Why Everyone Needs God's Grace

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Why Everyone Needs God's Grace

March 3, 2024 • Brett Wendle • Ephesians 2:1–3

Discussion Questions:

Sermon Overview:

The main idea of this week’s sermon was that because of our spiritual powerlessness, we needed to be saved by grace.

Digging Deeper:

Read Ephesians 2:1-3

It can be humbling to think of ourselves as having been spiritually dead before God made us alive in Christ. How did the sermon help you see the significance of the truth that you were spiritually dead?

Eph. 2:3 says “among whom we all once lived.” For some of us, it is very clear that at one time we were “following the course of this world.” Regardless of our testimony, and of when we trusted in Christ for salvation, why is it important for all of us who are in Christ to believe that what is written in these verses (Eph. 2:1-3) is true for each and every one of us? What difference should this make in our lives?

In our spiritual deadness, we were held captive as we followed in the ways of the world (2:2a), the flesh (2:3a), and the devil (2:2b). Although we are now alive in Christ, we still find ourselves needing to fight the good fight of faith against the world, the flesh and the devil. How are things different now? How should this encourage us in the battle?

Because of the unmerited grace of God, we are no longer “children of wrath.” Our destination is no longer one of eternal judgment, but of “pleasures forevermore” at God’s right hand. What effect ought reflection on the contrast between our former destination and our current destination have on our hearts?

When we see unbelievers following “the course of this world,” how might calling to mind our own previous condition lead to greater compassion and urgency in our interactions with them?

Prayer Requests

The New Self in Real Life

May 19, 2024 • Brett Wendle • Ephesians 4:25–30

Discussion Questions Sermon Overview Live out your new nature by doing purposeful good to one another. 1. Be truthful with one another (v. 25) 2. Do not sin in anger against one another (vv. 26-27) 3. Work hard to share with one another (v. 28) 4. Speak to build up one another (vv. 29-30) Ice Breaker What are some ways your life has changed from before you were a Christian to after you became one? If you’re not a Chrisitan, what are some changes you hope would happen in your life? Digging Deeper This week’s questions are divided up based on the four commands Paul gives in the passage. Each command has a handful of questions. You likely won’t have time to get through all the questions, so it may be helpful at the beginning to see if there are one or two commands that the group would like to discuss. The commands and corresponding question numbers are as follows: Command #1: Be Truthful = Questions 1-4 Command #2: Be angry and do not sin = Questions 5-8 Command #3: Work and be generous = Questions 9-11 Command #4: Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit = Questions 12-13 It’s critical to remember the larger context of the letter as we work through Ephesians chapters 4-6 which are filled with specific commands and instructions. We are to receive these commands in light of all that God in Christ has already done for us and for our salvation. What might be the consequences of not remembering Christ’s work for us as we consider the commands of 4:25-30? How can we best guard against these consequences? The gospel changes us; it transforms our lives. It does so in very concrete ways, like our speech (v. 25). What are some of the ways gospel-transformed speech among us honors God? In what contexts are you most tempted to speak something other than the truth? What are some of the subtle ways we can manipulate words such that we haven’t told a bald-faced lie, and yet (if we are honest!) we haven’t been truthful either? Why should being members with one another (Eph. 4:25b) be a motivation to speak the truth with one another? Verses 26-27 describe a way to be angry without sinning. What is the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger? Have you ever experienced anger without sin (either in yourself or someone else)? If so, what was it like? What sort of “opportunity” are we giving the devil, by clinging to our anger and thus failing to resolve it in a timely manner? In what context(s) do you find yourself most tempted toward sinful anger? How can this community help with this? Work is God’s idea. He calls us to “labor” so that, instead of stealing what belongs to others, we might be in a position to show generosity (v. 28). What are ways we can (perhaps subtly) be tempted to take that which does not belong to us? What does it look like (in the year 2024), to do “honest work with (our) own hands”? What are some practical ways we can show generosity to those around us and those in need? What might it look like practically to speak life-giving words to one another on a regular basis? How can we help one another grow in this? Does your heart ache at the thought of grieving the Holy Spirit (v. 30)? Why or why not? How might being on guard against grieving the Holy Spirit, help us resist sin and temptation in times of testing? Prayer

Become Who You Are

May 12, 2024 • Brett Wendle • Ephesians 4:17–24

Discussion Questions Sermon Overview: Those who are new creations can and should live as new creations. 1. No longer be who you were (vv. 17-19) A. The lifestyle of non-Christians is the product of a futile mind (v. 17) B. Their hard hearts have led to dark minds, separation from God, and a surrender to impurity. (vv. 18-19) 2. How to become who you are (vv. 20-24) A. Remember how you learned (and learned from) Christ (vv. 20-21) B. Keep putting off your corrupt old self, being renewed in mind by truth, and putting on the godly new self (vv. 22-24) Digging Deeper: 1. Chameleons are an Amazon species of lizard that can adapt their appearance to match their surroundings in order to stay camouflaged and safe. How might Christians live like spiritual chameleons? 2. Why might Christians live like spiritual chameleons? 3. How can we tell if we are living like spiritual chameleons? 4. Pastor Brett helped us see that this passage is a call no longer to “be who we were” but instead “be who we are." What is meant by this? 5. Pastor Brett said that we who are new creations can and should live like new creations. Where in this text do we see that we can live as new creations? Where in this text do we see that we should live like new creations? 6. How might God want to use the description of the condition of unbelievers in vv. 17-19 to grow deeper compassion for unbelievers in our hearts? What might be the fruit of that in our interactions with unbelievers? 7. In vv. 18-19, hardness of heart lies at the bottom of the other realities mentioned. Why is this significant to see? 8. How does remembering how we learned Christ (and from Christ) (vv. 20-21), enable us to “be who we are”? What might that look like, practically speaking? 9. Our lives (how we “walk”) are profoundly shaped by our thinking. What are you bringing into your mind and heart that are helping you think rightly about God and who he has recreated you to be in Christ? 10. Are there inputs into your mind and heart that tempt you to think in ways that do not align with God’s truth? If so, what are those things? How are they not helpful? http://10.if you’re a follower of Jesus, how is your life different now compared to before you knew Jesus? http://11.in what ways is your life now countercultural to the rest of society because you are a Christian? http://12.how does the gospel motivate you to live distinctly? http://13.how is the old life without Christ different from a new life with Christ according to verses 22-24? Prayer

Building the Body to Maturity

May 5, 2024 • Brett Wendle • Ephesians 4:7–16

Discussion Questions Sermon Overview: Jesus gives what we need to build his body to maturity. 1. Jesus has given gifts to every Christian (vv. 7-10) 2. He has given leaders to equip us to build one another up (vv. 11-12) 3. The goal of building is unity and maturity (vv. 13-14) 4. The way we build is speaking truth in love (vv. 15-16) Digging Deeper: 1. According to Eph. 4:7, who is the giver of the gifts? Who (all) is on the receiving end of what is given? 2. Encourage one another by sharing gifts from Christ you see present in other members of your Gospel Community. 3. How does this passage address a possible false humility (“I have nothing to offer.”), which can exist among us? 4. How should knowing that each of us has received a gift(s) for the building up of the body motivate us when we gather together in Gospel Community, Sundays, and informally? 5. As we saw last week, Ephesians 4 starts out with an emphasis on the unity we have in Christ. Within that unity, there is a diversity of gifts. According to this text, what is the goal of using our varying gifts? 6. Among God’s people, there can at times be a misconception about who is called to “do ministry” and who isn’t. How does this passage address that? 7. According to this passage, leaders are “gifts” to the church. What is their role (4:11-12)? Do you see this happening at CrossWay? How so? 8. How does this undermine the idea that the full-time, paid pastors are there to do “ministry” for the rest of the church to “receive”? 9. According to vs. 12, who does the work of ministry? http://10.if you’re a follower of Jesus, do you see yourself as a minister? Why or why not? http://11.as Christ uses us and the gifts he’s given us to build up his body, the result will be that we will no longer be “children” who are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” Are you now or have you ever experienced being tossed around by ideas or beliefs that were contrary to God’s way? http://12.we are called to “speak the truth in love”. What might that look like among us? Have you been on the receiving end of a brother or sister in Christ “speaking the truth in love” to you? Did God use it in your life? How so? Please share. http://13.we are not meant to be consumers of our church, but contributors to our church. Why is it so easy to have a “consumer” mindset? In what ways do you see this in your attitude towards CrossWay? Prayer