Seeking Jesus - Simeon

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:21-35

Key Thought: The Spirit of God is still moving men and women toward Jesus.

1. In this text, how does Luke show us that Mary and Joseph are good people?

2. If Luke were writing about you, what would he do to show you were a godly person?

3. What is it that we note about the major characters in the Christmas Stores of Luke chapters 1&2?

4. What do we learn about Mary from the sacrifices she makes?

5. What does Luke note about Simeon’s character?

6. What do we know about the activity of the Spirit in Simron’s life?

7. What is the Promise that Simeon receives?

8. What is the lesson for us?

Seeking Jesus - Herod

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-18

Key Thought: Herod is not the only one who wants to kill the King.

1. In what ways was Herod famous?

2. In what ways do we see Herod as clever?

3. In what ways do we see Herod as brutal?

4. What is Herod’s title?

5. Why would “all” Jerusalem be concerned at the birth of Jesus?

6. What is Jesus’ title?

7. What does Herod plan to do?

8. In what ways is that happening today?

   1. In our world?

   2. In our church?

   3. In our lives

Who’s the Baby?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Key Thought: The key point is that Jesus is no ordinary baby: He is the Son of God, Son of David, Son of Man!!

1. What is unique about the patriarch’s wives in Genesis?

2. What does this show to us?

3. What is unique about the firstborn son in Genesis?

4. What do we learn from this?

5. What do we learn about the Baby from the prophet Isaiah?

6. What is the key issue in the genealogy in Matthew?

7. How does Matthew show us this?

8. What is the key issue in the gospel of Luke?

9. How does Luke show us this?

10. What is the key issue in the first 18 verses of the gospel of John?

11. What does all of this mean to us as believers?

Where's the Baby?

Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:1-19

Key Thought: From the very beginning God intended

1. When God created the humans, what did he say?

2. How would you describe their spiritual condition in chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis?

3. What happens in chapter 3 of Genesis?

4. How would you describe our live in light of Genesis 3?

5. What is the Promise of Genesis 3:15?

6. Why do we call this child a special child?

7. Is the Promise of the child ever fulfilled?

8. How does the work of this Child affect your life?

Sacrifice for the Kingdom: David and Jonathan (and Saul)

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 20

Confess Your Sins to One Another

Scripture Reading: James 5:7-20

Key Thought: We confess our sins to one another so that we can help one another become more like Jesus. We need wisdom from the Lord to become the kind of community that can do this well.

1. How can confessing our sins to one another disarm our shame and help us to grow as Christians?

2. What are some practical guidelines for confessing sin to another believer?

3. How can we become the kind of people who can be trusted with these confessions?

D-Structive Sins - Part 5 - Defeat

Sermon Reading:Hebrews 3:7-19

Key Thought: Where sin abounded grace abounded much more

1. Which is the most significant of the D-structive Sins?

2. Have you found this true in your own life?

3. What is the fundamental characteristic of sin?

4. Is it possible that Idolatry and Rebellion are so present in our lives that they go unnoticed?

5. What do we learn about God when he actually takes the Israelites into the Promise Land?

6. Where else do we see this in the Old Testament?

7. What is it that God wants for the human being?

8. Why can we not become this ourselves?

9. What are we invited to?

10. How do we get it?

11. When can we have it?

D-Structive Sins - Part 4 - Disobedience

Scripture Reading: Numbers 14:39-45 & 15:32-36

Key Thought: Disobedience saps your spiritual strength and vitality

1. When you became a Christian what did you expect your spiritual life to be like?

2. How would you describe your level of satisfaction with your spiritual life?

3. List the first three of the D-Structive sins. Which one has been your biggest problem?

4. What steps are you taking to overcome that problem?

5. In the message today: What is the D-Structive Sin?

6. In Chapter 14, what is the disobedience?

7. Is it possible that a good thing at one time could become a bad thing at another time?

8. What is the cost of disobedience in this text?

9. Why do they not have spiritual success?

10. In chapter 15, what is the disobedient act?

11. Does it seem like that big of a deal to you?

12. Why do you think that it was treated so severely?

13. What do you think is the cost of disobedience for your own life?

D-Structive Sin - Part 3 - Disbelief

Key Thought: Disbelief is a really expensive sin - it can cost you your life, it can cost you your place in the “Promise Land”.

Sermon Reading: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33

Chapters 13,14

1. What should the spies have known about the land?

2. What were the spies to investigate?

3. What two things did the spies see?

4. What as the choice they made?

5. What was the cost of their choice?

6. What as the fate of Caleb and Joshua?

Chapter 20

1. What were the people complaining about?

2. What was Moses instructed to do?

3. What did Moses do?

4. What was Moses’ sin?

5. What was the cost of that sin?

D-Structive Sin - Part 2 - Discontent

Scripture Reading: Numbers 11

Key Thought: a lack of Thanksgiving leads to discontent and discontent leads to spiritual desert.

1. In the chapter before us today we see several groups of people who are murmuring and complaining. Who are they and what are they complaining about?

2. What do we learn about memory as a cause of discontent?

3. Who are the ‘mixed-multitude’ ‘rabble’ or ‘contemptible people’ in this chapter? What do they do?

4. What do we learn about the company we keep?

5. What is Moses’ problem?

6. What does God say to Moses?

7. How can we avoid these problems in our lives?