6/3/18 Sermon Questions

Uncharted Territory

Week 1: Genesis 6:9-22

Life Group Questions:

• What is the greatest adventure you’ve ever had in your life?
• Is there something extraordinary that God is calling you to be a part of?
• How has your faith set you apart from the crowd?
• Why did God give Noah such exact instructions? (Verses 14-22)
• When was the last time you were willing to go against common law or logic to listen and respond to the voice of God?
• In what ways is God asking you to step into uncharted territory with Him? OR leading you to a place you have never been before?
• Noah walked with God and obeyed Him, and because of that, God made a covenant that we still have today. Read Genesis 9:8-17. How does this show how significant obedience is to God?
• How can our life group pray for you this week?

Sermon Notes and Scripture

FOLLOWING GOD’S MAP WILL…

1. SET YOU APART FROM THE CROWD.

⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. ⁹ This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. ¹⁰ Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. ¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.  Genesis 6:8-13

2. POSITION US TO BETTER HEAR AND RESPOND TO THE VOICE OF GOD.

¹⁴ So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. ¹⁶ Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. ²⁰ Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. ²¹ You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”  Genesis 6:14-21

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.  Hebrews 11:7

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.  Genesis 6:22

3. CAN HELP BRING SALVATION TO OTHERS.

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-17

5/20/18 Sermon Questions

UNSTUCK                                                           

Part 5: Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6

 Life Group Questions:

• Has there been a sermon in the Unstuck series that you have put into practice? Share a tangible way you are living it out.
• Read Matthew 6:19-21. Who or what has your allegiance right now?
• If we looked at your bank account, would we be able to see your investment in kingdom things? (6:24)
• What things cause you the most worry?
• Share a time in your life when worry was more harmful than helpful.
• Who does 6:32 say worries about clothes, food and drink? Who does it say knows that we need them?
• Talk about a time when you have seen God’s care and provision when you depended on Him? (6:26, 6:28, 6:30)
• How can you apply Matthew 6:34 this week?
• What are some worries in your life that are distracting you from the kingdom of God?
• What does this passage show us about the character of God?

  Sermon Notes and Scripture:

 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  ²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. – Matthew 6:19-24

OVERCOMING WORRY:

 1) WORRY IS MORE HARMFUL THAN HELPFUL.  (MATT. 6:25-27)

 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 2) GOD DOES NOT IGNORE THOSE WHO DEPEND ON HIM.  (MATT. 6:28-30)

 ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

 3) WORRYING DISTRACTS FROM KINGDOM LIVING.  (MATT. 6:31-34)

 ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

5/13/18 Sermon Questions

UNSTUCK                                                              

Park 4 : Matthew 20:20-28

Life Group Questions:

1. How did your mom sacrifice for your family?
2. How do you see the moms in your life wanting the best for their kids?
3. Check out the mother in the text from this week. How did her well-meaning question set Jesus up for sharing about the kingdom of God?
4. To whom did Jesus direct the answer to the question to?
5. What were the brothers missing in what they were asking? What were they actually asking?
6. Read verse 23. How do we reconcile what Jesus is saying in this verse?
7. Read verses 26-28. What is required of us as believers and servant leadership? How are you living that out?
8. In what ways can you be a servant leader?
9. Do you know who you are in your relationship with Jesus?
10. What in your life can you give up so others can know the love of God?
11. How can our group pray for you this week?

Sermon Notes and Scripture:

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” ²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. – Matthew 20:20-22

KEEPING THINGS IN THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE:

1. WE ARE CONFIDENT OF WHO WE ARE IN JESUS, SO WE CAN SERVE OTHERS AS WE FOLLOW JESUS.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” – Matthew 20:23

“As sinfully and culturally defined, pursuing greatness looks like this: Individuals motivated by self-interest, self-indulgence, and a false sense of self-sufficiency pursue selfish ambition for the purpose of self-glorification.  Contrast that with the pursuit of true greatness as biblically defined: Serving others for the glory of God. This is the genuine expression of humility; this is true greatness as the Savior defined it.” – C.J. Mahaney 44

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. – Matthew 20:24-25

2. WE LOVE AND SERVE THROUGH EXAMPLE RATHER THAN RULE.

Jesus says… ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— – Matthew 20:26-27

3. WE ARE WILLING TO GIVE WHAT WE LOVE, SO OTHERS CAN KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD.

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28

5/6/18 Sermon Questions

UNSTUCK

Part 3:  Matthew 14:22-32

Life Group Questions:

• When was the last time you felt stuck in your relationship with God?
• How do we measure success in the Christian life? In what area is God calling you to be obedient right now?
• Talk about this quote: “if it is a result of obedience to Christ’s command that the church or the individual Christian is in a situation of danger or distress then there is no need to fear. – C.E.B. Carnfield.

• Read Exodus 3:14 and John 14:27. What do you think Jesus is trying to communicate to the disciples?
• How have you viewed Peter in the past? How has your image of him changed this week?
• What did God teach you through Peter’s obedience to get out of the boat?
• Pastor Luke said that Jesus is high invitation and high challenge. How have you seen that in your family or in your life?
• What small steps of obedience do you need to take that you haven’t taken because of fear?
• What area of your life have you been more concerned with perfection rather than obedience?

 Sermon notes and Scripture:

 WHEN FEAR AND FAITH COLLIDE

 ²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. – Matthew 14:22-24

1. FAITH CAN BE IMPACTED BY OUR BOAT AND THE STORM.

 ¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. – John 6:14-15

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” – Matthew 14:25-27

2. FAITH ISN’T BEING CRAZY; IT BEING CALLED.

 ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. – Matthew 14:28-29a

3. FAITH ISN’T THE ABSENCE OF FEAR; IT’S OBEDIENCE DESPITE THE FEAR.

 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. – Matthew 14:29b

 ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:30-32

SUCCESS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS OBEDIENCE, NOT PERFECTION.

4/29/18 Sermon Questions

UNSTUCK

Part 2: John 4:1-42

Life Group Questions:

• Share a time from your life when you were “stuck.”
• Talk a little bit about the difference between guilt and shame. How do you see this played out in your own life and how can you tell the difference?
• Read John 4:4. What did Jesus have to do? What was on his agenda that day?
• Read the narrative in John 4 and the Samaritan woman. What stands out in Jesus’ interaction with this woman?
• What can we learn about God’s heart from this story?
• Look for ways in which Jesus was intentional with this woman?
• How can you be intentional as you live life with others?
• Is there anything in your past that you can use to bring others into relationship with Jesus Christ?
• What can you do to help lead others to grace, not guilt?
• How can our life group pray for you this week?

Sermon Notes and Scripture:

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” ¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” ¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.  ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem ²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” ²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” ²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” – John 4:1-26

HOW TO DEAL WITH OUR PAST:

1.  WE WILL HAVE TO FACE THE TRUTH.

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” ¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. – John 4:16-17

2.  WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH.

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” – Genesis 3:8-11

3. WE WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT GRACE, NOT GUILT. 

OUR PAST WILL BECOME SATAN’S GREATEST WEAPON, OR GOD’S MOST POWERFUL TOOL.

 ³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.

⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” – John 4:39-42

4/22/18 Sermon Questions

Tabitha Celebration Sunday

2 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Life Group Questions:

• In what ways has God surprised you this year during the Tabitha Initiative?
• How has this initiative opened your eyes to caring for the poor and the oppressed?
• Read James 2:14-17 together. In what ways can your life group continue to do this? How about your individual families?
• What is God asking you do to for the sake of eternity?
• What is God stirring in your heart as a result of this message?
• How can we pray for you this week?

Sermon Notes and Scripture:

2 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³ We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. ⁵ All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷ and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might ¹⁰ on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

4/15/18 Sermon Questions

UNSTUCK

Part 1:  Luke 15:11-32

Life Group Questions:

• Share a story from your childhood of a time you made a poor decision and there was a consequence.
• Read Luke 15:12. Imagine for a minute what was going through the father’s mind as his son made this request. Why was the son asking for his inheritance?
• How can you picture yourself in the part of the younger brother? Older brother?
• How have you given up your proper inheritance for temporary gain?
• What has the world promised you that has fallen short? Share a specific example of a time you fell for the lie.
• Read verse 17. Hhow have you “come to your senses” and seen the Father in a new way?
• Read the narrative together as a group. What is God trying to illustrate about His own character in this story?
• Who in my life needs to hear that there is no mess that is too big for God?
• For those of us that have been on the Father’s farm for many years, what can we learn from the Elder brother?
• How can our group pray for you this week?

Sermon Notes and Scripture:

 ¹¹ Jesus continued…  To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.  ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! – Luke 15:11-17

RETURNING FROM BAD CHOICES:

1. NO MESS IS TOO BIG FOR GOD.

¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. – Luke 15:18-20a

 “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him – Luke 15:20b

2. JESUS IS LITERALLY WAITING FOR US TO COME BACK.

“…and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20c

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ – Luke 15:21

3. GOD ALWAYS RESPONDS WHEN WE REPENT.

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. working When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  ^31”’My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” – Luke 15:22-32

4/8/18 Sermon Questions

JESUS + nothing

Week 6: Colossians 3:12-17

Life Group Questions:

• Since your life in Christ began, how have you chosen to love others differently than you did before?
• Read Pastor Luke’s description of the attributes of love under point one. Is there anything you would add to those descriptions?
• Share specific examples of how you think differently now as a believer?
• Read Colossians 3:15-16 and look at how Scripture tells us to think differently.
• How can we make sure the Word of God dwells richly in our hearts? What do you need to do this week to make sure that happens?
• After someone is done interacting with you, via face-to-face, phone call, social media, etc. Do they feel as if they have met or interacted with someone that is a follower of Jesus?
• How can you become better at “bearing with” others and forgiving others (3:13)?
• Letting Christ rule means framing our desires and actions with Him in mind. What areas of my private/public life are not ruled by Christ?
• What has impacted you most about this series in Colossians, Jesus + Nothing?

Sermon Notes and Scripture:

THREE WAYS WE ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST:

1. I LOVE DIFFERENTLY.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Colossians 3:12-14

• Compassion = Getting in their shoes.
• Kindness = Treating them better than they deserve.
• Humility = Accepting the lesser role.
• Gentleness = Holding back – opposite of harsh.
• Patience = Putting up with more than I should.

2. I THINK DIFFERENTLY.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. – Colossians 3:15-16

3. I LIVE DIFFERENTLY.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17