Check here each week for information to prepare your heart for the upcoming sermon and follow-up questions you can use after the sermon to dig deeper and disciple your family!
Growing Together into Christ
Growing Together into Christ
Ephesians 4:11-16
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What picture does Paul give for the church in this passage? What parts of the body are identified?
- How many times does the text speak of the body growing or being built up? Why would God mention it so often?
- What does growth in the church look like? What is it contrasted with?
Other passages to consider: Matt 16:13-18; John 15:1-17; Acts 20:28-32; 1 Cor 12:12-13:7; Eph 2:11-22; 3:20-4:16; Col 1:15-20; 1 Pet 4:7-11
Digging Deeper:
- How does God intend the church to grow?
- How does the text emphasize corporate growth rather than just individual? What does this say about the importance of involvement in the life of the church?
- What does it mean to grow up into Christ?
- Does your current commitment to the church match God’s intention? How can you be more connected to the body?
The Light of Salvation Has Come!
The Light of Salvation Has Come! – John 1:5-13
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What does light do to darkness? Why is light so needed in order to live?
- Why did most people not welcome the visit from their Creator?
- Why do some receive Jesus instead of rejecting him like the rest?
Other passages to consider: Gen 1:1-5; Ps 27:1; Isa 9:1-7; 42:1-7; Matt 4:12-17; Luke 1:76-79; 2:29-32; Jn 1:1-13; 3:1-21; 8:12; 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36, 44-50; Acts 26:17-18; 2 Cor 4:1-6; Eph 5:6-16; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 Jn 1:5-10
Digging Deeper:
- How does this passage describe the nearness of Christ’s incarnation? How does this display God’s grace?
- What does it look like to receive Jesus? What happens to those who do that?
- What are the blessings of being a child of God?
- Why do you follow Christ? How should you respond to this truth?
The Life-giving Word
The Life-giving Word- John 1:1-5
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- What passage of Scripture does vv1-5 remind you of? Why would John write this way?
- What do these verses tell you about the attributes of Jesus?
- Why does John call Jesus the Word? What does this title tell us about Jesus?
Other passages to consider: Gen 1; Ps 33:6; 107:20; Prov 8:22-31; Isa 55:10-11; Jer 1:4; Mic 5:2; Jn 1:1-18; 5:26; 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6; 17:3-5,20-24; 20:28-31; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:1-4; 1 Jn 1-10
Digging Deeper:
- How is Jesus uniquely qualified to make God known?
- How can Jesus be both God and with God?
- What is the relationship between creation and salvation?
- Throughout his Gospel, what does John use the terms life and light to describe?
Undeserved Treatment
Undeserved Treatment – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Preparing your heart for the sermon:
- In v21, who is acting on behalf of whom?
- What does it mean for Christ to be made sin?
- v21 says we become the righteousness of God. How can this be? Where does this righteousness come from?
Other passages to consider: Ps 103:10-12; Isa 53:4-12; Mark 10:45; Rom 3:21-26; 4:6-8; Rom 5:1, 6-8, 18; 2 Cor 5:14-21; Gal 3:13-14; Phil 3:9; Heb 4:15; 10:11-14; 1 Pet 2:24
Digging Deeper:
- This passage speaks of reconciliation with God. What does the word reconciliation tell us about the nature of God and our sin?
- What needed to be true of Christ in order for him to be our substitute?
- How do we benefit from Christ’s atoning work? Where in v21 is that pointed out?
- What applications of this great truth do you see in the immediate context of v21?