Increasing Faith, Increasing Fruit, Increasing Gospel

Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon Notes:

1. Increasing Faith | vv. 3-8

2. Increasing Fruit | vv. 9-12

3. Increasing Gospel | vv. 5-6, 13-14

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you were overwhelmed with the joy and glory of salvation? If it's been a while, why has it become insignificant or mundane? Why is Paul compelled to pour out thanksgiving every time he prays for the Colossians?

2. What are some specific ways that your spiritual fruit shows your devotion to God? What ways have you seen your spiritual fruit grow since becoming a Christian?

3. God has delivered us from slavery to sin and death. Like God reminded Israel over and over again, he reminds us where we've come from and who we are now. What is your identity in Christ and how can you live out of the gospel more today than you did yesterday?

Serve Deeper - Worship Connect Serve DEEPER - Part 3

Philippians 2:3-9, 1 Peter 4:10-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Sermon Notes:

1) Meet the Servant | Philippians 2-4

2) Serve in the Strength that God provides | 1 Peter 4:10-11

3) Serve Better by Knowing Service Doesn’t Earn Salvation | Philippians 3

4) Serve Better by Saying “No” More | John 3:30

5) Serve Better by Expecting Busy Seasons | 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Reflection Questions:

1. How did Paul prepare Euodia and Synteche to get along? What did he first show them? See Philippians 4:2, as well as chapter 2.

2. How can you change your habits to make sure that you are serving in the strength that God provides? See 1 Peter 4:10-11

3. What are some of the things that God wants us to say No to, some of the things He wants us to say Yes to? What are you already saying Yes and No to? Are you doing more or less than you realized?

Connect Deeper - Worship, Connect, Serve Deeper - Part 2

Genesis 3:11-19; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Romans 12:10, Galatians 6:10

Sermon Notes:

1) Our past and present separate us from God and others, Gen 3:11-19

2) Our Savior has comforted us so that we might comfort and connect to others, 2 Cor 1

3) Our Savior has left us examples of comfort and connection, Acts 4:34- 37; I Cor. 10:6

4) Our Savior has left us commands of comfort and connection, Rom 12:10

5) Our Savior has not left us without comfort, 2 Corinthians

Reflection Questions:

1. How does our sin nature keep us from connecting with God and others? Do we ever forget how much remaining sin we still have even after God saves us? See Romans 7:7-25.

2. Can you think of a time when the God of all comfort comforted you in a way that allowed you to comfort others? See 2 Cor. 1:3-7.

3. Barnabas (Acts 4:36) was a nickname that meant “son of encouragement.” Can you think of someone you know who is a Barnabas? How might you become more of a Barnabas? Also, Titus was apparently a Barnabas, too. See 2 Cor. 7:5-13.

4. Have you prayed that God would give you more opportunities to do good (Gal. 6:10), or that you could recognize the opportunities that you already have? Have you prayed that God would help you to outdo (Rom 12:10) your neighbors in showing honor to others?

5. Do you ever worry that God will let you overdo it in caring for others? Consider this prayer from St. Augustine: “Lord, command what you will, but then grant what you command.”

Worship Deeper - Worship, Connect, Serve Deeper - Part 1

Romans 11:33-36; Psalms 1, 84, 119, 121, 136

Sermon Notes:

1) Recognition – Recognize His Worth, Rom 11:33-36.

2) Preparation – Preparing for Worship, Psalms 120-134.

3) Participation – Participate in Worship, Psalm 136.

4) Rumination – Ruminate upon Sunday’s worship, Psalm 1.

5) Anticipation – Anticipate the next Holy Day, Ps 84.

Reflection Questions:

1. Why is God worth your worship? See Romans 11:33-36; 12:1-2; 16:25-27.

2. What’s one way you can prepare for worship this year?

3. What’s one way you can participate in worship this year?

4. What’s one way you can ruminate or meditate upon worship this year?

5. What truth can you anticipate learning more deeply next Sunday and the next?

The Letter to Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17

Sermon Notes:

1) The Faithfulness We Speak Must Be Matched by the Faithfulness We Do

2) The Faithful Endurance of the Church in Pergamum

3) The Trouble of Compromise in Christian Living

Reflection questions:

1. When does our contemporary life demand of us to confess publicly our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

2. How often are we prompted to do something by other people, the radio, social media, TV, or advertising? How often are those things a “manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ?” (Philippians 1:27)

3. Do we examine these suggested actions, after the example of the Christians in Berea? (Acts 17:11)

A Weary World Rejoices

Luke 2:21-38

Sermon Notes:

1) A Gift fit for the Poor, 21-24

2) A Gift worth Waiting for, 25-26, 33-38

3) A Gift to Die for, 27-32

Reflection questions:

1. Why is it important to know that Jesus was born into poverty? Compare v.24 with Leviticus 12:8. Also see 2 Corinthians 8:9.

2. Have you ever waited for a gift and then been disappointed to not receive it? Think about that as you read the following verses: Luke 2:25-26, 36-38; Romans 5:1-5, especially v.5.

3. Was Simeon unique, or are there others in the Bible who received the gift to die for? Cf. 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

The Word Became Flesh and Moved in Next Door

John 1:1-18

Sermon Notes:

1) Creation through the Word, 1-5

2) Illumination by the Word, 4-13

3) Glorification from the Word, 14-18

Reflection Questions:

1. John says that Jesus came to his own, and his own received him not (v11). Why is this? Why would anyone reject a gracious savior like Jesus? What does this savior say about them? See also John 1:5; 3:19.

2. While John does not tell you about the Savior’s birth (and His miraculous conception), how does he tell you that Jesus was Divine, the Son of God? How many different ways do you see evidence of Jesus’s divinity in John 1:1-18?

3. John emphasizes the grace that is found in Christ several times in vv. 14-18. How would Jesus manifest that grace to the world? For one clue, see John 1:29.

The Blessing of a Magnificent God

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon Notes:

1) Elizabeth's Exclamation of Faith

2) Mary's Exclamation of Fear

Reflection Questions:

1. Elizabeth and Mary would have had very little authority and status in their culture and world. Yet, the Holy Spirit spoke scripture through them both. How does the Spirit speaking through Elizabeth and Mary show God's love for the last, the least, the lost, and the little?

2. While we don’t know much about Mary, vv. 46-56 show us a great deal of her faith and understanding of God's promises. What passages in scripture can you think of that Mary might have been recalling? How do you think Mary's familiarity with scripture impacted her faith?

3. God isn't simply taking from those who have too much and giving to the needy, like some Robinhood of the sky. Instead, God is removing the idols of pride, self-sufficiency, and riches, from those who have rejected him. But God fills those who are humble before him with blessing and mercy. How is your pride, might, or wealth getting in the way of you fearing God more fully, and humbling yourself before him?

Did Mark Forget the Nativity Scene?

Mark 1:1-15

Sermon Notes:

1) The Call of the Wild, vv. 2-8

2) The Tamer of the Wild, vv. 9-15

3) The Good News for a Wild World, vv. 1, 14-15

Reflection questions:

1. John the Baptist made a simple observation about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) How are you seeking to make Christ increase in your life? In your interactions with others, and in how you present yourself?

2. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism where the Father said he was “well pleased” with Christ, He was driven to the wilderness where He was tempted. What might this tell us about the timing of temptation in our lives? See I Cor. 10:12.

3. What are the first words that Mark records Jesus saying? What are the first words Matthew records about the mission of Jesus (see 1:21)?