Sunday Rewind | 8.21.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Keeper of My Heart (Psalm 121:1-2) – Majestic by Kari Jobe
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Galatians 6:14) – Mars Hill Music by Dispatch
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Be Anxious for Nothing
We live in a world that is morally decaying. Pastor Mike and David Shedd dialogue about viewing the world in which we live through a biblical lens.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- What makes you anxious as you observe the state of the world today?
- Read and discuss Philippians 4:4-9. What does this reveal about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- We live in a world that is morally decaying. What opportunities do you have (or can you make) to be salt and light in the environments in which you have influence?
- How do we balance the tension between security and compassion in an uncertain world?
- What is the root of anxiety, beyond circumstances and situations? How does anxiety relate to trust?
- How does the gospel anchor us in the midst of uncertainty?
- Read and discuss 1 Peter 5:6-7. What anxieties do you need to cast upon the Lord? Spend some time in prayer about this.
Preparing for Sunday | August 21
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday. Here’s the first Preparing for Sunday post with a more in-depth explanation of why we do this.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 21
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Keeper Of My Heart | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Kari Jobe.
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us | [listen + lyrics]
by: Stuart Townend
Your Promises | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye.
Be Lifted High | [listen]
by: Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Jess Cates, Wade Joye, Jane Williams.
SERMON TEXT
Philippians 4:6-7
READ
Sunday Rewind | 8.14.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Alive in Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Romans 5:8) Open Heaven / River Wild by Hillsong Live
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong Worship
TEACHING: The Purposeful Mind
Stagnation is devastating in the life of a believer. We must set our minds to the greatest purpose of all life – to know Jesus.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- If there was one thing about you that you could snap your fingers and instantly change, what would it be?
- Read and discuss Philippians 3:10-16. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What is the role of change in the life of a Christian? What does change indicate? Are there some things that shouldn’t change?
- In what ways are we the church in danger of “standing still” or becoming complacent?
- What is an area where you need to stop coasting?
- Why are we so easily distracted from things that really matter by things that really don’t?
- Where in your walk do you need to forget what is behind and move forward?
- How does the gospel enable us to press on, endure, persevere?
- What is one area of your walk where you need to develop discipline?
- How does the gospel encourage, propel and enable biblical change in our lives? Pray that God would be graceful to continue to know and make you like Jesus.
Preparing for Sunday | August 14
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday. Here’s the first Preparing for Sunday post with a more in-depth explanation of why we do this.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 14
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Only King Forever | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye.
Alive In Us | [listen + lyrics]
by: Reuben Morgan
Rock Of Ages | [listen + lyrics]
hymn by: Augustus M. Toplady (1776); music by: Thomas Hastings; arrangement by: Page CXVI, David Wilton.
O Praise The Name | [listen + lyrics]
by: Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson.
Cornerstone | [listen + lyrics]
by:Eric Liljero, Reuben Morgan, Edward Mote, Jonas Myrin.
SERMON TEXT
Philippians 3:10-16
READ
Sunday Rewind | 8.7.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
YOUR PROMISES (2 Peter 1:3-4a)
Brown, Brock, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
ONLY KING FOREVER (1 Timothy 1:17)
Brock, Brown, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
COME TO ME (Matthew 11:28)
Akers, Capps, Bleecker | Bleecker Publishing
O PRAISE THE NAME (Romans 5:8)
Hastings, Ussher, Sampson | Hillsong Music Publishing
TEACHING: Following Jesus to the End
Clear minds enable clear thinking.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- Read and discuss 2 Peter chapter 3. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What is “wholesome thinking” or “a pure mind” (v. 1)? Why is this important?
- What causes us to forget God? What sort of “interference” do you tend to deal with?
- What does it mean to be deliberately ignorant of something (v. 5)? What are the results of this? How can we avoid doing this ourselves?
- What present-day scoffers have you seen or encountered?
- Why do we so easily buy into things without checking them out? What examples can you think of?
- What does it mean to redeem something? How does this relate to the gospel? How does it relate to our daily life?
- As we look at the world stage today, what comfort is there in knowing that God is in control and He redeems? What patterns of though or action in your life do you need to reevaluate in light of this?
- In light of all this, knowing what will come to pass, what kind of people ought we be? How can we lean into the gospel and look forward to the coming kingdom of God?
Preparing for Sunday | August 7
As Christians, we aren’t just individuals but a family (Ephesians 2:19-22), a people (1 Peter 2:9), and a body saved by Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:27), united to one another by our faith in Jesus Christ. That means that we are the church, God’s people, who worship Jesus together because He died for our sins and made us His.
The Bible describes several things that Christians are to do when they come together. We pray together (Acts 2:42), we sing together (Ephesians 5:19), we hear God’s Word preached together (2 Timothy 3:16), we take the Lord’s Supper together (1 Corinthians 11:26), and we celebrate baptisms together (Matthew 28:19).
“Preparing for Sunday” will focus on two of these aspects specifically — singing together and sitting under the preached Word together.
The aim of this blog is two-fold:
- To help us prepare for the time we gather together each Sunday.
- To encourage our worship of God throughout the week.
Each week we will send out the songs we will be singing together for the upcoming Sunday. It will include the song title/arrangement and links to the song and lyrics whenever possible. This will help us become more familiar with the songs we will sing together each week. And it will help us to learn any new songs or arrangements we will introduce. The point of our worship through song is to sing praises to God, to sing and encourage one another in the gospel, and to proclaim to a dying world that Jesus is the only hope.
Along with posting the songs, we will include the Scripture or topic for each week. The desire here is to encourage reading God’s Word and to spend time studying and meditating on the Scripture/topic prior to the sermon each week.
Here are several easy ways you could incorporate this prep into your weekly routines:
Listening to the songs:
- On your commute to and from work.
- To and from church each week.
- During work (if you are allowed and able).
- While folding laundry.
- During your family worship time.
- Cooking dinner.
- Cleaning up around the house.
Reading the text for each week:
- On your commute to and from work (if you don’t have to drive!).
- During work breaks/lunch breaks.
- During your family worship time.
- When you spend time in the Word each day.
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Your Promises
by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
WATCH AND LISTEN | LYRICS
Only King Forever
by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
WATCH AND LISTEN | LYRICS
Come To Me
by Lizzie Akers (1902); additional lyrics: Jeff Capps, Michael Bleecker, Hunter Pecunia
WATCH AND LISTEN
O Praise The Name
by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson
WATCH AND LISTEN (WITH LYRICS)
SERMON TEXT
2 Peter 3
READ
Sunday Rewind | 7.31.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
UNSTOPPABLE GOD (Matthew 17:20)
Brown, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
ALWAYS (Psalm 121:1-2
Ingram, Stanfill | EMI Christian Music Publishing
MAJESTY( 1 Chronicles 29:11)
Smith, Gerrard | Curious? Music UK
THIS I BELIEVE (THE CREED) (Romans 1:16)
Fielding, Crocker | Hillsong Music Publishing
FOREVER REIGN (Lamentations 5:19)
Ingram, Morgan | Hillsong Music Publishing
TEACHING: The Gospel & Relationships
Love, humility, sacrifice and grace – these four pillars of the gospel of Jesus Christ have the power to change the direction of a nation.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- How would you explain justification and sanctification to someone who do not know what these words mean? Why are these important in the life of a believer?
- Read and discuss Philippians 2:1-11. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- In the text above, where do you see the four pillars of the gospel Pastor Mike mentions – love, humility, sacrifice and grace? What other scriptures can you think of that instruct us on each of these pillars?
- What are the opposite of those pillars that we should be careful to avoid as Christ-followers?
- What is one profound way you have been the recipient of love? What is one area of your life where you need to extend gospel-centric love?
- How is humility emphasized in these verses? What examples of humility have impacted you in your life? Where is an area where you need to grow in gospel-centric humility?
- How have you seen sacrifice modeled? Is there an area of life where God is asking you to make a gospel-centric sacrifice that might point others to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice?
- How would you define grace? How have you seen grace in action? What relationship you need to apply gospel-centric grace?
- Spend some time praying for our nation, and asking God how you can move forth in your circles of influence with the power of the gospel of Jesus.
Sunday Rewind | 6.26.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong Worship
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Galatians 6:14) – The Dispatch EP by The Dispatch
This I Believe (the Creed) (Romans 1:16) Fielding, Crocker | Hillsong Music Publishing
Jesus Paid it All (Colossians 2:13-14) – Everything Glorious by Kristian Stanfill
TEACHING: James – Living Out Our Faith, Part 20
To pray demonstrates confidence in God. To not pray demonstrates confidence in man.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- Read and discuss James 5:12-18. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What tension between the text and your personal experience do you note in this text? How do you deal with such tensions?
- How is prayer emphasized in these verses? What does this mean for us?
- What is the importance of considering context when studying the Scriptures?
- What is your view of miraculous healings or spiritual gifts of healing in our day & times?
- In what ways do we tend to cover up our sins? Why is it important to confess our sins to each other? How does this develop community and camaraderie?
- “To pray demonstrates a confidence in God. To not pray demonstrates a confidence in man.” How would you describe your prayer life?
- Is there something burdening your soul that you need to release? Spend some time in prayer together for this.
Sunday Rewind | 6.19.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive in Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
Good Good Father (2 Thessalonians 2:16) – The EP by Zealand Worship
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong Worship
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Take the World by Giving Jesus by Ascend the Hill
TEACHING: James – Living Out Our Faith, Part 19
If life is a vapor, then so is suffering.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- Read and discuss James 5:7-11. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What does this section tell us about suffering and perseverance? How does it play out in the three examples James gives us here (farmers, prophets, and the life of Job)?
- Have you ever had to be patient in suffering? What happened? How did you relate to God through that time?
- Have you ever experienced persecution directly because of your faith in Jesus?
- What is the doctrine of imminence (v. 7) and why does it matter?
- Consider Romans 8:18. Why does Scripture call our sufferings “not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed”? What does this mean for our daily lives?
- How does the gospel of Jesus give us an eternal perspective, particularly when considering pain and suffering?
- Is there an area of suffering where you need to be patient and persevere? What would it look like to view this area through the lens of an eternal perspective? Spend some time praying together about this.
Sunday Rewind | 6.12.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) –Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong Worship
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Romans 5:8) Open Heaven / River Wild by Hillsong Live
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
TEACHING: James – Living Out Our Faith, Part 18
The love of stuff is the seed of greed. Money always abandons us in the time of our greatest need.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- Read and discuss James 5:1-6. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- Who are the “rich” whom James is addressing the verses above?
- “Money is not bad in and of itself – but it is dangerous.” What does this mean? What examples can you think of?
- “Treasures, because of time, become stuff.” How have you seen this principle to be true?
- How is hoarding a way of presuming upon the future?
- In what ways can we passively abuse the poor?
- What is a way you can “do for one what you wish you could do for everyone”?
- Consider Pastor Mike’s diagnostic questions: “Are you a hoarder? Do you love money? Has money ever gotten you in trouble? Do you have a giving plan? Do you think more about giving saving or spending?” How would you answer each of these?
- How did Jesus become poor that we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)? How should we respond to this great truth? Spend some time in prayer over the things you’ve discussed.