Living Upside Down
05. Your Blessed Life Now
November 14, 2021 • Scott Mehl • Luke 6:46–49
Jesus concludes his sermon with a stark illustration about the eternal implications of where we put our faith. The bless-ed life that Jesus has been describing isn't just about fulfillment and joy in this life, but is the basis for eternal human flourishing as well. In Jesus we find the fulfillment of our humanity both in this life and in the life to come. Application Questions: 1. Have you put your faith in Christ? How is that demonstrated in the way you live and the shape of your life? 2. How does the security you have in Christ shape and motivate the way you live your life? 3. What are the "upside-down" values of this world that you find most compelling / tempting? 4. How does your personal relationship with Jesus help you to see reality right-side up each day?
04. Who You Are And What You Do
November 7, 2021 • Demetrius Nathan • Luke 6:43–45
As a fruit tree, the world will know us by our fruit. Our actions and responses to the things around us is an indicator of our heart. If we continually produce bad fruit, we need God to transform our hearts, and if we are producing good fruit, we need God to maintain it. Application Questions: 1. Why do believers need to examine their hearts? 2. What is the fruit believers need to be producing? (Galatians 5:22-24) 3. What are the things currently in your life that is preventing you from producing fruit?
03. How to (Not) Judge
Matt Kleinhans • Luke 6:39–42
Jesus calls Christians to an upside down kind of life in how we treat other people. The world lives by law, and the law always leads to judgment. But in Christ we live by the gospel, and in the gospel we can see one another, and ourselves, through God's eyes. Application Questions: 1. What does judging look like in your life? 2. How do you see the world living by "the law"? 3. Why is it so counter-intuitive to live by the gospel? 4. How do you see pride and insecurity in your heart and life? How can you find your security in Christ?
02. What Love Looks Like
October 24, 2021 • Reggie Austin • Luke 6:27–36
The call to love our enemies is one of the most difficult and paradoxical commands in Scripture. It neither makes sense nor comes natural to us. But when we look to Jesus, and understand the true nature of love, we find ourselves more appreciative of the love that we've received and are better able to extend that love to others - even our enemies. Application Questions: 1. What is your honest reaction to the command "Love your enemies?" 2. Do you struggle with demonstrating the depth of love that God requires? 3. How does meditating on the depths of love God demonstrated towards you help you love others better?
01. Seeing Things Upside Down
October 17, 2021 • Scott Mehl • Luke 6:20–26
As our Savior and Creator, Jesus is concerned with even more than our trust and our obedience, he has created us to flourish. But he has designed us to flourish in ways that are very different than what flourishing looks like on the surface. In fact, they're often the very opposite. In his most famous teaching Jesus pulls back the curtain and reveals that we've been seeing our entire world upside-down, and he gives us eyes to see what reality is truly like. Application Questions: 1. How does your understanding of the Beatitudes change when you see them, not simply as "blessings" from God (though they are), but more fundamentally as proverbial wisdom statements about the nature of the flourishing life? 2. How would your life look different if you saw the poor as people the rich should seek to emulate instead of the rich as people the poor should seek to emulate? 3. How have you experienced mourning as a means of flourishing in your life? 4. What examples of persecution have you experienced or can you imagine experiencing that Jesus would point to as reasons for eternal rejoicing?