Sermons: Recent Episodes

Sound City Bible Church

These are the sermons from Sound City Bible Church in Washington.

From our special, online-only Christmas Day worship celebration.

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Read Galatians 4:3-5

Pastor and author Tim Keller says, “If we impose our understanding of schedule & timing on Jesus, we will struggle to feel loved by Him.” Galatians tells us that God caused his son to be born, “when the fullness of time had come.” His timing is intentional in sending Jesus, in salvation, and even in the days of our lives. God knows what he is doing, but our view of things is so limited that it can be hard for us to trust sometimes. This time of year, remembering that Jesus' birth was planned and came to pass at the “fullness of time,” can help us continue to trust God and persevere in faith.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever struggled to trust God’s timing?
Do you have a testimony about a time when God’s timing proved to be just right?
Talk about God’s perspective and sense of timing compared to our own.
Pray that God would help you have an eternal perspective, to trust in him in the here and now and to hope for the time when he will make all things new.

Read Chapter 2 of Is Christmas Unbelievable: Can we take the Bible seriously?

Family Activity Time to bake those Christmas goodies! In any baking recipe every ingredient has a purpose. For example, in a cake flour gives the structure, eggs bind the ingredients, baking powder and baking soda make it rise, fats like butter and oil make it less chewy, and sugar sweetens and keeps it moist. Every part has a purpose, and the time spent in the oven matters too.

In the Christmas story, we know that all the details are important. They speak of things that were prophesied that then came to pass. The Bible also tells us that Jesus was born at the exact right time in history. Why didn’t he come earlier to lead the people instead of Moses or King David? Why didn’t he wait until later when your grandparents were little or even now? We don’t really know, but God does. In the book of Galatians it’s called, “the fullness of time.” This means the time was just right. Ask kids what would happen if we took our Christmas goodies out of the oven too soon. What would happen if we left them in too long? Have you ever burned the cookies before?

When your treats are ready to taste, thank God together that he sent Jesus when he knew that the time was just right!

Advent Reading and Discussion Questions

Read Luke 1:46-56

Mary sings for joy at being seen and chosen by her mighty God. Up until this point, she was someone who had lived in expectation of the coming Messiah. We see in this passage that she was aware of how God was using her to fulfill his promise, but she was also likely aware that this would be a difficult and disruptive call on her life. While we will probably never experience it to the degree that Mary did, we can often rejoice when we see God at work without truly understanding how much perseverance and difficulty might be involved in the process.

Discussion Questions

Mary knew a lot about Jesus’s identity and mission. What more do we know with the full revelation of Scripture? How should that inform our lives?
Has God ever worked in and through your life in a way that felt difficult and uncomfortable? How did God show himself mighty through your situation?
Talk about what it might be like to be a 1st century Jewish person awaiting God’s promise to send a Messiah.
Pray that God would grant you patient endurance in the journey he has you on as a follower of Jesus.
Pray for an appreciation of the incredible story of salvation given to us in the Bible.

Read Chapter 1 of Is Christmas Unbelievable: Was Jesus even a real person?

Family Activity Think of how long the Jewish people waited for a messiah or even how Mary had to wait months to meet the child that was promised. As we start off this advent season make an appointment or two as a family, a time when you will watch a favorite Christmas movie, a time when you will go look at Christmas lights, or maybe if you are traveling for Christmas talk about the upcoming travel date.

Whatever your family likes to do, put it on the calendar in advance. Talk about it as a family and then regularly remind the kids that it is coming. Talk about what it would have been like for the Jewish people to wait for the messiah for hundreds of years! If you had to wait for that long for a fun Christmas activity, do you think you would stop being excited about it after a while? Do you think you would start to doubt that it would ever happen? When the event finally comes to pass, remember to talk about Mary welcoming Jesus into the world and what a long anticipated event it was!

Discussion questions

Read together Jude verses 20-25 and share the characteristics of God that stood out to you.
In the pursuit of building ourselves up in the faith, how is God calling you to grow in the areas of praying in the spirit, staying in God’s love and looking to eternity?
As Jesus commands us to love others as he loved us, what are the reasons why you would hesitate entering into this type of loving relationship with others?
How does being secure in Jesus allow us to enter into loving relationships with others?
Share the people God has brought into your life who have helped build you up in the faith.

Prayer points

Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower you in the pursuit of growing in the faith.
Praise God for the godly men and women in your life who have helped build you up in the faith.
Pray for the love of God to be revealed to those who are wavering in their faith.
Pray that Sound City Bible Church would be filled with people who are grounded in Jesus and seek to enter into loving relationships with others.

Discussion questions

What is your attitude and posture towards the realities of spiritual warfare?
False teachers and teachings often infiltrate and masquerade as truths. How can you identify differences between the two?
How does the Bible teach us to respond against false teachers and teachings?
Why is it important to worship Jesus as lord and king? Are there areas in your life the Holy Spirit is calling you to surrender to Jesus and worship him as Lord and King?

Prayer points

Pray that the Holy Spirit would help saturate you in God’s word and protect against false teachers and teachings.
Pray that Sound City Bible Church would be filled with people who surrender to Jesus and worship him as Lord and King.
Pray for healing of people who have experienced pain through false teachers and teachings.

Discussion questions

Read together Jude v1-4 and answer the following questions.
What stood out to you from v1-2 and v3-4?
Share other passages from the Bible where we read about the need for our identity in Christ preceding behavior.
Describe what happens when our behavior leads before our identity?
How are you prone to wander from your identity in Jesus and seek elsewhere for your purpose, love, and safety?
Share with one another areas of your life where Jesus is continuing to grow your love, purpose, and safety.

Prayer points

Pray that the Holy Spirit will remind us of our identity in Christ and protect us from the attacks of the enemy.
Pray that the people of our church would love and serve one another out of a heart of belonging to Jesus.
For those you know and love that don’t yet know Jesus, pray that the gospel would save them and break down their false assurances of purpose, connection and safety.

Discussion Questions

Read together Leviticus ch. 27:1-8, 28-34. In what ways does the theme of Dedication & Devotion appear throughout the passages?
As you examine your own life, does God truly have your heart’s deepest devotion? Have you counted the cost of following Jesus?
In what ways can we help one another grow in devotion to God?
As we conclude our sermon series in the book of Leviticus, discuss some of your biggest takeaways.
In a few sentences, how would you summarize what the book of Leviticus is about?

Prayer Points

As difficult to understand and culturally removed as we may feel, praise God for his words from the book of Leviticus!
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us grow in our devotion to God.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people who share the gospel message and desire to see our neighbors live a life devoted to God.

Discussion Questions

Discuss how progressive nearness and progressive estrangement helps us stay connected to the realities of heaven and hell.
Compare and contrast your understanding of discipline from the perspectives of your family of origin and the Biblical view of discipline serving to prevent judgment.
Discuss what it means that God’s covenant faithfulness is accessed by ongoing repentance.
How can you help one another keep your eyes on eternity? Phrased differently, how can you encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ to live by God’s mercy, continue repenting and reinforce hardships as loving, forming and shaping discipline?

Prayer Points

Praise God for the grace and mercy we’ve received as his children.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would remind us of God’s mercy and help us live a life of continual repentance.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people who speak the truth in love to all those around us so that progressive nearness to God would become their reality.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean that sacred time is greater than sacred spaces? Why is this an important distinction?
What was the significance and importance of Sukkot to the Jewish people?
How does Sukkot ultimately point to Jesus? How can we apply the meaning of Sukkot to our lives today?
How is Jesus living water, rain, light, shepherd, and king in your life? How does the gospel help relieve your fear and anxiety?

Prayer Points

Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you to worship recalling all the amazing things God has done for you.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people who have regular rhythms of rest built into their lives.

Discussion Questions

Why is blasphemy more serious than other sins? How do we grapple with this sin today?
Are you able to be honest with God and others about your doubts, your frustrations, your fears? Why are these expressions not the same as blasphemy?
Where in your life do you need to be honest with God and his people about your frustrations, doubts, or fears?
How is God calling you to grow in speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15)?
How does Jesus meet us in our words and speech with his word of grace?

Prayer Points

Praise God for the boundless grace and mercy that we receive as his children.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help put our pride to death and help us approach God with humility and honesty.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people who speak the truth in love to all those around us.

Discussion Questions

What character and attributes of God do you see more clearly reading through the various priestly and high priestly standards?
How does a biblical understanding of rights and responsibilities help address the cultural movements in the area of authority?
What does it mean for Jesus to hold ultimate responsibility and deserves ultimate praise?
In what ways have you experienced the misuse of rights and responsibilities as the contributor or recipient?
What would rights and responsibilities rooted in Jesus look like in your marriage, parenting, work and friendships?

Prayer Points

Praise God for the boundless grace and mercy that we receive as his children.
Pray and repent of the ways you’ve misused rights and responsibilities.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people who use our rights and responsibilities to ultimately point back to Jesus!

Discussion Questions

Why do we instinctively look down on the idolatrous Israelites? In what ways should we relate to their idolatry and wandering hearts instead?
What are some common examples of spirituality divorced from the one true God? Do any of these tempt your heart away from the Lord?
Past or present, what things have you allowed to replace God on the throne of your heart?
What are some ways we can root out the internal reality of idolatry and its external results? What has helped you to do this in the past, or what do you need to do now in your efforts to worship God alone.

Prayer Points

Pray that God would wake us up to the seriousness of false spirituality.
Ask God to impress upon us the need to guard our hearts to keep him on the throne.
Pray that God would lead us to join him in proclaiming true spirituality found in the truly good news of Jesus.

Aaron Gray | September 18, 2022

Discussion Questions

How have you personally interpreted and applied the Leviticus 19: 1-2 passage that calls God’s people to be Holy? To think about it differently, are you naturally pulled to reading the command to be Holy as a to-do list or maybe neglect it all together because it seems like an unreachable summit?
How does holiness rooted in God’s heart of love change the way we pursue and help others to pursue holiness?
In what areas of your day to day life do you pursue and neglect to pursue holiness?
Consider breaking up into smaller groups of 2-3 men or women and share areas of your life where you would like to grow in holiness and seek accountability with one another.

Prayer Points

Praise God for the gift of forgiveness and righteousness through Jesus and pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to pursue holiness rooted in God’s love.
Pray repenting of the ways you’ve pursued holiness from a sinful motive.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with people pursuing holiness with gospel humility, honesty and hunger.

Discussion Questions

For this week, consider having men and women meet separately to help facilitate a more open and honest conversation.

What happens when we avoid talking about sex in the church? What happens when we only focus on the prohibitions and not the fuller picture?
What are right and wrong ways to think about the doctrine of “total depravity”? What does it mean that all of us have been affected by the fall in our minds, feelings, bodies, and desires? What does it not mean?
Why is it important to think of the gospel message in terms of a loving husband pursuing his unfaithful wife? Why is this such an important image for the good news of Jesus?
How can Sound City foster a culture of holiness around sexuality? How can we be simultaneously morally serious and filled with exceeding grace for one another?
If there is any sexual sin that needs to be confessed, consider sharing it with your group. If there is any sexual woundedness that needs to be healed, consider sharing it with your group or a trusted person.

Prayer Points

Pray that Sound City would foster a culture of holiness when it relates to sexual behavior: upholding God’s standard for sexual activity, mercy and grace for those who stumble, and courageous honesty in our conversations about such matters.
Pray that God would use us to reach people who are trying to satisfy their need for God with earthly loves and lusts.

Discussion Questions

Why does the Bible spend so much time talking about blood? What reasons might there be for our culture to avoid real blood and instead relegate it to movies and TV?
If someone said to you, “tell me about your life,” how would you likely respond (e.g. family, occupation, hobbies)?
Why is it so important that we connect all aspects of our life to the gospel of Jesus? What happens when we live our lives disconnected from the good news of his death and resurrection?
How is Jesus currently inviting you to abide more deeply in him: in your spiritual life, in your practical life, and your inner/personal life? What steps do you need to take as Jesus invites you to abide in him?

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would help us each abide more deeply in him in every aspect of our lives: our spirituality, our practical matters, and our inner personal life.
Pray for our church community to be a church where people are welcomed and invited to abide in the love and grace of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

Of the five problems discussed in Leviticus 16 (distance, disobedience, death, demonic, and direction/leadership), which one resonated with you most and why?
What in your life most commonly keeps you from drawing near to God?
The Day of Atonement is jam-packed with symbolism, all of which points to Jesus as the ultimate Day of Atonement. What aspect of Jesus’ Day of Atonement work was new to you, or stirred your heart most?
Consider the people in your life who do not follow Jesus. What reasons might they have for not drawing close to God? How can you help show them God’s desire to draw them close?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would continually draw us near. And pray that we would not believe any lies or excuses that keep us from coming close to God.
Pray that we would be people who constantly invite non-Christians to come close to God through the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

What do you think when you hear the phrase “life is sacred”? Where are you tempted to lose wonder, awe, and reverence for life?
Where are you personally experiencing the brokenness of the world and the forces of death at work (e.g. illness, death of a family member)? How can those in your group pray for and support you in these difficulties?
How does Jesus’ resurrection give us hope in the face of so much death in the world? How can we help one another experience the abundant, resurrection life of Jesus while we await his return?
How has God gifted and equipped you to be a force for life in this world? What specific issues are you personally passionate about, and where has God opened opportunities for you to serve and minister? (Note: think about your own personal work, and less about voting and politics in light of the list that Aaron shared on Sunday.)

Prayer Points

Pray that God would help us—as individual disciples and as a church—to be about the work of life in our region.
Should the Lord delay his return, pray that each of us would live each day with a readiness to face death with the hope of the gospel and our future resurrection.

For Further Reading

Are You Truly Pro-Life? blog post by Russell Moore
Debunk 8 Abortion Myths blog post by Josh Howerton

Discussion Questions

“The purity laws of Leviticus are not about morality, but about mortality.” How do things like skin diseases and mildewed clothes remind us that we are living in a land polluted by death? How should we think about the world in its fallen state?
Why are so many of us prone to hide and cover up our fallenness, both our sin and our sufferings? Which one do you struggle with more?
Read Colossians 3:1-11, with a particular focus on verse 3. What does it mean to be “hidden with Christ”? How does this truth free us from hiding, covering, and pretending?
Who do you have in your life that you can be completely open and transparent with, both with your sin and also your suffering? If the answer is “nobody,” what steps do you need to take to change that?

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would help us as individuals and a church community to walk with openness and transparency with each other, supporting and loving one another with the care of Jesus.
Pray that we would be known to the world around us not as “holier than thou” but as broken people who are loved by a perfect Savior.
Pray for those in your group who share aspects of sin or suffering that they feel ashamed of. Pray for the cleansing that is offered by Jesus, our high priest.

Discussion Questions

Do you make room in your life for silence, solitude, and meditation?
It can be uncomfortable to be in this kind of quiet; who can help you do this more often?
Have you ever confessed (agreed) to God about your rebellious nature?
Do find hope in the truth that Jesus will hold everyone accountable?
How does Jesus's definition of blessedness challenge yours?

Prayer Points

Pray that our church would grow in our practice of meditation and adoration of Jesus.
Pray that God would give our church a passion to memorize his word.
Pray that our unbelieving friends, family, and neighbors would be stunned and compelled by Jesus’s blessed life lived in us.

Discussion Questions

Read Psalm 84 aloud together and praise God for the gift of his presence in our lives.

In what ways does your life reflect a biblical or unbiblical understanding of the presence of God?
If we are always in God’s presence because of Jesus, then why is it important or necessary for Christians to continually seek His presence? (Matthew 28:20, Psalm 105:4, 1 Chronicle 22:19)
Discuss ways in which you as an individual and collectively as a group can take God’s presence to the world.

Prayer Points

This week, find a quiet place and take some time alone. Read a psalm and see if one specific word or phrase jumps out at you. Take that phrase and sit quietly with it for 10-15 minutes and ask God to make you aware of his presence. If your mind wanders, give yourself some grace, and bring your thoughts back to the words of the psalm and God’s presence.

In your group, pray that we would each become more assured and aware of God's presence in our lives.
Pray that our church would be a body of believers who rest, seek and express the presence of God.

Discussion Questions

Read Psalm 49 together out loud and pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide the discussion.
Good or bad, in what ways has your upbringing shaped your views and beliefs on wealth?
In what areas of your life are you tempted to put your trust in wealth as the source of your security?
Mathew 6:24 tells us that we cannot serve both God and money. Do you find yourself wrestling to serve two masters?
Through Jesus we have the promise of an imperishable inheritance. How does this truth help us frame our relationship with wealth?
Share ways the Holy Spirit is leading you to put money in its place (e.g. tithe, share, margin, save, simplify).

Prayer Points

During your own prayer time, ask the Lord to reveal and forgive you in areas of your life where you’ve been serving two masters.
In your group, pray that we would each have a Christ centered, eternal perspective that would help us have a right relationship with money.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead Sound City to be a generous church.

Discussion Questions

Before unpacking the discussion questions, take time to read aloud Psalm 27 and pray seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leading.
In what specific areas of your life are you prone to 1) believing that God doesn’t care for you or 2) believing that you “are worthy” of God’s love? What is the heart’s motive in either response?
How is David’s confident humility demonstrated perfectly in Jesus? How does this truth shape our relationship with God?

Prayer Points

This week, find a time to journal all the ways the Lord cares for you and praise Him for them!
In your group, pray that the Holy Spirit would help each of you grow in Christlike confident humility.
Pray that our church would be an agent of God’s love and care in our homes, work and community.

Discussion Questions

Where have you been tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked? In what specific ways is your heart prone to desire after sin?
Why is it important for followers of Jesus to have a “both/and” mentality when it comes to 1) theological knowledge and 2) a personal experience of God’s presence? What happens when we neglect one or the other?
In what ways did Jesus rely upon the presence of his Father and the Holy Spirit? If Jesus needed to take time in the presence of God, how much more do we need to?
How does Jesus make it possible for us to enter into God’s presence? Practically speaking, what does it look like for us to enter into God’s presence since there is no longer a physical temple?

Prayer Points

This week, find a quiet place and take some time alone. Read a psalm and see if one specific word or phrase jumps out at you. Take that phrase and sit quietly with it for 10-15 minutes and ask God to make you aware of his presence. If your mind wanders, give yourself some grace, and bring your thoughts back to the words of the psalm and God’s presence.
In your group, pray that we would each become more aware of God's presence in our lives. Pray that our hearts would be moved by his glory more and more often.
Pray that our hearts would not envy the arrogant or the wicked, but that we would tell people about the good news of Jesus with great joy and passion.

Discussion Questions

Why are the psalms so important for those who follow Jesus? How do they shape our minds as well as our hearts?
In Psalm 118, we are instructed to put our ultimate trust in the Lord. Why do our fickle hearts so often search for refuge elsewhere? Where are you personally tempted to put your trust apart from the Lord?
How did Jesus face distress, danger, disgrace, and death? How does his perfect faithfulness in these situations ensure our salvation?
Share with those in your group some ways that God has proven to be a refuge for you? Give testimony of his trustworthy nature as our rock.

Prayer Points

Give God thanks that he is a rock, a firm foundation, and an unwavering source of safety.
Pray prayers of repentance for the ways that you have put your hope in other places.
Pray that God would use us to bring the good news of Jesus to a world that is being constantly shaken in so many ways.

Discussion Questions

How do ritual purities help us see the nature of God more clearly?
In what ways can we see childbirth being celebrated in the Bible?
What would it look like for you to carry the death of Jesus in your body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in your body in your family, work and community?
Share examples of how God brought new life from moments that felt like big or small deaths.

Prayer Points

Praise God for His goodness in bringing new life out of death!
Pray that the Holy Spirit would deepen our understanding and love for God as we study and meditate on challenging topics like ritual purities.
Pray that Sound City Bible Church will be filled with disciples who carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.

Discussion Questions

Why was it important for God’s people in the old covenant to obey His commands concerning food?
What are some of your struggles or internal wrestlings as you read through challenging passages like the food laws? How can the more challenging parts of scripture deepen our affections for God?
Does your eating demonstrate a satisfaction in God? Is there gluttony you need to address? How can you incorporate the spiritual discipline of fasting as a response and reminder to finding our satisfaction in Jesus.
Does your eating set you apart as belonging to God? Care for your body? Care for your neighbor? Care for the earth?
Does your eating further the mission of God? As a group, come up with ways you can incorporate eating to further the mission of God in your local context.

Prayer Points

Praise God for His sovereignty in all things reminding us that His thoughts and ways are higher.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would deepen our affections for God through even the most challenging parts of the Bible.
Pray that Sound City Bible Church will be filled with disciples who find our greatest satisfaction in God.
Pray for opportunities and relationships in your life to further the mission of God through sharing a meal together.

Discussion Questions

Consider your daily “rituals”, where are you following false, impotent priests and what is at the heart of following these false priests?

Currently in your life, are you drawing near to God through Jesus? Where and how can you practice and encourage the sacrifices of prayer and praise in your life and the lives of others?

Are you guarding that which is holy and sacred? (e.g. sabbath day, marriage bed, etc.)

In what ways can you shape your life to extend the glory of God?

Prayer Points

Praise God for the gift of the ultimate priest in Jesus.

Spend time in prayer confessing areas in your life where you’ve been following false priests.

Pray that Sound City Bible Church will be filled with disciples who offer sacrifices of prayer and praise.

Pray for opportunities and relationships in your life to extend the glory of God.

Discussion Questions

What are some of the differences and similarities between the guilt offering and other offerings?
What are some ways you use the word “guilt”? How is the word “guilt” used in Leviticus?
Share and discuss examples of unintentional sins. How do we realize when we sin unintentionally?
What role does restitutions play in the practice of guilt offerings? Why was it necessary? What does it mean for us today?
In what ways is the Holy Spirit leading you to repent of your sins and make necessary restitutions?

Prayer Points

Praise God for the forgiveness he offers us through the work of Jesus!
Praise God for the opportunity we have to respond and care for those that we sin against.
Pray for healing and shalom for individuals in your life who have been sinned against.
As recipients of God’s forgiveness, pray that the Holy Spirit would empower our church body to respond and do all that we can to bring the good news of the gospel to the world.

Discussion Questions

For this week’s discussion questions, we’re going to ask that you take an inventory of your life as you focus on the truth that the fellowship offering reminds us that in the presence of God, there is shalom. Breakout into smaller groups of 2-3 people and discuss the following questions.

Share one meaningful moment or season of life when you experienced God’s shalom.
Take an inventory of your life in the following areas of finance, emotion, spiritual, physical, and relational.
1. Are their areas in your life that you feel out of sorts, alone and without shalom?
2. Have any of these situations or feelings led you down a path of sin?
3. In what ways have you tried to fix your circumstances that still left you without shalom?
4. Share practical ways you can encourage and be encouraged to:
5. Focus on Christ over circumstances.
6. Allow your heart to rest.
7. Fellowship with the church.
8. End the discussion by reading Psalm 16.

Prayer Points

Praise God for the shalom he gives us through Jesus!
Pray that the Holy Spirit would remind us of God’s truth and empower us to practice shalom.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us share the good news of Jesus so that people may be reconciled and receive true peace.

Discussion Questions

What does “free will” offering mean to you and why do we sometimes want God to command a certain offering from us?
If grain/bread was a symbol of life for the people of Israel, what would be a corresponding symbol for us today?
How does giving offerings play an important part of our worship?
Why is it important that giving offerings be costly to the worshiper?
How would a worshiper have to plan ahead to be able to give a costly offering?
What does it say about God that he made provision for people of all economic levels to participate in worship through offerings? How does this translate into our worship today?
What baggage or hang-ups might you have about giving offerings through the church?
Why is money and the management of money a touchy subject in churches?
How is giving a food offering (like grain/bread) in Leviticus different from giving food to idols/false gods?

Prayer Points

Pray that God will enrich our worship of him through a better understanding of the sacrifices and offerings in Leviticus.
Pray that each worshiper at Sound City Bible Church will feel led to worship through free-will offerings proportionate to the way God has blessed them.
Pray for healing for individuals who have been harmed in the past by church leaders that wrongly emphasized money or misused the offerings given to God.
Pray a blessing on the offerings brought to God through our church that God will guide the church to use them for his purposes, the advancement of his kingdom, and the exaltation of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

Discuss ways in which you’ve previously misunderstood biblical offerings and sacrifices. Additionally, share and discuss specific areas that you would still like more clarity.
Why were burnt offerings and sacrifices such an important part of Jewish life?
What does it mean for Jesus to be a burnt offering? How does this impact you as a disciple?
Read together Ephesians 5:1-2. What would your life look like as a burnt offering in the following areas:
1. Giving in response | not earning God’s love, responding to God’s love and grace
2. Giving of everything | money, time, food, house relationships, sexuality
3. Giving your best | prioritize things to put God first
4. Giving to enjoy God | if anyone wants to offer a sacrifice, let him come near
5. Think about your non-Christian family, friends, and coworkers. How can you share Jesus through what you’ve learned about burnt offerings and sacrifices?

Prayer Points

Praise God for providing the greatest offering and sacrifice in Jesus!
Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to joyfully respond as we remember Jesus as our burnt offering.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us share the good news of Jesus through a clearer understanding of the offerings and sacrifices.

Discussion Questions:

What were some of your preconceived notions or reservations about the book of Leviticus? In what ways do you believe this has shaped your view of God?
Why was the tent of meeting such an important place for the Jewish people and what does it mean that Jesus is the ultimate tabernacle?
What does it mean to be made holy by Jesus?
Paul refers to Christians as temples of the Holy Spirit. How does this truth impact you as a disciple?
As we recognize our holiness through unity with Christ, what are some specific ways God is calling you to a life of holiness?

Prayer Points:

Praise God for the way he reveals himself to us through his word and the working of the Holy Spirit. Praise God for making us holy through unity in Christ.
Pray that God would shape a clearer understanding of who he is through the study and teachings from Leviticus.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to live holy lives pleasing to the Lord.

Discussion Questions

How has God used the last few months of studying the theme of renewal in your life? Where has God shown you that your life is in need of renewal?
What are some common misconceptions regarding the church? In what ways are you prone to think wrongly about the church? Why?
What does it mean that the church is a spiritual entity, not merely a human endeavor? Put another way, why is it important to remember that the church only exists because of and for Jesus?
What are some things that you appreciate about our specific local church? And what are some ways that God has gifted and equipped you to help our church in this season of renewal?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would continue to renew our local church so that we could be effective witnesses to his gospel in our region.
Pray for the various leadership transitions that are coming up in the months ahead. And pray for God to continue to raise up new leaders to serve this church.
Pray specifically for the church renewal team as they work to help clarify our mission, vision, and focus for the season ahead.
Pray that God would use our meager endeavors to bring much glory to himself, and to bring many people to saving faith in Jesus.

Prayer Points:

Praise Jesus, our resurrected savior, who has conquered sin and death, ascended to the right hand of God and is reigning as the King of kings!
Pray for the Holy Spirit to help lead and guide those recently saved and baptized to grow as disciples.
Pray that Sound City would be filled with Christians continually living in the awe and wonder of Jesus' resurrection.

Discussion Questions

Read 1 Peter 5:1-5. What are the qualities of renewed leadership that we should look for in the leaders around us?
Is there a priority of these qualities or are they all of equal value in leadership?
How would you feel about following leaders who live out these qualities of godly leadership?
How do you feel about being called a leader? Even if you don’t feel like a leader, can you articulate how you can lead others in your life?
What are areas of growth regarding leadership that you see in our church? In your own life?

Prayer Points

Pray for the leaders in our church that they would increasingly grow in godly leadership qualities and abilities.
Pray that God will raise up new leaders to serve his people well and be on mission with him in proclaiming Jesus and making disciples.
Pray for the leaders in other areas of your life (work, politics, family, etc.) that they would humbly follow God’s guidance and use wisdom in their leadership.
Pray for God to show you the ways that you can lead others for their good and growth.
Pray for God to lead our church into a fresh vision of his purpose and mission for us during our time of renewal this year.

Discussion Questions

Read together 1 Peter 3:13-22 and answer the following questions: What stood out to you? What do these passages teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?

From the five parts of knowing the Messiah, which part(s) do you struggle to understand and communicate when sharing the gospel?
1. Jesus Christ | Messiah = the story of Israel
2. Holy | Utterly unique and set apart
3. Substitute | The righteous for the unrighteous
4. Victorious | Made alive by the Spirit
5. Ruling | Ascended to heaven, authorities subjected
6. Have you responded to the gospel message through repentance and baptism?
7. Can the gospel be shared without including your testimony, why or why not? Can you share your testimony without the gospel, why or why not?
8. Breakout into smaller groups of 2-3 and each take turns sharing the gospel with one another.

Prayer Points

Pray that Sound City would be a church filled with joy and passion to share the gospel.
Pray that God would bring opportunities in your life and the life of other Christians to share the gospel.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead, guide, and help you share the gospel when the opportunities become present.

Discussion Questions

Read together Ephesians 4:1-16 and answer the following questions: What stood out to you? What do these passages teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
Centered around Christ, how do you see elements of individualism and collectivism in Christian community?
In what ways do we intentionally or unintentionally make a lesser community (affinity, activity, or affection) the primary foundation for community?
The work of the Christian community is to help each other mature as followers of Jesus. Share ways the group can guard itself from consumerism and overreach.
Share and Celebrate ways you’ve experienced God working in and through a Christ centered community.

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would be the head of every discipleship ministry at Sound City Bible Church.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal, remove and protect our community groups from chasing after a “lesser community”.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would encourage and embolden you to live in Christian community through the ups and downs of life.

Discussion Questions

Read together 1 Peter 4:7-11 and answer the following questions: What stood out to you? What do these passages teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
We defined serving as a heartfelt activity in a clearly defined role for the blessing of another. In what ways can you identify similarities and differences between the biblical and secular understanding of serving?
In what ways do you struggle with the distorted serving categories of laziness, business not fruitfulness, self-focus not others, and heartless, not joyful?
How does Jesus' service on the cross and his continual serving of his children encourage us to live a life of service?
Share with your group ways you would like to begin serving at home, at church and in your community.

Prayer Points

Pray that God would make the people of Sound City Bible Church servants who are fueled by the gospel.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal and remove any distortions that would hinder you and your group members from serving.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you in identifying new ways to serve at home, at church and in community.

Discussion Questions

Read together Mark 2:23-28 and answer the following questions: What stood out to you? What do these passages teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
Sabbath rest was created by God, created for us and fulfilled in redemption. Which of these aspects of sabbath rest do you find difficult to understand, challenging to believe, or find to be most misunderstood?
Share ways in which you struggle with the common sabbath traps of over legalization, over spiritualization and over conceptualization,
Jesus is our sabbath rest. In what ways do you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you to sabbath rest for healing, worship and connection?
Share with your group the practical way(s) you are planning on regularly taking sabbath rest. Additionally, share ideas in ways you can help others regularly take sabbath rest.

Prayer Points

Pray that God would provide the people of Sound City a renewed understanding of rest that shapes when and how we rest.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal traps and root out any idols in our hearts that draw us away from rest.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you in regularly taking sabbath rest.

Discussion Questions

From the passages in Genesis 1-3:
1. What stood out to you?
2. What do these passages teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
3. Which aspect of the “Nature of Work” do you find difficult to understand, challenging to believe, or find to be most misunderstood?
4. What are some reasons why you’ve suppressed your gifts at the workplace to build up others?
5. The gospel shapes why and how we work. In what ways do you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you to use your gifts to build up others at your workplace and in the church?
6. Share with your group the ways you worship during work.

Prayer Points

Spend time reading and praying through Colossians 3:22-24 “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Pray that God would provide the people of Sound City a renewed meaning and joy in our work.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal and root out any idols in our hearts that distort the calling of work that God gifts us.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you in using your gifts to build up those at your workplace.

Discussion Questions

This passage begins with the reality that we all need to be taught about money. What is your gut-level response to this reality?
What are some examples of your functional doctrine of money? What should they be?
What are the consequences of pursuing a love of money? How have you seen this play out with friends or family?
Ironically, Paul urges the rich to use their money for good works so that they might “grab hold of what is truly life.” (6:19). What kinds of good works do you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you to do?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would make our church full of people who are eager and willing to receive His instruction, even instruction on money.
Pray that God would remove any root of a love of money in your life, even if you don’t believe it’s there.
Pray that God would grant you new realizations of Christ’s riches poured out for you.

Discussion Questions

As a group, spend time reading John 15:9-17 and answer the following questions. What stood out to you from this passage? What does this passage teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
Why do you think that friendship is so often misunderstood in our culture? What are the ways that our culture gets it right/wrong? How does the biblical picture of friendship by the way of the Trinity stand in contrast?
Do you agree that friendship involves vulnerability, commitment and enjoyment? How can we help one another to open our hearts and lives to have this type of friendship with one another?
How do our friendships showcase the gospel of Jesus to a world that is fragmented and isolated? How should our friendships be used to further our witness, not hinder it?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would grow us as people who practice true, biblical, committed, and loving friendships.
Pray that God would heal us from pains that we’ve experienced in friendship.
Pray that our friendships would serve as a gospel witness to a lost and broken world, a world that deeply longs to be loved and known.

Discussion Questions

As a group, spend time reading 1 Corinthians 7:32-38 and answer the following questions:
- What stood out to you from this passage?
- What does this passage teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
- When you were single, or if you are currently single, do you find yourself struggling to pursue a devotion to Christ that reminds you that your identity is greater than your singleness?
- If you’re currently in a dating relationship, the goal of this season like all seasons of life is devotion to Christ while remembering that Jesus understands and cares. Where in your relationship do you sense a loving conviction of the Spirit to honor God by seeking wisdom and growth?
- For those who are married,
- In what ways do you sense a loving conviction of the Spirit to refocus your marriage towards a devotion to Christ.
- Share creative ways in which you can support and care for the singles and dating demographic at Sound City.

Prayer Points

Pray that our church body would seek to be devoted to Christ in all seasons of our lives.
Pray for the single and dating members at Sound City to be reminded of their identity in Christ.
Pray for the Spirit to stir the hearts of married couples to serve and care for the single and dating members at Sound City.

Discussion Questions

What was something about your own parents that you appreciate now that you are older? What was something about how you were parented that you do not want to repeat?
What are some out-workings of the wrong motives in parenting (such as over-emphasizing what the parents want or what the child wants)? What pitfalls do parents need to watch for as they are seeking to be godly parents?
What verses about parenting or biblical parenting principles stand out to you?How have you seen these lived out well?
If you are someone who does not have children, how do you experience being part of a church that includes a lot of families and children?
What are some ways that non-parents can partner with families to support their “parenting as disciple-making?”

Prayer Points

Pray for new parents and future parents that they will enter parenthood with a commitment to follow God’s design for parenting.
Pray for parents of preteens and teens that they will persevere in their parenting, continuing to grow and learn in these important final years of having their children in their home.
Pray that parents of adult children who are not walking with God will hold on to the hope of the Gospel and the power of Jesus to reach into their lives and redeem them.
Pray that those who do not have children will see their valuable role in making disciples and that they experience joy and satisfaction in being a child of the Father.
Pray that our church can be a source of help and support for families as they seek to raise their children amidst the challenges of our day.
Pray for all parents that they will humbly depend on God for the outcome of their parenting and for his grace and power to be at work in their children’s lives.

During this first month of our All Things New series we are encouraging everyone to join us in a month of focused, intentional prayer. Don’t forget to check out our prayer guideto participate.

Discussion Questions

Share with others the expectations and assumptions that you have held around marriage based on your own family of origin? In what ways did they line up with a biblical worldview? In what ways did they fall short?
Read Matthew 22:23—33 and Jesus’ teaching on the temporal nature of marriage. Why do we as human beings tend to make romantic love ultimate? How might this even play out in the church? How can we still honor and value marriage while not ultamatizing it? (See also selections from 1 Corinthians 7).
Why is it significant that God made marriage as a portrait of the gospel? What can we learn about the nature of marriage, the nature of God, and our own marriages when considered from this perspective?
For those who are married, what tangible steps is God asking you to take to bring your own marriage closer to Jesus? For those who are unmarried, Hebrews 13:4 says that marriage should be held in honor by everybody. How might that play out in your relationships with married couples?

Prayer Points

Pray that we would hold marriage in high esteem, while remembering that our earthly marriages are a portrait of the gospel and our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Pray that God would strengthen the marriages in our church and protect them from harm.
Pray that our loving, healthy, Christ-centered marriages would serve as a witness to those who have yet to believe.
Pray that Jesus would return soon so that we could enjoy the marriage feast of the Lamb forever!

During this first month of our All Things New series we are encouraging everyone to join us in a month of focused, intentional prayer. Don’t forget to check out our prayer guideto participate.

Discussion Questions

Which of the two ditches—worship of the body or denigration of the body—are you personally more prone toward? How do you see these ditches playing out in our broader culture or in your smaller communities?
Read through 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10 and notice the way that Paul speaks of the physical body. What observations do you have? How does our future hope help us in our present distress?
Why is embodied worship such an important practice for followers of Jesus? Discuss things like raising hands or kneeling while singing, the physical acts of communion and baptism, even the value of in-person conversation (as opposed to digital). Why did God make things this way?
Where do you sense the loving conviction of the Spirit as it relates to “honoring God with your body”? Is there sin that you need to flee from? Is there training you need to embrace?

Prayer Points

Pray that we would use our bodies to glorify God. Pray that we would flee from sin and instead, use our bodies to love and serve others.
Pray that we would live as one larger, unified church body made up of many smaller parts.
Pray for the return of Jesus and the restoration of all things, including our bodies.

During this first month of our All Things New series we are encouraging everyone to join us in a month of focused, intentional prayer. Don’t forget to check out our prayer guide to participate.

Discussion Questions:

When was a time that you feared you would do without? How did God show Himself faithful in that situation?
Describe a time that God used gentle nudging to correct your course, to discipline you.
Do you ever find yourself ungrateful? How can you integrate gratitude into your life?
If you don’t practice Silence and Solitude in your personal spiritual practices, what keeps you from doing so?

Prayer Points:

Join and follow along in our month of dedicated, collective prayers by going to https://www.soundcitybiblechurch.com/articles.

During this first month of our All Things New series we are encouraging everyone to join us in a month of focused, intentional prayer. Don’t forget to check out our prayer guideto participate.

Discussion Questions:

As a group, spend time reading Romans 12:1-8 in two or three Bible translations and answer the following questions:
- What stood out to you from this passage?
- What does this passage teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
- The point of renewing our mind is to know the will of God. How can we then avoid the pitfalls of becoming an egghead through our reading and study of scripture?
- Confess ways the Holy Spirit is revealing things that are out of line with the will of God in:
- Your relationship with God
- Your relationship with friends and family
- Your relationship with coworkers and neighbors
- Share with one another the ways God’s truths and presence has helped you recognize and combat the world’s pressure to conform.

Prayer Points:

Join and follow along in our month of dedicated, collective prayers by going to https://www.soundcitybiblechurch.com/articles.

There is a large amount of Christian literature and sermons constantly aimed at encouraging us to hope in God in the midst of our fears and our sorrows, and we need to be shaken up periodically to realize that God is with us in the hum-drum moments of life. But when things are good it can be actually be hard for us to remember to trust God, let alone experience his presence on a daily basis.

Discussion Questions:

As a group, spend time reading Luke 2:1-14 in two or three Bible translations and answer the following questions: What stood out to you from this passage? What does this passage teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
As you examine your heart, confess areas of your life where you struggle to accept the brokenness of the world, the brokenness of yourself and the holiness of God.
How does Jesus’ divine presence and the gift of the Holy Spirit provide joy that transcends the ups and downs of life?
Spend time praising and singing to God about his glory!

Prayer Points:

Pray that the Holy Spirit would help remind and reinforce Jesus being the source and companion of all our joys.
Pray and give thanks for the gift of joy in Jesus that transcends the ups and downs of life.
Pray for those who you love to come to a saving knowledge of God and to experience true joy in Jesus.

Sermon Description

Immanuel means “God with us.” If this is true, then God is with us in all circumstances of life: our hopes, our fears, our joys, our sorrows, and even the mundane. In this teaching, we see how Solomon encourages us to embrace our sorrows as a way to experience God’s presence and grace in our lives.

Sermon Description

The word advent means “arrival.” In the season of advent, Christians from around the world intentionally focus on the anticipation of the long-awaited Messiah. The meaning of Christmas is that God, through the person of Jesus, has come to be with us in the flesh.

Discussion Questions:

As a group, spend time reading 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 in two or three Bible translations and answer the following questions:

What stood out to you from this passage? What does this passage teach us about God (his character, his will, his plans, his principles)?
Considering your life in relationship to God, to family, to friends, to coworkers, and to neighbors. Confess ways that in those spheres you run parallel with the world in idolizing the big, the important, the loud, and the fast.
Help each other find clarity in what seeking the kingdom first looks like in the everyday (mundane) life.
Praise God and encourage one another by sharing different ways in which you’ve seen Jesus and his mighty works in your everyday (mundane) life.

Prayer Points:

Pray and give thanks for the presence of Jesus in our daily lives.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us individually and collectively cultivate a heart of worship and praise in every season of life.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us individually and collectively seek the kingdom first in everything that we do.

The Advent season allows us to focus on the joyful and miraculous first coming of Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior. This Advent season our theme is Immanuel, which means God With Us. For this first sermon of the series we will explore, “God with us in our hopes and fears.” Whether we’re besieged by an overwhelming enemy, peacefully rocking our newborn baby, or any circumstance in between, God has promised to be with us; and God is faithful to keep his promise.

Discussion Questions:

What is an example of an event in the Bible or the life of another believer from history that you can see they trusted in God’s promise to be with them?
When was a time that you were greatly comforted by the promise or experience of God with us?
What is the difference between believing God’s promise with one’s mind and living out life in that promise?
What makes it difficult for you to trust God’s promise to be with us?
What do you tend to trust in rather than trusting in God and his

presence/provision? 6. What are some areas of your life that you need to live the experience of God with us? 7. What are some ways that you may be able to help others to believe and live out the promise of God with us? 8. What are some application points that this promise has for our church as a corporate body?

Prayer Points:

Pray for the joy of Christ to flood our hearts this Advent Season!
Ask God to impress upon each of us the depth and power of his promise to be with us.
Pray for those who feel far from God or especially lonely. Pray that they will feel drawn to God through Jesus and will have their souls ministered to in a supernatural way.
Pray that we will not only believe God’s Immanuel promise, but that we will trust it and live by it!
Ask God to show us the glory of Christ’s coming to be our Savior and motivate us to join him in proclaiming Christ so that all may hear, believe, and be saved.

Discussion Questions:

The world promotes empty encouragements that create faulty foundations for our lives. Contrast the differences between worldly encouragements and gospel peace.
Everyone experiences anxiety. What causes anxiety in your life and what does your response look like?
Are you experiencing anxiety in your life right now? If so, how can you apply the big idea of Jesus being our peace to your anxiety?
1. Peace with God | Romans 5:1
2. Peace with humanity | Ephesians 2:14
3. Peace with all things | Revelation 21:3-6
4. Peace within us | John 16
5. Heavenly Peace | John 14
6. Peace Beyond understanding | Philippians 4
7. Remembering that practical help is great as long it’s built on Jesus, what steps can you take and be held accountable to grow in the peace of God?
8. Pay attention to your body
9. Pay attention to your limits
10. Practice regular stillness
11. Interact with your anxieties
12. Practice gratitude

Prayer Points:

Together as a group, read and pray through Psalm 131.
Pray and confess areas of your life where you’ve been holding onto your anxiety and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the peace of God.
Pray that God would cultivate a heart of humility and thankfulness at Sound City as we face the challenges and the anxieties of life.

Discussion Questions

What area(s) of Joseph’s life had you never associated with Jesus’ life?
How has studying Jesus in the Old Testament impacted your view of Jesus?
How can Jesus being seen in Old Testament people help us relate to Jesus now?
Who is in your sphere of influence that needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray for unity in the church
Pray for opportunity to share Jesus with others
Pray for personal spiritual growth

Discussion Questions

“Jesus is the one who made the covenants. Jesus is the one who keeps the covenants.” What about this statement helps us believe that all of scripture points to Jesus?
In what areas of your life are you prone to believing in the “shadow of the real thing” instead of Jesus himself?
Read together Hebrews 4:16. Do you find yourself struggling to approach the throne of grace in time of need, why or why not? How can we encourage one another to live out this truth?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would deepen our faith and reveal himself clearly as we read all of scripture.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us believe and worship Jesus instead of merely the shadow of the real thing.
Pray that God would give our church a deep assurance in the finished work of Jesus so we can be a church body that boldly approaches the throne of grace.

Peter and John face increasing opposition from the religious and political leaders, and find themselves in prison. When an angel shows up to free them, he gives them one instruction: go tell people about “this life.” This phrase is important to understanding what it means to follow Jesus. When God saves us, the very life of Jesus becomes our life, a life that comes with both blessings and challenges.

Discussion Questions

One of the primary ways that the Bible speaks about salvation is the idea of “death to life.”
How have you seen this idea play out in your own life and salvation? What does it mean to you personally that Jesus’ very life has become your life?
Of the blessings highlighted in this passage (forgiveness, Holy Spirit, restoration, perseverance, community), which one are you most grateful for? Which one do you need to spend more time thinking about?
What distractions, fears, etc. keep you from regularly experiencing the life of Jesus in your own life? What changes do you need to make in order to live the life that Jesus has for you?
As our culture pushes historic, orthodox Christianity to the margins, how can we cultivate an attitude of “rejoicing that we would be counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name”? How can we suffer like Jesus, without arguing and complaining?

Prayer Points

Pray that we would experience the life of Jesus in greater measure as individuals and as a

church community. 2. Pray that we would rejoice in the blessings of Jesus’ life, and that we would embrace the

challenges with an attitude of rejoicing.

As Jesus begins to close the Sermon on the Mount he levels a serious warning toward all who would claim to be his disciples. All believers are called to consider if their devotion to Jesus is genuine or not, regardless of how much has been done in the name of Christ. In this counterintuitive passage Jesus shows us that the most important thing about us is not in us, but in him.

Discussion Questions

How have you read the narrow and wide paths in the past? How were they interpreted in the sermon?
What assurance is there to gain from being known by Jesus VS only knowing about Jesus?
What would you say is the main warning from this passage?
How should the urgency of Jesus’ warning affect us in sharing the gospel?

Prayer Points

Pray for Jesus’ warning to bolster your resolve to be a true disciple that loves him with outward and inward affection.
Pray that God would give our church a deep assurance of knowing and being known by Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

What about Jesus’ character do you learn from this passage?
Jesus calls his disciples to be a praying people. What underlying beliefs do you have about prayer that leads you to or leads you away from praying?
Spend time examining your heart and mind. In what areas of your life is the Holy Spirit calling you to repent of your self sufficiency and seek God’s will and persevere in prayer?
Who in your life has encouraged your faith through their prayer life?

Prayer Points:

Spend time in prayer praising God for his love and faithfulness.
Pray that God would fill us with the joy of communing with him through prayer.
Pray that God would root out any form of self-sufficiency and cultivate a heart of dependency for him.

Discussion Questions

“To judge or not to judge, that is the question”. In what ways has this passage clarified your understanding of judgment?
In what ways do we accurately or inaccurately represent the gospel by the way we pass judgment?
Jesus is clearly teaching that once again, the heart is at the center of the issue and therefore, he does not forbid judgment, but rather calls us to discern and judge rightly. How do you see this practically lived out in your life?
Through Jesus we are recipients of God’s mercy. Spend time encouraging one another through scripture the reminder of this truth.

Prayer Points

Praise God for his mercy shown to us through his son Jesus Christ.
Pray that God would remind and steep us in the truth of his mercy in our hearts.
Pray that God would root out any pride that hinders us from practicing right judgment.

We each have many legitimate reasons to worry and be anxious. Added to that, there are plenty of unrealistic fears and worries that we can succumb to. In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to not give in to anxiety, but to live out faithful trust in the Father.

Discussion Questions

What are areas of worry and anxiety that repeatedly come up for you?
Why do you think you worry about those things?
What underlying expectations or desires explain your worry / anxiety?
How does having “faith like a child” challenge our worrying?
How has worrying interfered with your living a faithful Christ-following life?
What are ways that you see God’s heart of love and care for you and others?
How can you know that God knows your needs and desires to meet them?
How can you know that God has the power to meet any need or situation you encounter?
What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness first?
How do worries and fears show the priorities of our hearts and lives?
Who is an example of seeking first the kingdom of God that inspires you?
What are some steps you feel led to take to combat worry in your life?

Prayer Points

Ask God to show you how you indulge in worry.
Ask God to help you see his loving heart and all the ways that he cares for you.
Thank God for all the ways that he has provided for you and met your needs.
Pray for God to put your needs in perspective with his power and ability to meet those needs.
Pray for the faith to trust God and to seek his kingdom first.

Additional Resources

An example of great faith! George Mueller’s life story told by John Piper.
Blog: “What Does it Mean to Take Every Thought Captive?”
Trusting God in the worst of circumstances! The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Gospel Hope for Anxious Hearts: Trading Fear and Worry for the Peace of God by Charles Spurgeon

In the second half of Matthew 6, Jesus pivots from addressing a genuine righteousness of one’s inward life to a genuine righteousness of one’s outward life. In doing so, Jesus instructs his followers to seek heavenly treasures above earthly ones because what we treasure reveals what we love. Or, more importantly, who we love.

Discussion Questions:

Are you as zealous for funding your retirement as you are for storing up heavenly treasures? How does the idea of heavenly treasures change the way you think about money?
What encouragement can we gain from knowing that God wants us to seek heavenly treasures?
Does this passage convict you about covetousness, the inordinate love of wealth and possessions? If so, what do you need to confess?
Who can you challenge with the truth that we all choose to serve either Jesus or the things of this world?

Prayer Points:

Pray for God to reveal ways you choose earthly treasures instead of seeking him and confess them.
Pray that God would make us a more generous church so that everyone would see how much we value Him above all earthly goods.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is practiced by all the major religions in the world. In fact, it is also currently a health craze, intermittent fasting is being touted as a cure for almost anything that ails you. It is true that fasting has health benefits but the fasting that Jesus is talking about in our text today is a Spiritual Discipline designed for us to seek out the presence and power of God.

Discussion Questions:

What has captured your attention or heart?
What do you need to set aside so that you can focus of God?
How can fasting help you to realign your priorities?
Is it ok to let other people know you are fasting?
What did Jesus mean when he said, “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face”?

Prayer Points:

Pray that God will reveal the thing that has captured your attention
Pray that Sound City Bible Church will desire to feast on the Word and Will of God
Pray for those in the world that are suffering and struggling
Pray for an opportunity to minister the Gospel to someone this week

Jesus spent a great deal of time alone in prayer communicating with the Father. Knowing how important true prayer is in the life of those who follow him, Jesus teaches us how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer is a model prayer that shows us the attitudes we should have during prayer as well as the topics we should include when we pray. This passage and the sermon based on it are intended to encourage and equip you to have a robust, genuine, and powerful prayer life.

Discussion Questions:

Why do so many Christ-followers find prayer difficult?
What specific barriers get in the way of your own praying?
When was a time that prayer was a meaningful or powerful part of your life?
What parts of the Lord’s Prayer speak deeply to you?
Which aspects of the Lord’s Prayer are most difficult for you to embrace, believe or practice?
How does Relationship with God inform your praying? What does it mean that God is our Father?
Why is it difficult to depend on God for our “daily bread” when we live in relative luxury and apparent self-sufficiency?
How does it make you feel that God expects you to give grace to others as a result of the grace he gives to you? Is there someone to whom you are unwilling to grant forgiveness?
Do you believe and live as if there is a spiritual realm that is real and dangerous?
Would God lead us into temptation? How should we understand that part of the Lord’s Prayer?

Prayer Points:

Pray that the Lord will empower Sound City Bible Church to be a praying church.
Pray that God will help us each to embrace the simplicity of prayer and step out in faith to open our hearts to God by regularly and consistently praying.
Pray that God will move us with joy and conviction to be disciplined to set aside times to pray and to apply ourselves to learning and growing in our prayer lives.
Pray for those who are intimidated by prayer that God will free them from the barriers, fears and anxieties that hold them back from praying.
Pray for those who do not yet know our Father who is in heaven that they will hear and heed his drawing them to believe in his Son, Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

Do you ever find yourself acting in a way to prove that you’re a good person?
What does “Justification” mean?
How does the Gospel help you not strive for the approval and attention of others?
In your pursuit of good works, is God’s glory or self glory the motive? How can you tell the difference?
Can you be content with your good works if no one ever knew them or observed them?

Prayer Points:

Pray that we would be a church steeped in the gospel so that we can live for God’s glory in the pursuit of all that we do.
Pray that God would root out any desire for self glory in our lives.
Pray that God would remind us of our identity in him through the finished work of Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

Have you been wronged recently? If so, how should you apply Jesus’ teaching about loving your enemies?
What encouragement can we gain from knowing that God provides the sun and rain for the just and unjust?
How does this passage enable you to confess your sins and shortcomings?
If Jesus came to fulfill these laws, how does he fulfill loving his enemies and how can we demonstrate that love?

Prayer Points:

Pray for your enemies. Ask God to bless them in every way.
Pray for God to melt your heart with the gospel to love your enemies.

Discussion Questions

What does Jesus' teaching on oaths teach us about his character?
As Jesus confronts purposeful dishonesty and reckless promises, in what ways does our culture promote this form of sin?
What does our dishonesty and reckless promises reveal about our relationship with God?
Is God calling you to turn from dishonesty and reckless promises? What steps can you take to honor God with your words?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would be our highest priority and that the words we speak would glorify him.
Pray that the words we speak to our brothers and sisters in Christ would be edifying in every way.
Pray that Sound City would be a church that reflects Jesus to the world with the words we speak.

Discussion Questions

What does Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce teach us about his character?
God created romantic love as a portrait of divine love. How have human sins distorted this picture and in what ways do you fall into these distortions?
Marriage isn’t ultimate, so whether you’re single or married, what steps can you take to guard the portrait of marriage as a reflection of God’s divine love?
Share and celebrate with your community group members and/or other Christians examples of the God honoring marriages you have seen lived out.

Prayer Points

Pray that God would be our highest priority and that marriages would be seen as a gift that reflects his love.
Pray for the marriages at Sound City to draw non-christians to Jesus' divine love.
Pray for the protection and flurisment of the marriages at Sound City.
Pray for the singles and married couples at Sound City to always find their identity and hope in Jesus.

Discussion Questions

What does Jesus' teaching on anger and lust teach us about his character?
In what ways have you tried to fight anger and lust through loveless obedience? In what way are you diminishing the work of the cross when you live in legalistic, loveless obedience?
Remembering Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, examine your heart and life specifically towards the sin of anger and lust. What steps of confession, reconciliation, and safeguards do you need to take in your life right now?
Share and celebrate with your community group members and/or other Christians the way you see loving obedience in their lives and how it has challenged and encouraged you.

Prayer Points

Pray that we—as disciples individually and a church collectively—would live with an ever-deepening understanding of Jesus’ gift of righteousness.
Pray that God would empower and guide us to live a life of loving obedience.
Pray that we can reflect the gift of righteousness in a way that draws people to Jesus.

At the beginning of the sermon on the mount, Jesus addresses an objection that was being leveled against him: he did not come to destroy or abolish the Torah. Instead, Jesus claims to offer the correct interpretation of the Torah, as he was the fulfillment of everything it points to.

Discussion Questions

Why is it so important to have solid hermeneutics (tools) when it comes to interpreting the bible? What are some tools that have helped you personally?
Where are you guilty of relaxing the commandments of God? Also, where might you be guilty of adding to the commandments of God?
If you truly believed that your righteousness is a gift of God through Jesus, how would that change your daily thoughts, feelings, actions, and words?
How does this understanding of the sermon on the mount help us tell people who have yet to believe about Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray that we—as disciples individually and a church collectively—would live with an ever-deepening understanding of Jesus’ gift of righteousness.
Pray that God would help us to study the scriptures with wisdom, clarity, and diligence.
Pray that our evangelism would be full of truth and grace.

The sermon on the mount is very helpful in the life of a Disciple. Jesus teaches his followers what it looks like to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God and not of this world. For our passage this week, Jesus focuses on the idea that as his followers we are the salt and the light of the world. When others take notice of our lives they should see something different than the world around them. They should see Jesus in us.

Discussion Questions

. Take some time to discuss what it looks like to practically be the salt and light of the world.
Share with one another times where maybe you didn’t live out the call to be salt and light and how you could make changes in the future to do this differently going forward.
Share with one another, as an encouragement, examples of how you’ve seen eachother model being salt and light.

Prayer Points

Pray for opportunities to be the salt and light of the world to unbelievers in your life.
Pray that God would continue to remind you that you can only be salt and light because Jesus is our model and because of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
Pray for God’s Spirit to show you areas in your own life where you need to make changes to be saltier and shine brighter for his glory.

Throughout all of human history, people have searched for blessings, for “the good life.” In this famous section of the sermon on the mount known as “the beatitudes,” Jesus lays out his vision for the good life and how a person can get in on this blessing.

Discussion Questions

Read James 3:17-18. What is the relationship between this passage and the beatitudes? How does the verbiage of James help us better understand Jesus’ teaching on “the blessed life?”
In your own life, where are you tempted to seek a cultural version of “the good life” instead of Jesus’ vision? What promises of “the good life” are likely to grab your attention?
Which beatitude needs to grow in your life? How can you participate with the work of the Spirit in your life?
How are these beatitudes needed in our broken world? How would these character traits help us in our evangelism?

Prayer Points

Pray that these character attributes would be what mark our lives individually and our church collectively.
Pray that these character attributes would make us better evangelists for the gospel of Jesus.

In his famous “sermon on the mount,” Jesus lays out his vision for a new kind of kingdom: a kingdom where God rules and reigns in love, justice, and peace. In order to understand this revolutionary sermon, it is important to understand the kingdom that Jesus embodies.

Discussion Questions

Discuss the idea of “gospel in the air” (kingdom) and “gospel on the ground” (personal). Why is it important to think about the gospel from both perspectives?
Why is it important to think of the Sermon on the Mount as the constitution or manifesto for the Kingdom of God? How does it frame our ethics and morality?
How are grace and mercy the foundation of the sermon on the mount? Why is it important to remember that we won’t keep it perfectly?
How might a well-articulated “gospel of the kingdom” help us to be more effective evangelists in our current cultural moment?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would use these next few months in the Sermon on the Mount to shape and grow us as a church
Pray that we would be agents of the gospel of the kingdom, bringing God’s love and wisdom and grace into a broken world.

For Further Study

The Sermon on the Mount and Jesus as the New Moses blog post by Patrick Schreiner
The Sermon on the Mount and Jesus as the New David blog post by Patrick Schreiner

Sin offers us freedom, but in the end it takes away the very freedom that it promises. But in the middle of our sins, our habits, and our addictions, we see that true and lasting freedom is found in Christ.

Discussion Questions

Why is it important to understand sin both as a choice of the will and as enslavement? What happens when we leave out or minimize either side of the equation?
Why is it important to remember that deep, lasting, true freedom is found in Jesus? How does the gospel empower our pursuit of freedom?
Is there someone in your life who struggles with addictions that you have treated with judgment, anger, or impatience? Who might you need to repent to for these attitudes?
What addictions or habits are you “stuck” in right now? Who does God want you to reach out to right away so that you can begin your journey toward freedom?

Prayer Points

Pray for people who are stuck in addictions or other sinful patterns and habits.
Pray that we would have gospel-shaped hearts of love, compassion, and grace for others as we seek to help them walk out their freedom.
Pray that God would give you the courage and the hope to confess your sins and addictions to others who can help you walk out your own freedom in Christ.

For Further Study

2006 Week 12, Packers @ Seahawks game
Addictions, a Banquet in the Grave book by Ed Welch
Sin as Slavery sermon by Tim Keller

As followers of Jesus in a pluralistic, multicultural society, it can be challenging to know how to interact with people of different faiths. We often feel uncomfortable or even fearful. But the more we understand the good news of the gospel of Jesus, the more we are able to share his love with people who believe differently than us with grace and truth.

Discussion Questions

. What people in your life have different beliefs than you, particularly those who are adherents to different faiths? How do you feel about having conversation with them regarding deeper things around faith?
Why is it important to remember who the “real enemy” is? How does that free us from the trap of forcing the gospel on others?
If Jesus is building a kingdom made up of people from every nation, tribe, and language, we will inevitably need to tell the gospel to people of different faiths. How does the gospel empower us for the work of mission?
What specific avenues of ministry and evangelism has the Lord opened up for you? How can those in your group help you work out the missional opportunities God has given you?

Prayer Points

Pray for individuals in your life who don’t believe in Jesus. Pray that God would give you opportunities to share the incredible truths of the gospel with them.
Pray for our church to be full of both grace and truth as we interact with people of other faiths.

Discussion Questions

What do you think of when you think of hell?
How has your understanding of hell impacted you over your lifetime?
Why do you think the doctrine of hell is so difficult for people to accept?
What are the arguments against hell’s existence that you find most sympathetic?
Is God just and good and loving when he judges sinners?
What Scripture passages impact you the most about hell and God’s judgment?
How have your views changed or not changed after the sermon on hell?
What impact does your view of hell have on the realities of hell?
What impact do your beliefs about hell have on your joining God on mission to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10)?

Prayer Points

Pray for those in our church who are struggling to understand and believe the truths of God regarding God’s righteous judgement of sinners. Pray that they will submit to God’s sovereignty and trust in his grace and goodness.
Pray for those in our church, community, and world who are lost in their sins and need to hear and believe that Jesus is the Savior and their only hope.
Pray for us to be bold in our evangelism and confident in our sharing of Jesus.
Pray that the Truth of God will prevail in the hearts and minds of our western society which dismisses God and his truths; putting forward their own narrative.

Love. Countless songs have been written about it. It’s at the core of every good book or movie. It’s one of the most important aspects of being a human being, and yet so many times it is an elusive feeling. In 1 John, we see that our desire for love finds its deepest fulfillment in the love of God that was shown through Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions

What sorts of ways do you commonly give love? What ways do other people communicate their love to you? How can we help one another grow in both?
Why is God’s love at the center of our experience of all love? What is the greatest demonstration of God’s love to us?
In what ways do you experience shame? Why is it so common for us to hide our shame instead of bringing it to God for his healing?
How does God’s love empower us to take the message of the cross out to a world that needs to know God’s love?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would make us a more deeply loving church. Pray that we would all know and feel that we are truly loved.
Pray that God would help us to take his love to our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. so that they could come to know his perfect love.

Abuse is a horrible and all-too-common problem in the world, but what are we to do when we learn that abuse happens in the very place where healing is supposed to happen: the church? As followers of Jesus, we need to learn about this important topic so that we can live out the protection, wisdom, and healing of our savior.

Discussion Questions

Why is it important to know the distinction between hurt and abuse? How can we grow in our understanding and clear thinking on this subject?
Why does unhealthy treatment from an abusive person often feel like (get mistaken for) love? What about our fallen condition as humans makes it so that we are drawn to harmful people at times?
How did Jesus face misuse of power and abuse at the hands of earthly authority? How does his death offer us healing and protection?
What practical steps can you take to help abuse-proof your family, your neighborhood, your small group, our church, etc.?

Prayer Points

Pray for those who have experienced abuse to experience the love and healing of Jesus.
Pray our church to be wise and protected against any and all abuse.
Pray that non Christians in our region would be drawn to Jesus and the healing that he

offers.

As disciples of Jesus, we know that prayer is important, but so many of us struggle to make prayer a regular part of our lives. The more that we understand the gospel, the more we are able to take the bible’s practical instruction regarding prayer and apply it to our lives.

Discussion Questions

How would you describe and rate your prayer life? What are the primary obstacles that keep you from being as regular in prayer as you want to be?
How is the gospel of Jesus the indispensable key to a robust prayer life? How does Jesus make it possible for us to pray at all?
What practical steps can you take this week to grow in your prayer life? How can we help one another and hold each other accountable to grow in prayer?
How would a more robust prayer life help you be a missionary of the gospel to those in your life who don’t yet know Jesus?

Prayer Points

(Personal) Choose one of the practical prayer helps (e.g. prayer journal, silent prayer) that was mentioned in this week’s teaching, and commit to trying it every day for 2 weeks.
Pray that God would help us continue to grow as a prayer-soaked church community.
Pray that God would use us to proclaim the gospel. Pray that he would save people who are currently far away from him.

Additional Reading

Praying the Bible book by Donald Whitney

Discussion Questions

Do you have a lack of boldness for Christ? How could a Christian community help you with this?
Have you suffered for the gospel message recently? If so, how?
Jesus is our hope not only for salvation, but a perfect world under the rule of God. Have you been able to explain either of these with someone recently?
Are you willing to confront unbelief in yourself or others? What hesitancies do you have?
God will save people with the message of Christ. What encouragement to persevere does this offer us?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would grant us boldness to speak about Christ as we should.
Pray that this boldness would come as an overflow of our affection for Christ Jesus.

As Paul is sent to Rome via ship, he encounters a series of fearful and chaotic events, including storms, shipwreck, and snakebite. But through it all, Paul remains confident that Jesus will use the chaos for Paul’s good and God’s glory.

Discussion Questions

Think about the imagery of “waters of chaos” in the Bible. What stories/events come to mind for you? How might a 1st century Jew have thought about this story in Acts 27?
Read Genesis 1:28. What does it mean that God commanded the humans to “subdue the earth” prior to the first sin and the fall?
What storms are you currently experiencing? How is Jesus using these storms to draw you closer to himself? How is he using them to change you?
Why is it so important to remember evangelism/mission when we walk through life’s storms?

Prayer Points

Pray for those who are currently facing storms. Pray that Jesus would meet them in the storms and use them for cleansing.
Pray that our challenges and storms would help us propel forward in evangelism, not shrink back from it.

No official discussion questions or prayer points this week. Instead, do three things:

Have a resurrection party with your group. Celebrate the incredible truth that God raises the dead.
Pray for each other's needs, that God’s resurrection power would move mightily.
Pray for a non-Christian in your life, and then share the gospel with them.

For Further Study

“From Dust You Shall Arise:” Resurrection Hope in the Old Testament article by Mitchell L. Chase (link to PDF)

In the final chapters of Acts, it is notable how many different political and governmental leaders Paul interacts with. In these interactions, he is able to use the government of the day as a way to advance the gospel while at the same time keeping his primary allegiance to Jesus and the kingdom of God as his priority.

Discussion Questions

“Politics has replaced religion in America.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Where do you personally trend: overly political or politic-avoidant?
Why is it important to remember that Jesus isn’t just the king of one people group or nation, but over the entirety of creation? How does the gospel of the kingdom give us the right perspective on Jesus’ rule and reign?
Do your current political interactions with people (in person, social media, etc.) make them desire to be a part of God’s kingdom? How might your political interactions change when you remember your primary citizenship is in heaven?

Prayer Points

Pray that our church would embody the politics of the kingdom of God, living out the values in the sermon on the mount by God’s grace and empowered by the Spirit.
Pray that we would be politically engaged as citizens of the kingdom, reaching those who are still captives of the kingdom of darkness with the love of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

How is biblical courage different from what the world depicts as courage? Share scripture passages that reinforce these truths.
Recount, share and give thanks to God for His provision of courage during a recent time of difficulty.
As Paul was reminded to have courage in Acts 23:11, in what areas of your life do you need a reminder to have courage?
Pause and seek the Holy Spirit. How is He calling you to be courageous and what steps can you take to walk in faithfulness?

Prayer Points

Pray against a “spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7) and pray for God to replace it with His power and courage through the Holy Spirit.
Pray that God will fill the people of Sound City with courage to proclaim the gospel message to our family, friends, and neighbors.

Throughout Acts 21, the Holy Spirit speaks to his people through the gift of prophecy. In our modern context, many of us have doubts, fears, and skepticism about this spiritual gift. But when rightly understood, we see that prophecy is a good gift from God to build up his church.

Discussion Questions

What personal experiences do you have with more “overt” spiritual gifts like prophecy? How has this affected your view on this important spiritual gift?
Why does Paul say in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should “eagerly desire” the gift of prophecy? What purpose does this gift serve in the life of the church?
Why do gifts like prophecy so often get misused? Why is it so critically important to keep the gospel of Jesus in mind when it comes to exercising this potent gift?
In 1 Corinthians 14:23-24, Paul says that prophecy has an important use in evangelism. How can we help each other be prophetic in our witness?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would raise up leaders who can rightly use the gift of prophecy in our church family. Pray that we would be both bold and humble in our use of this gift.
Pray that we would all be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and guidance in our interactions with people who need to hear and believe the message of the Gospel.

Sermon Description

In Acts 20, we see a long travelogue, a long sermon, and a long elder meeting. Throughout this chapter, Paul and the other missionaries face many challenges and difficulties, but are able to do so because they are fueled by a genuine, joyful, wholehearted devotion to God.

Discussion Questions

In your own words, what does it mean to be “devoted” to something? What does it mean to be devoted to Jesus?
How can we help one another cultivate deep thoughtfulness and study in a soundbite culture?
How did Jesus display his devotion to the Father during his earthly life and ministry? How is the devotion of Jesus the fuel for our devotion?
Why is it hard for us to live in the tension between boldness and humility? Why are both essential in the life of a disciple?
How does a devoted heart lead to mission? What happens if we try to go out on mission without a true heart of devotion?

Prayer Points

Pray Psalm 86:11, that God would give us all undivided hearts, fully devoted to him.
Pray that our devotion would display in a commitment to going out on mission to a lost and dying world.

In Acts 19, Paul’s preaching causes a major disturbance because it affects the financial profits of the idol makers. In this important passage, we see that the words of Jesus were most certainly true: “where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.”

Discussion Questions

What was your relationship to money in your family of origin? Was money tight? Was there worship of money? What messages about money did you internalize in your early years?
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, but there is often an even deeper love underneath. In your interactions with money, what deeper fears or loves come into play?
If we really lived out the gospel we believe, how would that affect the practical realities of life: money, work, relationships, sexuality, entertainment, etc.?
Why is the gospel of “God loves you” insufficient on its own? Why is it important to include Jesus’ call to deny ourselves and follow him?

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would give us worship and generous hearts when it comes to money.
Pray that the gospel we believe would affect not just our hearts, but also the practical realities of our lives.
Pray that Jesus would use our generosity to further his kingdom in our region and beyond.

Acts 18 moves quickly through a variety of cities, and features a variety of characters. Some, like Paul and Apollos, have front-facing, public leadership roles, while others, like Priscilla and Aquila, have more behind-the-scenes supporting roles. But no matter our role in the family of God, we can be assured that God knows us, loves us, and provides the only recognition that truly matters.

Evangelism can be a loaded phrase in our day and age. Thankfully, in Acts 17 Paul provides us with a picture of evangelism by sharing the gospel in three cities in the ancient world in quick succession. By doing so Paul provides believers with a model of how to evangelize in different contexts and key traits involved in evangelism.

Discussion Questions

Does Paul's example of reasoning (inward and outward dialogue so that others might share your beliefs) make you uncomfortable? If so, why?
If someone were to ask you to explain the gospel, could you do it? What is it?
Have you ever felt deeply distressed by idols being worshiped instead of God? How should we carry this truth into discussing our own heart idol issues with others?
In evangelism we must keep Jesus and his resurrection front and center. Who has God put in your life to share the gospel with either recently or on a regular basis?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would lead our church by His Spirit to grow as evangelists.
Pray that God would give us the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with others this week.

Nobody likes a hypocrite; we agree that authenticity and integrity are important. The problem is everyone is a hypocrite at some level. The good news is Jesus invites hypocrites like you and me to take off our masks and let him change our hearts.

Discussion Questions

In this passage, Jesus gives an illustration that explains an important aspect of human nature - why we do what we do. What does he say about the connection between the nature of the trees and the fruit they produce? How does he connect that to our hearts and actions?
One pastor described hypocrisy as, “Let’s hide what I’m really like by focusing on what’s wrong with everybody else.” Whether that is intentional or not, we a prone toward distraction or focusing on externals instead of looking at the reality of our own hearts and what we are loving. What has that looked like for you this week?
The hope of the Gospel is that not only does Jesus take away our sin but he makes us, as Paul says, new creations. Why is it good news that Jesus isn’t after your resume or report card but, instead, your heart?

Prayer Points

Humility to see ourselves rightly and to have proper expectations of ourselves and others.
Freedom and enjoyment of God in knowing he wants us to enjoy him now and forever.

Sermon Description

In Acts 15, the question was “how do Jews and Gentiles come together in God’s united family?” Now in Acts 16, the question turns to “what does it look like as this united family continues the work of Jesus ‘to the ends of the earth’?” In this passage, we see that even with our shortcomings, Jesus cares for us as his body.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think God has so closely connected our physicality and our spirituality? How do things like baptism, communion, singing, kneeling, etc. help us connect with God?
Of the six aspects listed about the body of Christ—in progress, varied, Spirit-filled, rejoicing, preaching, and wise—which one stands out to you as a strength in your life? Which one stands out as a needed area of growth for you?
As you read through Acts 16, how do these positive examples show us more about what Jesus is like? How do these stories help us to focus, not on the church, but more on Jesus?
If we are the body of Christ here on earth, how might that affect the way that you live your life in front of the non-believing world?

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would help us to grow as a church community to more closely resemble the good aspects of the church highlighted in Acts 16.
Pray that we would take seriously our call to be the body of Christ here on earth by proclaiming the gospel and living lives that point to his goodness and love.

For Further Study

The baptism of the Phillipian jailer’s family in Acts 16 is often used by people who support infant baptism. For an explanation of why that isn’t the best way to read Acts 16, please see this helpful article from Sam Storms.

On Sunday, January 24, Pastor Aaron preached on the Jerusalem council from Acts 15. In this teaching, he addresses the often-used objection that is levied against Christians, that we pick-and-choose which verses of the Bible to follow.

In this follow up discussion, Aaron sits down with James Rayment (director of the Al Maidah Initiative, a Muslim outreach organization) and Aybars Uckun (Assistant Rabbi at Restoration Messianic Synagogue) to talk about the way that this objection is raised from Muslims and non-Messianic Jews, as well as from modern secular Americans.

As the Apostles take the message of Jesus out to the non-Jewish world, a very important question arises: “how Jewish do these Gentile believers need to be?” In Acts 15, see that identity markers are not what make us right with God; only faith in Jesus does that. But along the way, we learn how important it is to read the Torah rightly, not simply picking and choosing what parts to keep and what parts to discard.

Discussion Questions

Have you had discussions with people around the idea that “you Christians pick-and-choose which parts of the Bible to follow”? How did you respond? How is God inviting you to grow in your knowledge of the Scriptures?
What identity markers do you love and appreciate about yourself, your family, your “tribe”? Why is it important to remember that, while those may be good and beautiful things, only faith in Jesus matters when it comes to our right standing before God?
In the sermon, seven principles were listed when it comes to rightly understanding the Christian’s relationship to the Torah. Which of these made the most sense to you? Which do you need help to understand? Discuss with your group.
When it comes to explaining our beliefs in our current secular culture, why is it not enough to simply say “the Bible says”? How can we help each other grow in our ability to explain Christian belief to nonbelievers?

Prayer Points

Pray that that, as individuals and as a church, we would be deeply shaped by the entire Word of God.
Pray that we would be effective witnesses for Jesus in a world that increasingly doesn’t understand us.

As the followers of Jesus expand beyond the region of Judea, they are confronted with new challenges. In all of it, they must learn to balance three critically important areas of focus: engagement with the Holy Spirit, engagement with the culture, and engagement with the local church.

Discussion Questions

Of the three focal points highlighted—engagement with the Holy Spirit, mission to the culture, commitment to the local church—which area is strongest for you, and which area is weakest? How can you contribute your strength to the local church? How can you shore up your weakness?
When it comes to engaging with The Holy Spirit, what questions or misgivings do you have? How can we help one another cultivate awareness of Holy Spirit?
How should the church reflect Jesus himself, when it comes to engagement with The Holy Spirit, mission to our culture, and discipleship in the church? How is the gospel our foundation for life in the church and the world?
How can we help each other have fresh eyes when it comes to engaging our culture with the gospel of Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would shape into a truly Spirit-reliant church.
Pray that we would have fresh eyes when it comes to creatively engaging our culture with the gospel.
Pray that we would be disciples, and make disciples in the context of our local church.

Sermon Description

In Acts chapters 12 and 13 we see that even though the church is persecuted they turn to prayer and boldly continue to send forth the message of Jesus the Savior. Undeterred, the Good News begins to spread from Jerusalem and Judea, through Samaria, and now to the ends of the earth. Will the church of today continue to join in the advance of the message of Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray for the persecuted church around the world.
Pray that God will prepare each of us for any persecution that we might face so that we will remain faithful and bold throughout.
Pray that God will keep us from being inward focused and complacent but rather that he will stoke in us a fiery passion for his glory that motivates us to bold witness.
Pray for God to show us each ways that we can proclaim Jesus even during this continuing COVID pandemic.

Discussion Questions

How is the cultural persecution of the church in the West different from other persecution? In what ways is it effective at stopping the church’s witness?
How are we tempted to turn inward-focused and become reluctant to join in the advancement of the Good News?
What are we risking when we live boldly for the Kingdom of God?
How can we share Jesus during the COVID pandemic with restricted interactions?
What would you do to join the Mission of the Gospel if there were no pandemic?
Is God calling you to make a bold move in your life to be more missional?

Resources for Further Study

Voice of the Martyrs Global Prayer Guide
Training to be on Mission with God in your daily life!
Book: Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper

Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions

2020 has been a year where everything has been shaken up. The prophet Haggai instructs us that the Lord allows us to go through these times of shaking so that we will reevaluate our priorities in the light of the gospel.

Discussion Questions

Read Ezra 3:10-13. Imagine the mixture of joy and sadness those people experienced. What might that have been like? In what ways can you personally relate?
When we go through difficult seasons, why Is gospel encouragement so much more important than simple “you can do it” encouragement?
Besides the “big picture” difficulties (COVID, etc.), what personal shakings have you experienced in the past year? How are these an opportunity to reevaluate your priorities?
How is God calling you to be on mission to those who are experiencing a season of shaking?

Prayer Points

Pray for our church to endure the shakings of life with both grace and peace.
Pray about specific difficulties for those in your group.
Pray that God would use us to spread the good news of the gospel during these shakings and hard times.

Sermon Description

In the book of Revelation, we are granted a peek behind the curtain, as we see that the martyred saints of old are crying out to God, “how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” This cry is shared by those of us who are still living and by all of creation, as we await the return of Jesus and the restoration of all things.

Discussion Questions

As you face the struggles and difficulties of life, how does the witness of the martyrs in Revelation 6 give you perspective and strength to endure?
How can we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, help each other to walk in the love and peace of Jesus as we await his return?
How does the big picture story of redemption help us have perspective on the timing of Jesus’ return? Why is it important to remember that this is a long story?
How can we live in the tension of desiring Jesus’ return while at the same time wanting more time to proclaim the gospel with unbelieving friends and loved ones?

Prayer Points

Pray for Jesus to return soon to make all things new
Pray that we, as a church and as individuals, would be filled with the love and peace of Christ while we wait for Jesus’ return.
Pray that we would live with a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the gospel.

In a time of widespread corruption and wickedness, the prophet Jeremiah cried out “how long will the prophets speak falsely from their own minds, and not from God?” In today’s world, with pastoral leadership failures seemingly everywhere, it can be tempting to lose our love for the church. But when we see that Jesus came to redeem his broken, messy church, we can have hope for the church, despite her flaws and failures.

Discussion Questions

Share your church background with your group. Were you raised in the church, or did you come later in life? Where have you seen examples of good leadership? Do you have experiences with unfaithful shepherds in the church? (Note: please share with discretion.)
When you consider the world’s opinion of the church, how does that make you feel? How might you be tempted to respond in ungodly ways (e.g. compromise with the world, anger towards the world, etc.)
How does Jesus, the good shepherd, give you hope for the church, even with all her flaws and shortcomings? How is the gospel encouraging to you in the middle of the mess?
Even if you’re not in formal church leadership, all believers are prophets, priests, and kings. How does this help you be mindful of your conduct as you live on mission for the world?

Prayer Points

Pray for our church, the leaders, the members, and the staff. Pray that all of us would do our part to be faithful to Jesus.
Pray for those who have been deeply hurt by the church. Pray for the love of Jesus to help them heal, hope, and eventually trust again.
Pray that we would model Christlike love and faithfulness to the world around us.

As the prophets of old waited for the coming of the Messiah, they could be heard crying out “how long, o Lord, until you come to deal with injustices in our society?” One such prophet was Habakkuk, who wrestled with God over the plan and timing for the Messiah to come and deal with injustice once and for all.

Discussion Questions

Behonest: does the deeply biblical theme of justice/injustice resonate with you? If the answer is “no,” why might that be? How can you foster an awareness of and a care for justice, something that God cares greatly about?
What injustices have you experienced in your life? What injustices have you witnessed in the lives of others? How do those experiences map onto the thought that Jesus experienced the ultimate injustice on the cross?
Why do we struggle to trust God’s timing on dealing with injustices? If we knew the plan and the timeline, would that actually help us? How can we trust God even when we don’t understand?
In what ways does the biblical concept of justice overlap with our current cultural portrait of justice? In what ways is it different? How would a deeper commitment to justice on the part of Christians help us reach people with the gospel of Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray and repent for any ways that you have participated in injustice, even If just in your own heart.
Pray that God would help us to live out biblical justice as we seek to share the message of the gospel, this Christmas season and beyond.

Before the Messiah came, the people of God would often cry out “how long, o Lord?” when it came to the troubles in our lives and in the world. Now that Jesus has come, we can have hope when we cry out “how long will | struggle with this sin in my life?” even as we look forward to his second coming.

Discussion Questions

When you think about idolatry, does it sound strange to you? Why do you think that ancient people had gods/idols for literally everything? How does that connect to our modern lives?
Share openly with those in your community: what idols are you the most prone to give a place in your heart? Why do those particular idols “grab” you (personality, childhood wounds, fears, etc.)?
How is the gospel of Jesus our only true hope when it comes to removing idols from our hearts and making genuine progress? Why does “more law” not work?
As the world celebrates Christmas, how can our commitment to Jesus be a witness to a world that is ensnared by many idols?

Prayer Points

Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would help you focus on Jesus and smash your idols.
Pray for grace for yourself and others when the progress isn’t as fast as you would like.
Pray that your witness for Jesus would grow as you put sin to death in your life.

As modern, western readers of the Bible, it is easy for us to misunderstand the conflict that is happening in Acts 11. But the more that we know about the context of this conflict, the more we know that God’s laws are not arbitrary or legalistic. Rather, God calls his people to be distinct from the world in order to be a blessing to the world.

Discussion Questions

Which ditch are you personally more prone toward: not distinct enough from the world, or too distinct and distant from the world? How can we help one another live in the tension of John 17:15-18.
In Acts 11, we see a handful of specific blessings that come when God's people are distinct from the world: repentance, ethnic reconciliation, Christlikeness, and financial aid. In your group, talk about the myriad of other ways that we can be a blessing to the world when we are willing to be distinct and different from the world?
How was Jesus distinct from the world? How Is that holiness/separation/distinction an indispensable part of the good news? And, how did that distinction enable him to be a blessing to the world?
What specific gifts, talents, or abilities has God given to you personally that he wants you to use to bring the good news of Jesus into the world?

Prayer Points

Pray that we—as individuals and as a church—would live in that tension of being different from the world while still being a blessing to the world.
Pray that we would follow the Spirit on mission to the world with both our words and our deeds. Pray for Jesus to save people and bring them into his newly united family.

Pastor Aaron shares some updates from the elder team regarding corporate worship this Sunday and beyond.

In Acts 1, Jesus promised his disciples that the good news would move beyond the region of Judea to “the ends of the earth.” And here in Acts 10, it finally happens: the nations are being welcomed into the family of God! In this passage, we see Peter (a Jew) and Cornelius (a Gentile) being willing to obey God, even when they don’t fully understand all of the details.

The beginning of Acts chapter 9 tells of one of the most significant conversions in the history of the church, and even the history of the world. Saul of Tarsus had been on a mission to capture and persecute followers of Jesus until his radical encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul’s conversion to “the way” demonstrates the power of God. But it also reminds us that every conversion, no matter how big or dramatic, is a miraculous act of God.

Discussion Questions

Take some time to share with one another how Jesus has transformed your life. Even if you met Jesus at an early age, how would your life be different had you not encountered Jesus?
Do you have questions or doubts about your status with Jesus? Are you struggling to believe that you’re “good enough” to be saved?
Do you desire to continue to be changed and transformed by the power of the gospel each and every day? Do you regularly share areas in your life where you are struggling and living in sin? Share with one another how you desire to continue to grow as a disciple of Jesus and be transformed by the Holy Spirit?
How can we hold each other accountable and help each other be obedient to Christ, including going out into the world and speaking boldly about Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray that Jesus would remind you of the miracle he has done in your own life. Pray that he would reignite a passion and excitement for how he has and continues to transform you.
Pray for God to encourage you and cause you to be more passionate in proclaiming the gospel to the world around you. Pray for courage to speak boldly about Jesus to those in your life who have yet to meet Jesus. And pray, not just for opportunities to share the gospel but for the power of the gospel to lead to true life transformation.

The spread of the gospel has followed the pattern that was promised by Jesus in Acts 1: first Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the ends of the earth. As we see the gospel go to Samaria in ch. 8, we see God working in the middle of some messy situations with some messy people. But we can also see that God is not afraid to meet his people in the middle of the mess. The Holy Spirit does his best work when we are honest about the mess that we are in.

Discussion Questions

Who has God put in your life that you can be 100% real, gut-level honest about the “mess” in your own life? Are there things that you have been holding on to that need to be shared? What fears in your own heart keep you from being fully honest?
In our honesty, we don’t want to wallow in sin or celebrate our mess, but bring it to Jesus. How does the “messiness” of the cross give us hope that Jesus could really forgive us, love us, and transform us?
How could God use our honesty and transparency to further the spread of the gospel to those who have not yet believed in Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would shape us to be the kind of church community that openly shares our sins, fears, struggles, and messes with each other so that we can experience the redeeming grace of Christ.
Pray for that we would be open, humble, and loving in such a way that draws unbelievers to come to know Jesus and believe the gospel.

As the Jesus movement spreads and grows, opposition reaches a fever pitch against one of the early church deacons, a man named Stephen. As he teaches that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, the temple, and the law, he is misunderstood to be against these things. What can we learn from this story and the ways that we misunderstand Jesus even today?

As the Jesus movement spreads and grows, opposition reaches a fever pitch against one of the early church deacons, a man named Stephen. As he teaches that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, the temple, and the law, he is misunderstood to be against these things. What can we learn from this story and the ways that we misunderstand Jesus even today?

Despite the amazing things that God did in and through the earliest followers of Jesus, the church community was far from perfect. In the early verses of Acts 6, we learn of a situation that requires wise, skilled, and dedicated servant-leaders. We also see that when this type of servant-leader does well, it shows the way that Jesus loves and serves all of us.

At the end of Acts 4, the followers of Jesus were living a radical, new life of generosity, selflessness, and compassion for one another.Barnabas is set out as an example of this type of living. However, the enemy attacks the believers by appealing to the sinful flesh and raising up greed, pride, and deceit. God’s swift and righteous judgment reminds the believers that sin is serious and that he has saved us to live a new life.

At the end of Acts 4, the followers of Jesus were living a radical, new life of generosity, selflessness, and compassion for one another.Barnabas is set out as an example of this type of living. However, the enemy attacks the believers by appealing to the sinful flesh and raising up greed, pride, and deceit. God’s swift and righteous judgment reminds the believers that sin is serious and that he has saved us to live a new life.

In Acts 4, Peter and John face political consequences as a result of their healing ministry and their preaching ministry. When faced with persecution, these disciples have a chance to evaluate their relationship with the politics of the day. In this evaluation, they respond with perseverance, with prayer, and with bold proclamation of the gospel.

As Peter and John enter the temple courts, they encounter a man who knew that he was broken and in need of redemption. God uses these men to not only heal his physical body but also to heal his sin-diseased soul. When we are truly honest about how unwell we are, we can truly experience Christ’s healing, and we can share that healing with others.

Today we finish out chapter two in our sermon series in the Book of Acts. As a result of the coming of the Spirit, we now find the people of God seeing through new eyes, and experiencing the fullness of the not so common Spirit-indwelled life that God has called his people to — the committed life of Christian fellowship that overflows into evangelism and mission.

In Jewish tradition, Shavout is the day the Torah was given to Moses. In the New Testament, Shavuot is the giving of the Holy Spirit. Same day and no coincidence! While many believe Acts 2 is the birth of the Church the disciples understood that what happened to them there was equal in importance to what happened on Mt. Sinai. It was the empowerment by the Holy Spirit that gave them the revelation to preach the gospel for the first time to Jewish people, in the Temple courts, in Jerusalem! Today, the Holy Spirit still empowers followers of Yeshua to turn from our sins, lead us to better living and save us from judgement.

Christianity exploded onto the scene in the latter half of the first century. Through miracles, persecution, and missionary endeavors the gospel spread. Over the centuries followers of Jesus have transformed the world. It all started with 120 people gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and empower. What can we learn from them to help us spread the gospel today?

Without the book of Acts we would not know what happened in the initial grass-roots phase of Christianity. Still worse, we would not know how the truth of Jesus' Ascension launched his disciples off into a hostile world to proclaim the authority of their new King. Praise God that from Acts, to today, till Jesus comes back, He is King!

Does the end of the book of Job teach that we should expect things to always turn out happy after we go through a period of suffering? When understood in the context of the entire book (as well as the rest of the Bible), we can confidently say that is not what the end of Job is teaching. As followers of Jesus, we know that the ultimate end of the story is eternal joy, even if we experience hardship and suffering in this life.

Many modern readers struggle with God’s response to Job near the end of the book. Many people hear it as a power play in which God deflects Job’s questions and puts him in his place. However, this misunderstanding is due to our failure to see God’s parental and personal heart of love for Job in these chapters. When rightly understood, God’s invitation to Job is the same invitation to all of us: trust in him because he is perfectly wise.

Sermon Description

It has been said that in the book of Job, Job goes through trials, but it is God himself who is on trial. Specifically, the question is raised whether it is right for God to reward people for righteous behavior. It is this issue that is behind the majority of the book of Job, some 33 chapters of dialogue between Job and his friends. In the end, we are invited to see that the world is far more complex than we often think, and we are invited to trust in God’s wisdom as he governs the world.

At the beginning of the book of Job, we are introduced to a man who is blameless and full of integrity; God himself speaks of Job’s outstanding moral character. But at the end of the book, Job is rebuked by God and repents of his prideful speech. What happens to Job that leads to this dramatic change? A careful look at the words of Job shows that he despairs because, at the end of the day, he trusts in his own righteousness and not the mercy of God.

Sermon Description

Job’s wife and friends come to him in his sufferings, but their counsel and comfort leave much to be desired. As followers of Jesus, what can we learn from Job about how to enter into the pain and suffering of those around us with the love of God?

Sermon Description

Job is tested to see if he loves and serves God only because God blesses and protects Job. As the blessings and protection are removed, we see that Job continues to worship God because God is worthy independent of the blessings.

Discussion Questions

Is it possible to have a disinterested righteousness? (Spiritual allegiance that does not depend on external circumstances; True devotion to God without thought of reward and punishment)
How have you seen the “prosperity gospel” or other transactional approaches to God at work in others or in yourself?
Why is it dangerous to become over-focused on the benefits of a relationship with God?
Compare Job’s response in today’s passage to Moses’ in Genesis 22. Imagining yourself in those situations, how would your devotion to God compare?
Has there been a time of loss or difficulty that has helped you refocus on the Lord because he is worthy independent of his blessings?

Prayer Points

Pray for God to protect his people from the dangerous message of the “prosperity gospel” and other similar misleading falsehoods.
Pray that God will help you treasure him above all other things. Pray this for your church family as well.
Pray that our witness to Jesus will communicate the true Gospel that leads to faith and life.

More Resources

Article on the 5 Errors of the Prosperity Gospel by David W. Jones
Video Why I Abominate the Prosperity ‘Gospel’ by John Piper
Video Dr. John Walton talks about the Retribution Principle

Sermon Description In the introductory section of Job, we witness a scene where God meets with his divine council, the “sons of God.” In this meeting, the satan comes and challenges God’s perspective on Job’s integrity. A scene like this in the Bible invites us to remember that our world is not merely natural; there are things happening in the supernatural realm all around us.

Discussion Questions

When it comes to the supernatural, which “ditch” are you more prone toward: the over-fascination ditch, or the stay-away-from-it ditch? Why?
Read Genesis 11:1-9, then Deuteronomy 32:7-9, then Psalm 82. Is the idea of God ruling the nations by means of a divine council new to you? How does this perspective help us to make sense of the Bible’s teaching on the spiritual realm?
Jesus came, died, and rose again to bring us (the nations) back into God’s family. How does this aspect of the gospel story affect you personally?
Why is it important to remember that “the satan” no longer has access to the throne room of God? How does this truth give you confidence: for life, for worship, for evangelism?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would help us to view the world around us biblically: both natural and supernatural. Pray that we would not become accidental naturalists.
Pray for boldness and confidence to share the gospel with those who are still under the control of the kingdom of darkness.

More Resources

Supernatural book by Dr. Michael Heiser
Four-part lecture series on The Unseen Realm also by Dr. Michael Heiser
Were the Sons of God in Genesis 6 Fallen Angels? Q&A video from Dr. Peter Gentry
Glossary of Spiritual Beings PDF

Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - and Why It Matters

Sermon Description
The Book of Job is notoriously hard for modern people to read and understand. Why is Satan in heaven talking to God? And why does God take him up on a bet? Why does Job suffer so much? While Job is undoubtedly a dense and challenging book, one key that helps us understand the book is this: the people in the book of Job do not have a covenantal framework to know how to relate to God.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever read (or tried to read) the book of Job before? What questions did you have? Did you struggle to understand it? Why or why not?
What is your understanding of the term “covenant”? Do you think of it as the ancients would have, as a “completely normal word”? Or do you exclusively think of it in divine terms?
Why is “no covenant” such an important key to understanding the book of Job? How might Job’s actions and the friends’ conversations be different if they had clear rules of engagement with God?
Even though all of God’s covenants are good, why is the new covenant in Jesus’ blood the best one possible? How does the new covenant give us confidence? Why should we be thankful and loyal?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would use this series in the book of Job to grow our trust in him, to deepen our resolve in times of hardship, and to make us more like Jesus.
Pray that Jesus would give us opportunities to help people come into right relationship with God through the new covenant that has been offered to us.

More Resources

How to Read Jobbook by Tremper Longman and John Walton
God’s Names in Jobblog post by Michael Minkhoff Jr.
The Covenants lecture by R.C. Sproul
Bible Project video on covenants

How to Read Job (How to Read Series)

Sermon Description

Paul was imprisoned by the Roman government and we have been quarantined at home for safety by order of our government. In both cases, the Gospel is not restricted but flows powerfully and effectively. In fact, the more you restrict the Gospel, the more powerfully it advances. The question now is: will you and I join in the powerful overflowing of the Gospel into the world and the lives of people who so desperately need Jesus the Savior?

Discussion Questions

Do I know the core parts of the Gospel message and can I communicate them in my own words right now? How do I need to improve on this?
How can I build connections with others both in the church and outside of the church?
Am I living my life more for my own personal kingdom or for the Kingdom of God? What areas of my heart or my life are insulated from the mission of the Gospel?
Who in my circle of influence needs to hear the Good News of Jesus? What are some steps I can take to begin to share Christ with them?

Prayer Points

Pray that we will not be discouraged by the uncertainty of the future but will be confident in the power and effectiveness of the Gospel of Jesus.
Pray that we will each answer the call to join with Christ in the mission to share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom.
Pray for one individual who needs to hear the gospel and for the opportunity to share with them.

More Resources

10 Simple Ways to Evangelize During a Pandemic | Blog Post
Video Training on How to Share the Gospel | Video
Easy Way to Share the Gospel of Jesus | Video
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream | Book
Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out: Evangelism The Way You Were Born To Do It | Book

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out: Evangelism the Way You Were Born to Do It

Sermon Description

As we enter into discussions about reentering public life—worship gatherings, small groups, family gatherings—people have a wide variety of opinions and feelings on what we should do. Jesus cares deeply about the manner in which we approach these subjects. While we can disagree, we have an obligation to do so in love and free from judgment.

Discussion Questions

If we truly kept our eyes on Jesus and ourselves instead of on the actions of others, how would that free us from the trap of judgmentalism?
In what areas of your life are you a “stronger” brother or sister? What areas are you a “weaker” brother or sister? How can you relate to both positions?
How does the gospel free us to disagree with our brothers and sisters in love? How does Jesus’ accommodation of our weakness help us to sympathize with those who we might deem “weaker” than ourselves?
How does our loving, judgment-free disagreement fuel evangelism in a world that is so polarized and fractured?

Prayer Points

Pray that God would break down your pride, particularly for those who are “stronger.”
Pray that we would love each other without judgment as brothers and sisters.
Pray that our unity and love would cause others to come to faith in Jesus.

Sermon Description

What we see today is that Jesus prepares his disciples, namely Peter, for the life-shaking events of his death, burial, and resurrection by giving them at least three rock-solid truths to believe in no matter what comes.

Discussion Questions

How is the truth that Jesus will build his church a comfort to you right now?
Do you take comfort in the fact that there is no power or authority that can overcome Jesus or his church? How?
When was the last time you longed for Jesus Kingdom to come on this earth?

Prayer Points

Pray for our church and others in the North Puget Sound area to be built on the right foundation- the gospel.
Pray for courage to share Christ with people during this season.
Pray for Jesus's Kingdom to become manifest through our lives.

More Resources

The Unseen Realm: Discovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible book by Michael S. Heiser

Sermon Description

As we face this global event, many of us deeply desire to “get back to normal.” But, what is the “normal” that we want to get back to? What if this season was an opportunity for followers of Jesus to reevaluate the rhythms of our life to see if they match up with how Jesus lived his life?

Discussion Questions

Be honest with yourself and others: does your lifestyle (not just ethics) match up with the patterns of Jesus? Why does our culture seem diametrically opposed to the spiritual habits and disciplines of Jesus?
Of the four life-rhythms highlighted (Scripture, solitude, Sabbath, and simplicity), which is the hardest for you to practice and why?
Even if we had the spiritual disciplines nailed, how is the gospel—what Jesus had done for us—our only true hope?
How can the spiritual habits and lifestyle of Jesus actually serve to further the mission of Jesus in our lives?

Prayer Points

Set aside time for individual solitude and prayer. Pray both out-loud and silently. Bring your requests before God, but also spend time in stillness and reflection on God’s truths.
Pray that God would shape us to be a church that doesn’t just only believe the truths of Jesus but lives the lifestyle of Jesus.
Pray that our lifestyles would further the mission of Jesus by showing his easy yoke to a world that is living under a crushing weight.

More Resources

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry book by John Mark Comer
You Now Have A Shorter Attention Span Than A Goldfish