2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:10-21 2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Luke 19:11-26 (don’t put the verses up for this one, just list the passage) 2 Corinthians 5:11 2 Corinthians 5:12 2 Corinthians 5:13 2 Corinthians 5:14 2 Corinthians 5:15 2 Corinthians 5:16 2 Corinthians 5:17 Christ cannot be our Savior without also being our Lord Matthew 7:21-23 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 2 Corinthians 5:20 Our identity is as messengers 2 Corinthians 5:21
(There are no follow-up questions for this particular message.)
Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT I am growing in deeper connection with the Lord.
Follow Up Questions to Week 5 Message
Who are “your people” – the people you feel you connect with most deeply?
Psalm 100:3 suggests that we belong to God; we are His people. Do you experience a deep connection to Jesus, just as you do with others who you are close to in life? Why do you think that is (or isn’t) the case?
I am chosen. I am valued. I am secure. I am loved (deeply, for certain and forever).
Which of those statements do you most resonate with? Which ones are hardest for you to embrace? Why do you feel that way?
I am growing in deeper connection with the Lord.
Is this true in your life these days? What do you find hindering you from connecting more deeply with Jesus? What obstacles seem to be standing in the way? Is there anything you can do to minimize or remove those obstacles in your life?
Gen 11:1-9 Genesis 9:1 Selfish Ambition Selfish Pride Luke 12:13-21 Selfish Greed Luke 16:19-31 Selfish arrogance Psalm 14:1 Selfish Unbelief
Selfish Sinfulness vs Selfless Surrender
I am surrendering to Jesus, making him central in every aspect of my life.
Follow Up Questions to Week 4 Message
Read these passages: Luke 6:46-49 and Matthew 7:21, 24-27 They weren’t mentioned in the message, but may be familiar. What do they say to you about following and obeying Jesus?
In what ways do the following areas of selfish sinfulness get in the way of you following Jesus more closely?
selfish desires jealousy ambition pride
arrogance greed disobedience unbelief
“The antidote to selfish sinfulness is selfless surrender.” Agree or disagree? Why?
The overarching point of the message was that we need to stop trying to be our own God and surrender to Jesus. This week’s key statement was:
I am surrendering to Jesus, making him central in every aspect of my life.
Is this true for you in general? Are there specific areas of struggle and resistance, where your life you need to raise a white flag and surrender to Jesus? Why do you think these areas are so difficult for you? Is there someone you can talk and pray with about these things?
“It’s always been about this substitutionary sacrifice that mankind has needed from the beginning because we were never able to obey the law” – Francis Chan
I am certain that Jesus is the source of eternal life.
“I love it when a plan comes together” – John “Hannibal” Smith
Follow Up Questions to Week 3 Message
God’s plan of salvation: God sent His only son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life, then gave it for us by dying on a cross. His death made a way for sinful, fallen people to be right again with a perfect, holy God. When we put our faith in Him, we are made righteous, and have eternal life with God through Jesus.
Galatians 2:16 says “…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”
Can you think of people, places and times when you heard someone share God’s Plan (the gospel) with you? (IE – in your family, in church, having coffee with a friend, etc) Describe some of those moments.
If you were asked to share the basics of God’s plan with someone else, what are the things you would mention? How comfortable would you be sharing it?
I am certain that Jesus is the source of eternal life.
Is this true for you? If so, why are you so convinced? If not, what is holding you back from being convinced? What are the biggest question you have about God’s plan of salvation?
I AM merciful. I AM gracious. I AM slow to anger. I AM abounding in strong steadfast love. I AM just. I AM forgiving. I AM faithful.
Other characteristics of God:
I AM creator I AM infinite and eternal. I AM all-powerful I AM holy. I AM righteous. I AM all-knowing (and wise). I AM kind and I AM good. I AM sovereign.
I am longing to know who God really is.
Exodus 34:8
Follow Up Questions to Week 2 Message If you were asked to describe yourself to someone, how would you describe “you?” What things stand out the most to you about yourself?
Where does God fit in that picture? Do you know him in a personal way? How well do you know him?
If you were asked to describe yourself to someone, how would you describe “you?” What things stand out the most to you about yourself?
I am longing to know who God really is.
Is that statement true for you? Why or why not? What things in life prevent you from really knowing God in a deeper way?
God wants us to know Him. Following are some passages of scripture that point to the specific characteristics of God and His nature. Select one or two topics each day and read the verses related to it. As you read the verses, please consider the following questions:
What do these verses show me about who God is?
Has anything I read changed my perspective of God?
In what ways has my understanding of God been confirmed or strengthened?
Here are the verses to look up:
I AM merciful 2 Chronicles 33:1-13 Jonah chapters 3-4 Luke 23:26-43 John 8:2-11
I AM gracious 2 Kings 13:1-6, 22-23 Psalm 103:13 Ephesians 2:8-9 2Corinthians 12:1-10
I AM slow to anger Genesis 15:12-16 Psalm 103:8-10 Micah 7:18-19 1Timothy 1:15-16 2Peter 3:3-4, 8-9
I AM abounding in strong, steadfast love Psalm 103:11 Deuteronomy 7:6-9 Isaiah 63:7
I AM just Genesis 18:20-33 Psalm 9:7-10 Isaiah 30:18 Acts 10:34-35
I AM forgiving Psalm 32:5 Psalm 103:12 Psalm 130:1-14 1John 1:9
I AM faithful Psalm 36:5 Micah 7:20 2 Timothy 2:11-13
I AM creator Gen 1:1 Nehemiah 9:6 Jeremiah 32: 17 Psalm 8:3-4 Colossians 1:16 Romans 11:36
I AM infinite and eternal Psalm 90:2 Colossians 1:17 Revelations 1:8
I AM all-powerful Psalm 115:3 2 Chronicles 20:6 Job 42:2 Jeremiah 32:27
I AM holy Exodus 15:11 Psalm 96:9 1 Samuel 2:2 Isaiah 6:1-3 Revelations 15:4
I AM righteous Psalm 11:7 Psalm 145:17 Romans 3:21-22
I AM all-knowing (and wise) Psalm 44:21 Psalm 139:1-4 Psalm 147:5 1 Kings 8:38-39 Romans 11:33-36
I AM kind and I AM good. Psalm 34:8 Psalm 69:16 Psalm 100:5 James 1:17 Titus 3:3-7
I AM sovereign. Psalm 115:3 Isaiah 46:10 Job 42:2 Jeremiah 32:17
Within the human heart there is a notion of someone or something greater than our self.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
God has put eternity into our hearts.
Because of this notion, there should be a greater longing to discover spiritual things.
Acts 17:16-31
I am fiercely pursuing spiritual things (ultimate truth, certain hope, perfect love)
Follow Up Questions to the Message: 9/10 people express believing that some sort of spiritual reality exists. Do you think that statement is true of the people you know? Why or why not? What do most people you know feel about God/spiritual things?
God has put eternity into our hearts. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Have you had life experiences that stirred up the idea of eternity within you? What things in life have pointed you toward him?
Read through the Act 17:16-31 again. Imagine you were a citizen in Athens hearing Paul say these things. What would you be thinking? How would you react/respond?
The people of Athens were distracted and pulled away from the one true God by the many religious temples, false gods and idols that they worshipped. What things tend to distract you and pull you away? How strongly are they affecting you?
I am fiercely pursuing spiritual things. Would you agree with this statement? Would you describe your pursuit of spiritual things (ultimate truth, certain hope, perfect love) as “fierce”? If not, what word would best describe your pursuit of the spiritual?
Romans 16:17-18 Luke 17:1-2 James 3:1 Romans 16:19 Philippians 4:8-9 Romans 16:20 Romans 16:25 Romans 16:26 Romans 16:27 Who gets the final word in your life? Romans 16:27 Glory be to God forevermore though Jesus!
What is clear from all of this is that Phoebe was a wealthy woman who used her wealth, her mobility and her personal resources to care for the saints and to assist in the spread of the Gospel.
Her example should inspire all of us to consider how we can leverage our advantages and opportunities to do the same. ~ The Gospel Coalition
Connection Community “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” ~ Oxford Dictionary Communion
We have a hope that carries us, and we carry that hope for the world. Romans 15:14-19 Acts 1:8 “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Romans 15:20-22 Romans 1:13-15 Romans 1:16-17 Romans 15:23-31 Sometimes the greatest end-result is accomplished through the greatest difficulty.
Romans 15:4 The scriptures were written for our: (progressive) instruction endurance encouragement hope
Romans 15:5-6 Romans 15:7 Romans 15:8-12 Romans 15:13 The hope of God carries us, and we carry that hope for the world. Isaiah 56:3, 6-8 Video Clip: Jesus Revolution The hope of God carries us, and we carry that hope for the world. Isaiah 15:13