On Sunday, Darrin Patrick from The Journey in St. Louis taught on how we, as Christians, often times find our contentment in material things instead of God. Instead of seeking contentment in Him, we seek it in our life situations, our families, technology, etc, when we should really be seeking contentment in the only thing that can satisfy--God.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Rate your contentment on a scale from 1-10. Why do you think you feel this way?
- What are some things outside of God that you try to find contentment in? What do you believe will really make you happy outside of Him?
- Knowing what these things are, pray that God would grant you the grace to not find contentment in them, but in Him instead.
- Pray that God would be your strength and would be in control in your life.
On Sunday, Pastor J.D. Greear from the Summit Church in North Carolina taught from John 12 on God’s heart for unreached people groups. He explained that God desires believers to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel and preach His message to all peoples.
Here are a few things to ponder:
- How would your heart change if you viewed people who don't know Jesus as individuals and not just a statistic?
- How can you best use your giftings to help reach the lost?
- Pray that God would change your heart towards unreached people groups.
- Pray that God would show you the best way to leverage your talents in reaching those who don't know Jesus.
For more information on the Austin Stone 100 People project, please visit 100peoplenetwork.org.
On Sunday, Ronnie taught from Hebrews 11 on the difference between saving faith and “shameful” faith. Saving faith is a faith that realizes that we are sojourners on this earth, the earth is not our home, and that all of God’s promises will not be fulfilled in this life. “Shameful” faith finds satisfaction in the things of this world and security in salvation through what they know about God (facts alone), instead of actually knowing Him.
- Write down a few instances where it was difficult to have faith in God’s promises (sufferings, trials, tribulations, etc).
- What was your response to those times? Did you press further into God or draw away from Him?
- How would someone with saving faith respond in those times? How would someone with “shameful” faith respond?
- Pray that God would grant you saving faith
Matt taught us that faith is believing what God has said and trusting our lives into it. Here are some questions to help you process through the sermon:
- What are some symptoms in your life that might indicate that you are not trusting what God has said? Look for sources of anxiety, frustration, jealousy, or discontentment.
- What are some specific things God says in His word that would provide you comfort if you believed them to be true?
- Pick a couple of verses that provide you with truth and memorize them, praying and thinking on them throughout your week and asking God to build faith in you through them.
In Genesis 13, we see the example of Abram being a peacemaker and giving up his rights as patriarch by allowing Lot to choose first which land he would settle. Abram valued peace and doing right by both God and man over defending his rights or taking what was his. Abram’s example shows that when we extend grace to others and put them first, we honor both God and man. We freely receive grace from God to freely give grace to others. We don’t freely give grace because we don’t properly value the grace God has given us.
- Who in your life are you withholding grace or forgiveness from? What can you do to resolve your conflict with that person in a way that honors God and that person?
- Pray for a better understanding of grace, so that you can unselfishly give grace.
In Genesis 12 we watch as doubt seems to ruin everything for Abram, but we see that in the midst of his failure, God is faithful. Here are some questions to help you think through how to apply the sermon:
What is your famine? Abram trusted God's promise initially, but when a famine came into the land he panicked and began to doubt God's provision.
- What are the circumstances that are making it hard for you to trust and believe God's promises? What things make it hard to believe He is working everything for your good?
What is your Egypt? Abram ended up losing his wife in Egypt and making such a mess of his life that it seemed impossible for God's promise to be fulfilled.
- What are some ways you have ‘messed things up' so bad that it's hard to see how God's promises can still come true? If you are not there now, reflect on a time in your life when it looked like you had blown it.
- Make a list of some promises of God that you are tempted to doubt. What behaviors, emotions KEEP READING
On Sunday Halim taught us from Genesis 12 concerning God's call of Abram. Abram was living in Ur of the Chaldeans and the Lord told him to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house. We learned that faith is trusting God with things that we can not see. The call to trust God is the call to put Him above all things in our lives, even the good things. In light of what we learned spend time this week considering the following questions:
- What are the things in your life, good or bad (job, family, children, etc.), that if you lost, you would feel like you couldn't go on?
- This is another form of idolatry, is it hard for you to see it that way? Why is that?
- We learned that faith is birthed by God, pray that He would give you the strength to keep affections centered on Him.
On Sunday Matt talked about how many of the Old Testament stories we have discussed so far reveal deficiencies in dealing with sin. Adam and Eve getting expelled from the garden, the Tower of Babel, and the flood all show that we needed a definitive defeat of sin. The problem of men's sins were only dealt with temporarily. Only through Jesus Christ do we have final freedom from sin.
- Identify three or so sins that you struggle with the most
- Are you relying on fortitude or the finished work of Christ to fight against these sins?
- Pray that God would give you the strength to live like you are truly dead to sin
On Sunday, Jeff talked about how easy it is for us to neglect the little things that God has called us to for what we see as bigger and better. This is very dangerous for us because by forsaking the little things we can become just like the Pharisees who missed the heart of God. We too can focus on "big" things.
In light of what he discussed, consider thoughtfully the following questions:
- How are you doing in the details of the Christian walk: prayer, reading the Bible, living on mission?
- When you consider your job are you being faithful with the little things like walking in integrity, working hard, showing up on time?
- Are there areas in your life where you are looking for a larger ministry (whether vocational or secular) platform but don't yet have it? Do you see any lack of faithfulness in your life concerning the small things that may be keeping God from entrusting you with more?
This Sunday, Matt taught through the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-4) to reveal that idolatry is at the root of our sins. Our hearts are created with desires that only God can fully satisfy, yet in our unbelief we attempt to satisfy those desires with lesser things.
In light of the message this week, spend some time considering the following questions:
- What people or things do you use to satisfy your desire for home, to be known, and to find significance?
- On a daily basis, how do you settle for the mediocrity of the world rather than the greatness of God?
- If you trusted God to fulfill your desires, how would your long-term goals change?
- Beg God that He would be the only source of satisfaction in your life.
On Sunday, Jeff explained the importance of genealogies inScripture. Genealogies help toremind us of the character of God, our identities in Him, what He has saved usfrom, and the mission He has given us. Jeff went through Genesis 10 to show us each of these characteristicsthrough the sons of Noah—Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Shem (reminds us ofthe character of God)
- How has God been faithful to you when you have not been faithful to Him?
- Do you always believe that God is trustworthy and faithful? Explain.
- Beg God to show your heart that He is always faithful.
Ham (reminds us of what He has saved us from)
- In what ways have you been like Nimrod? (i.e. You have felt as though you can do things without God)
- Jeff used Psalm 73 to show that one of the ways of fighting such arrogance is through community. What does Biblical community look like in your life?
- Live in Biblical community throughout the week, helping each other grow in Christ through admonishing, KEEP READING
This Sunday, Halim taught from Genesis 6-9, explaining that God was grieved by man's wickedness because He chose to bind His heart to ours', knowing that we would sin against Him. Halim showed how Noah, the flood, and the rainbow all point us to the redemptive nature of the Gospel.
Noah's righteousness and his family's undeserved salvation points to Jesus's righteousness and our own undeserved salvation.
By abiding in the ark, Noah was saved from judgment by the flood. By abiding in Christ we are saved from judgment by the cross.
The rainbow serves as a reminder that God's wrath is no longer turned toward those people who are saved by the righteousness of Christ.
In light of these truths, consider the following questions:
- What kept God from ending all of creation because of their wickedness?
- Do you view your life as a product of God's willingness to suffer? If not, what keeps you from believing that truth?
- Consider Noah and the salvation of his family. How do your responses KEEP READING
On Sunday, Jeff taught from Genesis 6:5-22 on the two great costs on Noah's life-the great cost of trusting God with everything, and the tremendous cost of being favored by God. Hebrews 11 says that Noah found favor with God because of his faith in Him, which caused Noah to believe God and to pursue God with all his life.
The Cost of Trusting God:
- How did Noah trust God with everything?
- In what areas do you trust God? In what ways don't you? How can you work on those things throughout the week?
- Pray that God would give you trust such that you trust Him with your whole life, and that you would trust Him in those areas throughout the week.
The Cost of Being Favored by God:
- What do you think it looks like to be favored by God?
- What does the Bible say being favored by God looks like (think Mary, Job, etc)?
- Are you willing, no matter the calling, to go "all in" with God? Are you willing to lay everything (money, possessions, house, job, etc) at the foot of cross to KEEP READING
This Sunday, Matt taught on endurance and being completely satisfied in God. He showed that both Genesis and Matthew tell us that most people are willing to trade God's unfading love for the fading beauty of this world and fall away from Christ.
Take time to examine your heart condition and consider the following questions:
• Could the world offer you something that would cause you to fall away from Christ? Could the world make you a better offer?
• Is there anything that your heart loves more than Jesus?
• Is there any trial that would cause your love for Jesus to grow cold?
• Pray earnestly that God would persevere you until the end of your life.
On Sunday, Matt taught from Genesis 5:1-24 about a man named Enoch who walked with God. Hebrews11 explains that it was because of Enoch’s faith that he did not die butinstead was taken by God. Therefore, death does not have reign in our lives, but by grace through faith we have life in Jesus Christ.
The Gospel
- Take some time to define the Gospel.
- What ares of life do you find frustrating or aggravating?
- How does a resurrected Christ address these areas of your life?
- Pray that the Gospel would become apparent through these areas.