Sermon Discussion Blog

The Five Second Answer:

God loves us, we blew it, Jesus paid for it, we must receive Him.

The One Minute Answer:

>  God loves us.  God is loving, holy, and pure.  He loves every person "as is",  where they are, and where they've been.
>  We blew it.  We were originally created good, but we have messed up, sinned, and missed the mark.  We are...

For centuries people have asked this question.  Was it to set a great example?  Teach us important things?  Show compassion?  To start a revolution?  Jesus answers the question in the story of a Zacchaeus from Luke 19:1-19.

Read the story it's pretty cool.  It's about a lonely outsider who gets invited in, a person who has made massive...

After Easter life is never the same for Jesus' disciples.

I am talking about disciples back then and disciples like you and me today.

Yes, the disciples were confused and afraid at first [and so are we from time to time] - but they remembered what Jesus had said.  They waited and then moved swiftly to continue with love for the broken, the...

This clip from The Passion of the Christ depicts Jesus falling as he carries his cross.  An observer [Simon the Cyrene] is told to help Jesus.

Jesus' cross becomes Simon's cross.  Simon's cross becomes Jesus' cross.

Imagine.  Imagine it was/is you in Simon's place.

Read the story in Luke 23:26-32.

What do you need when you're caught in the act of betrayal?

Something you can't get from yourself - "unmerited favor."

The most powerful source of grace is when it is extended by the wounded party.

Are you an extender of grace or are you holding out for justice?

Luke 10:37

SOAP?

Yes.  SOAP - Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer.  A simple tool for groups and individuals to dig deeper into the Bible.  And when we dig deeper our confidence goes UP!

Now you can discuss and SOAP the sermon.

Keep it simple!

Each Christmas Season we take a break from writing Sermon Discussion Guides and this year is no exception. 

January 8, 2012 Sermon Discussion Guides will return!

Most  groups take a winter break during the Christmas Season.  What this can mean is:

1. Meet 1 or 2 times during December
2. Plan a fun group "Christmas Pot-Luck" and invite friends...

The story in Luke 16:19-31 depicts a rich man in hell and a poor man in heaven.  Not that rich people to go hell and poor people to heaven.  The story speaks of the great chasm that exists between the two.

A couple of pages further we find Jesus talking about how we enter heaven.  It is another rich man/poor man teaching in Luke 18:9-14 and a...

Pastor Matt Warner is talking right now.  He's telling the story when he was in high school and  being pulled over, handcuffed, and then a girl steps out of the police car and says "Will you come with me to the prom?"

Sometimes we expect one thing and things turn out completely different.

He went on to talk about the Old Testament character "