It has been thirteen years since Abraham and Sarah tried to make God’s will happen in their own way (Ch. 16). Why do you think the Lord waited so long to communicate again with Abram? How does Abram’s response here compare to his response when God affirmed the covenant in Chapter 15? How has Abram …
What distortions of the Gospel do you see among churches today? What are some requirements, in addition to faith, that certain churches or individuals think are necessary in order for us to be saved and accepted by God? Personally, are there any requirements you are adding to simple faith in order to feel accepted by …
What are some of the essential ingredients in effective communication? What common ground do believers have with unbelievers? In your circle of friends and acquaintances, what things are they counting on to provide them with a life worth living? How does the Gospel speak to those desires? St. Francis supposedly said, “Preach the Gospel at …
How does Paul’s message here to a Jewish audience compare to his message to a Gentile audience in Athens in Acts 17:22-34? How does his use of Scripture differ? How does he seek to connect with his audience? What are the similarities? Which of these approaches do you think best fits sharing our faith with …
How significant a role should world missions play in the local church? What sacrifices need to be made if missions is going to be a vital part of the local church’s ministry? What benefits do you think come to a church that is invested in the spread of the Gospel to all nations and peoples? …
Mark Twain quipped, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so!” The Skeptics Dictionary defines faith as: “a non-rational belief in some proposition.” How does this view of faith being an irrational belief in something you know isn’t true compare with Thomas’ experience here and with Paul’s comment that, “if Christ has not been raised, …
What would you do if you were the most powerful man/woman on earth? How would that power impact your relationships? Your lifestyle? Your work? Your goals and plans? For most of us, our greatest moments of glory come when we have achieved or accomplished something tremendous and others recognize and celebrate our “greatness” – be …
NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, the audio for this sermon was lost. Many apologies. Recently, I hear more and more Christians fretting about the increasing opposition we are facing in our culture and wondering if the church will be able to thrive in this more hostile environment. How do you think the church was feeling …
Antioch was the third most influential city of the ancient Roman world (behind Rome and Alexandria) and very culturally and ethnically diverse. What unique challenges confront the church in a multicultural urban setting? What unique opportunities come to the church in a populous urban environment? Is a big city a good place to live as …
