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Sermon Meditations and Home Fellowship Discussion Guides

Fall 2017 - Home Fellowships

Sermon Meditation - Week of 9/24/2017

September 24, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

Sermon Meditation for Sunday, September 24th Refocusing the Church, Looking Back and Looking Forward Romans 1:16,17 As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we are challenged to look back in time and consider the correctives God brought to the abuses suffered by His church in that day. The abuses began to be exposed by a monk named Martin Luther on October 31st, 1517. The initial war-cry of the Reformation took the form of a list of “95 Theses” nailed to the front door of the chapel in Wittenberg. These were his 95 contentions intended for debate in hopes that the Holy Catholic Church might be reformed. The catch-phrase of the Reformation was “The Just Shall Live by Faith!” At the heart of these 95 objections was a cry for a return to Scripture as the “sole” authority for faith and practice. Due to the doctrines of Papel apostolic succession and the infallibility of the Pope (when speaking ex cathedra), Catholics placed church teaching and tradition on the same level as Scripture. This was the major issue leading to the Reformation. Luther confronted the Catholic Church with extra-Biblical abuses such as “indulgences.” Indulgences referred to money given to “spring” loved ones from purgatory, which was used to build the mighty cathedrals in Europe. Luther also confronted excesses of Papel infallibility, in hopes that the church could return to a purely Biblical basis for authority. Instead, he was excommunicated on January 3, 1521, by Pope Leo X. The key issue flowing from a return to Biblical authority was the nature of salvation; did it come through church authority, sacraments, and good works, or by grace through faith alone? The Reformation set the hearts and minds of Christ-followers free with the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. No longer was the believer to be enslaved by works-based salvation, but instead set free by the love of God and His unmerited favor. What a day of rejoicing that was! Blessings, Pastor Steve

Sermon Meditation and Discussion Guide- Week of 9/17/2017

September 14, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

Looking to Jesus, Part 40 Greater Wealth! Hebrews 11:23-29 Since 1959 young girls in our culture have received Barbie dolls for their birthdays. Never contented, Barbie then beckons her new owner to acquire more goods; outfits, shoes, cars, dream-houses, furniture and even Barbie R.V.’s to add to her ever-increasing wealth. The luckiest Barbies were also given a very good-looking, fully passive and compliant Ken doll for company. As the old joke goes, “I want to be Barbie. that (young woman) has everything!” Satan’s most deadly strategy for destroying a believer’s joy and effectiveness is to take something God created good (namely everything) and subtly bend it into something evil. Sex, work, homes, hobbies, and even family can all be twisted when we love them above our first-love for Jesus. Satan’s strategies are never new, but are usually effective. His schemes are clear in Scripture and easily identifiable; unless you’ve fallen prey to them. In his classic work, Confessions, Augustine reveals that all sin is simply a matter of “disordered loves.” When we displace our first love for Jesus Christ with the pursuit and enjoyment of lesser things, this is sin. The problem develops when we love something we should love, but begin to love it supremely. Moses had it all. He was a beautiful child, loved by parents who even loved him enough to give him up. Adopted into the royal family, he grew up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; a Prince of Egypt. The riches and treasures of Egypt were his! Moses decided that His love for God and His people was the greatest treasure of all - of more value than all the gold of Egypt. On this earth, God was Moses’ first love. There was no confusion in Moses’ mind - to know and serve God was the greatest treasure on earth. God even spoke “to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Ex. 33:11) This faith was counted to him as righteousness, and he has now received his “great reward!” And now Jesus encourages us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) See you this Sunday! Pastor Steve

Sermon Meditation and Discussion Guided - Week of 9/11/17

September 6, 2017 • Pastor Steve Pope

Home Fellowship Discussion GuideHome Fellowship, Week of Sept. 11th, 7pm Q: Did you experience any sibling rivalry when growing up? What was the worst part of this for you? Q: Did your parents “play favorites?” Were you the favorite? If not, how did you feel about the favored child? READ FIRST: Hebrews 11:19-21; Genesis 50:14-21 Q: Joseph made the “Great Hall of Faith.” What did he “believe” about God’s promise? (11:22) Q: How do you think Joseph knew about the Exodus from Egypt 430 years later? (Exodus 12:40) Q: Joseph was in Egypt his whole adult life. Why was it so important to him that he be buried in Canaan? (11:22) Q: What difficulties did Joseph encounter that could have caused him to doubt God’s plan? What does his statement in Genesis 50:20 indicate about his understanding of God and His ways? Q: What do we learn from Joseph’s life and testimony about our best response to trials? And about our understanding of God’s Sovereign will and ways with us? Q: How can you use Genesis 50:20 as a prayer during challenging times?