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Experiencing Joy at Christmas

11/29/2020

What do you love about the Christmas season?
Are there difficult elements to the season?
In the message Pastor Ken talked about the Delgado family in Chicago who were joyful and hopeful despite their meager surroundings. Have you know individuals or families like that?
What was the life a shepherd like? To whom would you compare them today?
What part of their encounter with the angelic messengers stood out for you? Have you had an overwhelming experience with God – what was it like?
Why do you think God chose to give this announcement to people like those shepherds?
Put yourself in the sandals of those shepherds. When the angels left, what were they thinking? Why did they head to Bethlehem instead of shrugging it all off?
What might have been going on in their heads and hearts when they actually found the baby? (verse 16)
Look at verses 17-18. What does it say they did? What kind of response do you think they may have gotten? Why?
How is our culture good at peddling happiness instead of joy? What’s the difference between the two?
What gives you real joy in life?
Where have you found joy in the Christmas season?

God's Got This

11/22/2020

As we prepare for a very different Thanksgiving, what are you lamenting right now?
Read Philippians 4:4-9.
What caught your attention from this passage?
What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?
Why do you think he specifies “always”? Describe how it might be possible to do this even in hard times.
Why do you think Paul is so serious about showing “gentleness” and “being anxious for nothing”? Why would he mention this in this context? (Hint: how do these two things impact our relationships and connection with others?)
How does praying bring peace? What does it look like for the God of peace to be with someone?
What do our hearts and minds need to be guarded or protected from? What does it mean to be guarded “in Christ Jesus”?
Try and come up with antonyms for each of these adjectives in verse 8. How does this clarify what Paul is talking about?
How might living out verse 8 impact our lives and even our ministry?
Reflect on the promises of verses 7 and 9. How have you experienced the peace of God in the midst of difficult circumstances?
What sorts of things occupy your mind lately? How does your preoccupation with these things affect your relationships? How does it affect your joy in the Lord? How does it impact your experience of having God’s peace in your life?
In light of our conversation tonight, what might God be calling you to this week?

A Reason to Hope

11/15/2020

What do you think it means for Christians to be “entrepreneurs of hope”?
A Hollywood screenwriter was asked if he thought people were getting better and smarter. In response he said, “I think we're actually becoming stupider and more petty…What's going on…is beyond depressing. It's terrifying…I can't believe anybody thinks we're actually going to make it before we destroy the planet. I honestly think it's inevitable. I have no hope…I want to be wrong, more than anything.”
Do you know people who share this perspective? How would you respond?
How hopeful do you think people are in the face of the pandemic? What gives them hope? What might make them feel hopeless?
What other events or situations in our culture chip away at people’s hope?
Read Romans 5.1-8. Can you identify the progression in Paul’s teaching found in verses 1-5?
What is the core message of the New Testament found here? (see v8)
Do you agree or that every person lives by some moral code? If so, what do those codes look like? How might they be like or different from the biblical model?
Do you know anyone who actually lives up to their own moral code, Christian or otherwise? What does that tell us?
How do you think most people deal with guilt?
How did the cross deal with our sin and guilt? Why is this “good news”?
In what ways is the cross a symbol of hope?

One In Christ

11/8/2020

Remember a time when you thought, “I wonder why so-and-so did that or said that?” What was it that really perplexed you?
When have you read one of the stories about Jesus and wondered about his words or actions?
John 17 is a glimpse into the heart and concerns of Jesus. What is the setting for this prayer? What else went on that night?
Who was he praying for? Who wasn’t he praying for? Does this surprise you? Why was his prayer so narrowly focused?
In the prayer, what requests did he make of his Father? (see vv15-17, and 22-23)
Have you ever been in a business, organization or church where there was a distinct lack of unity? What was it like? What were the consequences?
Read Ephesians 4.4-6. Paul states that unity in the church is a FACT. Where does our unity come from? How have you experienced this unity with other Christians?
Unity doesn’t require UNIFORMITY on all matters. What do you think are the “essentials” that we must all adhere to? What are some issues or beliefs that Christians have historically disagreed about? When is disagreement OK and when is it harmful to the church?
Read verse 23. Why did Jesus say unity is so important?
If unity is also a GOAL that we work towards, how can we do that? What characteristics or attitudes in the church will help us maintain and build unity?
What challenges to our unity at First Covenant might we experience in the days ahead? How will we overcome them?

Cloud Church

11/1/2020

What are some “little life lessons” that your parents taught you?
Name one influential person in your life from your family and someone from outside the family, and how they impacted you.
Read Hebrews 11:1-2.
This is one of the clearest definitions of faith in the Bible. What do you like about it? Does it raise any questions for you?
Read Hebrews 11:32-40.
This entire chapter gives a long list recognizing great people of faith. Look at the list of names in verse 32. How are they examples of faith? Did any of these exhibit a lack of faith in their lives? How?
Verses 32-35a describe the positive results of faith, and verses 35b-39 speak of the difficult consequences of faith. Who do you think the writer had in mind with these examples?
Why is it significant that both the positive and negative consequences of faith are included?
Why does it say “yet none of them received what had been promised” (v39)? Had they not seen God active in their lives? What was the writer pointing to?
Read Hebrews 12:1-3
Verse 1 identifies the “great cloud of witnesses" they just finished talking about in ch 11. Who are some members of this “cloud” who came from First Covenant? What do you remember about them?
Why is “perseverance” such a necessary element of faith? When have you been tempted to “throw in the towel” in regard to your faith? What kept you going?
Like runners, we’re called to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” What are some common “hindrances” that might weigh God’s people down?
We are called to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” How do you do that?

Sticky Path

10/25/2020

When was the first time you remember someone planting the “seed” of Jesus in your life? How did you respond?
Read Mark 4.1-20
What stood out to you from this passage?
How are the four types of soil similar? What makes them unique?
What does Jesus say was the main point of the parable? Why do you think Jesus described four different soils rather than just two?
How do you know if someone is good soil?
What factors keep people from being good soil? How do you see these factors hinder people’s faith life?
How does someone become good soil when they are not?
In verse 9, Jesus says, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” What does this mean?
During this season of life, which soil do you identify with the most? What factors in your life are contributing to that?
In the context of developing a sticky faith in the next generation, what might we learn from this passage about the topic of passing on our faith?
What next steps do you need to take this week in light of what we talked about today?

Sticky Justice

10/18/2020

When you hear the word “justice” what comes to mind? What example of injustice do you notice in the world?
Have you ever been in a situation where you believed you were treated “unjustly?”
Can you think of an example of someone who claimed they were treated unfairly, but it was really just an attempt to cover up their own poor choices?
Read Micah 6.1-8.
What stood out to you from this passage?
What is the Lord trying to address by His words in verses 1-4?
Based on verses 6-7, how did the people think they might regain God’s favor? How do these correspond to ways people think they can gain God’s favor today?
What does verse 8 tell us about what God is really looking for from us?
This Sunday we heard about pursuing justice through our work (the jeans factory in Madagascar) and in the community (Life Remodeled / Hope & Harbor). Where else have you seen God’s people involved working for justice?
How have you advocated for others through your work or in the community?
We also heard about the need to “honor” every person. Why is this hard sometimes?
Why should we as believers give honor to every person? What would this look like in practical terms?
Who belongs to your “in group” and your “out group”?
How can the church and families help children and students develop a heart for serving others? Share examples of what has worked in your life? What have you seen others do?
What next steps do you need to take this week to help foster sticky justice with the next generation?

Sticky Conversations

10/11/2020

What was a really good conversation you remember having with a parent or other close family member when you were growing up and why was it memorable?
Read Deuteronomy 11.13-21.
What stood out to you from this passage?
What are the commands that Israel is being asked to obey?
How did Moses describe the potential blessings Israel could experience once they had settled in the land and what did this prosperity depend on (see vv13-15)?
What warnings did Moses give them and what would be the consequences (see vv16-17)?
Now go back to the beginning of this chapter and read verses 1-7.
What did Moses tell the people to remember?
In verses 18-20 Moses instructed the people to “fix these words of mine” on their hearts & minds, and to teach them to their children through ongoing conversations. Why is the connection to these things light of the reminders given in verses 1-7? (Especially pay attention to vv 2-3a, 5, and 7)
How does all of this translate to parents and those in the church today? What should we be passing on to children and students and why?
Some kids talk freely with their parents and others are more reluctant. As kids move into the adolescent years it can be even more of a challenge to talk about important things like faith. What have you done to encourage your kids to talk? What has worked? What has not worked?
What next steps do you need to take this week to help foster sticky conversations with the next generation?

Sticky Relationships

10/4/2020

Who are the significant people in my life that set an example of loving God and helped to impress faith in my own life?
Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9
What stood out to you from this passage?
What are the sticky faith implications of verse 7 where it says, "Impress them on your children"? Do you see this as a call on just parents, the community, or both? Why?
Why do you notice about the specific examples Moses mentions in verses 7-9? What does this mean for us?
A few chapters later, Moses talks about the dangers of not keeping these commands in Deuteronomy 6. Take a second to read Deuteronomy 11:13, 11:26-28. How do you see this play out in the rest of the Scripture? For you today?
To what degree do you see the kids in our church at the “kids’ table” (whether they are your own children or they are from other families)? What is good about that? How might it be problematic?
What are the advantages of kids developing their "sticky web" (trying to surround each child or student with up to five adults who care about them)? What are the costs?
What current rituals, events, or gatherings does our church already offer that helps develop a "sticky web" for our kids? What could be tweaked to include this "sticky web" flavor? What new ideas could we explore to help adults and students connect in the congregation?
How are intergenerational relationships mutually beneficial? How have you seen this at work in your own life?
Does First Covenant need a culture shift in developing and deepening our intergenerational relationships? Why or why not? If so, how can you help change your the culture?
What next steps do you need to take this week to help cultivate a sticky relationship with the next generation?

Sticky Identity

9/27/2020

What are the different sources from which we might develop our identity from?
Do you agree with the idea that the first year of college is a lot like redoing middle school when it comes to our identity formation? Why or why not? How are these two life stages similar or different?
Read Genesis 17:1-6 and Genesis 22:1-18
What stood out to you from this passage?
What was Abraham’s God-given identity?
How hard do you think it was for Abraham to keep trusting God and his promises?
How is Abraham’s trust in God an example of “sticky faith?”
Sticky Faith tells us that there are a few areas that can cultivate a sticky identity environment: rituals that reinforce identity, capitalizing on hardships, affirmation of character, and modeling faith. How have you experienced these in your own faith development?
What was a hardship or “trigger event” (significant struggle that have been a major catalyst for faith growth) in your own identity formation? What kind of “trigger events” might our kids/teenagers experience? How do you address them?
How do role models help us form an identity? Who was and/or is a role model of faith for you?
What next steps do you need to take this week to help cultivate a sticky identity with the next generation?

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Experiencing Joy at Christmas

God's Got This

A Reason to Hope

One In Christ

Cloud Church

Sticky Path

Sticky Justice

Sticky Conversations

Sticky Relationships

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