Summary:
In 1 Cor. 12:12-26 God gives us a glimpse into the simplicity and complexity of the body of Christ. In Christ, people from every conceivable ethnicity, personality, culture, social status, religious background… have been identically baptized into the same body. Not many, but ONE. Also, in Christ, various gifts have been given to each member so the body is not lacking anything. Even though each member carries the same dignity, we are all different — diversely gifted and specially fitted by God’s choosing. Not one, but MANY.
Discussion Questions:
- How does this passage speak to our tendencies toward ambivalence? Are there “expendable” parts of the body? How does this passage speak to the notion of being detached or isolated from the body? How is God calling you to serve His body? What “next step” is God calling you to take toward involvement / service?
Summary:
This past Sunday, Gene preached 1 Peter 2:4-5, asking a fundamental question: “Who is building your spiritual house?” Merely religious people build their own spiritual houses. The Christian, on the other hand, comes to Jesus — the Living Stone — to be grounded upon and reconstructed by Him. In Jesus we find our identity: to be a spiritual house. We find our vision: to be a holy priesthood. And we find our purpose: to offer spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God because they are offered in Christ Jesus.
Discussion Questions:
- Where is God currently “chiseling you” as a living stone? Is this an uncomfortable process for you? How does God encourage your perseverance in this passage of His Word?
- What difference does having individual access to God (holy priesthood) make in how we relate to the counsel of others?
- What kinds of spiritual sacrifices does God want you to offer Him this year? How do you need to die to your way of doing things in order to say, “Lord, I live to serve You — and I want to built up into You, not into myself.”
Update 7:30am
Roads around the church are slushy but very drivable. We’ll continue to have a shortened service for those of you who can make it.
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Snow! Yes, it’s a white Christmas! We’re planning to meet tomorrow at 10 AM for a special one hour meeting unless the road conditions deteriorate overnight. We’ll check road conditions in the morning and post a final decision by 8 AM so you can confirm before you leave home.
Summary:
A.W. Tozer says that, “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” In Luke 19:11-28, Jesus tells a parable to clarify what He wants to come into our minds when we think of Him. He is on His way to Jerusalem. He will suffer. He will die. This parable, however, is told so that we will not forget that after His death and resurrection, Jesus will return to Heaven where God will crown Him with all authority and power. Then, some day in the future, Jesus will return to judge every person based on whether we have accepted His reign and how each of us have obeyed His command to labor for His sake — spreading the Gospel while He’s away.
Discussion Questions:
- What comes into your mind when you think about Jesus? Do you see Him mostly in terms of what He has already done, or do you also think of Him as a) reigning and b) returning to judge you?
- Re-read v.14 and v.27. What characterizes those who Christ condemns to death? Do you think of salvation simply in terms of knowing the Gospel and mental assent? What is Jesus saying here? How are you responding to the reign of Christ?
- What does Jesus command you and expect you to be doing until He returns? Re-read His command (given to every servant) in v.13. Are you making it your earthly business to expand Jesus’ kingdom until His return?
- Pray individually and with your family and friends — asking the Lord to lead you, empower you and encourage you in what He’s calling you to do, wherever He’s placed you.
Summary:
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus intentionally addresses a parable to a specific group of people — people who were confident in themselves, that they were righteous. Re-read this passage. In His parable, Jesus identifies the problem we all share: that none of us are righteous enough for God. Jesus contrasts two opposite ways we might go about obtaining righteousness:
1) through striving for our own goodness or
2) through recognizing our sinfulness and crying out for mercy.
In the end, Jesus makes clear that salvation (justification) comes only as a result of God’s mercy — not through any of our righteousness.
Discussion Questions:
- As you “mature” in Christ, do you detect a tendency to self-righteousness? What does this look like in your life?
- Look at the passage again, and discuss how self-righteousness effects our view of God (ie v.9, 14) and our view of others (v.9, 11-12).
- What might you do to guard against self-righteousness? How might you take care to remember that your confidence before God is His grace alone, and none of your goodness?
- How does this passage inform the way you share the Good News? Where do you see the Gospel in this passage — why is it Good enough and urgent enough to share?
Last Sunday we celebrated God’s work in the lives of three young men: Tim Donohue, Josh Bishop and Josh Dingwell. Their testimonies were followed by water baptism. What a blessed day! If you missed their testimonies or would like to hear them again, you can listen to them below.
Luke 17:11-19
Summary:
There were 10 lepers who came to Jesus, all in desperate need of the same thing… the same thing we all need… the very thing Jesus came into the world to furnish. All of the lepers were healed of leprosy. One of the lepers recognized that Jesus was here to provide far more than physical healing. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet, worshipping Him as God. For his faith in who Jesus is, Jesus declared the man’s sins forgiven! He spent time praising Jesus for who He is — not merely delighting in the good thing Jesus had done for him… in this passage, Jesus is helping us to understand a key element of faith.
Discussion Questions:
- Re-read the passage, considering: “What is Jesus commending here? What is He looking for — what does He want from me?”
- Our natural inclination is to become more preoccupied with the gifts than the Giver. In this passage, Jesus is here to save us from drifting into a self-centered, entitlement-driven faith by directing our gaze to the same object admired by the One leper.
- Consider how you spend times of prayer. God commands us to bring our needs and requests to Him — but it’s easy for these to take over our prayers. Are your prayers and affections harnessed to the beauty and salvation of Christ — or are you often “stuck” on your current need.
- If you were to imitate the leper (as Jesus clearly implies we should), what would that look like in your day? In the way you pray? In the way you conceive of Jesus?
Summary:
When one of His disciples asks Him how to pray, Jesus gives Him specific words - which have come to be known “the Lord’s Prayer.” Each of the words contained in Jesus’ prayer are simple, yet more powerful than we can imagine, if prayed from the heart with a desire for God to “re- calibrate” the ways we think about Him, ourselves, others and the world around us.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you ever avoid praying because you don’t know what to say, or you wonder if your prayers will make a difference? How does Jesus simple instruction encourage you, motivate you, or change the way you think about prayer?
- How can you imagine your life being different if you committed to pray these simple words of Jesus for even a few minutes a day?
- What words or phrases from the Lord’s prayer stand out to you as you read them - where do you sense the Holy Spirit’s adjustment or encouragement?
King’s Kids will be graduating children to new classes on Sunday, September 12. Please check the rosters posted outside your child’s classroom on September 12 to be certain that you are dropping them off at the right place.
If your children are 6-10 years old or a 5 year old who will be promoted, they should line up with their new class (one level higher) upon dismissal from the main meeting. Their teachers will then automatically escort them to the appropriate classroom.
Good Morning!Ladies, please join us tonight at 6:30pm for a salad dinner and an evening of worship/fellowship. Bring a salad to share and we’ll see you tonight!Thank you!
