The Spirit and Pentecost | Acts 2:1-41

In Jewish tradition, Shavout is the day the Torah was given to Moses. In the New Testament, Shavuot is the giving of the Holy Spirit. Same day and no coincidence! While many believe Acts 2 is the birth of the Church the disciples understood that what happened to them there was equal in importance to what happened on Mt. Sinai. It was the empowerment by the Holy Spirit that gave them the revelation to preach the gospel for the first time to Jewish people, in the Temple courts, in Jerusalem! Today, the Holy Spirit still empowers followers of Yeshua to turn from our sins, lead us to better living and save us from judgement.

Poised For Action | Acts 1:12-26

Christianity exploded onto the scene in the latter half of the first century. Through miracles, persecution, and missionary endeavors the gospel spread. Over the centuries followers of Jesus have transformed the world. It all started with 120 people gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and empower. What can we learn from them to help us spread the gospel today?

How Does The Story End? | Job 42:10-1732

Does the end of the book of Job teach that we should expect things to always turn out happy after we go through a period of suffering? When understood in the context of the entire book (as well as the rest of the Bible), we can confidently say that is not what the end of Job is teaching. As followers of Jesus, we know that the ultimate end of the story is eternal joy, even if we experience hardship and suffering in this life.

God’s Wise Rule | Job 38-41

Many modern readers struggle with God’s response to Job near the end of the book. Many people hear it as a power play in which God deflects Job’s questions and puts him in his place. However, this misunderstanding is due to our failure to see God’s parental and personal heart of love for Job in these chapters. When rightly understood, God’s invitation to Job is the same invitation to all of us: trust in him because he is perfectly wise.

Justice vs. Wisdom | Job 4, 28

Sermon Description

It has been said that in the book of Job, Job goes through trials, but it is God himself who is on trial. Specifically, the question is raised whether it is right for God to reward people for righteous behavior. It is this issue that is behind the majority of the book of Job, some 33 chapters of dialogue between Job and his friends. In the end, we are invited to see that the world is far more complex than we often think, and we are invited to trust in God’s wisdom as he governs the world.

Job’s Advocate | Job 16:15-22

Throughout the Book of Job, Job expresses his desire to meet with God and work out whatever the problem is. In multiple places, he cries out for an advocate, somebody to mediate between him and God. For a moment, it looks like  the surprise character of Elihu might be that mediator.  But in the end we see that the advocate that Job longs for is surpassed in every way by Jesus.

The Sin of Self-Righteousness | Job 3, 31

At the beginning of the book of Job, we are introduced to a man who is blameless and full of integrity; God himself speaks of Job’s outstanding moral character. But at the end of the book, Job is rebuked by God and repents of his prideful speech. What happens to Job that leads to this dramatic change? A careful look at the words of Job shows that he despairs because, at the end of the day, he trusts in his own righteousness and not the mercy of God.

The Tests of Health & Wealth | Job 1:13-2:10

Sermon Description

Job is tested to see if he loves and serves God only because God blesses and protects Job. As the blessings and protection are removed, we see that Job continues to worship God because God is worthy independent of the blessings.

Discussion Questions

  1. Is it possible to have a disinterested righteousness? (Spiritual allegiance that does not depend on external circumstances; True devotion to God without thought of reward and punishment)

  2. How have you seen the “prosperity gospel” or other transactional approaches to God at work in others or in yourself?

  3. Why is it dangerous to become over-focused on the benefits of a relationship with God?

  4. Compare Job’s response in today’s passage to Moses’ in Genesis 22. Imagining yourself in those situations, how would your devotion to God compare?

  5. Has there been a time of loss or difficulty that has helped you refocus on the Lord because he is worthy independent of his blessings?

Prayer Points

  • Pray for God to protect his people from the dangerous message of the “prosperity gospel” and other similar misleading falsehoods.

  • Pray that God will help you treasure him above all other things. Pray this for your church family as well.

  • Pray that our witness to Jesus will communicate the true Gospel that leads to faith and life.

More Resources

  • Article on the 5 Errors of the Prosperity Gospel by David W. Jones

  • Video Why I Abominate the Prosperity ‘Gospel’ by John Piper

  • Video Dr. John Walton talks about the Retribution Principle

The Satan and the Sons of God | Job 1:6-12

Sermon Description In the introductory section of Job, we witness a scene where God meets with his divine council, the “sons of God.” In this meeting, the satan comes and challenges God’s perspective on Job’s integrity. A scene like this in the Bible invites us to remember that our world is not merely natural; there are things happening in the supernatural realm all around us.

Discussion Questions

  1. When it comes to the supernatural, which “ditch” are you more prone toward: the over-fascination ditch, or the stay-away-from-it ditch? Why? 

  2. Read Genesis 11:1-9, then Deuteronomy 32:7-9, then Psalm 82. Is the idea of God ruling the nations by means of a divine council new to you? How does this perspective help us to make sense of the Bible’s teaching on the spiritual realm?

  3. Jesus came, died, and rose again to bring us (the nations) back into God’s family. How does this aspect of the gospel story affect you personally? 

  4. Why is it important to remember that “the satan” no longer has access to the throne room of God? How does this truth give you confidence: for life, for worship, for evangelism?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would help us to view the world around us biblically: both natural and supernatural. Pray that we would not become accidental naturalists.

  • Pray for boldness and confidence to share the gospel with those who are still under the control of the kingdom of darkness.

More Resources

There Was No Covenant | Job 1:1-5

Sermon Description
The Book of Job is notoriously hard for modern people to read and understand. Why is Satan in heaven talking to God? And why does God take him up on a bet? Why does Job suffer so much? While Job is undoubtedly a dense and challenging book, one key that helps us understand the book is this: the people in the book of Job do not have a covenantal framework to know how to relate to God.

Discussion Questions

  1. Have you ever read (or tried to read) the book of Job before? What questions did you have? Did you struggle to understand it? Why or why not?

  2. What is your understanding of the term “covenant”? Do you think of it as the ancients would have, as a “completely normal word”? Or do you exclusively think of it in divine terms?

  3. Why is “no covenant” such an important key to understanding the book of Job? How might Job’s actions and the friends’ conversations be different if they had clear rules of engagement with God?

  4. Even though all of God’s covenants are good, why is the new covenant in Jesus’ blood the best one possible? How does the new covenant give us confidence? Why should we be thankful and loyal?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would use this series in the book of Job to grow our trust in him, to deepen our resolve in times of hardship, and to make us more like Jesus.

  • Pray that Jesus would give us opportunities to help people come into right relationship with God through the new covenant that has been offered to us.

More Resources

The Mission Goes On | 2 Timothy 2:8-13

Sermon Description

Paul was imprisoned by the Roman government and we have been quarantined at home for safety by order of our government.  In both cases, the Gospel is not restricted but flows powerfully and effectively.  In fact, the more you restrict the Gospel, the more powerfully it advances.  The question now is: will you and I join in the powerful overflowing of the Gospel into the world and the lives of people who so desperately need Jesus the Savior?

Discussion Questions

  1. Do I know the core parts of the Gospel message and can I communicate them in my own words right now?  How do I need to improve on this?

  2. How can I build connections with others both in the church and outside of the church?  

  3. Am I living my life more for my own personal kingdom or for the Kingdom of God?  What areas of my heart or my life are insulated from the mission of the Gospel?

  4. Who in my circle of influence needs to hear the Good News of Jesus?  What are some steps I can take to begin to share Christ with them?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that we will not be discouraged by the uncertainty of the future but will be confident in the power and effectiveness of the Gospel of Jesus.

  • Pray that we will each answer the call to join with Christ in the mission to share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom.

  • Pray for one individual who needs to hear the gospel and for the opportunity to share with them.

More Resources

Don’t Judge Each Other | Romans 14

Sermon Description

As we enter into discussions about reentering public life—worship gatherings, small groups, family gatherings—people have a wide variety of opinions and feelings on what we should do. Jesus cares deeply about the manner in which we approach these subjects. While we can disagree, we have an obligation to do so in love and free from judgment.

Discussion Questions

  1. If we truly kept our eyes on Jesus and ourselves instead of on the actions of others, how would that free us from the trap of judgmentalism?

  2. In what areas of your life are you a “stronger” brother or sister? What areas are you a “weaker” brother or sister? How can you relate to both positions?

  3. How does the gospel free us to disagree with our brothers and sisters in love? How does Jesus’ accommodation of our weakness help us to sympathize with those who we might deem “weaker” than ourselves?

  4. How does our loving, judgment-free disagreement fuel evangelism in a world that is so polarized and fractured?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would break down your pride, particularly for those who are “stronger.”

  • Pray that we would love each other without judgment as brothers and sisters.

  • Pray that our unity and love would cause others to come to faith in Jesus.

Stability In Unstable Times | Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon Description

What we see today is that Jesus prepares his disciples, namely Peter, for the life-shaking events of his death, burial, and resurrection by giving them at least three rock-solid truths to believe in no matter what comes.

Discussion Questions

  1. How is the truth that Jesus will build his church a comfort to you right now?

  2. Do you take comfort in the fact that there is no power or authority that can overcome Jesus or his church? How?

  3. When was the last time you longed for Jesus Kingdom to come on this earth?

Prayer Points

  • Pray for our church and others in the North Puget Sound area to be built on the right foundation- the gospel.

  • Pray for courage to share Christ with people during this season.

  • Pray for Jesus's Kingdom to become manifest through our lives.

More Resources

The Lifestyle of Jesus | Mark 1:29-38

Sermon Description

As we face this global event, many of us deeply desire to “get back to normal.” But, what is the “normal” that we want to get back to? What if this season was an opportunity for followers of Jesus to reevaluate the rhythms of our life to see if they match up with how Jesus lived his life?

Discussion Questions

  1. Be honest with yourself and others: does your lifestyle (not just ethics) match up with the patterns of Jesus? Why does our culture seem diametrically opposed to the spiritual habits and disciplines of Jesus?

  2. Of the four life-rhythms highlighted (Scripture, solitude, Sabbath, and simplicity), which is the hardest for you to practice and why?

  3. Even if we had the spiritual disciplines nailed, how is the gospel—what Jesus had done for us—our only true hope?

  4. How can the spiritual habits and lifestyle of Jesus actually serve to further the mission of Jesus in our lives?

Prayer Points

  • Set aside time for individual solitude and prayer. Pray both out-loud and silently. Bring your requests before God, but also spend time in stillness and reflection on God’s truths.

  • Pray that God would shape us to be a church that doesn’t just only believe the truths of Jesus but lives the lifestyle of Jesus.

  • Pray that our lifestyles would further the mission of Jesus by showing his easy yoke to a world that is living under a crushing weight.

More Resources

I Hate Zoom | Genesis 2:4-24

Sermon Description

During the current COVID-19 world event, we are spending more time than ever on Zoom, Facetime, Facebook Live, and the like. And while this technology can be helpful, it serves as a reminder of how important physicality and embodiment truly are. In Genesis 2, we see that God makes the man from “the dust of the earth,” which means that having a body is part of what makes us truly human. God cares about the spiritual and the physical.

Discussion Questions

  1. As a group, everybody share a favorite Bible verse that has something to do with the body (e.g. Romans 12). As you read these verses, what stands out to you?

  2. Why is it so hard to live in the tension between the physical and the spiritual? Why do you think that we are so prone to separate the two, or emphasize one and not the other?

  3. What are the implications of the incarnation of Jesus? How is the embodiment of God our only hope? What does it mean that right now, Jesus exists in heaven in his resurrection body?

  4. Read through 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. How does the idea of our “spiritual bodies” help us to always be “abounding in the work of the Lord”? How does the idea of embodiment fuel mission.

Prayer Points

  • Pray that you would always take your body seriously as a part of your spiritual life.

  • Pray for passion to share the gospel with people in your life who don’t yet know Jesus and the hope of eternal, embodied, perfected life.

More Resources

Why Do I Feel So Sad? | Jeremiah 6:22-26

Sermon Description

When faced with difficulties in life, people respond in a variety of ways, like denial, escapism, or despair. In the Bible, we see that lament  is God’s gift to those who are troubled and hurting. Christ’s immanence means that we can experience his comfort, and his transcendence means that we can be lifted above the troubles of this life.

Discussion Questions

  1. Does the Biblical language of lament sound strange to your ears? For example, read Jeremiah 7:29, Psalm 44:23-24, or Lamentations 5:20. Do some of the verses even sound disrespectful toward God? Why or why not?

  2. Where do you need to truly lament right now? How can we encourage each other to lament well?

  3. Jesus is the “man of sorrows” but he is also the “king of kings.” How does his immanence (closeness) help us to experience his comfort? How does his transcendence (above-ness) help us rise above life’s troubles?

  4. In what ways might our witness be more effective if we truly knew how to lament well? How could true lament help show the gospel to those in our lives who don’t know Jesus?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that we would experience the comfort and closeness of Jesus as we lament well.

  • Pray that our eyes would be fixed on Jesus, who is above all things.

  • Pray that our lamenting would be a witness to the gospel in a world that doesn’t lament well.

More Resources

Followers of Jesus Need Not Fear Death | Philippians 1:20-30

Death is an ever-present reality that all people must face. We must reshape our view of mortality so that it is in proper alignment with what the Scripture teaches us. When we recognize that Christ has defeated the totality of death through his resurrection, we can live knowing that our work is not in vain and that to die is to be with Christ.

Discussion Questions

  1. What are some unhealthy reactions to the reality of death that you witness in the world around you? What unhealthy reactions are you most prone to committing?

  2. How does the sovereignty and goodness of God help to provide comfort in the face of a world of suffering and death?

  3. How has Christ’s resurrection changed our view of death? How does it change our view of life?

  4. How can you take the message and hope of the eternal life found in the gospel to a dying world? How can you be a comfort to those who are suffering the death of a loved one or are suffering in a profound way?

Prayer Points

  • Pray for opportunities to comfort others with the message of eternal life during this current time of pandemic.

  • Pray that whether in life or in death you may seek to labor unto glory and find your delight in the sovereignty of God.

The Resurrection and Chaos | Luke 24:1-12

Sermon Description

The morning of Jesus’ resurrection seemed chaotic to his first disciples—the end of an already-chaotic week. But, the resurrection is the opposite of chaos. It was God’s first and most important step of a New Creation plan, a plan to bring peace and order into a world that has been broken and disordered by sin.

Discussion Questions

  1. Read the four resurrection accounts in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. What differences do you see? Contra what some skeptics say, how might these differences actually be evidence of the reliability of these accounts?

  2. With your group, discuss the chaos that the first disciples experienced during the week between Palm Sunday and the resurrection. How does it comfort you to know that you are not alone in feeling like the world is chaotic?

  3. What does it mean that Jesus’ resurrection is the first, decisive action in God’s “new creation project”? How does this help orient our perspective on what is happening in the world?

  4. Where do you notice chaos in our world? Where are you currently experiencing chaos in your heart and mind? How does the gospel bring order into our own hearts, and then into the world?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that you would personally experience God’s new creation reordering in your own heart and mind.

  • Pray that God would use you to help bring his new creation into this world.

More Resources