At The Movies
At The Movies: Jesus Revolution
August 20, 2023 • Garry Firth • John 13:1–4, John 3:16, Luke 6:31–36, Romans 10:13–15, Romans 10:9–10
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. What’s your favourite movie of all time and why? 2. How did you hear about TMP? 3. Read Romans 10:13-15. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being uncomfortable and 10 being very comfortable, where is your comfort level with sharing the good news about Jesus? 4. What stood out for you the most in today’s message or this message series?
At The Movies: About Time
August 13, 2023 • Garry Firth • Matthew 6:11, Matthew 6:34, 2 Samuel 11, Psalm 32:1–5, Psalm 118:24
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. Share an embarrassing moment that you wish you could go back in time and redo. (disastrous first date, having your pants split in public, etc.) 2. Garry shared how dwelling on the past keeps him from enjoying the present moment. How does dwelling on the past impact you? 3. “This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) What would rejoicing and being glad in ‘today’ look like for you? 4. Read 2 Samuel 11. What stands out for you in this story? 5. Read Psalm 32:1-5. The ‘secret’ to being able to be glad in today is confession. What thoughts come to mind when you hear that word - confession? We can’t change the past, but God can free us from it. If you have something from your past that is keeping you from enjoying the present, take it to God in prayer this week. If you would like someone to pray with you, ask a friend or email a prayer request to mailto:admin@themeetingplace.org.
At The Movies: A Quiet Place
August 6, 2023 • Russ Smith • Colossians 3:12–14, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:9–10, Romans 5:6–8, John 10:11
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. When you were a kid, what kind of allowance did you receive? 2. Read Colossians 3:12-14 and note the part about “make allowance”: “…clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Who is someone you know that you wish would “make allowance” for some of your faults? Who is someone that you could be a little more generous in “making allowance” for their faults? 3. In the movie, loud sounds mask smaller sounds (ex. The loud sound of the river and waterfall masked the smaller sounds of talking and catching fish). In the same way, loud love masks the smaller stuff in life, so let’s go make love loud (which still sounds kind of funny). What are some ways you can make love loud this week? 4. In the movie,, the dad sacrificed himself in order to save his kids. You might not need to give up your life for someone this week, but what’s something you could do in order to put someone else first? (ex. Giving up something in order to help someone, or doing something that’s inconvenient to you but will benefit someone else). 5. Oh what I wouldn’t do. In the message, we read John 15:13: There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus gave up his life in order to save us. What do you think about that?
At The Movies: Fall
July 30, 2023 • Russ Smith • Matthew 18:12–14, Luke 11:11–13, Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6:25–27, Ezekiel 34:16
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. In the movie Fall, Becky and Hunter were stuck on top of a 2,000 foot tv tower. Have you ever been stuck or lost somewhere? What happened? 2. God is on an all-out rescue mission for humanity. In the message, we looked at Luke 19:10 where Jesus said: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” What do you think about that? Are you feeling more “lost” or “found” by God these days? 3. The life hack of using a lamp socket to charge something turned out to be useful for Becky. What’s a life hack that has worked well for you? 4. One life hack from the Bible Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything comes from Philippians 4:6: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” What do you think about that? 5. In the message, Russ said: One thing about life hacks: they’re only really helpful if you USE them. This week, how could you intentionally use the life hack of Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything? 6. Just like Becky’s dad was always looking for her, Our heavenly father is always looking for us. How do you feel about that? Do you find comfort in that statement, or would you rather that God would stop looking for you?
At The Movies: The Batman
July 23, 2023 • Russ Smith • Romans 12:19, John 8:12, 2 Corinthians 5:14–21, 1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 5:14–15
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. Who has been your favourite Batman actor so far? (Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson) 2. Have you ever struggled with wanting vengeance for something? What happened? 3. What’s something in your life that feels like it’s keeping you “stuck in the darkness”? 4. Check out Matthew 5:14-15. Jesus said “You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” 5. Similar to how Batman realizes he has a new task, Jesus-followers have been given a new task to help reconcile people to God and to be hope and light. People need hope. To know someone’s out there for them. What are some ways we can let people know that “someone’s out there for them” and be hope and light to them?
At The Movies: Top Gun Maverick
July 16, 2023 • Russ Smith • Ephesians 1:19–20, Philippians 2:6–7, Philippians 2:3–4
Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. Top Gun Maverick was one of the biggest movies of 2022. Did you see it? If yes, what did you think about it? 2. Maverick said “With all due respect sir, I’m not a teacher. I’m a fighter pilot. A naval aviator. It’s not what I do, it’s who I am. How do I teach that?”. If you’re a Jesus-follower, have you ever felt like that? (like you couldn’t teach anyone about Jesus, or that you’ve somehow disqualified yourself from leading others?) 3. Maverick was willing to put aside his own interests for the sake of others, and this sounds a lot like what we read in the Bible in Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” What are some ways you could put aside your interests for the sake of other people? 4. One of the takeaways from this message is this: Just like Maverick, you’re not done yet. What are some ways you feel like you’re done, or you’re no good, or you have nothing to offer? What would it take to change that? 5. Another takeaway from this message is: Just like Maverick, WE’RE not done yet. We read in the Bible in Ephesians 1:19-20 about the power of God that we have: “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” What do you think about that? 6. Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive?