Category Archives: The Church
Annual Maintenance Check: Part 2 – Grace and the Gospel in Covenant Marriage
November 10, 2019 Mike Meyers HomeFront
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What was your wedding ceremony like?
- What do you remember from your vows? Were yours traditional, or did you do something original?
- What is one take away you had from today’s talk?
- How is your “airframe”? How does considering your marriage as a covenant, “exchange of persons” change your perspective?
- Looking back at what grace does, how have you experienced grace with your spouse? Do you desire to be an agent of grace in your marriage? What keeps you from living in that?
Lessons from Marriage, Part 7: Fighting Isolation with Community
Discussion Questions
- Are you now, or have you ever, experienced rich Christian community? Explain.
- Are you now, or have you ever been or felt, isolated as a couple? Alone in the church? Explain.
- What concrete steps can you take now to deepen your roots into your faith community?
Lessons from Marriage, Part 5: The Joy and Wisdom of Overlooking an Offense
June 23, 2019 Mike Meyers HomeFront
Lessons from Marriage, Part 4: True North – Knowing Your Values and Living Toward Them
June 16, 2019 Mike Meyers HomeFront
Discussion Questions
- Ask for God’s direction and keep it simple.
- Think about God’s purpose for your marriage.
- Brainstorm some core values you share as a couple (faith, prayer, hospitality, peace, service…), then select 3-5 that you both agree stand out and attach scripture passages to each.
- Optional: Develop a short phrase for each. For example, “Hospitality – Our home will be joyfully open to those the Lord brings our way.”
Lessons from Marriage, Part 3: Keeping Short Accounts – Confession and Forgiveness
June 2, 2019 Mike Meyers
Discussion Questions
- Where have you struggled most in your marriage; confession or forgiveness?
- Which of these principles do you find most difficult to execute on?
- Can you share a time when confession and forgiveness brought healing to your marriage? Or when it has gone wrong?
- Would you include any additional principles? If so, what would you add?
Lessons from Marriage, Part 2: Consider Your Ways: Christ-Centered Introspection in Marriage
Discussion Questions
- Are you in the habit of evaluating yourself, or do you just let the days and years roll on by without much thought? If not, why not?
- Which person do you tend towards; the wise who welcomes evaluation, or the fool who runs from it, blame shifts, or makes excuses?
- Have you asked your spouse, or a close friend, for input? How did that go?
- How might you provide feedback more effectively or gently?
The Heart of Neighboring
- What was one thing about this message that you found particularly compelling, encouraging, challenging, or beneficial?
- In what ways is the moral fabric of our nation becoming unraveled? How ought the church live in the midst of such divisive days?
- Read and discuss Luke 6:40, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 12:30-31. What do these show us about Jesus’ mission and vision for His church?
- Read through and consider the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. How does the gospel compel us to love others with the love of Christ?
- How does Jesus turn the word “neighbor” from a noun into a verb? What are the implications of this?
- What is the difference between “do no harm neighboring” and “active/present neighboring”? What do the Scriptures call us to?
- How would you describe the depth of love you have for your neighbors?
- Why do you think God has put you in the lives of the people around you? What obstacles keep you from neigbhoring well?
- What is one practical way you can grow in your love for others? In what ways do you need to “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37)?
- Spend time in prayer for things you’ve discussed. Give thanks to God that in Jesus, He was neighbor to us. Pray that He would give you strength, passion and a plan to obey in the direction of His command to love our neighbors.
If we truly know Jesus, we will not allow time, fear of awkwardness, a judgmental spirit, or other obstacles to hinder us from loving our neighbors as ourselves. To follow up on The Heart of Neighboring message, here are some resources and starting points for you to consider as you apply Jesus’ call to “be neighbor” to those around us (Luke 10:36-37).
EQUIPPING THE SAINTS COURSE: The Art of Neighboring
This course looks at “His Kingdom come” in your neighborhood – practical ways to be salt and light close to home. This 4-session class will include a biblical basis for neighborhood ministry and will cover the means, methods, and resources available. We’ll discuss topics like meeting felt needs in Jesus’ name, the impact of everyday kindness, youth coaching and other community involvement, and the power of hospitality, among others. You’ll hear from other RBC brothers and sisters and learn from their victories as well as their failures. Our next session will be held March 8-29, 2020 on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
BOOKS & ONLINE RESOURCES
- The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World (Amazon)
- The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life (Amazon)
- The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door (Amazon)
- TheNeighboringLife.com Resources (Website)
