Published:April 29, 2008.

Sermon Followup 2006 Archive

December 6th, 2006

Luke 19: 1 - 10

• Can you remember a time when you were physically lost? How did you feel? Who found you?
• What does it mean to be spiritually lost? What kinds of “lost” people did Jesus “find”?
• Do you know any people who consider to be lost? What do you think God thinks about them? How might they be found? How can you help? How can the church help?

November 29th, 2006

There are no specific Sermon Notes for this week.

November 22nd, 2006

There are no specific Sermon Notes for this week.

November 15th, 2006

• How can I discern what God is calling me personally to do & be? What ways will that fit within the whole church community? Why does God always call us to live out our faith from within a church community?
• What section of the wider community needs transforming, as best as I can tell? How can I be involved in that? How can our church, most strategically, work together to achieve that transformation?
• What limits do you think God has on the blessing and resources he has available in order to achieve all of the above?

 

November 8th, 2006

Progress worthy of the Gospel
Philippians 1:27 to 2:11

INTRO My fair lady

THE GOSPEL DEMAND live in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27a)

What constitutes a manner worthy of the gospel?

• Standing firm as one, contending for it. (1.27b-30)
  [EXTERNAL THREATS]
• Thinking as one AND thinking for one another. (2.1-4)
  [INTERNAL THREATS]

The worthy example of Christ

• His attitude
• Lead to his humiliation
• Lead to his glorification

Reflections
Why live worthy of the gospel?

THE CHALLENGE living worthy of the gospel here and now

November 1st, 2006

• What do you think Jesus meant when he said, the Kingdom of God is at hand?
• Why is the coming of the Kingdom, Good News?
• How do we become a member of the Kingdom? How do we live, day by day, as part of the Kingdom?

October 25th, 2006

whoever doesn't receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it

• Jesus had an angry response to his disciples in these verses. What was that about?
• Jesus shows in his response that children are just as important to him as anyone else. The disciples weren't thinking the same way. Who in our community do we view as unimportant?
• The gift of God's life/Spirit comes to us from a loving God. Receiving that gift doesn't depend on us, our talents or our position in life but rather our willingness to receive it. Are we coming empty handed, like a child, to God?

October 18th, 2006

• How do I feel about bringing my whole life into the light for someone else to see? (Someone close but outside your family unit!)
• John says we should "walk in the light as He is in the light" How am I doing with that?
• What areas are there in my life that no-one else knows about? (Positive or negative!)
• What temptations do I face regularly?

October 8th, 2006

• Thinking about all the attributes you know of Jesus, which one is the most special to you? Why?
• What events surrounding His birth strike you as remarkable?
• What difference does it make if Jesus is or isn't God? What difference dows it make is Jesus was or wasn't a man? How do you reconcile the two?
• Why do you think that God chose Jesus as the pivotal point of His rescue plan?

October 1st , 2006

1. Who prepared the way for you to receive Jesus? Do you still see them? Do you still think the same way as them?
2. Why do you think John the Baptist needed to decrease, (see John 3:28-35)? Can you see a correlation between his own miraculous birth, the birth of Abraham & Sarah's son Isaac and the way we give glory to God?
3. How can we make sure that we move from repentance to new life?
4. Who can you think of that needs the way prepared for them to receive Jesus? What ways can you think of to make the paths straight for them, what obstacles might need to be removed?

September 17th, 2006

1. During periods when you have not heard from God, or don't seem to be able to see or understand what God is up to, what sustains you? How?
2. Does reading great slabs of scripture bring you to tears? Why/Why not? What is different between when the Jews read the Law (Torah = first 5 books of OT) and when we read the scriptures?
3. What promises of God are we still waiting for God to fulfil? (see for example: Luke 11:9-13; 2 Tim 4:18; 1 John 3:2). What do we need to do while we're waiting?

September 10th - 16th

1. Where in your life is God giving you favour with people that don't know Him?
2. What are the idols that Australians worship? Do I worship them also?
3. At what times in my life do I conform to the world's values above God's values?

September 3rd - 9th

1. How do you feel about being shaped by God? How has God done that in the past? What edges might need to be knocked-off now?
2. How do you find ways to talk about the good things that God has done for you/other people? How could being part of an M-Pod help you in that task? Have you got a special interest or Mission-Passion that somebody else at St Matts might share?
3. In which ways do you believe you could serve God at St Matts? In the community? How will you respond

August 27th - September 2nd

1. Galatians 6:7 says people reap what they sow. What does that mean? Is it always true? Is there any remedy?
2. Why is there suffering and trouble in the world? How does God use suffering for the good of His people today? Have you ever benefited from suffering?
3. Can you think of times God has destroyed something/someone in order to save it/them? In the bible? In your (or someone else's) life?

August 13th - 19th

1. How does God speak to His people today?
2. How can we be sure of God's will in the face of difficult modern issues?
3. What might God be calling the church back to, today? How would we hear that call?
4. What area of your life needs to be called back into line with God's will?

August 6th - 12th

1. How has Western society generally become unfaithful to God and turned away from Him?
   How does God keep some people faithful?
2. It's OK - everyone's doing it! People often say after they have done something wrong.
   Why is it so easy and tempting to follow the crowd?
   Why can't we just follow what most people do?
   What is to be our guide?
3. Reflect on what it means for you to be faithful to God. Pray, asking God to keep you true to Him.

July 30th - August 5th

1. How would you define worship? What is distinctive about Christian worship?
2. What other ways can you worship (besides church)? Where do you worship best?
3. Why do you think God calls us to worship together? What can you contribute to worship?
4. What was the best worship experience you ever had?

July 23rd - 29th

1. Who or what is the king of your heart? (Who gets first thought when you make your plans?)
2. Try writing a psalm of repentance (or use the one David used, Ps 51, ) to turn again back to God?
3. What does grace mean for you?

July 16th - 22nd

1. Discuss why the Israelites were so easily seduced by the fertility cults. Relate this to what we are easily seduced by in our society today.
2. Our lives sometimes follow a similar cycle to that recorded in the book of Judges.
   Discuss and give examples:
   Cycle in Judges - a) Follow other Gods.
   b) Oppressed by enemies, realise our sin and turn back to God.
   c) Suffer under the enemies, cry to God for help.
   d) God sends a deliverer, calls us back to God.
   e) Faithful to God until lesson is forgotten.

July 9th - 15th

1. How has God shown himself to be faithful to you in the past?
2. What new thing is God calling you to do now?
3. How scary is it? How can you be sure that God will be with you?
4. Which area of Holiness are you struggling with? Who might be able to walk alongside you

June 25th - July 1st

1. Why does God need a spotless sacrifice for sins? How was Jesus spotless?
2. Has God ever set you or someone you know free? Have you ever told anyone about this?
3. What do you still need to be set free from? Do you need help to keep asking, waiting & praying?

June 18th - 24th

1. How is God's faithfulness revealed through the story of Jacob?
2. What kind of people does God use in the story of Jacob to fulfill His plans?
3. On what grounds does God use us in His plans?
4. Is there room in our lives to rely more on His grace and faithfulness, and less on our own performance?

June 11th - 17th

1. I'm not good enough to be chosen by God What's wrong with this statement?
2. How would you explain the covenant of grace God has made for us through Jesus?
3. Abraham is said to be the father of all believers. How is God testing your faith at present? How can we find strength to remain faithful and to obey him?

May 28st - June3rd

1. Do you agree that in principle science can not challenge faith? What then of using some of the results of science to support faith?
2. Do you agree that design features appear to be present in nature?
   Discuss why this should be such a problem for scientists commited to working purely at the natural mechanistic level. Would the admitting to design close down much science?
3. What do you think of Polkinghorn's contention that God has created a Universe that is so internally rich and innovative that it is able to create itself? What problems does this notion solve? What problems does it raise?
4. Do you think creation concepts should be taught in schools? Why?

May 21st - 27th

1. What consequences can we see for human rebellion against God? (Think both globally and locally).
2. What are some of your own rebellions? How did you come to realise them? What area of rebellion are you currently battling with?
3. How has God made the way clear for your relationship with Him to be restored?
4. What evidence can you see that, despite all the bad stuff in the world, God is still in control