God" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.35 “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the Lord.”

1. Is holiness an attribute you normally think of applying to every sphere of life?
2. When is it hard for you to tell the truth? Why is that?
3. Do you use words to bless and build up?
4. Is there a sort of vulnerable or marginalized person you see or don’t see? What would it look like for you to show compassion to them?
5. Do you treat people as you’d like to be treated? How would you like to be treated?
6. Do you think you need to grow in knowing and accepting how much God loves you? How might that impact your life?

View Details

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.

6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 9 For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.

10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11 If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them… 13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them...

22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. 24 But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.

1. What were your thoughts as you initially read or heard this passage?

2. Does the concept of formal church discipline seem wise to you?

3. Do you like boundaries and categories, or do you resist them? Why might God insist on us respecting them?

4. Do you see dignity and design in your being male or female? Is it good news to you that you are your body, and your body matters so much that you can’t just do whatever you want with it?

5. Do you have categories like ‘everyday’ sins and ‘worse’ sins, and does that distort the way you see yourself or others?

6. How can we make the church and ourselves be more welcoming so that all kinds of people caught up in all kinds of different sin can hear about Jesus?

View Details

Q&A from the April 24, 2022 sermon, "The Last Word" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the April 17, 2022 sermon, "A Fruitful Life" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it…24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things,… 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”

1. How important is this issue of sexuality in your home, work, personal life?
2. How do you feel about God giving significant restrictions to our sexuality? Does it make sense to you?
3. If something is consistently portrayed and prohibited in God’s word and we don’t understand why, what should we do?
4. What do you think of Jesus identifying as a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven, living a celibate life? Does that help you see him, yourself or others differently?
5. Would you say knowing Jesus is worth singleness and celibacy? Why or why not?

View Details

1. How do you minimize the effects of your sin? your neediness for sacrifice?
2. How would you feel if your sins were confessed in front of all of Israel?
3. When have you felt true freedom from a failure or mistake?
4. Where do you most often find your worth?
5. What would it take for you to rest today?
6. When have you struggled to forgive? or receive forgiveness?

View Details

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean.47 “When there is a case of leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a linen garment, 48 in warp or woof of linen or wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin, 49 if the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin or in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, it is a case of leprous disease, and it shall be shown to the priest.The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, 3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, 4 the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. 5 And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. 6 He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field.33 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 34 “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, 35 then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘There seems to me to be some case of disease in my house.’“Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.”32 This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; 33 also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.

1. How do you react to reading passages of scripture like these?
2. What are some ways you respond to the uncleanness/sin that pops up in your life?
3. What kind of punishment do you think your sins deserve? Is death too far?
4. How does God's proclamation of /whole/alive set you free?
5. In what ways do you see your uncleanness impacting your life day to day?
6. How can running to Jesus now and always set you free from your day to day death?

View Details

Q&A from the April 10, 2022 sermon, "Missing Something" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the April 3, 2022 sermon, "Open or Closed" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. 4 Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. ...and the rock badger... and the hare... and the pig...8 You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.9 “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat.13 “And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture...20 “All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you.24 “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 25 and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.29 “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind...44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.

1. Where do you draw a distinction between what you can/should eat and not?
2. How do you often make distinctions between people based on observed behaviors?
3. Are Jesus' words "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" hard? affirming? convicting? scary?
4. Based on your words and actions, what would others say you are consuming?
5. How does being united to Christ through The Lord's Supper strengthen you?

View Details

Q&A from the March 27, 2022 sermon, "Last, Best Hope" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the March 20, 2022 sermon, "Roll Away the Stone" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” 5 So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled. 7 And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.16 Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying, 17 “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? 18 Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” 19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?” 20 And when Moses heard that, he approved.

1. How does God's holiness strike you? distant? overwhelming? secondary?
2. When it comes to God, does 'get it right or pay the price' seem true/fair to you?
3. Was Jesus' crucifixion just? Why or why not?
4. Knowing God receives you just as you are, how are your prayers impacted?
5. Who do you need to ask for forgiveness from?
6. Forgiveness is a costly act of merciful hospitality - who can you invite in through forgiveness?

View Details

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. 3 And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” 4 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting.5 And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” 6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11 And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12 And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.14 Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15 And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.18 Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 22 Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. 22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

1. Where in life does the separation between clean things and unclean things seem most stark?
2. Do you feel like your sin separates you, like that, from God?
3. What ways do you usually try to clean yourself up for God?
4. How does God's declaration of your cleanness change you?
5. Where do you feel the need for God to be near you today?

View Details

“If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, 14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. 15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord. 16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, 17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil. 18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 19 And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. 20 Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. 21 And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor 3 or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— 4 if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found 5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. 6 And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. 7 And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty.”

1. What do you do when you think you’ve wronged somebody? When someone has wronged you?
2. How much do you weigh intentions when thinking about wrong and transgression? Does it make sense that unintentional sin is a real category?
3. Do you see sin as something that spreads and infects? Do you see that in your life and your relationships?
4. Have you ever sensed a block with God that was resolved by addressing sin in your life?
5. Have you ever confessed to God a sin against someone, but not confessed to that person to reconcile? Is that repentance?
6. Have you ever felt like Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough for a sin you committed, or committed against you? What can you do when that’s how it feels?

View Details

“If his offering for a sacrifice of fellowship offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, 8 lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 9 Then from the sacrifice of the fellowship offering he shall offer as a food offering to the Lord its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails 10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.…All fat is the Lord’s. 17 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”And the flesh of the sacrifice of his fellowship offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten. 17 But what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned up with fire. 18 If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be credited to him. It is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.19 “Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, 20 but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the Lord’s fellowship offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the Lord’s fellowship offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.”

1. Are you a feaster? Can you share about a memorable feast? What made it memorable?

2. Does it seem credible that feasting is what God wants for you and with you? Do you view God as a feaster?

3. What do you feast on without God? How does it reduce your humanity?

4. How does communion build on the fellowship offering? Does it feel like a feast with God to you? How can it more so?

5. “Feasting through Jesus means feasting with Jesus’ people.” Do you agree? Is that encouraging or burdensome to you?

6. How can you be more intentional about feasting with God?

View Details

Q&A from the March 13, 2022 sermon, "Wish You Were Here" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

“When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it 2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. 5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord’s food offerings.11 “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. 12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.14 “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. 15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.

1. Does it make sense that God would want gifts from us? How would you explain that to someone unfamiliar with the bible?

2. Do you wonder if God is indifferent or disappointed with your gifts? Do you find it hard to give gifts to God? If so, why?

3. Do our gifts pacify God? Buy him off? If not, what is their role? How does the salt of the covenant clarify this?

4. Do you experience the sacred/secular divide in your life? How so?

5. Do you hope to do more of life “in Jesus’ name”? What might that look like for you?

View Details

Q&A from the March 6, 2022 sermon, "Late Again, Right on Time" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the February 27, 2022 sermon, "Beautiful Works" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the February 20, 2022 sermon, "You, Me, and the Father" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the February 13, 2022 sermon, "The Good Shepherd" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, 11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.14 “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

1. Is it exciting/comforting/scary/unimportant to you that God wants you near? Discuss.
2. In what ways do you sacrifice for the things and people you love?
3. Does God get your best? If not, who/what does?
4. Do you see your sin as something that merits death?
5. Do you live as if Jesus were your substitute?
6. Do you believe that walking today with Jesus is better than any other way of living? How can you more fully lean on him?

View Details

Q&A from the February 6, 2022 sermon, "SEE What I'm Saying?" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the January 30, 2022 sermon, "See the Light" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the January 23, 2022 sermon, "Free Indeed" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

1. What role does Jesus play in your life?
2. Who are you constantly trying to prove yourself too? What about yourself are you trying to prove?
3. What expression do you think is on the Father's face when he thinks of you?
4. Who/what do you take delight in and how does it shape your engagement with that person/thing?
5. What would change if you believed God delights in you?

View Details

Q&A from the January 16, 2022 sermon, "Come To the Light?" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the January 9, 2022 sermon, "'I Do Not Condemn You'" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the January 2, 2022 sermon, "Thirsty?" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

View Details

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

1. What is something you're hoping to get out of Jesus?
2. When have you seen Jesus at work in a part of your life that surprised you?
3. In what area can you meet Jesus at the cross? How does it feel like death?
4. Where would you like to experience new/true life?
5. How have you been impacted by true life in someone else?

View Details

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

1. What resource feels scarce to you right now? 
2. What are you grasping tightly to? what might others say you're grasping tightly too? 
3. How have you experienced the abundant life of Jesus in your present circumstances? 
4. When has someone been open handed with you? 
5. What would a Jesus-freed open-handed life look like? 

View Details

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

1. Can you think of an example in your life or one you know of where someone thought they were doing right, doing God’s will, but were really primarily concerned with their own interests?

2. What do you find yourself hoping in, rooting for? What terrifies you?

3. Can you think of examples where people see the same thing and draw very different conclusions? Why do you think that happens?

4. The cross of Christ is the center and driver of history. Is that how you think of history and the future? Is it hopeful and appealing to see it as such? Why or why not?

5. Do you believe that God will use the greatest tragedies and injustices for good somehow? How would your life change if you believed that more?

View Details

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

1. Do you sometimes feel that Jesus should have done something more or differently in your life?

2. What is the difference between revivification and resurrection? Which do you go through life wanting?

3. Does it seem contradictory to be sorrowful and angry about a world controlled by a good God?

4. What stones need to be rolled away in your life? What stones could you roll away in others’ lives?

5. Do you doubt whether bringing Jesus to the death and darkness in your life will do anything?

6. What kind of glory will you see from Jesus if you trust him?

View Details

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.

1. If Martha is all head and Mary is all heart, do you relate to either?

2. Have you ever used theology or busyness to avoid feelings? How does that work out?

3. Do you think of the resurrection and eternal as an event or person? What are the benefits of seeing these as a person, Jesus?

4. Do you think Jesus weeps with you? Or does it feel like you're connecting with him over Zoom?

5. What keeps you from having Jesus come and see what's causing you pain?

View Details

Q&A from the December 19, 2021 sermon, "Take and Eat" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off...

1. How are you currently or have you felt Jesus' delay in your life?

2. When you experience the delay, are you tempted to blame yourself or blame Jesus?

3. Do you ever assume that God's glory is opposed to your happiness? Is it?

4. Can you trust that whatever Jesus delays in your life is because he loves you?

5. Can you trust Jesus with your death? What might be keeping you from that?

View Details

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

1. What are some of Jesus' words that feel distant or inapplicable to your life?
2. How do you respond when people remind you of something Jesus has said?
3. What are some ways you've seen Jesus work beautifully in your own life or the life of others?
4. How is the cross beautiful to you? How can it become more beautiful?

View Details

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

1. What expectations do you have for Jesus? 
2. How have you conformed Jesus to your own image? 
3. Is it hard for you to sit in the reality that Jesus is God and died for you? Why/Why not?
4. What have you seen Jesus do or heard of Jesus that changed you?
5. What might you be able to show that Jesus has done and tell about Jesus' words? 

View Details

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

View Details

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

1. In what areas of life do you find yourself getting frustrated or angry often?
2. Where are you quick to believe that you 'see clearly'?
3. What would it look like for you to bring your blindness to the cross of Jesus?
4. Who is someone you've seen humility growing in?
5. What has Jesus opened your eyes to recently?

View Details

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

View Details

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
1. We all do things and operate in ways we do not like and find wrong (sin). What are the lies you tacitly believe that empower you to act in these ways?
2. Do you ever feel enslaved? Do you agree you need radical change, a change of nature?
3. What are things you feel entitled to or are presumptuous about?
4. Does it seem hard to relate to God in terms of gift rather than merit?
5. "The person who is not able to receive their freedom as a gift of pure grace is not yet free.” Does this make sense to you? How does it play out in your life?
6. Do you want to abide in and keep Jesus’ word? What does that mean for you?
7. What are you supposed to do about the persistent sin in your life if you want to abide in Jesus?

View Details

Q&A from the December 12, 2021 sermon, "Take and Eat" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the December 5, 2021 sermon, "Hungry" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the November 28, 2021 sermon, "Enough" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

1. What do you think about the statement, the ultimate expression of God is the Cross of Christ?

2. If you are a Christian, how large does the cross loom in your concept of and relationship with God?

3. How does the cross disrupt or challenge your way of going through life?

4. What do you think of this definition of righteousness: Disadvantaging yourself to advantage others?
   Where is that hard for you to do?

5. Do you think much about your own death and judgment? Is a solution to these things relevant to your life or others?

6. Do you believe that as you give your life up to Jesus you will receive it back? What keeps you from more fully doing that?

View Details

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

View Details

They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

1. In what ways do you show and withhold dignity from people?

2. Why does condemnation stunt communication and change?

3. What are who do you find yourself condemning?

4. How do we disagree with or call people to change without communicating condemnation?

5. How often do you find yourself condemning yourself?

6. Does God’s word to you that you are not condemned fuel your desire and efforts at change? Why or why not?

View Details

So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

1. Has this era of pandemic drawn you closer to God or not? Why?

2. If you are a Christian, how frequently do you consider being a temple of God? Is it an exciting thought or afterthought?

3. By looking at your life, what would someone conclude you are thirsty for?

4. What do you think keeps you from coming to Jesus for a drink?

5. Over which areas of your life are you trying to maintain control and power? Do you experience God in those areas?

6. Do you believe that Jesus is thirsty for you? How do you think your answer impacts you?

View Details

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

1. In what parts of your life have you stopped asking God for help, or never thought to ask for help?

2. When does shame, resignation or self-justification come out of you?

3. Who are the people, or what are the situations, where it’s hard to imagine God is working?

4. Are you a curious person? Would truly believing that God is always working make you more curious?

5. Do you ever reduce your relationship with God down to two or three variables? What are they for you?

6. Full, total healing in your life means prioritizing the healer. What changes might that mean for you?

View Details

Q&A from the November 21, 2021 sermon, "Inseparable and Equal" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

1. Which of the groups of people in the passage can you most closely identify with? The brothers? The leaders? The people?
2. What do you expect Jesus to do or say or affect in your life?
3. When have you felt your need for Jesus?
4. What are you quick to substitute as a functional Jesus?
5. How can you begin to receive the Jesus you need, as He is, in your life now?

View Details

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

1. When was a time you have felt disconnected from God/life?
2. What things do you usually turn to with the hopes of finding life?
3. What behaviors/actions/attitudes are you tempted to think 'keeps the bike going' now that God started you off?
4. Which is more common for you; the temptation to think the connection is lost or that you have the only way to connect?
5. "God doesn't need you" - does that feel like good news or bad news?

View Details

Q&A from the November 14, 2021 sermon, "Inseparable and Equal" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the October 24, 2021 sermon, "The 20 Mile Walk" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

1. What need/want often drives you to Jesus? What do you want him to do?
2. If he doesn't give it to you, where do you turn to find it?
3. The Jews in the passage are fixated on bread, even through Jesus' attempts at redirection. What need are you fixated on right now?
4. How might Jesus be surpassing and adjusting your view of that need?
5. What is something you feel blessed with in life that is a holy marker - a pointer to the truer and better blessing?
6. Fed by or Feeding on? How might you change as God brings you from the former to the latter?

View Details

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

1. What are some ways you try to prevent chaos/failure from happening?
2. What is currently causing you anxiety? What things are you worried might fall apart?
3. Where does it seem like Jesus isn’t enough? That you have to do more?
4. When have you felt Jesus ‘holding your hand’ - preventing you from falling?

View Details

Q&A from the October 17, 2021 sermon, "Upside Down and Inside Out" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

1. Do we find ourselves avoiding discussions with non-Christians about God or questions about God? Why?

2. Is it relieving to you that only God can prove God?

3. Do you realize that trusting Jesus is real evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

4. What are you trying to prove about yourself, and to whom?

5. In what ways does the world’s glory seem more appealing to you than God’s?

6. What are we seeking when we open the Bible? What are we after in our spiritual disciplines?

7. Does vindication in Jesus provide real hope for you? Why or why not?

View Details

Q&A from the October 10, 2021 sermon, "Upside Down and Inside Out" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

1. Do you agree that in our minds ‘equal to’ often translates to independent from, rival with, potential competitor? Does equality serve unity?

2. Between Father and Son, how does equality serve unity?

3. Is the kind of love shown between Father and Son--giving, receiving, giving back—is it the kind of love championed by our culture? Is there anything challenging or uncomfortable about this self-giving kind of love?

4. The nature of God (and love) is to give, not get. Do you agree with this statement?

5. Do you think it’s possible to begin living this full, eternal life now? What would that look like in your life?

View Details

Q&A from the October 3, 2021 sermon, "Upside Down and Inside Out" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the September 26, 2021 sermon, "Upside Down and Inside Out" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”

View Details

Q&A from the September 19, 2021 sermon, "Transaction Denied" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

1. Is there something you are waiting on God to do before you believe or believe more fully?

2. Can you identify any important felt needs that you don’t bring to God? How might that impact your faith?

3. Are you willing to take ‘no’ as an answer from Jesus? Are you able to discern Jesus’ voice?

4. The walk of faith is sustained by Jesus’ word and promise, not sight. Does that describe your walk?

5. How would walking more in hope of resurrection impact your life?

View Details

Q&A from the September 12, 2021 sermon, "The First Sign" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

1. If you had a few sentences to tell a random person who Jesus is to you, what would you say?
2. Do you gush Jesus? How? What else do you gush?
3. How do you personally--or how might you like to--feed on Jesus?
4. Do you feel fully known and fully loved in Jesus?
5. Do you agree that one reason we might not enjoy Jesus as much is because we keep from gushing him?
6. Who, or what kinds of people, do you 1) write off as unnecessary to gush Jesus to or 2) assume God is not working in?
7. Would it change your approach to people if you assumed God was always at work in their lives? How?

View Details

Q&A from the September 5, 2021 sermon, "Come and See" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the August 29, 2021 sermon, "Mistaken Identities" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

1. Is it hard for you to ask for things? Why or why not?

2. What do you sometimes think disqualifies you from asking Jesus for good things?

3. What characteristic of Jesus displayed in this narrative is surprising or encouraging to you?

4. In what ways are you drinking water that does not satisfy?

5. Can you imagine yourself satisfied in Jesus? If so, what’s preventing that? Can you believe fulfillment in him is a free gift?

View Details

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

1. What 'voices' garner most of your attention or shape your day-to-day life?
2. When is it easy to pay attention to Jesus' voice? When is it hard?
3. Of Jesus' declarations and invitations, which resonate with you the most?
4. Do you rejoice in Jesus' voice in your life? How can you begin/continue to rejoice?
5. How can you use your voice to point others to Jesus?

View Details

Q&A from the August 22, 2021 sermon, "Beginning and End" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

1. Who are you tempted to write off from God's grace? Pray for them now.
2. When is it hard to remember that God knows you and loves you and sent his son for you?
3. What is your go to 'thing-to-do' to experience life-abundant? or how do you usually try to earn it?
4. How does living freely and being guided by the spirit mesh with your view of life?
   5 .How would you like to see your life be conformed to Jesus through the Spirit?

View Details

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

1. What are some 'routine religious' habits you have? Everyone's got em!
2. why do you come to church on Sunday? Why don't you come to church on Sunday?
3. Why does it seem easier to just 'do what you do and let God do what he does?'
4. Have you ever been keenly aware of God's presence or work in your life? When?
5. What are some ways you can begin to clear some space so you can focus on God's presence?

View Details

Q&A from the June 27 sermon, "Holy Time" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

1. What time/experience/person do you think of when you think of joy in your life?
2. The past two years have left most of us restless; how has it pushed you started to search for joy/security/control?
3. Eternity is described in Rev. 19 as 'the wedding feast of the lamb' - what about that description is exciting?
4. When have you tried to recreate the circumstances that produced joy in the past?
5. Spend a few minutes thinking of recent time you were joy-full - ask Jesus to help you see that earthly joy as a window into eternal joy. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the taste of eternity.

View Details

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

1. If you are a Christian, how did you become one? Do you have a conversion story?

2. In what ways have you felt seen by Jesus, or not?

3. When you think of Jesus call on your life, is it to come and see and be with him, or is it something else?

4. How can or do you specifically spend time with Jesus? Can you bring others along?

5. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, do you sometimes suspect that your best spiritual moments and endeavors are behind you? Why?

6. Are you in the habit of expecting Jesus to show up in your life, and seeing him work in and around you?

View Details

Q&A from the June 20 sermon, "Bloodbath" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

1. Why do you think it’s so hard for the world (and us) to recognize who is Christ?

2. Is there anything or anyone in the world you confuse with the work or person of Christ?

3. Have you ever experienced a change in your sense of identity as you experienced some success or notoriety?

4. In what situations do you need to be reminded that you are not Christ?

5. What captivates you? How does it shape your life?

6. Can you imagine for yourself being captivated by Jesus like John is? Do you want that? If so, what do you hope to do about it?

View Details

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

1. Do you see any ramifications for us today between everything starting from nothing rather than a community of love?

2. How does it change your view of God to think of him as an eternal, loving relationship of three persons instead of an individual in solitude before creation?

3. How does your view and way of going through creation change if its purpose and design is of Jesus?

4. Do you think that darkness/evil in creation is inconsistent with a loving God? If not, how do you reconcile them?

5. To be a child of God is to be included in this eternal bond of trinitarian love and fullness and beauty. Is that what abundant life means to you? If not, what does abundant life mean to you?

View Details

Q&A from the June 13 sermon, "That's Far Enough" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.33So Moses finished the work.34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

1. When do you feel distant from God? When do you feel close?

2. Do you usually feel like you must ascend to God? Is it easy to think that God descends and condescends to you?

3. What is your capacity to enjoy and fellowship with God? Does that strike you as something worth prioritizing?

4. Does being reminded that God always goes with you bring you confidence in thinking about your future and decisions you have to make?

5. Does filling the earth with God’s glory seem like a fitting destination? What destination(s) are you usually assuming you are journeying toward?

6. How do you understand yourself being filled with God’s glory?

View Details

1.    How do you feel about God having specific instructions and commands for us about worship? Good or bad?

2.    Do you sometimes struggle with compartmentalizing the spiritual and worship away from the rest of your life?

3.    What is some of the work and what are some of the tasks that you take pride and joy in doing well?  Do you see this as imaging God?

4.     Do you think God is in the specifics and particulars of your life, or more in the general and universals of humanity broadly?

5.    How often is your response to God grateful, habitual or begrudging?  What can you do to respond to God more out of gratitude?

6.     Do you live in a world of scarcity?

7.     Do you trust God to supply everything he asks of you?

View Details

Q&A from the June 6 sermon, "Safe Inside" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

1. Does it make sense in God’s self-revelation that he would speak of both grace and judgment?  Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with that? 
2. Do you struggle with thinking grace or mercy is a right or entitlement?  Do you struggle thinking you have to earn grace or mercy?  
    3. Why is it uncomfortable for us that God’s grace is free and entirely up to him? Does it have to be that way?
    4. Does it seem odd that we would need a mediator with God?  Why is Jesus the truer and better mediator than Moses or Abraham or anyone else?  What benefits does he bring that no one else does?
    5. How is God’s grace integral to his mission?  Are you unimpressed with God’s grace toward you?
    6. What are ways you and our church could more deeply express our own grace-marked identity?

View Details

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

1. How do you live according to the first narrative (only the strong survive, take what you can, stay around as long as your needs are being met)?

2. In what ways does the second narrative give you hope (there is someone who loves you and will never let you go)?

3. Why is it hard for you to receive the Kingdom of God like a little child?

4. How does the wedding feast of the lamb feature in your life? e.g. Encouraging, I hope it's real, I can't wait, I hope I'll be there?

View Details

Q&A from the May 30 sermon, "Home Away from Home" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand…And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”35 Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt… Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.

1. Does it seem to you like a serious thing to go back on your word or promise to God?
2. What do you need forgiveness for? Be specific. Write it down on paper if you don’t want to share with the group.
3. Do you think forgiveness is something people in our culture are looking for? If not, what are they looking for? Is it related to forgiveness?
4. Do you see a connection in your life between awareness of God’s forgiveness and experience of his presence?
5. Is experiencing God’s presence an incentive to you in daily or hourly decisions?
6. Have you ever found it hard to forgive? Why?
7. How does God taking on flesh and dying enable him to forgive us when he couldn’t before?

View Details

NOTE: there are some skipping/popping issues with Bob's mic in this episode
Q&A from the May 9 sermon, "Rebuild and Repair" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15 My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

1. When was one time you felt God's presence in your life?
2. When was a time you wished you were able to feel God's presence?
3. What often lures your heart or mind away from being present with those around you?
4. How have you seen God's presence being worked in and through you?
5. What areas of your community/society would you like to experience God leading you into a more present engagement?
6. The prayer at the end of the Psalm (vv.23-24) is a bold request - how do you think God would answer that prayer if you prayed it?

View Details

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Has God proved himself faithful to you? How?

In what areas of your life do you forget God’s faithfulness and make replacement gods?

Can you believe that God is preparing something beautiful for you when he seems absent?

Why do we need a mediator between us and God? How does this simplify things for us?

Which of the three arguments from Moses are most comforting/which is hardest to believe? God will finish what he starts in you; God will make himself known through you; God will keep his promises to you.

Is it comforting to think that God is stuck with you, that he relents from judging you for his own glory?

What will it look like for you personally in the coming years for God to stick with you?

View Details

NOTE: there are some skipping/popping issues with Bob's mic in this episode
Q&A from the May 2 sermon, "Rebuild and Repair" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

1. Where do you presently feel the weight of independence? How is independence alluring to you?
2. Where is is easy for you to see your own dependence?
3. What are some restful habits that have helped you 'sabbath' well?
4. When have you seen 'God at work while you're at rest?'
5. Where do you feel like you're failing right now? Where do you feel like you've got ground to make up? How would it look for you to receive Jesus invitation to rest in THAT place?

View Details

1. What parts of Jesus' story do you identify with? In other words - how does he accurately represent you? 
2. Where are some places you try to 'transfer' the guilt of your sin? 
3. How do you see God at work purifying you presently? 
4. How would you describe how the connection between you and God feels?  Is that how Jesus describes it in 
5. Having direct access to God - are you using that access? what are you communicating to him?
   6.  What might God be inviting you to offer as sacrifice? (use Rom 12 as a guide)

Read Heb 8 - 10 on how Jesus upheld the office of High Priest and gave us direct access to God. 

View Details

“And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework.“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side.“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it...17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

1. Why is "keep out" part of the message of the tabernacle?
2. How does it feel to know 'because of your sin you can't come in'
3. Was there ever a time where you felt the weight or gravity of sin? What about the loss of access to God?
4. Gospel tension is hard to live in, we often sway one way or the other. Do you find yourself hearing "keep out" or 'come closer" more often?
5. How 'big' does the cross seem to you in daily life? What would it take for you to see it grow (increase in God's holiness/increase in your understanding of your sinfulness)?

View Details

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

1: What characteristics or qualities make home, “home” for you?
2: Does that feeling of home feel close or far off?
3: How do you try to make or secure those feelings of home when life is chaotic?
4: In what ways might you try to put build before blood? (i.e. focusing on what you need to do instead of what's been done for you)
5: Ambition, attitude, achievement - how could you contribute one of these to the building of our home away from home?

View Details

1. In what ways can you say God has been kind to you?

2. When do you find yourself most ready and willing to confess sin?

3. What is the purpose of obedience to God?

4. How distinct from the nations should God's people be?

5. Of the three specific areas mentioned (marriage/romance, sabbath rest, supporting worship) where and how would you like to grow in obedience and distinctiveness?

6. Have you ever given up on a commitment because you saw yourself ultimately failing at it?  How does Jesus give us confidence to keep committing to walking with God?  

7. Do you see yourself as made for eternal fellowship and joy in God?  If you struggle to, how could that impact your life?  How can you grow to see the truth better?

View Details

Why is it hard to remember that Jesus is rescuer first? (Over good example or good teacher)
When was one time that you know God rescued you?
How does your relationship with God compare to a relationship with a good friend or family member? 
How has God been changing you in the last 14 months - during COVID?
How would you like to see God renew you? 

View Details

1.    When you read or hear scripture, what is the default interpretive grid you usually apply to it?  E.g. What is the example I am supposed to follow?  What am I supposed to learn/do?  How have I failed or achieved?  What is the correct theological teaching?  Etc.

2.     Do you agree that the bible is most of all a rescue story?  If not, what is it?

3.     Do you recognize your need to hear the bible read and explained?  What are you tempted to filter out of God’s word?

4.    Can you see where you fit in in the biblical narrative?  

5.     Is rejoicing a typical reaction for you when engaging scripture?  If not, what could change that?

6.    What’s your honest response when you hear you are God’s joy?  

7.     Do you want rescuing?  From what?

View Details

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
1. When you hear the phrase “fear of the Lord,” what do you think? What comes to mind?
2. How do you think assumptions about human origins impacts our treatment of people?
3. What do you fear more than God?
4. What positions of power do you hold, where is your sphere of influence? How are you using that power?
5. What reasons do we have for how and why we use the resources given to us? For our generosity with them or lack thereof. Do they line up with fear of the Lord?
6. Do you see Jesus as someone who stoops to serve you? Do you believe you will get more of Jesus when you stoop to serve others?

View Details

Q&A from the April 25 sermon, "Rebuild and Repair" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

1. Is it difficult to see yourself or the church as a temple of the living God?  Have you ever thought of yourself as a place where God is known and enjoyed and available to others?

2. Do you feel shame or see ruins when you look at the church or yourself as a Jerusalem?

3. What are the doubts, fears, costs that might hinder you from fighting for God to be manifested in your church and life?

4. How can Grace South Bay be more of a place where God is known and encountered?  What can you do about it?

5. Where in your life is more Jerusalem (God being experienced and known) and where is there more Babylon (the opposite)?

6. What do you need God's grace and others' prayers for specifically for you to fight for God to be known through you and the church?

7. Do you believe you are worth it?

View Details

Q&A from the April 18 sermon, "Where is Home?" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Q&A from the April 11 sermon, "Where is Home?" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. 5 And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.12 Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.28 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house.32 And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.

1. Where have you seen God repair/rebuild in the midst of brokenness (e.g. yours, others')?
2. How do you normally evade failure and brokenness in your life?
3. How did you respond to the opening question? What list DO you think God would write your name on?
4. Do you believe you are on the 'loved' list? the 'valuable' list? the 'children' list? How does that make you feel?
5. What well known areas of restoration are you most often drawn too? What areas of your heart are you most reluctant to let God rebuild?

View Details

Q&A from the April 4 sermon, "Why Do We Need the Resurrection?" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.11 So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

1. How do you normally react to unexpected emotions?
2. When is a time you've felt burdened to do something?
3. How can you use your time and influence to benefit, care for, and/or serve others?
4. When have you seen God's faithfulness show up to you in the midst of suffering/loss?
5. As we say in the benediction 'the One who calls you is faithful, He will do it!' He will renew, redeem, restore his children and his creation; it's a guarantee. How could that change the way you live and think tomorrow?

View Details

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”Now I was cupbearer to the king.

1. What in your life this past week has made it evident that 'were not home yet?'
2. Fredrick Beuchner sees unexpected tears as an invitation - how do you most often respond to unexpected tears?
3. Do God's promises feel personal or distant? i.e. is He promising you something?
4. We live in a tension between the presence of God's kingdom in our lives and it's not yet being fulfilled. Where in your life is that tension hardest for you? Do God's promises help you rest IN that tension?
5. Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king and God uses him there, in that 'place'. What is your 'place' right now and how might God be able/wanting to use you there?

View Details

Q&A from the March 28 sermon, "Mission" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

View Details

Q&A from the March 21 sermon, "Prayer" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the March 14 sermon, "Patience" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

1.    What are your initial thoughts after hearing the long list of James’ commands?    

2.    What makes a “good Christian”?  Are you one? Why or why not?

3.     Do you struggle with imposter syndrome, spiritually or otherwise?  How so?

4.    For the Christian, what are some reasons you might hesitate to call someone back to the Truth?

5.     Is the truth of God’s love and grace more compelling than the truth of hard work and performance for you and your  neighbors?

6.     Do you believe Jesus has covered you?  Does that bring you freedom?  How so?

7.    What are some ways we can remain focused on what Jesus has done for us rather than what we have done (or fail to do) for him?

View Details

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

1. What questions or doubts do you have about prayer?

2. Do you think God still works powerfully through prayer? Does he work through your prayers?

3. Which are you more likely to do: work your way out of hard situations by talking or by silence? Why might prayer be a better option than either? Where in your life should you speak less? Where do you need speak more and ask for prayer?

4. Do you ever approach prayer as a transaction, hoping you've built up your spiritual bank account to pay for what you want?

5. What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name?

6. How do you respond when God apparently says 'no' to your prayers? Is the example of Jesus and hope of resurrection comforting at all?

View Details

Q&A from the March 7 sermon, "Plans" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

1. How easy or hard is it for you to believe in a God of judgment? Why?

2. Do you find comfort that God is a judge and bringing justice to the world?

3. What do you when you feel wronged? How would James' counsel of patience interact with you in those moments?

4. Do you think of patience and waiting as passivity?

5. Do think of yourself as exploited, exploiter or neither? How does that influence your hearing of this and relationship with God?

6. Discuss the four points of patience: pay up, fess up, listen up and speak up. Which seems hardest to do? Which do you need God's grace to work on?

View Details

Q&A from the February 28 sermon, "Friendly Fire" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

What are the one or two primary stories that you are telling yourself and the world? 

Is there a ‘boastful arrogance’ in these stories?  Is God’s sovereignty and your finitude accounted for in these stories?

What good might you be failing to do because of these stories?

Is it meaningful that God wills that you live today?  Does that change at all how you look at your responsibilities and relationships?

Does the gift of limitations make sense to you?  Do you see limitations in how you tell your story and look at your life?  How does that make a difference in your stories?

How much is your own death incorporated in how you think about your future and the story of your life?  Is it useful to remember your coming death?  

Do you see your days as filled with abundant opportunities to do good?  What happens when you do? 

View Details

Q&A from the February 21 sermon, "A Working Faith" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

1. Where do you see a connection between internal conflict and external conflict in your life?
2. James says judging others is like trying to fill God’s shoes - seems ridiculous - but many of us still struggle in this way. Why do you think it is so easy and almost natural for you to judge others?
3. Being God’s enemy because of our sin should be quite a scary position - what are some ways you tend to cope/dismiss/diminish that reality?
4. Do you believe that God is jealous over you? How does that make you feel?
5. Do James’ imperatives - submit, resist, draw near, cleanse, purify, mourn, weep - sound like grace to you? What kind of life picture do they paint for you?

View Details

Q&A from the February 7 sermon, "A Working Faith" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1.     What role would you say you play in your own life story? Hero? Villain? Innocent bystander? - How does that impact the way you think and feel and act?
2.     Where do you see selfish ambition or jealousy creating disorder in your life?
3.     In what area do you feel most isolated in your life? Is there a connection to your own 'natural wisdom'? 
4.     When have you felt united to someone through selflessness? Yours or theirs. 
5.     How can you begin to ‘make peace’ in your relationships? How will it require you to believe and live out of the wisdom from above?

View Details

Q&A from the February 7 sermon, "A Working Faith" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

1. What would you say drives your communication (speaking, messaging, disagreeing, typing) most often? Fear, guilt, idolatry, foolishness?
2. When you think about the absurd analogies James uses at the end of the passage - does your own ability to ‘praise God and curse others’ strike you as absurd? Why not?
3. What is your go to technique to excuse careless or hurtful speech? e.g. I tell it like it is, I didn’t mean it, you shouldn’t be so sensitive… How would James say faith changes that cover-up?
4. What is one way you’ve experienced Jesus seasoned words coming from someone else?
   Own and extinguish your firebrands - say less/listen more - say more encouragement and grace - how would you like to see God work one of these applications into your life this week?

View Details

Q&A from the January 31 sermon, "Partiality" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Sermon Questions: A Working Faith

1. In what ways are you tempted to cover your inaction toward others? Does ‘thoughts and prayers’ / 'God will take care of your problems for you’ / ‘figure it out for yourself’ describe your justifications?

2. If someone examined your actions what would they say you believed?

3. What actions in your life DO reveal what God is doing in your heart?

4. Security is a big deal in a time of uncertainty such as this - what promises of God help you know and feel you are secure? What else are you holding on to for security that believing that promise might be calling you to give up for others?

5. What do you feel like everyone expects of you? i.e. your behavior, your responses, your lifestyle? What are you doing just to conform?

6. What does God expect of you and does that set you free from the expectations of others? Why or why not?

View Details

Q&A from the January 24 sermon, "Hearing and Doing" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

1. In your world, who are the shiny people you are drawn to, and who are the shabby people you avoid?

2. Where in your life do you have poverty? Can you see and believe God is working there? Do you ever miss God’s work in your life because you are aspiring for shiny things and shiny people?

3. Who do you struggle to see as your neighbor?

4. How have you been made to feel that you don’t fit? What do you need to do differently to show dignity and honor to everyone you come across?

5. Is ‘mercy’ one of the first words you think of to describe God’s stance toward you? How does your answer to that question impact the way you treat others?

6. How can you as a community group and we as a church better communicate mercy to everyone and anyone who might visit us?

View Details

Q&A from the January 17 sermon, "Wisdom" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Community Group Questions:
1. Is it easier for you to think about what you are being saved from or what you are being saved for? Why? Which do you find more compelling?

1. Have you ever taken an 'osmosis approach' to Christian maturity? Why can it be hard to persist in doing God's word?

2. Of the three broad categories James addresses (desires, compassion, anger) which do you find you struggle the most with?

3. Have the last 12 months been especially angering for you? Has this brought about the righteousness of God?

4. Other than these areas listed, where in your life are you not trying to do the word?

5. What does 'receiving God's word with meekness' look like in your life?

6. When does the gospel produce awe in you such that you are excited to share it?

7. Will you try anything different this week to be a 'doer' of God's word?

View Details

Q&A from the January 10 sermon, "Trials" with Matt Cabot and Bob Crossland

View Details

Q&A from the December 20 sermon, "Advent for the Peaceless" with Matt Cabot and Steven Chitty

View Details

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Questions:

When have you needed wisdom to faithfully endure a trial?

What kind of doubts do you have? What do you think God thinks about those?