 The Turning Point from Discouragement (for the week of April 18, 2021) (PDF at the bottom) This Week’s Scripture: John 20:19-31 Key Idea from Sermon Jesus gives encouragement.
1. The disciples have left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee. Describe the scene in verses 1-3. 2. Read verses 4-6 and Luke 5:1-11. Based on those texts, why do you think John and Peter knew it was Jesus (vv. 7-8)? (Observation: Verse 9 says there was a warm fire and breakfast waiting for the disciples when they came ashore. Even as the risen Lord, Jesus continues to serve his disciples. This verse (the fire of burning coals) also sets a familiar scene of where Peter denied Jesus (John 18:18), which will come into play.) 3. Read verses 15-17. What does Jesus ask Peter three times? Why? (See John 18:15-18, 25-27) 4. The first time Jesus asks Peter this question, he adds the phrase, “more than these.” Read John 13:37; Matthew 26:33; Mark 14:29. Based on these Scriptures, why might Jesus have added that phrase? 5. How does Peter reply to Jesus each time? What emotion does Peter have after Jesus asked him the question the third time. Why do you think that is? 6. Based on the Scripture, what shift or turning point do you think was happening to Peter as he was asked the same question three times in a row? 7. What did Jesus command Peter to do after each of Peter’s replies? What did Jesus mean? (See John 10:11, 14 and 1 Peter 5:1-4) 8. This scene in John’s Gospel is commonly referred to as Peter’s recommission or reinstatement to apostleship after his denials of Jesus. At what point(s) in your own story have you experienced Jesus “reinstating” you to serve him? Or, to deepen your relationship with him? 9. Pastor Phillip emphasized the encouragement Jesus gave to Peter. What does it mean to encourage someone? Why is encouraging another person so important? 10. Share a time when you were going through a season of discouragement and were strengthened and built up by someone else coming along beside you to encourage you? What difference did it make in your life? 
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 Turning Point Connections (for the week of April 11, 2021) PDF at the bottom This Week’s Scripture: John 20:19-31 Key Idea from Sermon Jesus connects us to each other.
1. Beginning with the end of this week’s Scripture (vv. 30-31), what purpose does the Apostle John give for writing his Gospel? (Who does John want you to believe Jesus is? And what will be the result for believing this about Jesus?) 2. What does it mean to “have life in his name” (v. 31)? In what ways have you already experienced this “life” to which John is referring? 3. As you think about the key events (or, “signs”) in the life and ministry of Jesus, which ones do you find most captivating? Which ones played a significant role in bringing you to faith in Christ as Messiah, Son of God, and Savior (your “Turning Point”)? 4. Read verses 19-23. Jesus had just been crucified. What emotions do you think the disciples were experiencing and why? 5. What are the first words Jesus spoke to the disciples after he miraculously appeared to them? Why was it important that he spoke those words to them? How did they respond? 6. How did you respond when you first realized that Jesus was not a dead historical religious figure, but was truly raised from the dead and lives today? In what way was that a “turning point” in your life? 7. The “Sent One” is now the “Sender.” This part of John 20 is sometimes referred to as John’s “Great Commission.” What does John say Jesus sent his disciples to do? How does that compare with Matthew’s version of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)? 8. According to verse 22, what does Jesus provide the disciples with to equip them for their mission? Why is this important (essential)? 9. What did Jesus mean (and not mean) in verse 23? (You may want to consult a Study Bible or online commentary to help you answer this one.) 10. Read verses 24-29. After seeing Jesus “in the flesh,” how did Thomas respond to Jesus? What is the significance of Thomas’ response? What is important about the way Jesus, in turn, responded to Thomas and how does that encourage you? 11. Returning to the theme of our first two questions, who are three people in your "Personal Mission Field” that you can share this life-giving, good news with? Based on this week’s lesson, what will you share with them? 12. As a group, pray (specifically or generally) for those people in your Personal Mission Field. Ask the Lord to begin to prepare their hearts and minds to be receptive to this good news (Gospel). And pray for the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and who was breathed out upon the disciples in our Scripture, to work in and through you as you share the Gospel with those you are praying for.
 A Jolt in Jerusalem (for the week of March 28, 2021) This Week’s Scripture: Mark 11:1-11 Key Idea from Sermon The Triumphal Entry: Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King.
1. Where did the events of this story take place (v. 1)? What did Jesus ask his disciples to do (vv. 2-3)? 2. How did the disciples’ experience match with what Jesus said (vv. 4-7)? What did the people in the village do when the disciples asked to take their colt (v. 6)? 3. How did Jesus enter Jerusalem (vv. 7-11)? 4. Why did the people spread cloaks and branches on the road for Jesus? What was the atmosphere of the crowd when Jesus rode into Jerusalem (vv. 8-10)? 5. What did the people shout when Jesus entered the city (v. 9)? What did Jesus communicate to the crowds by riding a donkey into Jerusalem? 6. What does the reaction of the crowd tell us about how they interpreted Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (vv. 9-10)? What can we learn from the attitudes of the people who followed Jesus into Jerusalem? How can we express our praise to the Lord? 7. Why do you think Jesus went to the temple first but then went out to Bethany with his disciples (v. 11)? Why didn’t Jesus stay in Jerusalem (v. 11)? 8. What do you think the disciples thought about what Jesus asked them to do? How should we imitate the disciples’ example? 9. When has God told you to do something that you thought was unusual or difficult to justify? 10. Why do you think God does not always reveal his intentions or long-range plans for us when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances? 11. What should we do when we do not understand what God is trying to accomplish in us and through us? 12. What could you do this week to celebrate what Jesus has done for you? 13. How should you react the next time a situation arises that you don’t understand? May you richly experience the presence of God this week!!!
 The Very Reason He Came (for the week of March 21, 2021) PDF File at Bottom This Week’s Scripture: John 12:20-33 Key Idea from Sermon Jesus said “yes” to God’s plan. Jesus brings glory to God.
1. Explain what happened in John 12:20-22. 2. What was it about the visitation of the “Greeks” or “Gentiles” that led Jesus to realize “his hour” had come (“his hour” = the time for him to go to the Cross” – verse 23)? 3. What is Jesus saying in verse 24? What are the practical implications of his teaching for Christian living? 4. Read verse 25. What does Jesus mean by using the following Jewish idioms? What is his main point in this verse?
5. What are some ways you “love your life” in this world (in the way Jesus is speaking about it)? 6. What should “hating your life” in this world look like (in the way Jesus is speaking about it)? Why is it so hard to have this perspective? 7. According to verse 26, what does a person who is serving Jesus do? What should that look like in a person’s life? And what is the “reward” for serving Jesus, according to Jesus? 8. Read verse 27. What was the “very reason” Jesus came to “this hour?” Why was Jesus so troubled over it? 9. How did this “very reason” bring glory to God? What does it mean to glorify God? Read 1 Corinthians 10:31 and describe what glorifying God ought to look like in your life. 10. Who is the “prince of this world” referring to in verse 31, and what does it mean that he will be “driven out?” 11. Now that you have had a chance to reflect on this week’s Scripture, what would you say God’s plan was that Jesus said “yes” to? 12. Share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for one another if you feel comfortable doing so. May you richly experience the presence of God this week!!!
 For God So Loved (for the week of March 14, 2021) PDF at the bottom This Week’s Scripture: John 3:14-21 Key Idea from Sermon From all eternity God freely wills the good of others and gives of himself to them. This is most beautifully expressed in our Lord Jesus Christ being “lifted up.” We call this self-giving the “love of God” and we receive it as we believe (or, trust) in Jesus.
1. What are some ways our culture defines love? (Think about how your family, friends, television shows and movies, songs, greeting cards, etc., express it.) 2. Which of those definitions do you think is closer to a biblical understanding of love? Which of those definitions is further away from a biblical understanding of love? Explain why you think that. 3. Based on this week’s Scripture, how would you describe the “love of God” to a friend? What are the key characteristics of God’s love? Give examples of your understanding from this week’s Scripture. (Also, read Romans 5:6-8 and 1 John 4:7-12 for further guidance.) 4. What does it mean that the Son of Man (Jesus) will be lifted up (v. 15)? (Learn more about the reference to “Moses and the snake” by reading Numbers 21:4-9.) 5. What does it mean to “believe” in Jesus (see verses 15, 16, 18)? 6. Does “believing in Jesus” mean more than intellectual acknowledgement? Explain your answer. (To help you, think about the difference between “knowing someone” and “knowing about someone.” How are they the similar? How are they different?) 7. According to verses 15 and 16, “eternal life” is the result of believing in Jesus? What do you think that means? Is that a comfort to you? 8. Based on this week’s Scripture (as well as the other Scripture in question 3), why was it necessary for God to express his self-giving love through Jesus in this way? What was the state of “the world” prior to the sending of Jesus? Do people still need Jesus today? If so, why? 9. As you reflect upon God’s initiating, self-giving love for you, what feelings and emotions do you experience? Why do you think that is? 10. In what ways should your love for God and others be tweaked (or completely overhauled) by a richer understanding of God’s love for you? 11. What are some ways you continue to experience the love of God daily in your life? 12. Share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for one another if you feel comfortable doing so. May you richly experience the love of God this week!!!
 Cleansing the Temple (for the week of March 7, 2021) PDF file at the bottom This Week’s Scripture: John 2:13-22 Key Idea from Sermon “The temple was holy ground, but unholy things were going on there. Therefore, Jesus went on a rampage and threw out the people who were selling animals for sacrifice at scalper prices. He cleansed the temple. He forcibly threw out all the unholy clutter. He returned the temple back into a holy place for holy purposes. The Bible says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Jesus wants to cleanse our temples of unholy things too. Let’s let Him!”
1. What is “Passover” and why was Jesus observing it? (Read Exodus 12:1-14 to learn more about Passover) 2. Based on the Scripture from Exodus 12, how would you say Jesus fulfilled Passover? (To learn more, visit the following link from, “Jews for Jesus," - “Christ in the Passover.” It is a wonderful visual explanation of how Jesus fulfilled Passover.) 3. Did you already know how Jesus so beautifully fulfilled Passover, or was this new to you? What impressed you most as you realized how Passover pointed to the coming of Jesus? Did you have an “aha” moment? Share with your thoughts and experiences with your group. 4. How might you share this good news about Jesus with your family members and friends? What key points would you highlight for them? 5. Jesus was not happy with what was taking place in the temple courts. Why did this bother Jesus so much? What was supposed to be happening there? 6. The disciples remembered that Psalm 69.9 says, “Zeal for my Father’s house will consume me.” What do you think that means? Pastor Phillip asks, “How does zeal for the Father and his house consume you?” 7. What does “zeal for God’s house or temple” mean in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19a: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 8. Knowing that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, what are some practical things you can put into practice to help you maintain a “zeal” for God? What “unholy things” do you need to cleanse from your life? 9. What was Jesus referring to in verse 19? 10. The disciples and others did not seem to understand what Jesus meant in verse 19. When did the disciples finally understand what Jesus meant and how did they respond? 11. Share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for one another if you feel comfortable doing so. May you richly experience the presence of the Lord this week!!!
Convoluted Conversations (for the week of February 28, 2021) PDF file at bottom This Week’s Scripture: Mark 8:31-38 Key Idea from Sermon To follow Jesus is a challenge to take on transformation, which involves “taking up your cross and following Jesus.” Starter Questions from Pastor Phillip 1. Read Mark 8:31-38 and answer the following questions.
For Further Discussion 2. After traveling with Jesus for three years, believing they were part of something extraordinary and world-changing, how do you think the disciples felt after hearing Jesus’ words in verse 31? Why? 3. In verse 32 Peter began to rebuke Jesus. Can you imagine? Jesus then put Peter in his place with some pretty hard words. What do you think Jesus meant by telling Peter he did not have in mind the concerns of God but merely human concerns? 4. Can you think of a time recently when your concerns were more like Peter’s, than God’s? If you feel comfortable doing so, share your experience and thoughts with your group. 5. Why do we often find it easier to react to life-events through the lens of a temporal (“merely human”) perspective rather than God’s eternal perspective? 6. What would having an eternal perspective even look like in an ordinary day for you? What impact would it have? How might that impact in your life serve as a witness for Christ in the lives of your friends, family, or coworkers? 7. What are some spiritual habits you have put in place to help you maintain God’s eternal perspective during the various experiences of your life? 8. Read verses 34. Put in your own words what Jesus meant by each phrase of his “discipleship description.”
9. Even though we are saved by grace and have the Holy Spirit living inside us, to guide and empower us, in what ways have you found following Jesus hard to consistently live out? 10. What are some specific ways the members of your group can encourage you to put into practice what Jesus says about denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following him? 11. Share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for one another if you feel comfortable doing so. May you richly experience the presence of the Lord this week!!!
 Toughing Out Against Temptation (for the week of February 21, 2021) PDF file at bottom Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group. This Week’s Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 Key Idea from Sermon Jesus helps me when I’m tempted. Some Thoughts from Pastor Phillip The Holy Spirit led Jesus into this place of challenge. The Holy Spirit will lead, and be with us, during this time of challenge. We shouldn’t be afraid. Jesus fasts. This is a discipline that has been largely neglected in the modern western church. Jesus is famished and weak afterwards. Along comes the devil. He is smart and opportunistic and he looks for places to exploit. He seeks to exploit Jesus’ hunger, His insecurity with God the Father, and His heaviness about going to the cross. Jesus makes it through the temptations. Starter Questions from Pastor Phillip 1. Read Matthew 4:1-11 and answer the following questions.
For Further Study & Discussion 2. What were the three ways Satan tempted Jesus? 3. When are you most likely to give into a temptation? Why do you think that is? 4. How did Jesus counter each temptation? What does that teach you about Jesus? 5. Read verse 4. What do you think Jesus’ response in that verse means for followers of Jesus today? 6. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, “lead us not into temptation…” How do you avoid temptation? How do you counsel your child or good friend to resist temptation? 7. Based on Jesus’ three responses to Satan, how would he advise us to resist the everyday temptations we all face? 8. Share how you have grown in “spiritual wisdom and strength” to resist temptations in your life? How did you gain such wisdom and strength? 9. How do you usually respond after you have given into a temptation? What sort of impact does it have in your life? 10. Based on Matthew 4:1-11, what spiritual disciplines (or habits) had Jesus been committed to? In what ways do you think those disciplines helped him resist the devil? How might they help you? 11. Have you ever fasted for spiritual reasons? Share your experience with your group. What did you learn about God? About yourself? 12. Take prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for one another if you feel comfortable doing so.
 Get Ready for It (for the week of December 6, 2020) PDF file at bottom Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group. This Week’s Scripture: John 1:19-28 and Psalm 126 Key Idea from Sermon Let God prepare us. We can anticipate change. For Starters 1. Read John 1:19-28 and Psalm 126 and answer the following questions.
For Further Study & Discussion 2. Read John 1:1-18. According to John 1:6-8, who was John testifying about? 3. What do the following descriptions of Jesus emphasize about him and why he came (based on verses 1-18)? You may need a study Bible to help you.
4. What else do verses 1-18 say about Jesus? 5. Who did the Jewish leaders think John might be (vv. 19-21)? Why? 6. What had John been doing that these leaders were concerned about (vv. 23-24)? 7. How does John answer their question in verse 26? Whose authority does John imply he has to announce and do these things? 8. Read John 1:29. How did John describe Jesus and what purpose did he say Jesus came to fulfill? 9. Read Psalm 126. What does this Psalm teach you about God? 10. What hope does Psalm 126 give you?
 The Way Maker (for the week of November 29, 2020) PDF at Bottom Note to Group Leaders: More than anyone else, you are aware of the size of your group, time constraints, the needs of your group, etc. Please read through the Scripture and material below and use whatever you believe will be most helpful to your group. This Week’s Scripture: Mark 1:1-8 and Isaiah 40:1-8 Key Idea from Sermon Everyone needs a Savior. Everyone needs to be prepared for Jesus. Every Christian needs to help others be prepared for Jesus. For Starters 1. Read Isaiah 40:1-8 and Mark 1:1-8 and answer the following questions.
For Further Discussion 2. What do Mark’s first words tell us about his gospel (v. 1)? Explain. 3. Who was John the Baptist, according to verses 2-3? Why was John sent? 4. How was Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled (v. 4)? What is your reaction to the fact that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled? 5. What two things did John focus on in his preaching? 6. How did the people respond in verse 5? 7. Who was John referring to in verse 7? In what ways were the two men similar? In what ways were they different from one another? (vv. 7-8) Applying the Scripture 8. What does the message of Jesus offer to people? 9. What usually prevents us from being witnesses for Jesus? 10. How can a person’s witness reflect humility and respect for Jesus? 11. How can we make sure that our lives focus on Jesus and not ourselves? 12. What step could you take this week toward becoming a better witness for Jesus? 13. How can you encourage other Christians to be witness for Jesus? Devotion on Mark 1:1-8 God’s Providential Hope Mark 1:1-8 Four Hundred Years Four hundred long years had passed since Israel last heard from a prophet – from God himself. Four hundred years of silence. But now, there was one who spoke from the wilderness. His purpose? To declare the arrival of God’s promised one, the Messiah – the one who would rescue God’s people. How warmly welcomed that good news must have been, especially since Israel was under Roman rule. To finally be delivered from that oppression must have been the best news. The prophet John’s calling was to prepare the way for this mighty Deliverer by announcing his arrival. It was Jesus himself, just a few verses later (Mark 1:15), who would declare that his new Kingdom was now at hand. But how would a person become a citizen of this Kingdom? By repenting and believing God’s good news. God’s gracious and providential hope was still available after such a long time had passed. God never forgot his promises. And Yet And yet the good news of God’s Kingdom was not welcomed as good news. God’s Deliverer was not embraced as such. We know from the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus, that he and the Kingdom he ushered in were not what the people of his day had in mind. Jesus didn’t fit the expectations many had for the Messiah. He didn’t seem to say and do what the people had hoped he would say and do. Still, he was God’s providential hope for his people. Their only hope. Israel needed to be rescued from something far greater than Rome. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was willing and able to save his people once-and-for-all. But not many of his people were willing to be saved on his terms. Their hopes and dreams took the shape of temporal desire – to understandably be out from under the thumb of Roman rule. They allowed the good to become the enemy of the best. What are your expectations of Jesus? Are your hopes temporal only? Or, are your hopes filtered through an eternal perspective? In-Between Living Advent is the liturgical time of year in which we more fully and formally remember that we live between the two appearances of our Lord, Jesus Christ. His first arrival, which we celebrate during the season of Advent and Christmas, ushered in God’s Kingdom – his rule and reign in our lives. Our focus during this time of year helps us better reflect upon who Jesus is and why he came. It also gives us space to think about how we ought to live in light of his appearance. However, just as we are called to live responsively to his first advent, we must also live expectantly toward his second. That is the time, as C.S. Lewis put it, “when the author walks on to the stage [and] the play is over.” Lewis adds, “That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not.” Are you prepared for the coming of Jesus? How can you better prepare for that Day? Looking at and learning from his first advent informs how we are called and commanded to live in preparation for his second one. More than that, it is only as we repent of our sin and believe his gospel – the good news of his Kingdom – that we can enter the fullness of life he offers.
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