CHURCH BELLS [Bless, Eat, Listen, Learn & Sent]
Sermon series from September 13 to October 4, 2020
Eat
September 20, 2020 • Brian Jennings
Church bells: Sounding God’s invitation - Sermon 2 – Eat Habits foster values. Series Goal: Instill 5 habits in our people that draw them to Jesus and others to Jesus. Bless Eat Listen Learn Sent Q: How did you do blessing others this week? What happened? Q: What is your favorite meal all year? What makes it so special? Study: Read the similar stories of I Kings 19 and John 21 involving a meal to a discouraged person. Q: What did the Son of Man come to do? I Cor 11:27, “If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.” Q: How could I Cor. 11:27 apply to you? Q: Jesus wants to share meals with you. How can you realize that? Reflection: Pray. Ask God to place the names of three people with whom can you share a meal this week. (an hp member) (a friend who is not a believer) (anyone) Recommended Resource Surprise the World by Michael Frost Recommended Study for this week I Kings 19, John 21, I Corinthians 10-11 Surprise the World ch. 4
Listen
September 27, 2020 • Brian Jennings
Sermon Handout and Discussion Questions Church Bells: Listen 9/27/20 Q. Do you remember what BELLS stands for? Let’s review. Bless Eat Listen to the Spirit of God Learn Sent Q. How are you doing with the new habits of blessing 3 people and eating with 3 people? What have you learned? “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community. He will only do harm to himself and o the community.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer Q. What did Bonhoeffer mean by this? Do you hear God’s voice? Q. How did God not appear to Elijah? How did he appear to Elijah? What does this teach us? Q. Where is Christianity growing fastest in the world? What are the things they don’t have there? What are the things that are propelling their growth? Jesus prioritized time with the Father. "At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place...." (Luke 4:42) "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16) "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." (Luke 6:12) "He took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray." (Luke 9:28b) Read about Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian, beginning in Acts 8:26. Q. Name the times that someone listened in this story. Listening to the Spirit readies us to listen to others Application – set aside 1 time of 15-20 minutes this week to do nothing but listen to God. "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You;[6] My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)
Sent
October 11, 2020 • Brian Jennings
Church Bells: “Sent” PLUS Ezekiel 1 - 2: “Sent” Blessing.... Eat... Listen... http://learn...sent What is something that’s been taken away from you during this Pandemic? How had Ezekiel’s world been ripped away? There is 1 phrase in the book of Ezekiel. It first shows up in ch. 6 and then over and over and over and over again. “And they will know that I am Lord.” Brainstorm some events (good or bad) in which God has drawn you to Him? Read from Psalm 67 and note to whom God wants to be known. 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us — [ b ] 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. Read Ezekiel 2:3-83 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen — for they are a rebellious people — they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. How would it feel for God to say, “I’m sending you but they may not listen?” Does that take the pressure off or add it? How does this help us learn to obey and trust God with the outcomes? How is God sending HP member, Heidi? How did he send a Georgian pastor to a Waffle House? To whom is God sending you. Habit #5 – Write down how God is sending you. Once a week, write down what you are learning, whom you are blessing, and how God is sending you.