These questions are a follow-up to the sermon "Apostles and the Body", preached on April 14th by Rev. Kim Salo.
1. Read Ephesians 4:11-13. Paul calls five ministries “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” Do you know of any churches that regularly exercise all five? Why do so few churches designate their ministries this way? 2. Why do so many churches drift into “only the minister does real ministry” mode? What are some ways churches can get out of the rut of “only the minister does ministry”? 3. Read Luke 6:12-16. What are some of the reasons for Jesus to pray and then choose such a wide variety of people to be his 12 apostles? Why Twelve? 4. Read I Corinthians 15:7-9. Why does the apostle Paul say, “last of all, Christ appeared to me, as one abnormally (or untimely) born.” What does he mean by “abnormally/un- timely born”? 5. If we no longer have leaders called “Apostles”, what does it mean for the church to be “apostolic”? How do we help keep a local church apostolic? What is meant at Jude 1:3 by “contend for the faith once delivered (or, entrusted) to the saints”? For your consideration, some questions from the sermon on 4/7/24
1. Do you know what gifts God has given you (spiritual, practical) to use for others’ benefit and blessing? List them and keep them to remind you. How can you use these at St. Aidan’s? Here is a list of spiritual gifts, too: Administration, Being an apostle, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Hospitality, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Prophecy, Serving, Speaking in tongues, Teaching (sometimes known as shepherding), Wisdom 2. How did you come to St. Aidan’s? Do you feel you’ve grown as part of the Body in that time? Talk about it! 3. What makes you uneasy about worship or prayer at St Aidan’s? Can you talk about why? Or, what makes you look forward to worship, prayer times or fellowship opportunities? 4. What did this Sunday’s sermon make you think about? Are there changes you need to make in your life? How can we become unified in Christ? These questions are a follow-up to the sermon on March 24th by Rev. Kim Salo.
1. Have you ever acted in a play? Was it easy or hard to “get into character”? Was it a church play with a Christian theme, including a Christmas pageant or a drama about Christ’s Passion? If so, what was the experience like? 2. Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit telling you what to say? What happened? 3. Read Mark 10:32-34. What are some of the reasons that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was warning them about when he got to Jerusalem? In other words, why was Jesus so badly misunderstood by everyone? 4. Which of the many characters in Christ’s Passion do you easily identify with? From Mark’s gospel, try to choose one of the following: the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet; someone in the crowd at Palm Sunday; Judas Iscariot; Peter; the disciples who fell asleep in Gethsemane; the young man who fled as Jesus was arrested; a member of the Sanhedrin; Barabbas; a thief on a cross next to Jesus; Pontius Pilate; the centurion who declares that Jesus is the Son of God; the women disciples looking on from a distance; Joseph of Arimathea. 5. When you think about Jesus dying on a cross, what strikes you most? What about his Passion do you find most moving? These questions are a follow up to the sermon on March 17th by Pastor Chris.
Read Matthew 5: 43-48
Bonus Question: Throughout our sermon series on unity, what has been the biggest challenge for you? What has encouraged you the most? Questions related to the sermon Light in the Darkness by Les Kovacs
Sharing our faith in Jesus Christ can be a bit intimidating in our post-Christian society. 1. Have you run into cultural differences with non-Christians which create barriers to understanding and acceptance of Christian teachings? Were you able to get past them? 2. Do you have a fear of being rejected or ridiculed by non-Christians for your beliefs, causing you to hesitate sharing your faith? Where can you find the courage to overcome that fear? 3. Do you feel a lack of knowledge or confidence in your ability to articulate your faith effectively to non-Christians? How can you better equip yourself to increase your knowledge and confidence? 4. Have you experienced negative stereotypes being applied to you because you are a Christian? What are some steps you can take to dispel the preconceived notions or stereotypes about Christians that can allow you engage in discussions about faith? Addressing these obstacles often involves deepening your own understanding of Christian beliefs, fostering genuine relationships, and relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in sharing the message of faith with others. This blog is based on Rev. Kim Salo's sermon for March 3rd, titled "Together in Prayer".
1. What is the difference for you, if any, between praying alone, or in a small group of people, or with the congregation on Sunday? 2. What is your preferred way of addressing God when you pray? How much does it matter how you address God? 3. Have you experienced the Holy Spirit praying through you when you are alone? Through a group? Through a congregation? 4. What happens when you run out of words while praying? 5. When praying with Christians from other backgrounds, was it easy? Awkward? A bit formal? Did it bring greater unity, or leave you just where you were? This blog is written by Rev. Merv Lanctot, based on his sermon "Beacon of God's Grace - Unity in Grace", preached on Sunday, February 25th.
1) Do you see yourself as a Beacon of God’s Grace? 2) Do you see St. Aidan's as a Beacon of God’s Grace? 3) How do you see Grace as an element of Unity? 4) John Wesley said: It was free grace that ‘formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him a living soul, and stamped on that soul the image of God! Are there scripture verses that back that up? 5) Read Isaiah 58:6-9. As you meditate on these verses, is that how you see fasting? Note: The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5:1 to 7:29.
Read Matthew 5: 1-12:
Read Philippians 2: 1-12:
This blog is written by Rev. Merv Lanctot, based on his sermon on "Unity in Service", preached on Sunday, February 11th.
Scripture Readings: 1 Cor 12:27-31 Act 4:31-37 Matthew 20:20-28 1) How do you see the early church serving in one heart and mind? 2) How do you see us at St. Aidan's serving in one heart and mind? 3) I spoke of the effects leadership can have on making decisions beyond our control. How do those decisions affect our serving as a community? 4) Amos 3:3 says Do two walk together unless they have agreed? This speaks of unity being a decision we make. How do you feel about this? 5) I quoted A.W. Tozer concerning 100 worshippers being tuned to Jesus and not each other. How do we manage that? How do we encourage that? Is that even possible? This blog is written by Kim Salo, based on Dan Rutherford's sermon on "Unity in Joy and Suffering", preached on Sunday, February 4th at St. Aidan's Church.
Readings: Isaiah 7:10-19 Romans 8:28-39 John 14:12-20 1. READ Isaiah 7:10-19. Looking at what Isaiah said to King Ahaz, how is the birth of a child a sign from God to the king and his nation under threat from Egypt and Assyria? What is King Ahaz' attitude to God in this passage? Why is the name of the child so important? 2. READ Romans 8:28-39. As if we were in a court of law, a defense lawyer puts several questions (starting at 31b): "Who can be against us, who shall bring a charge, who is to condemn, who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? Can anything ever seperate us from the love of Christ?" What is the answer to the question "who"? Is it God, an accuser, our own conscience, sin, or some other? What is Paul's own answer to these questions in this passage? 3. Romans chapter 8 begins with no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and ends with no separation from Christ. Who most needs to hear that good news? When do you personally most need to hear that God is for you? "For those who are in Christ..." What does Paul mean by "in"? 4. In many religions, including today, worshippers go to a certain place, or to a temple to worship, possibly very far away. In I Cor 3:16, and I Cor.6:19, Paul says that "you" (both plural and singular) "are a temple of the Holy Spirit. How does this change the "where" of worship? Does this mean we can dispense with gathering for worship? How is your own body a temple for the Holy Spirit? 5. READ John 14:15-20. Jesus assures us in this passage that he is in us. How does this happen? This passage can be read as a series of promises by Jesus, most of which begin with "I will," or "You will." What are they? What are the signs this is happening? |
Preachers BlogIn 2024, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions. Archives
April 2024
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