Study Questions. THE Stairway to Heaven...

Reading: John 1:43-51 & Genesis 28


If you missed it, here's a link to the Sermon: THE Stairway to Heaven...

1. Read Genesis 28 and discuss what you know of it as a group (don't worry about what you don't know!)
2. Verse 43? Why did Jesus decide to go to Galilee?
3. Discuss the enormity of what accepting Jesus' invite "come follow me" means?
4. What's Nathanael's problem with Nazareth?
5. What is Nathanael doing under the fig tree? How important is it that we daily spend time with God?
6. Philip uses the best phrase in discussing Jesus with others: Come and see for yourself”. What's good about that?
7. Talk about the conversation Jesus and Nathanael have; what can we learn from it, and what about that stairway?

Study Questions. What do you want?

If you missed it, here's a link to the Sermon What do you want?

1. Verses 35-37 Discuss what was going on here.
2. Who were the two disciples?
3. The first couple of chapters take us through the first week of Jesus' ministry, which day are we on here?
4. Verse 38 Who took the initiative? Discuss what this means for us today.
5. Verses 38-39 The exchange of questions and answers looks a bit odd, we looked at this in the sermon, what is going on?
6. The disciples are called by Jesus and spend time with Him; what it is they do as a response to this, and what should we do?
7. What do you want? Jesus asked this question of the disciples and He asks it often, why does He ask it and why is it important that we know our own answer?

Psalm 19

As Joanna shared with us in the service yesterday, the Lord has brought this psalm to us through the Thursday prayer group and main worship service.
As we in New Connexions meditate on our text for the year, this psalm can only help us to ponder and wonder at God's grace in greater depth!

Psalm 19 

¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
² Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
³ They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
⁵ It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
⁶ The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

⁷ The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
⁸ The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
⁹ Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
¹¹ They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

¹² How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Study Questions. The Bible - So What?

Reading: 2 Timothy 3:10-17


If you missed it, here's a link to the Sermon The Bible - So What?

1. As a group chat through what the bible means to you, how much does the bible figure in your life etc.
2. Christians will be persecuted (verse 12). Discuss what this might mean for us today.
3. verses 14-15: discuss how crucial it is for Christians to share their faith and teach their children from the bible?
4. Verse 15: Can the bible save you?
5. Verse 16: how should the fact that "All Scripture is God-breathed" affect us as Christians today?
6. Verse 16: look at and discuss the individual things that the bible is useful for. Think about this in the context of our church today.
7. Verse 17 (God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. [NLT]). How equipped are we?

The Covenant Prayer

As we travel through the year, remember the covenant we made with the Lord today...

 

Let us commit ourselves to Christ.
Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him.
Christ calls us to do many different things.
Some are more easy and bring us praise,
others are more difficult and painful.
Some are suit us because they match our interests and we like them
others are contrary to both our likes and our interest.
In some we may please Christ and ourselves.
But then there are other areas where we cannot please Christ,
except by denying ourselves.

Let us, therefore, stand, and pray:

I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly give all things
to you.

Glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
This  my covenant with you my God,

made here on earth,
let it be confirmed in heaven.
Amen

Study Questions - Hopeful?

Reading John 1:29-34.

 

If you missed it, here's a link to the Sermon Hopeful?

1. What are some of the things we mean when we say we have hope?
2. Take a look back through the chapter from verse 1 to 28 and discuss the different names and descriptions of Jesus, what do they mean and what help are these descriptions to us living our lives today
3. Read John 1:29-34. What other descriptions are there here?
4. Why doesn't John mention the temptations or Jesus time in the wilderness?
5. John mentions sin in verse 29. Why is it important that we regonise both Sin and the Saviour?
6. John had no doubt who Jesus is or what his own role is; what should we learn from that?
7. Use Isaiah 53:6-7 as a lead in to a time of meditation and prayer

Our text for the year is: 2 Timothy 3:15-17

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.

 

Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for   the tasks God has for us.