[Sunday] The Athlete - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

Paul, with a whiff of sarcasm, pronounces we all know an athlete never cheats in their game, which makes us ask ourselves, “Have we tried to shortcut the faith?

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast:  Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - The Athlete

1. Think of a time someone cheated at a sport or game.  What effect did that have on the final results?

2. Read 2 Timothy 2:1-13.  What do you find most challenging about Paul’s message to endure suffering and hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus?

3. Can you share a time when you felt like you were taking a "shortcut" in your faith or in life? What did you learn from that experience?

4. With the hope of the resurrection, how can we support one another when we are facing difficulties and challenges?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Not Ashamed - Hold Fast: 2nd Timothy

- When we have wanted to avoid them at all costs to stay away from evil, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Questions for the Week: Hold Fast: Paul's 2nd Letter of Timothy - Not Ashamed

1. Can you share a time when you felt weak but God joined you in your weakness? How can we better embrace our vulnerabilities and trust in God's strength?

2. Read 2 Timothy 1.  Why does Paul call out Phygelus and Hermogenes?  When are we tempted to push aside others in pursuit of power?

3. Are there areas in your life where you feel ashamed? How can we apply the message of the cross to overcome these feelings?

Luke Throwing away His Lightsaber in The Last Jedi

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Them - Missio Dei

- When we have wanted to avoid them at all costs to stay away from evil, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 -Them

1. What motivates a church to circle the wagons and escape from the culture around it?  On the other hand, what pushes a church into its mission field?

2. Read John 17:1-26.  Jesus prayed that His disciples would be sent into the world. What does this mean to you? How can we actively participate in God's mission in our daily lives?

3. We are all sinners. How does understanding this truth impact your relationships with others? How does it change the way you view yourself and those around you?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Living Water - Missio Dei

- She was sitting in stagnant water, but Jesus gives her living water which floods her being and pushes her to give good news to so many in her town.

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 - Living Water

1. What is the difference between stagnant water and running/living water?

2. Read John 4:1-42.  What stagnant water has the Samaritan woman experienced?

3. How does the “living water” that Jesus brings change this woman?

4. Think of someone you know who is surrounded by stagnant water. How might the Spirit work in you to bring living water to them?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Rain On Enemies - Missio Dei

- Look at the party the father is throwing. The whole town is there. Even that scoundrel Matt is there who stole from the father’s business. I can’t even believe he is throwing this party for that son who took everything from him. But did you hear about the drama with the older son? He is refusing to go into the party? After all, it was raining on the whole party.

Questions for the Week: Missio Dei: The Great Sending Part 3 - Rain On Enemies

1. Read John 3:16.  What gift does God promise you?  Why does He give you this gift?

2. Read Matthew 5:43-48.  Why does Jesus say to love your enemies?

3. Why does loving your enemies show God’s abundance and His generosity towards you?

4. When you look at the world with the eyes of Jesus, seeing God’s abundance all around, how does your view of the world change?  How might this view change the way you live?

Here are the Original Series.

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Look Up - Missio Dei

- They always looked down at Zacchaeus, but Jesus looked up at him. How would you respond if people were always throwing down what you love?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Back to the Sheep - Missio Dei

- When we ask for what is the greatest. Jesus points us to the way of the kingdom of God. The way of children, of sheep, and a Fox.

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] The Harvest - Missio Dei

Jesus says the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. What exactly is the harvest, and what does it have to do with baseball?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Ordinary Christmas - Missio Dei

Merry Christmas

Christmas comes with so much pomp and circumstance. From the decorated homes to all the gatherings, there is so much extra at Christmas. But where Christmas really shines is in the quiet of the ordinary.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Missio Dei: The Great Sending - Ordinary Christmas

1. Can you think of a time in your life that felt ordinary, but something good came out of it? 

2. Read Luke chapters 1 & 2.  What do you believe that you, as an ordinary-but-God-gifted person, can do to fulfill what God has sent you to accomplish?

3. Both John’s birth and Jesus’ birth were miraculous events.  What miracle has God performed in your life that convinces you of his love and that gives you the courage to be His representative?

4. This story focuses on the very young (Mary and two babies) and the very old (Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna).  What role does your age play in fulfilling God’s calling in your life?

The Great Sending: God's Heart for the World Beating Through You

By Sohns, Will

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Be Perfect? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Matthew 5:48

Wait, are we really supposed to be perfect like God? That’s a lot of pressure! But what if the perfect is more like the completion of the seventh day? Perhaps, in the perfection, we will finally find rest.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?  Jesus said What? - Be Perfect?

1. Share a story of a time you felt pressure to be perfect.  What effect did that pressure have on you?

2. Read Matthew 5: 43-48.  What does it mean to be perfect?  Discuss the idea of completeness vs. flawlessness.

3. How does God show perfect or complete love for us?  Can you think of examples from the Bible or your own life?

4. How can we bring God’s seventh day of completeness and rest to others, even our enemies?

New Song This Week!
Cornerstone

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Fear God? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Luke 12:5

Jesus, do you really want me to live in fear of God because He might throw me into hell? Or is this a larger lesson about what we should fear?

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?  Jesus said What? - Fear God?

1. What are some things you fear most in your everyday life? 

2. Read Luke 12:1-12.  What are some of the things people might have been fearing in Luke’s day?   How did the words of Jesus give hope in those times?

3. Many places in the Bible speak of fearing God, how would you explain what it means to fear God?

4. The sermon spoke of Job.  Can you think of other stories from the Bible (or even your own life) that shows God’s love and power over the fear that is in front of you?

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Buy Friends? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Luke 16:9

What an odd parable, Jesus. I read it many times and still don’t think I understand. Maybe if we are a bit shrewd in how we read, we can see what to hold on to and what to let go in Your kingdom life?

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?  Jesus said What? - Buy Friends?

1. Share a time when you or a friend haven’t been the best steward, or the most faithful in a job?  

2. Read Luke 16:1-12.  This is a confusing parable. How does it help to see God as the rich man and the Pharisees/Israel as the manager? What is the main point of the parable that Jesus wants the Pharisees and us to see?

3. The Pharisees were self-righteous and exclusive. Can you think of times in your own life, or in the church community, where people might act similarly? How can we be more open and welcoming to others, even those we might not consider "righteous?"

4. There is eternal hope through grace. How does this concept change the way you approach challenges or failures in your life? Can you share a story of a time when focusing on God's grace helped you

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Hate Family? - Say What - Jesus Said What?

Luke 14:26

Dive deep into a seemingly harsh verse from Luke 14. Is Jesus really asking us to hate our families? Explore the surprising truth behind this verse, and discover the freedom of loving God and neighbor without excuses.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   Say What?: Jesus Said What? - Hate Family

1. At first glance, when Jesus says to “hate” our family, what does it sound like He’s telling us to do? 

2. Read Luke 14:12-33.  What does Jesus really mean by this?

3. What are some excuses you make to not follow God completely or not love your neighbor completely?

4. In the sermon and in Luke 14, Jesus encourages us to count the cost.  Can you think of Jesus and count the ways that He has loved you?  How does that make loving God and neighbor easier?

Jesus Said What?

By Kennedy, Christopher M

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Don't Look Away - His Eyes The Book of Judges

Judges Chapters 17-21

The Book of Judges, though a difficult read, confronts us with the ugly truth of how easily we turn away from God and calls us to acknowledge and confess our own sins instead of ignoring them or destroying others.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Don’t Look Away

1. When are times that you are tempted to look away and not speak up?

2. Read Judges 18-21.   How bad have the sins of God’s people gotten at this point?  What is the result of doing what is right in our own eyes?

3. We talked about two unhealthy responses to sin: ignoring it and destroying the sinner. Can you think of any examples in your own life, your community, or even current events, where people tend to ignore sin or focus on destroying the sinner rather than addressing the root of the problem?

4. Read 1 John 1:8-9.  Rather than looking away from sin, what are we called to do?  How does Jesus respond?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Blind Samson - His Eyes The Book of Judges

Judges Chapters 10-12

Samson is set apart. He has a special diet and ways to groom himself. He is powerful and can defeat those who should be stronger than him. But even though he is blind to the ways of God, God is not blind of him.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Blind Samson

1. We connected Samson's struggles to our own tendency to be blind to God's work. Can you think of a time when you relied on your own strength instead of trusting in God? 

2. Read Judges 15:11-16 and Judges 16:23-30.  What evidence is there that Samson had selfish motivation to fight the Philistines?

3. Skim over all of Samson’s story from Judges 14-16.  In what ways is Samson just like the people of Israel? How is Samson blind to what God is doing? In what ways are we similar?

4. Jesus comes to fulfill Israel.  How is Jesus a true and better judge for us?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Cultured Jephthah - His Eyes The Book of Judges

Judges Chapters 10-12

Japhthah tragically misunderstands God's nature, thinking that God will only act because of grossly large devotion. But the actual kingdom of God is one of grace and forgiveness that sets us free.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Cultured Jephthah

1. Can you think of a time in your own life where you approached God with a transactional mindset? Maybe a prayer bargain or feeling like you needed to "earn" God's favor? How did that make you feel?

2. Read Judges 11.  Where did Jephthah come from?  Who wanted him to be the leader?  How is this different from the other Judges we’ve looked at so far in this series?

3. Why do you think Jephthah makes the vow that he does? What does this tell us about his view of God?

4. The sermon talks about God being a God of grace, not transactions. How can we better integrate this idea into our daily lives and avoid falling back into a performance-based faith?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Gideon's 300 - His Eyes The Book of Judges

Judges Chapters 6-9

Despite hiding in fear, Gideon becomes God's unlikely instrument for delivering Israel, a reminder that God uses the unassuming to achieve the extraordinary.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Gideon’s 300

1. Initially Gideon feels underqualified for the calling God makes on his life. Have you ever felt unqualified for a calling or responsibility?

2. Read Judges 6.   How can Gideon's story help us deal with feelings of inadequacy when faced with a calling or challenge?

3. Read Judges 7:The concept of "too many people" (Gideon having too large an army) is an interesting one. How can this idea apply to our own ministries or our vocations? When might trusting God involve letting go of control or certain ways of doing things?

4. Gideon ends up making an idol (the ephod) out of his success. Can you think of any times in your own life where you've taken credit for something God played a role in? How can we be mindful of giving God the credit he deserves?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Judge Deborah - His Eyes The Book of Judges

When Israel strays, a ruthless warlord named Sisera emerges, leaving a trail of terror.  But hope flickers in the unlikeliest places: God raises up a prophetess named Deborah and a seemingly ordinary woman, Jael, who, together, hold the key to a surprising, victory-clinching act.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Judge Deborah

1. Describe a time when someone surprised you by doing a great thing when you didn’t expect much from them.

2. Read Judges 4 and 5.  How does God deliver His people in an unlikely way?

3. We can see that God is working through the weak and unexpected. Can you think of a time in your own life when you felt weak or unqualified, yet God used you in a surprising way? How can we be more open to seeing God working in unexpected ways?

4. We see that God's victory is already secure through Jesus. How can this concept change the way we approach challenges and relationships in our lives?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Ehud Left - His Eyes The Book of Judges

This week's judges cycle: we meet Ehud, the crippled lefty who reminds us that God's power shines brightest in weakness.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Indistinguishable

1. There is a consistent cycle in the book of Judges - rebellion, oppression, and then deliverance. Have you ever experienced a similar cycle in your own life? How can we break free from this cycle?

2. Read Judges Chapter 3. We see how God uses a seemingly weak and “left-handed” person, Ehud, as a judge. What are some of the ways we define strength today? How does the story of Ehud challenge these definitions?

3. We often try to hide our weaknesses. Can you share a time when you felt weak or vulnerable? How did you deal with it?

4. Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.  Connect the story of Ehud to the concept of God’s power being made perfect in weakness. What does this concept mean to you? Can you think of any other examples from the Bible or your own life that illustrate this concept?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Indistinguishable - His Eyes The Book of Judges

The book of Judges isn't a straight line but a cycle. Redemption and rebellion echo, reminding us how easily we stray. Prepare to see yourselves in the Israelites' struggles, becoming indistinguishable to the culture around us.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK:   His Eyes: The Book of Judges - Indistinguishable

1. Read Judges 2:6-23.  The book of Judges talks about a cycle the Israelites fall into. Can you identify the different stages of this cycle? How does this cycle relate to our own lives and the challenges we face?

2. The sermon mentions how easy it is to become indistinguishable from the culture around us. What are some ways this can happen in your daily life? How can we stay true to our values even when pressured to conform?

3. What does Jesus offer us that the judges in the book of Judges could not? How can faith in Jesus help us break free from cycles of sin and self-destruction?

4. Do you see living among non-believers as a problem, a possibility, or both?  How can you live a good life among non-believers today?

The Bible Study from last year.

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What Had happened at Grace this week.