Every Nation Vancouver

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Psalm 91:9-10 Sermon Summary: Our peaceful presence, authentic worship and faith-filled activity speak to who is in control of the world. Discussion Questions: 1. Has the instability in society these days effected your relationship with God at all? If so, how? 2. What does "worship" look like for you in the absence of Sunday Services? What role does worship play in your reactiveness to the world around you? 3. What kinds of faith-filled activity do you feel called to by God? How is this call loving for you and your neighbor? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: God's covenant for marriage is for a husband and wife to unite in reflecting and expanding God's love and authority. Discussion Questions: 1. What did God first expect of married couples? Genesis 1:28. How does this shape what “suitable helper” means in Genesis 2:20? What might such a marriage look like? See Romans 16:23 or Hebrews 13:2 2. What might be unappealing about this covenant? What kind of contract might people prefer instead? Why? 3. Why would pledging to have a marriage that blesses others (including our spouse!) bless us personally? In order to commit to that covenant, what do we need from Jesus? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

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REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: God invites us to engage with creation in a mutual pledge of self-sacrifice and gratitude. Discussion Questions: 1. What does Psalm 8:6-8 say about our relationship with creation? If we are responsible to love and serve creation, how does Genesis 9:3 seem to contradict this? 2. How do people typically feel about being sacrificed for? According to Romans 5:8, how does the Bible view self-sacrifice? If the problem with our treatment of creation is not that we need it to sacrifice itself for us, what is it? 1 Timothy 4:4 3. How does the idea of gratitude help us avoid the extremes of ravaging creation and of denying creation the honor of self-sacrifice? How does gratitude help us avoid these extremes with Jesus? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Genesis 15:1-18 Summary: God fulfills His promises to humanity through a faith-based covenant relationship. Discussion Questions: 1. Read Genesis 15:1-18. What things did God promise Abram? What does God promise all His children? 2. When Abraham kept doubting, what did God do? How is this a foreshadowing of what Christ did for us (Romans 5:8)? For a 5-minute video on this, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuycEl-4Gnk 3. What does it look like to practice covenant-trust in daily life? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: We have a standing invitation to approach God through Jesus. Discussion Questions: 1. Read Hebrews 4:12–13. What does your devotional life look like? Have you experienced anything described in this passage? 2. Are there reasons why you don't accept God's invitation into relationship in everyday life? 3. Read Hebrews 4:14-16. How does this passage describe accepting God's invitation? How is this accomplished? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: Grace is a Person we respond to in each life area. Discussion Questions: 1. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. What does grace enable us to do? How does trusting in grace create a cycle of generosity? What stops that cycle? 2. Given that grace is a Person and not a resource, how does that change how we receive grace? 3. What would it look like to trust in God's empowering presence in the area of your finances? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: If we embrace weakness, pain increases our trust in grace. Discussion Questions: 1. According to Romans 8:38-39, what can separate us from a love relationship with God? 2. How does God respond to Paul’s struggles in 2 Corinthians 12:9. Given Romans 8:38-39, what is the power of grace sufficient to do? 3. Why is weakness/humility the prerequisite to resting in God's grace? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

JANUARY 26TH REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Main Passage: Titus 2:11-14 Summary: Santification is God purifying for himself a people to call his very own. Discussion Questions: How does grace "teach" us to say no to ungodliness? According to this passage, God's motivation for our santification is for us to be his very own. Do you find this a compelling reason to live righteously? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Main Passage: Titus 3:3-7 Summary: Redemption is more powerful than forgetting. Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think Paul is bringing up sins of the past in an effort to highlight our justification? 2. According to this passage, why is important that our savior "appeared" as a person within historical events? How does this shape your idea of grace? 3. What do you think is God's primary intention in justifying us by his grace? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: We are a victim of our sin nature until grace sets us free. Discussion Questions: 1. According to Romans 5:18, what is every person a victim of? How do you feel about being a victim to things that you can’t control? 2. According to Romans 5:21, grace (God's empowering presence) shows His power in our lives through us living righteously. How might people feel about grace removing their excuses to sin? 3. What is God highlighting in your life right now: that you are victim, or that grace has freed you from being victim? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: Our hearts change by the affections we practically plug into. Discussion Questions: 1. Read Proverbs 4:20-23. What are we to keep in our hearts? What are we to do to our hearts? What is the result? 2. Our hearts change by the affections we practically plug into (see Matthew 6:21). What are the concrete implications of this? 3. What is God inviting you to do with your affections in 2020? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Summary: Pride and insult blind us to seeing our need for Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Discussion Questions: 1. From Luke 2:8-20 describe the hearts of the shepherds. How might the events of Matthew 2:16 impact them? 2. What are common reasons why people mistrust Jesus? Why did King Herod mistrust Jesus? How are we like Herod? See Revelation 3:17. 3. This Christmas, how can we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ: Isaiah 9:6-7 / John 14:27 / John 16:33 / Rev 5:11-14 Sermon Summary: Peace is a person we identify with. Questions: 1. How do you find peace? How do you define peace? Why does it seem to illusive? 2. Why is it important that Jesus is King of Peace? How is His peace He different than what the world peace? 3. Why must we identify with peace? What does longing for God's peace look like? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ: John 3:25-30 Sermon Summary: Our joy is found in God’s narrative. Questions: 1)Where do you feel pressure to have joy this season? Why is it easier to find our joy in comparing with others rather than trusting God? 2) In the passage the people who once followed John are now leaving him and following Jesus instead. However, instead of suffering his loss, John states that he must decrease and Jesus must increase. How does this go against the narrative we usually subscribe to in order to find joy? 3) John found his purpose by pointing to the story God is writing rather than one he could write. What difficulties do you find in trusting God’s story other than your own? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ: Isaiah 8:19-22 and Isaiah 9:1-2 Sermon Summary: Our Hope is not in what will happen but in who we trust. Questions: 1) Are there any areas in your life that seem hopeless? 2) What is your usual response when you are faced with difficulties and areas of hopelessness in your life? 3) What areas of your life does Jesus need to be “born into”, and what does that look like? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Matthew 18:19-20; Galatians 3:27 Summary: Christians focus on clothing versus climbing. Discussion Questions: 1. What does it mean to be baptized into the Trinity?* Where are we positioned in relation to God? 2. How does Galatians 3:27 describe baptism? Contrast a life of “clothing” or connecting, versus a life of climbing or achieving. How does that shape how we approach being confused, defeated or cold-hearted? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.] *In Matthew 28:19, “the preposition ‘into’ strongly suggests a coming-into-relationship-with or a coming-under-the-Lordship-of.” (Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew)

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Text: John 13:34-35 Sermon Summary: Jesus is a trustworthy source to define what love looks like. Discussion Questions: 1. What do think the difference is between the love described in the main text and simply being “kind”? 2. Do you find it challenging to trust that Jesus’ example of proactive love is the best way to conduct your own relationships? Why or why not? 3. Read 1 John 4:18. How does the love Jesus has for us remove the fear of being vulnerably loving? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

READ. Summary: Jesus is a better focus of our faith, hope and love. Discussion Questions: Faith, hope and love are what really matters in life (1Co.13:13). Explore the difference in how we approach these things, depending on whether we are pursuing personal growth or following Jesus (Refer to Titus 3:5 for clarity on faith, Luke 12:33 to shed light on hope, and Luke 12:24 to understand where our love is to be directed). RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world? Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]

REVIEW. “What did you take away from last time?” [Refer to last week’s responses.] “How did that go?” READ. Main Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Sermon Summary: Your position without God is just a position, but your position with God has a purpose. Discussion Questions: 1. How would you use the words position and purpose to describe your life? 2. Paul uses the word reconciled to describe both our potential relationship with God and purpose He gives us. Why does God use His power to reconcile with those who have sinned against Him? What does Mark 1:40-42 show us about about Jesus' leadership? 3. We are closer to God when we serve then when we are expecting to be served. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? RESPOND. “How can today’s discussion further your relationship with God, one another, and the world?" Pray together. [Record responses and prayer requests.]