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February 10, 2019

Ephesians 3: 1-13

February 10, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: Ephesians 3:1–13
Theme: The Gospel Proclaimed

Conviction #2: God is glorified through Christ as his gospel is proclaimed, believed, and obeyed, transforming the believer to become like Christ.

What Ephesians 3:1–13 teaches us about the proclamation of the gospel:

1. Content: The Gospel enables Jew and Gentile alike to experience God’s grace (2–7).

2. Action: The recipient of God’s grace declares the gospel message and makes plain God’s plan (8–9).

3. Purpose: Through the carrying out of this mission, the church reveals God’s wisdom to all spiritual authorities (10–11).

4. Result: Believers in Christ possess boldness and confident access to God (12–13).

Main Idea: Through the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel and their membership in the church, believers in Christ glorify God.


Application Questions:
• Write out a definition (your understanding) of the Gospel. What unique features of the gospel are discussed here in Ephesians 3:1–13.
• Paul alludes to a mystery on a few occasions in this passage. What is this mystery? What details does 2:11–22 add to the understanding of this mystery?
• Discuss the ways in which Paul’s mission in vv. 8–9 is similar to and distinct/different from our individual mission today. Are each and everyone one of else commissioned by God to carry out these same responsibilities? Why or Why not?
• How does the church make known the wisdom of God to spiritual authorities (v. 10)?
• What applications and motivations do you take away from Paul’s conclusion in vv. 12–13?

April 14, 2019

April 14, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 3:1–13 Theme: The Approach to Helping Others Thrive 1. Those helping others sincerely desire to see others grow in their faith. a. They see passed their own situation to the need of weaker siblings. b. They go to the necessary lengths to strengthen them for the trials ahead. 2. Those helping others find joy in life in the faith of their fellow believers (6–10). a. They gain strength in their spiritual life through God’s work in those to whom they minister (6–8). b. They rejoice and thank God for his work in other’s lives (9). 3. Those helping others continually pray that God will use them to bring others to spiritual maturity (10–13). a. They pray that God will give them time together for spiritual impact (11). b. They pray that God will bring about greater love within those to whom they minister (12). c. They pray that God will bring his work of sanctification to completion in the lives of his holy ones (13). Main Idea: God calls us as believers to invest our time and prayers to help others grow to maturity in faith. Application questions: • Describe Paul's attitude toward the Thessalonian believers in chapter 3. Do you possess this same attitude toward your fellow believers? How do we cultivate such an attitude? • What are the actions that Paul takes toward these believers to help them mature in the faith? How can you go about doing these same things with those to whom you minister? • From their description in this passage, how do trials contribute to the process of helping others thrive? • How does this passage impact the way we should pray?

April 7, 2019

April 7, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 Theme: Developing others to thrive Conviction #4: Members of this community seek to develop others to thrive according to God’s design. Paul presents us here with a model to develop others through biblical leadership that results in faithful imitation. I. Church Leaders fulfill their God-given role (2:1-12). How do we fulfill this role? A. Present a message centered on God (1-4). Why? because: 1. Only this message can overcome difficulty and hardship (2). 2. Only this message truly “stays on track” (3). 3. God has approved you to deliver this specific message (4a). 4. Ultimately, you are accountable only to Him (4b). B. Avoid the tendency to elevate self (5-6). This manifests itself in 1. Flattering speech (5a) 2. greedy motives (5b) 3. seeking man’s approval (6) C. Care for others through service (7-9). How? 1. Handle the various situations that arise with gentleness (7). 2. Genuinely get involved in others’ lives (8). 3. Do the work of ministry regardless of the financial and material gain (9). D. Maintain godly integrity (10-12). 1. We maintain integrity through exemlary and fatherly behavior (10-11). 2. We maintain integrity so that others will follow our example and walk worthy of God (12). II. Church members must heed this message (2:13-16). How? A. Recognize the message as God’s (13). B. Listen to and imitate the message (14a). C. Persevere in the message regardless of life’s circumstances (14b-16). Point of the Passage: We must pursue a model of developing others—biblical leadership resulting in faithful imitation—to accomplish our mission and bring Christ glory (1:8–10; 2:19–20). Application Questions: • What progression do you see in the impact of the gospel that took place among the Thessalonians in 1:4–10 (Indicate each of the steps)? How long did Paul actually minister in this church according to Acts 17:1–9? What might this indicate about present strategies of ministry and discipleship? • According to 2:1–7, how did Paul present the gospel message and disciple these new believers? What did he do and didn’t he do? What do these actions look like in our ministry today? • What would it look like for you to share your life with other believers (2:8)? • What does Paul mean by imitation (1:6; 2:14)? According to this passage whom should we imitate and what would this look like today? • What implications can be drawn from this passage in your current ministry concerning developing others?

March 31, 2019

March 31, 2019 • Pastor Josh Kee

Passage: 1 Corinthians 14 Title: A Community Built on Love Summary: If we are to be the kind of community God intends, we must help one another identify, use, and celebrate our various gifts, recognizing that each has been given by God's sovereign choosing as an expression of his grace to his church. God's glory and the good of the church body ought to be the aim of every exercised gift. The most beneficial gifts are not those that build us up individually, but those that build up the community of faith in love. Outline: 1. Prophecy better than tongues (14:1-5) 2. The priority of clarity (14:6-19) 3. The gauge of maturity (14:20-25) 4. Worship that represents God (14:26-35) 5. Humility and submission (14:36-40) Main Point: In regards to the gathered church, corporate edification is more valuable than individual edification, and building up the body is more important that having intense spiritual experiences personally. Discussion Questions: 1. Why does Paul emphasize prophecy so strongly in 1 Corinthians 14? 2. When you gather with other believers, either on Sunday morning or in small groups, are you more concerned with what you will receive or with how you might be able to build up and encourage others? How might your perspective and motivation shift away from yourself and toward others? 3. How do you gauge spiritual maturity? Are there areas in your life where you are "a child in your thinking" (immature)? 4. On what basis do you evaluate the "success" or "value" of a worship service or small group/ ABF gathering? (I.e. What determines whether it was "good" or not in your mind?) 5. Why does Paul stress the importance of how the church worships when it's together? 6. How has our western emphasis on individualism affected the church?