Week 15 – God’s Beauty
Psalm 27:4 (ESV)
What?
How?
Who?
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April 5 – Sermon Discussion Guide
Deut. 6.4-9_Love God
Love God
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Dig Deeper
The Bible has much to say about our love for the Lord and our responsibility as parents to disciple our children. Spend some time searching out and discussing these other related passages.
- Exodus 12:26-27
- Deuteronomy 6:20-25; 32:46-47
- Psalm 78:5-9
- Proverbs 1:8-9
- Mark 12:28-34
- John 14:21; 17:3
- Romans 8:28
- 1 Corinthians 8:5-6
- Ephesians 6:4
- 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
Digesting the Text
- What are your dreams and desires for your life, for your family? Are they defined by God’s values or the world’s? How can you adjust your priorities to be more God-centered?
- What role does God’s word play in your life? Does it shape how you see and interact with the world? Do you let God’s word sink into your heart and mind or do you simply breeze over it? How can you spend more meaningful time in God’s word this week?
- Do you speak of what you’re reading in and learning from God’s word in your personal time, in your small group studies, in our large group services with your family? How can you spend time this week talking about God’s word with your family or someone close to you?
- Do your children or grandchildren know your personal testimony of how and when you were saved? Does your spouse know? Take some time to share your salvation story with someone.
- Our love for God takes shape through our obedience to his commands. What are some ways that you can express your love for God this week?
- As we love the Lord and live with him, we become more like him which means that imitate his love. In other words, the natural overflow of the greatest commandment will be the second greatest. How can you show God’s love to others this week?
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Week 14 – God’s Presence
What?
How?
Who?
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March 29 – Sermon Discussion Guide
Download the discussion guide by clicking here!
The Church and the State
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Dig Deeper
The Bible has much to say about the Christian’s relationship with those in authority. Spend some time searching out and discussing these other related passages.
- Proverbs 24:21
- Daniel 2:21; 4:17
- Mark 12:13-17
- Acts 4:13-22; 5:27-32
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2
- Titus 3:1-2
- 1 Peter 2:13-17; 3:13-17
Digesting the Text
- According to Paul, why is it important for Christians to submit to governing authorities? What does our relationship with those in authority over us indicate about our relationship with God?
- According to Paul, why has God given the government the authority to “bear the sword?”
- Paul gives some practical examples of submission to governing authorities (vv. 6-7). What are other ways that we can practice submission to those who are in authority?
- What impact does our civil obedience have upon our Christian witness?
- Is there ever a reason to disobey authorities? If so, what would be the basis of such disobedience? How can you pray for or serve those around you who might be suffering in this time of quarantine because they are trapped at home with someone who abuses their authority?
- Who are the governing officials in your life? Make a list of them and take some time to pray for them by name. Is there a way that you can find to be a source of encouragement to one of them this week?
- What is the real fight that Christians are facing right now? How do you need to prepare yourself for the crisis yet to come? How do you think “church” as we’ve known it will change moving forward?
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