Sermons
Catalina Foothills Church Sunday Sermons
The Cross Kills Fear and Restores Hospitality
March 3, 2024 • Pastor John Stone • Leviticus 19:33–34, Titus 1:7–8, Hebrews 13:1–3
Sermon Questions for 3/3/24: The Cross kills fear and brings hospitality How do we see God practicing hospitality in creation? How did Israel experience hospitality from God? How have we experienced hospitality? How do we see it in the new heavens and new earth? If God is hospitable how does that shape our call to follow Jesus? How do we see Jesus do hospitality? How does a church become hospitable? How is hospitality to shape the official leaders in a church? What is a good definition of hospitality? What are the things that promote fear of hospitality in us? How does love drive out fear? How does loving our neighbor reflect our love for God? What does it mean to be normally hospitable? Name a place where you experienced hospitality and how does that help you think about its practice?
How the Cross Kills Exhaustion and Restores Rest
February 25, 2024 • Pastor John Stone • Psalm 62
What are some things that assault you into exhaustion? What is the difference between physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion? What is a potential source of spiritual exhaustion? How is the writer of this Psalm experiencing all three? Why does the Psalmist describe the people doing the assaulting as breath and nothing? Why is it so hard to see the truth about assaulters? What is the perspective he is asking us to embrace about the assaults to us? How does rest come to this writer? How can he be certain he is OK when he never speaks a word about himself? What is revealed in the lack of his not speaking of his own works and life? How are verses 11 & 12 bring hope and rest to the writer? Why might some evangelicals misread verse 12?
Wrestling with God
February 11, 2024 • Pastor John Stone • Jonah 4
Questions for Jonah 4 – 2/11/24 Why is Jonah struggling with God? How does Jonah represent both Israel and the church today? What is God teaching both groups? How do we try to make God in our image and not vice versa? How is Jonah frustrated and against God’s call on his life? Where does Jonah’s anger come from? How is Jonah being arrogant in this anger? How is Jonah’s desire for death an avoidance of a harder death? Why is Jonah sad about God’s grace? How is this about justice for Jonah? How was Jonah missing the grace he received? Why do none of us want grace.
And They Were Astonished
February 4, 2024 • Rev. Joe White • Matthew 7:28–29
Matthew 7:28-29 They were astonished. What about the word of God is astonishing? Why do we often fail to see that astonishment or remember it. How do we remember it or rediscover that? Why is it hard to read it? What is the kingdom of God and how is it different than the church? What is counter intuitive about the kingdom of God? Which way does the kingdom of God move us? What is the gospel in this passage? What does the gospel work into all of us? Think beginning of the sermon on the mount. What does the gospel call us to embrace? How does it change us.
In a Fish without a Paddle
January 21, 2024 • Pastor John Stone • Jonah 2
Questions Jonah 2:1-10 What are the moments that often drive you to prayer? Why is it that distress and not joy is often the occasion for prayer? What form do the distresses take in our lives? How do you work to seek quiet in your life and world? What is a normal prayer look like when you are in distress? How does Jonah's prayer inform us of how to pray? How does Jonah's prayer demonstrate honesty over form? He avoids flowery fake words. Why does honesty make prayer more real? What does the experience of Jonah teach us about how to pray? How is prayer the truest form of worship? How is prayer a demonstration and confession that God loves us? Why is grace the foundation of prayer and how does grace makes prayer easier and freeer? Where does pray rightly aim?
God's Relentless Love
January 14, 2024 • Pastor John Stone • Jonah 1:7–17
Jonah 1:7-17 How is Jonah under the discipline of God in this chapter? What does discipline feel like? Why does it feel that way? What does this storm/discipline make us feel like? Is this normal? What is the purpose of this storm? Why do we need it? What about us makes us runners? Where do you see it in your life? How is this story about God's love and not anger? How is God's love pursuing Jonah even here? How is Jonah being thrown in the ocean a kindness? What is God doing for himself and for Jonah?
Jesus Our Shepherd, Friend and Host
December 31, 2023 • Pastor Rob Pendley • Psalm 23
Psalm 23 Catalina Foothills Church December 30, 2023 Quotes It is the very character of God to cherish his sheep and when they are diseased or weak to nurse and support them. --John Calvin We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd. ― Charles Spurgeon The comfort is the presence of the shepherd in the midst of the danger rather than the comfort of the removal of the danger. --David Gibson It is an utterly staggering thing to have as your shepherd the one who is strength itself, who never tires, never slumbers, and who never needs protection himself. –David Gibson Your Shepherd didn't just say you're going to the valley. He said you are going through the valley. In other words – you are going to make it. ― Louie Giglio For discussion Read the text through 2 or 3 times. What key words strike you? How is God pictured? What opportunities are presented for the follower of Christ? The first and last lines of the psalm has the personal and covenant name of God…..Yahweh. (English Bibles signify this by saying “the LORD”. Note the small caps) Thoughts? The very middle of the psalm contains the simple promise of God’s presence: Thou art with me. There are 26 words that lead up to “you are with me” and 26 words that follow. During the first 26 words God is referenced in the 3rd person. The final 26 words focus on God’s presence with us with the psalmist speaking TO God in the 2nd person. Thoughts? I will not lack…. Because Yahweh is my shepherd. Discuss. Where/when/about what ----are you tempted to think that you do indeed lack? I will not fear…. Because THOU ART WITH ME. Discuss I shall dwell in the house of Yahweh…. Because Yahweh will bring me home. Discuss Other Scripture Isaiah 42:3 Jeremiah 2:6 John 10 John 4
Advent: The Announcement
December 17, 2023 • Pastor Rob Pendley • Luke 2:8–14
“Advent: The Announcement….Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” Quotes Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" --Charles Wesley Faith is a conviction born of understanding, grounded solidly in the truth of who God is and what God has said and done. –Os Guinness Lo! Th’incarnate God, ascended Pleads the merit of His blood: Venture on Him, venture wholly; Let no other trust intrude: None but Jesus, none but Jesus Can do helpless sinners good. --Joseph Hart For Discussion 1.) What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior? 2.) What does it mean that Jesus is the ‘sent one” the Anointed Messiah? 3.) What does it mean that Jesus is Almighty God, the Lord? 4.) In Luke 2:1-7 we see the world was consumed with news of a census. In 2:8-14 we see that Heaven is consumed with a different focus, the coming of a Savior, Messiah, and Lord. What are ways that you get consumed with “news” (about the world, politics, etc) that distracts you from wondering (see Luke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd3wv9mbrhg&t=138s) about this “God with us.”? Other Scripture to consider Romans 5:1 Psalm 71:23
The Promise of Advent
December 10, 2023 • Pastor Chad Turner • Isaiah 9:1–7
1. The first 8 chapters of Isaiah reveal that judgement is coming upon God’s people…. But judgement is not the final word! How does this dark background change how you see the wonder of Isaiah 9:1-7 2. What is the difference between joy and happiness? “All men seek happiness. There are no exceptions. However different the means they may employ, they all strive towards this goal. The reason why some go to war and some do not is the same desire in both, but interpreted in two different ways. The will never takes the least step except to that end. This is the motive of every act of every man, including those who go and hang themselves.” — Blaise Pascal 3. Every pursuit of happiness outside of Jesus is fleeting, temporary, and doomed to fail. How did you originally see this? How are you currently seeing that: O the deep, deep love of Jesus! Love of ev'ry love the best: 'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'Tis a haven sweet of rest. 4. “Jesus is stable. Life is chaotic.” Discuss. 5. Something we often forget is that the gift of salvation that Jesus gives us, and we receive by faith alone is BOTH: -- REMOVAL of the guilt of our sin -- PROVISION of perfect righteousness in our account Why are BOTH so important? 6. Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
The Need for Christ to Come
December 3, 2023 • Pastor John Stone • Genesis 3:1–21
Sermon Question Dec 3rd Advent Genesis 3 What does it mean to be alienated from God? What are the signs that we are alienated? How have we rejected God’s love and authority? Who caused all this? How does our alienation show up in our relationships with each other? Why are we ashamed? How do you see people hiding from themselves and one another? Think of ways you blame others instead of yourself? How do we experience the curse? How did the gender war start here? Who is the one who will kill Satan? How will that baby defeat Satan? Why do we need Advent?
A Blind Confident Man, The Conversion of Saul
November 26, 2023 • Pastor Chad Turner • Acts 9:1–19
Sermon Discussion Questions Acts 9:1-19 A heart that says “I will get it right for God”.... misses Jesus. How so? In what ways do you see Saul of Tarsus seeking to “get it right for God”? Can you relate? Read Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3:4-11. What stands out to you? Saul was the most unlikely candidate to receive God’s grace. But God! But God’s grace is so relentless that He reaches Saul. When do you find yourself thinking you are right about most things and therefore you are easy to be in relationship with…. Easy to work with…. Etc. Have you considered that you might not be? Read what Ananias said in Acts 9:13. Who is your Ananias? Someone you think should be getting it right, and they're not. Are you aware that God wants you to love them? Jesus is the only hero of this story. Jesus is the only hero of the Bible. How is this dawning on you more and more?
A Conversation about the World
November 19, 2023 • Pastor John Stone • Acts 1:1–11
Questions on Acts 1 Sermon What is Jesus asking them to wait for? Why is that gift so important? Why is the Holy Spirit so hard to understand who and what he does? Why do we need the Holy Spirit? When they ask Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel what are they mis understanding? How do we have that misunderstanding? What is the real kingdom that the Spirit and Jesus are calling us into? What are the boundaries of that kingdom? Or where is that kingdom? What are we to witness to as Christians? Where are we to be witnesses? How are we to be witnesses? How might our mindset need to change? What might be one measure you are doing something for the kingdom and not us? How is the Spirits role to stretch us?
Double Vision
November 12, 2023 • Pastor John Stone • Luke 24:13–35
Luke 24:13-35 “Double Vision” Catalina Foothills Church 11.12.23 Quotes Holy Scripture is a library of great literary diversity to which more than 40 writers contributed over more than a thousand years. --Jim Packer The resurrection was preached as a hard, bare, terribly irritating paradigm-shattering, horribly inconvenient but impossible to dismiss fact. –Tim Keller Your Words were found, and I ate them. Your Words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart! Jeremiah 15:16 Here was a Savior who had saved them not from political enemies but from themselves. And the one whose death they mourned cancels their guilt. A whole new future is opening up for them. Their life compass is pointed in a new direction. They want to drink and eat more and more of what this stranger has to say. –Cindy Holtrop The Old is in the New Revealed, the New is in the Old Concealed –Augustine of Hippo Questions What have you recently learned/seen of the Biblical Jesus that has caused you to update your opinion of our King and Friend? Do you find yourself tempted to judge the unbelief (lack of sight) of some of your friends and family? Have you forgotten from whom you received sight? What will repentance look like for you? What would it look like for you to discover (or rediscover) the riches of the Old Testament? Are there attitudes towards the OT (too “weird” or difficult) from which you need to turn and embrace the realities of Luke 24, John 5, and 2 Corinthians 1:20? What would it look like for you, this week, to embrace the J curve mentioned in Luke 24:26? (First the cross, then the crown. Suffering now, glory later.) How does Jesus seem to indicate that we get a heart burns? Other Scripture Acts 3:22-24 Romans 15:4. Romans 16:25-26 For examples of kind of things Jesus may have said on road to Emmaus: Acts 2 Peter on Pentecost in Jerusalem Acts 3 Peter at Solomon’s Porch of Temple Acts 13 Paul at Antioch
The Doubts of Thomas
November 5, 2023 • Pastor John Stone • John 20:24–31
Sermon Questions John 20 Conversation with Thomas 1) How is Thomas different than the rest of the disciples and Mary? 2) What is the significance of Jesus inviting Tomas to touch his wounds? 3) How do we see the patience and kindness of Jesus with doubts in his ministry? 4) What is the difference in doubt and un-belief? 5) What are we to do with our doubts? 6) When we don’t explore our doubts what happens? 7) What is the work of exploring? How do you do that work? 8) Do doubts mean we can’t believe in Jesus? 9) Why is an unexplored doubt often unbelief? 10) What happens to Thomas when he believes? 11) Why is worship the truest outcome of belief?