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January 19, 2020

Series: Glory + Grace :: Transforming Water Into Wine

January 19, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: John 2:1–11
Theme: Transforming Water into Wine

From this sign that Jesus performed at a wedding in Cana, I want us to be challenged to

1. See what Jesus sees (vv. 1–5)
.
a. The problems of ordinary people

b. The primacy of God’s will

c. Their predicament requiring his grace

2. See what Jesus transforms (6–11)

a. Vessels for purification into vessels for celebration (6–8): The work of Jesus purifies us so that we can celebrate.

b. An ordinary wedding into a foretaste of the ultimate wedding feast (9–11): The work of Jesus demonstrates that he is the true master of ceremonies and bridegroom.

Sermonic Theme: Jesus transforms the problems and difficulties of ordinary life into celebratory displays of his glory.

Takeaways for us:
• Don’t be too proud to bring your needs to Jesus.
• Trust that he knows best.
• Allow him to do what he decides to do.
• Whatever the outcome, continue to point back to the eternal hope you have in him.

Application Questions:
1. Which of the three things that Jesus sees in vv. 1–5 do you struggle to see in your day-to-day life? How has this text challenged you in that area? What step can you take to address that in your life?
2. How can we corporately as a church and individually as believers see better a) the problems of ordinary people; b) the primacy of God’s will; and c) the predicament of others requiring an act of grace?
3. How do we as Christians today turn the work of Jesus that brings celebration back around into something that is focused on our works and efforts?
4. What areas of your life presently need the transforming work of Jesus to bring about celebration again (take those to God in prayer)?
5. What has this miracle sign revealed to you about Jesus for which you can praise him?

March 8, 2020

March 8, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Theme: Transformed View of God’s Work Passage: John 5:1–18 We need our view of God’s power transformed … (vv. 1–7) …from religious superstition …from our ability to make things happen …to Jesus Christ as the center of God’s work (8–9) Warning: We can miss the work God is doing by 1. Succumbing to outside pressure (10–15) 2. Trusting in traditional, idiosyncratic religious practice (16–18) Main Idea: Those transformed by glory and grace demonstrate that God’s work centers on Jesus Christ by trusting and submitting to him. Application Questions: • In what ways can we as Christians be susceptible to religious superstition? How have you wrestled with these in your own life? • Do you struggle with a trust in yourself to make things happen, even spiritually? How so? • From this scene, how does one allow Jesus to be the center of God’s work in their own life? • Why do you and I still struggle with succumbing to outside pressure in contrast to following the commands that Jesus calls us to? • How do we still miss the work of God by trusting in traditional religious practices? What can we as individual believers and the church as a whole do to recognize and confront these tendencies?

March 1, 2020

March 1, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Theme: Transforming Faith Passage: John 4:43–54 Contrasting Faiths seen in this story: 1. Faulty Faith: a. A welcoming faith based on the works Jesus can do, not on who he truly is (45). b. A desperate faith based on what Jesus can do for me in my present need or crisis (46–49). 2. Saving Faith-based simply on the word from the Word (50–53): a. Believing the Word b. Following the instructions by the Word c. Experiencing Life from the Word d. Further believing that bears fruit of belief in the Word Main Idea: Those being transformed believe Jesus simply for who he is and follow what he commands with the result that they experience the life that he offers. Application Questions: • In what ways does a faulty faith that welcomes Jesus for what he can do manifest itself in our church-going culture today? • How have you had at times a faulty faith that seeks Jesus for how he can meet a present need? What did this look like in what you did for God or how you responded to God? • What are we to make of the two experiences of “believing” by the royal official (v. 50 and 53)? How might these affect our view of faith or help us define better what faith is in the life of a believer?

February 23, 2020

February 23, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Theme: Transformed Water, Worship, and Mission Passage: John 4:1–42 Notice what his encounter with a Samaritan woman teaches us about Jesus: 1. Jesus provides water that eternally satisfies (7–14). 2. Jesus sees and knows our predicament (15–18). 3. Jesus represents the place in which true worship occurs (19–26). 4. Jesus calls his followers to see the mission field God has prepared for them (27–38). 5. Jesus truly is the Savior of the world (39–42). Sermonic Theme: Those transformed by glory and grace focus their worship on God’s work through his Son by carrying out his mission of pointing any and all people to Jesus. Application Questions: • What stood out to you about Jesus from this story? How can you apply what you see of Jesus into your own life? • What does Jesus’s statement about worship in vv. 19–24 teach us worship isn’t and is? How might this affect your own worship or involvement in corporate worship? • Like the disciples (vv. 27–34), how are you blind at times to what is spiritually going on? In what ways does this passage convict you about your involvement in God’s mission? • From this passage, what encourages you to carry out the mission of pointing people to Jesus?