Sermon Questions - January 3, 2016

Being Enthralled with Christ

John 15:1-11

January 3, 2016

Study Questions

1. The vision of Glory of Christ is this: We envision a people enthralled with the glory of Christ who are being transformed into the image of Christ.

2. What does it mean to be enthralled? Enthralled with Christ? What is the ultimate goal of being enthralled with Christ?

3. Read John 15:1-11. How do Jesus’ words connect with the vision of GCF? How do they emerge from Jesus’ own way of life (see John 828)?

4. What specific promise does Jesus make in 15:7? What do you honestly think and feel about the content and extent of this promise?

5. What are the two conditions of this promise? How do they help us understand the nature of the promise?

6. How can a person abide in Christ? How can a person allow Christ’s words to abide in them? Answer these same questions for the church.

7. How might Jesus’ words in John 15:7-9 connect with God’s vision of his house being a house of prayer for all people?

8. How do you think Glory of Christ can further develop in 2016 toward being a house of prayer? After prayerfully pondering this question, feel free to share your thoughts and dreams with the elders.

9, Spend some time in prayer, asking Jesus to teach you and Glory of Christ to live according to his wisdom in John 15:1-11.

Comments

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord, by George Muller

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...

God Displays His Beauty While Lifting Heavy Burdens by Pastor Kevin

I know I am a little bit overweight. My doctor tells me so. The mirror that I look into affirms it and the scale (that I mostly avoid) reminds me every time I step on it. All of that makes what I am about to say so much more impressive. I had the privilege of sitting on the beaches of Florida's Atlantic coast for 8 days on our most recent family trip. For me there is something magical about the beach, especially on the Atlantic side with the waves washing up against the shoreline. We have been lucky enough to find a sleepy beach town to vacation at. A nook, if you will, that typically features retired folks or families with kids. Out of the way of those who want to party, the beach is truly a relaxing place for me. Let me tell you something that I gleaned this time around that never quite landed on me. This last week it landed on me, almost literally. My son Ben and I are the more adventurous specimens in the Feder five. We actually get into the salty water where there are jelly f...

Is your Sense of Identity Tied to your Smartphone?

In her book Alone Together Sherry Turkle writes, “To make more time would mean turning off our phones. But this is not a simple proposition since our devices are ever more closely coupled to our sense of our bodies and minds. They provide a social and psychological GPS, a navigation system for our tethered selves” (167). Hmm, that’s a profound point. Our phones are no longer just a tool we use to get things done; they have become part of who we are. They make us feel awake, alive, and connected to the world, and therefore we must have our phones with us at all times. But why is this so? Or to ask a question that gets closer to the heart of my issues with my phone, Why do we feel the compulsion to check and respond to messages multiple times per hour? Perhaps… We want to feel important, bigger than we are. We want to feel needed, even indispensable. We fear the disappointment, disapproval, or anger of others if we do not respond in a certain period of time. We feel i...

Glory of Christ Fellowship

Search This Blog