Published:December 12, 2008.

Sermon Followup 2008 Archive

Dec 14th, 2008

• What things do you do to keep your body healthy? What things do you do to keep your soul healthy? In what ways does your physical health affect your spiritual health? And vice versa?

• Do a quit audit of your spiritual life using MRS GREN. (Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition). What the result? Is there a Kairos moment for you in there somewhere? What is God trying to say to you? Try taking at least one of the results round the Circle with someone you trust.

• Which of the Lifeshapes do you find most helpful? Which shape is most challenging?

Dec 7th, 2008

• 1. Use the yellow questionnaire to get an idea of what kind of leader you are called to be.
• 2.What was the result?  Does this surprise you?  Chat about the result with your group.
• 3.How are you already using this leadership gift?  In what new ways could you use it within St Matthew's?

Nov 30 th, 2008

• What has been the most challenging time for you as a disciple / follower?
• What do you think makes a good leader? Can you think of a good example of a leader who has impacted you enough to want to 'follow them?'
• Who's leadership are you 'under' at this present time? What have you/are you learning from this leader?
• Do you consider yourself to be a leader? In which ways, in which context?

Nov 23rd, 2008

• What do you think of this concept of a “person of peace”? Have you noticed some people who naturally “warm” to you or vice versa?
• In what situations are you regularly in contact with people who don’t yet know Jesus but who are interested in spiritual things? In what situations are you irregularly in contact with similar people?
• Discuss with someone (remember the circle?), how this verse (1 John 1:3) applies to people of peace, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

Nov 16 th, 2008

• UP: What strategies do you have in place to grow and develop and nourish your relationship with Almighty God, Father Son and Holy Spirit?  Are there other plans and ideas that you are considering that could enrich your spiritual life?

• IN:  Why are relationships with other Christians so important and significant in our lives?    Does the influence of other believers affect the way you live?  In what ways

• OUT:  Who make up your community or communities?  In what ways are you, and could you   be salt and light in these communities?

Nov 9th, 2008

• How balanced are work and rest, abiding and fruitfulness in your life at present?  What signs are there of balance, or of imbalance?

• How do you abide with Jesus?  What do you enjoy doing?  How can you encourage others to abide?

• Do you have a time of rest each day, week, month, season?

Nov 2nd, 2008

• How do you feel about personal review/reflection? Is it something you avoid or eagerly anticipate? Describe a moment in time when your “life was never the same again” as a result of a change in your life. Was it a good change or a bad change?

• When was the last time you discussed something about your life deeply with another person? How was the experience – good, bad, effective? Did changes come about as a result?

• Why do you think God is not content to “leave us the way he finds us”? In what ways would your life be better now if you put into action some thoughts you’ve been having recently?

Oct 19th, 2008

• What does authority look like in our society?  Who has authority?  Who does not?  How is authority used - and abused?

• Who / what has authority in your life?  Who / what shapes and influences the decisions you make?

• What does it mean for Jesus to have authority in our lives?  How much authority does he have in your life?  What does this look like practically?

Oct 12th, 2008

• How would you react if Jesus was coming to town? How did Zaccheus react (see Luke 19:1-10)? What is similar between his reaction and the people’s reaction in today’s reading? In what ways have you responded to Jesus positively?

• How does that contrast with the reaction of the Pharisees? Why do you think they reacted like that? In what ways have you responded to Jesus negatively?

• How do you explain Jesus’ comments about the stones crying out?

• What impression are you left with about: the institutional religion of Jesus’ day; everyday followers of Jesus? How do you account for the difference? What similarities and differences are there for us today?

Oct 5th, 2008

• Jesus told this parable (Luke 19:11-27) because his listeners had very different expectations on what would happen next to Jesus, compared with Jesus own understanding.  In what ways has Jesus operated differently to your own expectations in the past?  What have you learned through this?

• The ruler entrusts the servants in the story with great riches and resources.  Think and discuss with others what God has entrusted you with – financial and material things, people, experiences, spiritual gifts etc. etc. 

• How have you invested these things that God has entrusted you with?  What have you experienced in doing that?  In what ways is God calling you now, to use and invest the gifts and resources he has given you?  Talk and pray about this with a friend or in your mPod.

Sept 28th, 2008

• What do you know about the countries our visitors came from this morning?  Why not take a few minutes to read up about them online this week?  And ask God how you can pray for those nations.  If you want more resources to help you pray for the worldwide church, see sites like www.operationworld.org and www.opendoors.org.au

• How do we as a church relate to, and connect with, people from other nations here in Geelong?  What possibilities are there in Geelong for loving and serving immigrants and refugees, who may well be lonely and feeling lost in a strange land?

• We've heard stories this morning of God being at work in the lives of people all over the world, and of God working through really ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  How has God been using you to impact your part of the world - your family, your street, your workplace?  Think and pray about one way God could use you to share Jesus with someone this week.

Sept 21st, 2008

      Luke 18: 18-30

• Discuss the wrong assumptions that the rich young man made about salvation and eternal life.  Cf. Ephesians 2.9.   
  
• Why did Jesus stress the demands of the law?
• The young man thought he had a righteous heart so why did he turn away from Jesus with sadness? 
  
• What can keep us from commitment to Jesus and spiritual progress? 

      Luke 18: 31-34

The disciples did not understand…Are we sometimes slow to understand what God is doing because our expectations are for quick fixes and easy answers? We linger in the “good bits” and baulk at the challenging aspects of his call. We can take time to reflect privately and with others: Do we shy away from opportunities God is opening up for us because of fear or the possibility of rejection? Do we hesitate to step out in faith because we cannot guarantee the results?

Sept 14th, 2008

• What’s to like about Matthew? Is there anything that prevents you from just up and following Jesus?  Would you like to talk to someone about following Jesus?

• Why do you think the Pharisees wondered about Jesus eating with “tax-collectors and sinners”? What do you think they would have done?

• What do you think Jesus meant by the phrase, “I require mercy not sacrifice”? How have you been sacrificial rather than merciful? How might we show mercy to sinners? How would that work out in practise?

Sept 7 th, 2008

• How much of a God-botherer are you? What is it about bothering God that Jesus is trying to communicate to us? What should we be bothering him about? How easy do you find it to keep faithful when your prayers don’t seem to get answered “quickly”?

• What does the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector say to you? How can you be sure of your faith without being “confident in your own righteousness”?

• What would you say the difference between child-like and childish is? How doe this help with assessing your level of faith?

Aug 31st, 2008

• “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” (v33).  What do you think Jesus means?  What do you think it could mean for you to ‘lose your life’?

• Jesus spoke about the kingdom a lot (and rarely mentioned the church).  What does it mean for you to know that ‘the kingdom of God is in your midst’?  What signs are there that the kingdom of God is in our midst?  How might the kingdom of God become more evident amongst us?

• Jesus always had time for the outcast and marginalised, as we see with the ten lepers in Luke 17.  What does / could it look like for God’s kingdom to come among those on the edges in our communities?  How is God calling us to be engaged with them?

Aug 24th, 2008

• What do you think about divorce and remarriage? Why do you think the church allows remarriage of divorcees? What does Jesus say about the subject in this reading, and in other readings? What does the Apostle Paul say? How does forgiveness play a part in marriage, divorce, remarriage?

• What do you think about the idea that our un-forgiveness can be the thing which causes people to stumble? How might that happen? When has this ever happened to you? By you?

• How do you respond to the call for obedience in this passage? What happens when feelings get in the way of duty? What can be done?

Aug 17th, 2008

• What values are driving your life?  How could you live more simply, so that others may simply live?

• Who are the most valued people in your life?  What are you doing to share Jesus with them?

• Do you have regrets from the past?  Have you sought out to resolve these?  If it’s not possible to resolve them, have you sought healing and or forgiveness for yourself?

Aug 10th, 2008

Luke 16: 1-9

• The master praised and commended his steward.  What made him do so?

• Is there anything that Christians can learn from the wisdom of the world?

• In what ways can our material resources be used as “Spiritual capital” for the future? Cf. 1 Tim.6:17-19. What guidelines are there for the Christian’s attitude to material possessions?

Luke 16: 10-14

• How do these verses show that it was not the steward’s dishonesty that Jesus was condoning?

• We are called to be faithful stewards of our God-given gifts, talents and resources.

• In the context of the ministry where ever God has placed you, take time to consider how you may best serve Him.

Aug 3rd, 2008

• From what you heard of the reports back from M-Pod’s and the Doulos, what has struck you as important to remember, and why?

• In Luke 15, what is the common theme? What do you learn about God’s heart towards those who don’t know him yet? How is this similar or different from: your view of God; your view of those who don’t know God yet?

• Have you ever felt a bit like the brother? How does belonging to a church that has a clear focus on the “lost” make you feel? What can you do to contribute to the “search”?

July 27th, 2008

• What did you see this week that filled you with despair?  How would Jesus deal with that situation? Do you think you could be involved with that vision of hope?

• What have you seen that our church could get involved with? What will you do about it? Is there an M-Pod already working in that area? Is there someone with whom you could start a new M-Pod to reach that “mission field”?

• Do you need help sustaining your missional activities? What fresh vision for that mission can you get by seeing Jesus in the midst of what you are already doing? How will that help your prayers?

July 20th, 2008

• How you feel about the Sabbath? Do you take a “day off” each week? How do you dedicate that day to the Lord? How do you rest? Have you made rules for yourself and what happens on your “Sabbath”? What would it take to break those rules?

• How have you sometimes “exalted” yourself rather than “humbled” yourself? How have you done things for others secretly hoping for some kind of “pay-off”? How are you challenged by the call to invite “strangers” who may never be able to repay you, to events you run?

• Is there anything stopping you from being involved with God’s mission? Do you ever feel like you might miss out on the banquet? What could you do about that? Who amongst “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” do you know who could be invited to “the banquet”?

July 13th, 2008

• How do you feel about passages like the one we’re thinking about this week? i.e. that indicate that not everyone will enter the Kingdom of Heaven? What should we do then? What is the Lord saying to you about this?

• What do you think about the fact that there will be those who think they’re going to heaven but on the last day will be turned away? What should we do about that? If Jesus would not be put off by his detractors how should we respond to those who want to deny the work of God?

June 29th, 2008

• Verses 10-17. In Jesus’ view, what was wrong with the attitude of the ruler of the synagogue?
• Compare the ruler’s attitude to the miracle of Jesus with the response of the woman and the crowd.
• Verses 18-21.   What do each of theses parabolic similes teach us about the Kingdom of God?
• Cf. Mark 14.9 what is the relevance of this to evangelism

June 22nd , 2008

• What is the Lord saying to you?

• What are you going to do about it?

June 15th , 2008

• Take yourself back to when you were 10 years old. What did you know about: God, Sex, Life, Rules

• How has being a Christian helped you make choices and decisions in life?

• How might a 10 year old today view each of the above? How would their view differ from yours when you were 10?

• How can you or your Pod assist access ministries to ensure that Kids today have an active choice?

June 8th , 2008

• Are you ready? Do you live a life that is expectant on the return of Jesus?

• When Jesus returns, will it be like the shocked feeling you experience when someone has burgled your home? (Luke 12:39) Or will it be like that feeling of joy and excitement when a loved one or friend who you have not seen for a long time visits without warning?

• Jesus teaches that it will be good for the person who is ready for his return, what can we expect? (Luke 12:37)

• It is tough teaching, but Jesus says that the person who is given much, much will be demanded of them when he returns to judge all (Luke 12:48). We have been given much at St Matts, how can we corporately and individually be witnesses for Jesus and help grow his kingdom?

   

June 1st , 2008

• Are you a worrier? What makes you worry? What do you think today’s passage is saying to you?

• How would you like to seek the kingdom/see the kingdom come in your life/street/workplace/family/club? How can you “provide for yourself a purse that will not wear out” in each of these situations?

May 25th , 2008

'Cluster Sunday'

• How has your thinking changed about where church meets since last month? Who do you think church is for? Why? Why do you think it’s important for others to belong to church?

• What might be the essential ingredients of church if it met in smaller groups, outside the current building? What would concern you about not meeting in a “proper” church building? What would excite you?

• Which people (or group of people) would you naturally spend time with on a Sunday if you didn’t come to church? What ways might our church be able to help them belong? What would need to change in order for that to happen?

May 18th , 2008

'Warnings'

• How do you think Jesus was feeling as he delivered the warnings contained in Luke 11:14-54? What do you think made him feel that way?

• How might you have denied the work of Christ in the past? How has your attitude to what Jesus can and can’t do changed over the years?

• What do you think the “lamp of the body” stuff is all about? How does it apply to you?

May 11th , 2008

'Magnificat'

• What promise of God don’t you quite believe? Why? What would you need to see, read or experience to help you believe? Do you think young Mary fully believed what was going to happen to her? Why or why not?

• Have you known a time when you’ve need to respond like Mary did, “May it be to me according to your word”? what happened? Did God come through for you? How do you feel about that?

• **Try writing a song of praise for all that God has done for you. (Bring them next week to share- if you want to.)**

May 4th , 2008

'Christian Lifestyle'

• Are you a Martha or a Mary? Discuss. Given that being a Martha is unavoidable ( we are required to work ), are you making adequate room for the Mary? What does this account say to you about your own lifestyle?

• How might we sit at Jesus’ feet today? After all, he hasn’t come to visit your house, or has he?

• Are you a naturally good Samaritan? Which people will find this work natural? Are we inclined to leave such things up to welfare functions?

• Are we consciously aware of the qualities and values of the Kingdom? Do we adequately conform to Kingdom living as a basic lifestyle approach? Explain how you would live like that. Give examples.

April 27th, 2008

'Cluster Sunday'

• What is the most number of people you feel comfortable with in one place? How many people do you know who are Christians? Not-yet Christians? How many people are you connected to through your family? Work? Club? School?

• What do you think of the term “Oikos” (extended household)? What does it suggest in terms of natural relationships? How do you feel about the concept of people accepting Jesus by accepting you?

April 20th, 2008

'Prayer for Geelong'

• What does it mean today when Jesus says My house shall be called a house of prayer?

• What will St Matt’s look like in the year 2010 when our mission statement is no longer only seen through the eyes of faith, but that we can actually see the people following Jesus with a passion?

• Who is my Person of Peace? How can I Pray him/her into the kingdom?

April 13th, 2008

'Thankfulness Beyond Words' - 1 Samuel 2

• What have I got to be thankful to God for?
• Am I thankful for it?
• How can I be encouraged to be thankful when things go wrong?

April 6th, 2008

'Asking Beyond Hope' - 1 Samuel 1

• What is the thing you yearn for most? How does it feel, deep down? What can you do to change your situation? How do you think God feels about it? What do you want God to do for you? What do you think God wants you to do?
• Is there someone like Eli who can listen and help you with your prayer? What will this kind of accountability feel like?
• What will you do if your prayer is never answered the way you want it to be? What will you do if it is?

March 30th, 2008

'Seeing is Believing' - John 20:19-31

• Why do you think the disciples found it so hard to believe that Jesus was alive? Does it seem reasonable to you? Why/why not?
• What do you need to see in order to believe? What might Jesus be calling you to believe in without seeing?

March 16th, 2008

• What sense do you have about the overall outcome of the universal struggle between “good versus evil”?
• Can you remember a time when God has protected you from evil? What happened? What do you think about the “personal reality” of Satan? What do you make of Jesus’ encounters with him?
• What do you think and how do you feel about being enlisted in the army of God to push back the kingdom of darkness and extending the kingdom of heaven?

March 9th, 2008

'The Father’s Guidance' - Matthew 6:13a

• How am I doing in my struggle against sin & temptation?
• What trials & testing do I face?
• What good has God brought about through victories over temptation, and faithful perseverance through trials & testing?
  

March 2nd , 2008

'The Father’s Forgiveness' - Matthew 6:12

• Is there anyone that God can’t forgive? Is there anyone you can’t forgive? What was it like the first time you experienced God’s forgiveness?
• How do you forgive when the other person won’t or can’t acknowledge their wrongdoing? Who needs to take the first step in forgiveness?
• What should you do if you feel like you just can’t forgive?

February 24th , 2008

'The Father's Provision' - Matthew 6:11

• Besides the practical needs of things like food, shelter and money, what other needs do you have each day? When was the last time you actually asked God to provide for you?
• Can you remember a time when you clearly saw the abundant provision of Your Father, the King? What did you do in response?
• Is it ever right to ask God for more than we need for each day? Do you think there’s any limit to what God can provide

February 17th , 2008

'The Father's Provision' - Matthew 6:11

• What images does the word King conjure up for you? How does thinking of God as King change your image of God? How might you respond to God differently considering him as King over all creation, including you, those you live and work with?
• How does it feel to think of yourself as the child of a King? (The same king that let’s us call him “dad”). What privileges does it afford? What kind of power does it include?
• In what sense do we experience God’s Kingdom here on earth? What further expectation of the consequences of God’s kingdom do you have? Into which areas of your life do you need God’s Kingdom to come?

February 10th , 2008

'The Father's Character' - Matthew 6:9

• What’s the purpose of prayer?
• Do I really believe my prayers make a difference?
• How is my perception of Father God affected by my own experience of father figures?
• How would my prayer life change with a fuller understanding of God as my loving Heavenly Father?

February 3rd , 2008

Joshua 1:1-18

• What is it you fear most in following Jesus? What does the passage from Joshua 1 say directly to you? What do you notice about the whole tribe of Israelites?
• How do you feel about new things? Who else, (besides Jesus), can “walk alongside” you as you move forward into “new territory”? What will you ask God for as a result?