Sunday, February 21, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. When you hear a call to speak for the silent and to bring justice to those being crushed, what area or issue first comes to mind?

2. Which system (Family, Government, Church) stands out to you as an area where you have seen injustice? Which one is least likely to be on your radar?

3. What is one thing that you heard today that challenges your thinking or assumptions about systemic injustice?

4. What might be true about our church that would make it hard for people of color to feel safe, supported and welcomed?

5. Where might God be calling you or us to take a step toward making our voices heard?

Spend some time praying for the people, issues and challenges that you have discussed today.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Wi-fi and technical difficulties caused a loss of streaming activity. This sermon was repeated on Feb. 21st.

Discussion Questions:

1. When you hear a call to speak for the silent and to bring justice to those being crushed, what area or issue first comes to mind?

2. Which system (Family, Government, Church) stands out to you as an area where you have seen injustice? Which one is least likely to be on your radar?

3. What is one thing that you heard today that challenges your thinking or assumptions about systemic injustice?

4. What might be true about our church that would make it hard for people of color to feel safe, supported and welcomed?

5. Where might God be calling you or us to take a step toward making our voices heard?

Spend some time praying for the people, issues and challenges that you have discussed today.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. How has hatred, fear or assumptions gotten in the way of you engaging with others who are ethnically/culturally different than you?

2. Which of the “Assumption” questions strikes you as challenging:

  • Is there a particular people, ethnicity or race you don’t trust? Why?

  • Is there a particular ethnicity or race that you cannot marry? Your kids/grandkids? Why?

  • What types of people cause you to cross the street if you are walking alone? Why?

  • Who makes you nervous on an airplane?

  • What happens inside you when you see interracial couples? Why?

  • When is the last time you visited the residence of a different culture or race?

  • What type of person would you must trust to invest your money? Why?

  • Do you assume that reconciliation means color blindness?

  • Do you believe that Christianity is a white religion?

3. How have you tried to listen and learn instead of lecturing? What resources have you found helpful?

4. What are the challenges you face in seeing and showing the face of God to someone who looks different from you?

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. What was most impactful, challenging or important to you from today’s sermon?

2. How have you defined justice? Which is side of justice do you tend to view the world from: punishing those who do wrong or giving people what they are due (whether punishment, protection or care)?

3. How has your personal experience and story contributed to your concept of justice?

4. Where have you experienced people “missing each other” when talking about justice? In your family? In our church? In our city?

5. What issues of justice lie closest to your heart and why? Try to be as specific as possible: poverty, criminal justice, immigration, abortion, sex trafficking, education, etc. How have you tried to take action on this?

6. Spend some time praying for each other, our church and the world today.

Sunday, January 17, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. What was most impactful, challenging or important to you from today’s sermon?

2. How have you defined racism? Which is more natural of a diagnostic for you: individualism or structuralism? An emphasis on personal responsibility or social structures/systems?

3. What factors contribute to you thinking that way?

4. How have you experienced missing others about the topic of racism? In your family? In our church? In our city?

5. What do you think changes about engaging the sin of racism if we understand sin as affecting the soul, the system and the spiritual realm? The flesh, the world and the devil?

6. Spend some time praying for each other, our church and the world today.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. How familiar are you with the ideas of Christian Nationalism? What questions do you have about it- about its distinction from patriotism? How have you seen it or experienced it in your background?

2. How have you been processing the events of the past week in our country? What emotions, questions, issues does it evoke?

3. How might the presence of Christian Nationalism be deforming our own church? Our own Thurston County community? Our families?

4. What was one thing that you learned this week that was new to you?

5. What is the good news of the gospel that you need to hear this week about this issue?

6. What other questions or issues does this conversation raise? Spend time talking about praying for each other before closing.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Discussion Questions:

1. Using some of the definitions given today, what are some of the heart idols you wrestle with?

2. What have been the main deforming forces at work against you in 2020? Against your family? Against our church? Do you feel like you have been able to name them?

3. What hopes do you have for this upcoming series in the life of our church? What fears do you have about it?

Spend some time praying for all that is mentioned together.

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Discussion Questions:

1. As we read 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, which questions are most challenging to you and your current expression of love?

  • Where have you loved right words, winning arguments, proving your point more than people?

  • Where have you focused on knowledge, data and facts more than loving people?

  • Where has celebrating signs, wonders and miracles come at the expense of love?

  • Where has giving, serving and sacrificing in activism gotten in the way of love?

2. Which aspect of love in action is God calling for growth in?

Patience, Kindness, Not envying or boasting, Non-arrogance, Not being rude, Not insisting on your own way, not being irritable or resentful, not rejoicing at wrongdoing, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things.

3. Where do you need to receive and rest in the perfect love of Jesus today?

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Discussion Questions:

  1. What particular object or activity do you find it most easy/natural to have an embodied response? Beauty? Food? Nature? Humor? Story? How do you express that?

  2. Where have you found the most joy in giving? What particular experience? What might that be teaching you?

  3. What might it look like for you to have an embodied response of giving this week? To whom?

  4. What thoughts and feelings arise for you when the topic of evangelism comes up?

  5. What opportunities are there for you to tell others what you have seen and heard about Jesus? Pray for each other to step into those at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Discussion Questions:

1.     What physical needs do you have today? Are you aware of them and can you name them to others?

2. Where might God be asking you to join Him as an active participant in His work? What does it look like for you to reply in submission as Mary, “Let it be according to Your word?”

3. Where have you found God faithful to provide for the many needs that surface in your life and story?

4. It was said today, “Recognizing my own humanity will increase empathy and love for my neighbors.” What neighbor among you needs more empathy and love? Pray for God to increase this in you for them.

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