On Mission
Our Story of Discipleship
September 11, 2022 • Paul May • Romans 12:1–2
Real life isn’t random as many might say; we are all living in a story written and orchestrated by a powerful and loving God. This story is filled with hope and can give us comfort and courage each and every day. The reigning sentiment of our time gives us conflicting messages about how we get hope in this life, but the Gospel of Jesus gives a clear answer. Sermon Outline I. Do Not Conform II. Be Transformed Questions 1. What are some of the differences between the world’s narrative of things, and the gospel’s? 2. Are there any parts of the world’s narrative you find yourself tending to believe? Which parts? 3. How does the gospel contradict those false truths? 4. If your story seems different from others, what false conclusions can you make about God’s love for you?
The (W)hole in Our Discipleship
September 4, 2022 • Paul May • Romans 12:1–2
We are all disciples of something or of someone. Only Jesus disciples us in the ways that are best for us, and can fill the void in our hearts we try to fill with achievements, experiences, possessions…the list is endless. The world disciples us by demanding and taking. Jesus disciples us by leading, tending, guiding, nurturing, strengthening, correcting, and restoring, as our Creator and as the Lover of our souls. Sermon Outline: I. Encounter: Discipleship begins when someone encounters Jesus for the first time. II. Engage: Disciples must engage their whole selves completely. III. Experience: Disciples must experience and embrace Jesus’ mercy for them personally. IV. Endure: Jesus’ boundless mercy is a rock that enables us to endure all. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. Ozymandias thought his statue and his kingdom would last forever. What are some of the “statues” and “kingdoms” the world around you assumes will last forever. Are there any statues and kingdoms in your life you assume will always be there? 2. When did you encounter Jesus for the first time? What are some key moments in your life when your faith became personal? Who are some key people that have played a role in helping you see Jesus better? 3. When you think of how Jesus calls us to surrender everything in our lives and follow him, do you ever struggle to believe if he will be enough to replace all of that? Do you believe he, in fact, is enough? 4. What are some ways you’ve needed the rock of Jesus’ mercy this week? How might this change your approach to helping others going through hard times?
Discipling our World
August 14, 2022 • Brent Whitefield • Romans 10:12–17
The message of the Gospel is for all peoples in all places. If we are to disciples the nations, as commanded by Christ, we must assure that the good news is heard by all. This means redoubling our commitment to send and go, until Christ returns or all have been reached. I. Because of God’s sovereignty, the Christian faith is transnational and His church is universal. II. There is no Scriptural warrant for the belief that those who have never heard the Gospel may be saved. III. The preached word has always been the normative means by which the Gospel is communicated. IV. Messengers must be sent, to preach the Gospel, so that all may hear, such that those who believe and call on the Lord will be saved. Questions: 1. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? 2. Is it possible for a person to be saved who has never heard of Christ? What about those who lived before Christ’s earthly ministry? 3. Is the Great Commission binding on us today? Was it a mandate for the apostles and first-century Christians only? 4. What does it mean to send and be sent to preach the Gospel? 5. How do we reconcile what Paul says about no distinction between Jews and Greeks with what he writes in Rom. 3:1-2?
Discipling our Community
August 7, 2022 • Greg Blosser • Jeremiah 29:4–9
I. How should we engage in the mission to disciple our community, when the culture around us is hostile to our faith? 1. Embrace your place as a religious minority. (The culture war is over and we lost). 2. Settle down in one place. Build a life and stay there as long as you can. 3. Pray for the people around you, especially those who do not share your faith in Christ. 4. Be a blessing to the community. (Mostly a blessing rather than mostly a critic). II. How can we gain a hearing for the gospel in a culture where those around us are deeply skeptical of our faith & sometimes even hostile to it? 1. Invest in deep, long lasting, reciprocal friendships with non-Christians. 2. Let them see your faith in Christ. 3. Let them see you struggle. III. Now, I want us to take a look at Jesus. 1. Befriend even the most "scandalous" of sinners. 2. Refuse to be scandalized by their
Mission Critical
July 31, 2022 • Aaron Dean • Matthew 28:16–20
This week we will consider an often overlooked aspect of the great commission. We will consider together how God has given us the mission critical task in the discipleship of our families. We will look to the Scriptures to understand God‘s call on our lives to disciple our family, the context of family discipleship, and the comfort Christ offers all of us as we acknowledge our own failures and shortcomings in this area. Sermon Outline: I. The call to family discipleship II. The context of family discipleship 1. Who is to disciple our family? 2. How are we to disciple our family III. The comfort in family discipleship Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. How will the understanding that family discipleship is part of the great commission change how you relate to your family or those in your household? 2. Why did Jesus tell us that all authority in heaven and earth are given to him? What difference will that make in the discipleship of our families? 3. Who does God give the primary responsibility to in the discipleship of our families? 4. How does our personal worship and discipleship affect our ability to lead our families as disciple makers? 5. Looking at Jesus life, how are we to primarily disciple our families? 6. How does it provide us comfort and what difference does it make that Jesus promised he will always be with us? 7. Although God calls us to intentionally disciple our family, who is ultimately responsible for our children’s salvation? 8. With Gods help, will you continue or start discipling your family?