Renew EPC: Sermons

Can we live by God’s promise when it doesn’t match reality?
Outline: Why we can trust in God’s promise:
1. It starts with His grace alone (v. 1)
2. It shapes reality (v. 2)
3. It saves the world (v. 3)
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. Read Romans 8:28. Share an example where you have seen this verse prove true in your own life?
3. Living by God’s promise requires living by faith, not by sight. What makes this so difficult? How have you grown in living by faith (share things you have done that has helped)?
4. How does the call of Abram show God’s amazing grace? How is God’s amazing grace shown in your own salvation story?
5. The topic of election – God’s choosing us before we chose him – can be controversial. Read John 6:63-65, Ephesians 1:3-5, 2:4-5: Why is God’s election necessary to our salvation? Why is this truth ultimately a comfort?
6. The story of Abram shows that God’s promise becomes reality, but that it does not happen quickly, nor does it remove all difficulties along the way. How does this ‘delay’ keep us from misusing God’s promises? How can this ‘delay’ serve our faith?
7. In Christ, you have been blessed to be a blessing. Whom has God placed you amongst to be a blessing?

Is the gospel the furnace of your heart?
Outline: Do you believe like Terah, Lot, or Abram?
1.The testimony of Terah: A partial faith comes up short
2. The testimony of Lot: A proximate faith will be exposed
3. The testimony of Abram: A pursuing faith will be blessed
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. Who is a person you have known personally whose faith greatly impacted you? What was it about their faith that you especially noticed?
3. What is a “god” that may be interfering with your faith commitment presently or has in the past (consider: sports, recreation, popularity/acceptance, comfort, moral autonomy, etc.)? What does saying “no” to that “god” look like?
4. Read 2 Corinthians 13:5. How can we test ourselves for “proximate” faith?
5. Share a time when your faith was more like a thermometer than a thermostat. What has helped your faith become more like a thermostat?
6. Read Gen 12:1-4: What about Abram’s call would be the hardest for you? What has been “the cost” of faith for you?
7. What do you do to keep your faith God-gripped and promise-fueled?

God commands us not to trust in earthly wealth but in Him, to enjoy His gifts with gratitude, and to use those gifts generously.
Outline:
1. The Command and the Warning: Where is your TRUST?
2. The Gift and the Giver: How to receive God’s BLESSING
3. The Promise: Why GENEROSITY is worth it
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. Paul begins by addressing "the rich." Do you see yourself as rich? Why or why not?
2. The passage warns us not to place our hope in uncertain riches but in God. In practical terms, what are some ways we subtly put our trust in money, possessions, or financial security instead of God?
3. Paul says that God "richly provides us with everything to enjoy." What are some gifts from God that bring you joy? How can enjoying those gifts become an act of worship rather than an act of idolatry?
4. Which of these four actions is easiest for you, and which is most challenging: (a) Do good (b) Be rich in good works (c) Be generous (d) Be ready to share
5. The sermon distinguished between simply giving money and truly "sharing" our lives. When have you experienced Christian fellowship where people shared their homes, time, or lives—not just their resources? How did it impact you?
6. The passages states that we will store up treasure and helps us "take hold of the life that is truly life." How does an eternal perspective change the way we think about our money, time, and possessions today?
7. Read II Corinthians 8:9. How does the gospel motivate generosity differently than guilt or obligation?

The experiences of our lives, both the good and the bad, uniquely suit us to serve God.
Outline:
1. God uses POSITIVE experiences to reveal his GOODNESS.
2. God uses PAINFUL experiences to refine our CHARACTER.
3. Every experience can become part of your MINISTRY.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What is one positive experience and one difficult experience that have shaped who you are today? How can you see God’s hand at work in either or both of those experiences?
2. When you face disappointment, loss, or suffering, which question comes more naturally: “Why is this happening?” or “Lord, what are you teaching me?” What is the difference between these two questions?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 1:3-4. How has God used someone’s past struggles to encourage or strengthen you? How might he use your experiences to comfort or disciple other people?
4. As we wrap up our study on SHAPE, what are some of the biggest insights you feel he has shown you over the past several weeks? What are some specific ways you could use your SHAPE to serve God’s Kingdom through Renew EPC?

Have you submitted your personality to the Lordship of Christ?
Outline
1. Knowing our personality helps us own our strengths (2 Sam 1-6)
2. Knowing our personality helps us address our besetting sins (v. 5a)
3. Knowing our personality helps us expose our dark side (vv. 7-13)
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. What is your experience with studying your personality? What has been helpful about it? What has been unhelpful?
3. If you have done the SHAPE Assessment what was the top ranked personality style for you: D, I, S, or C (see handout)? What in the description resonated with you, didn’t? How do you find your personality being a strength in your work and ministry?
4. Consider the four DISC personality styles and discuss how each is capable of great sin?
5. What are some ways you’ve seen a person use their personality as an excuse for their bad behavior/sin? What effect did that have on the conflict at hand or the relationship in general?
6. The gospel declares we are wholly known and wholly forgiven. How have you experienced your wonder of God’s grace grow as you grew in self-awareness?

Do you ever struggle with a sense of purposelessness or uselessness? In the Kingdom of God you have great purpose and much to offer!
Outline: How our abilities reveal our Kingdom purpose:
1. Our abilities reveal we are equipped to serve God’s Kingdom (14-15)
2. Our abilities reveal we are expected to serve God’s Kingdom (16-18)
3. Our abilities reveal we will be evaluated for how we served God’s Kingdom (19-30)
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. How have you seen the feelings of purposelessness or uselessness manifesting in our culture? How have you struggled with these feelings?
3. What problems arise in our service when we think of ourselves as volunteers for Jesus? Read 2 Corinthians 5:15, how does this verse comfort you? How does this verse convict you?
4. Imagine having a conversation with someone who looks at the Parable of the Talents as evidence that we are saved by our good works and not by faith alone. How might you respond? What Scriptures might you use to make your case?
5. How has God taken one of your secular/pre-conversion abilities and used it for His Kingdom?
6. Share an ability or resource you are enjoying being used in service to God. How did you go about putting it to use in the Kingdom?
7. Share an ability or resource that may be going to waste? What might putting it to use look like?

Is your real-life authority what God says or what your heart says?
Three markers of health of an in-SHAPE Heart:
1. I. An in-SHAPE heart is turned to God (vv. 1-2)
II. An in-SHAPE heart is ruled by God (vv. 3-11) 
III. An in-SHAPE heart rejoices in God (vv. 16-18)
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. Finish the following statement: At the end of my life I’d like to look back and know that I had done something about ____. How has your life been about this passion?
3. Where have you seen “follow your heart” be bad advice? What made it bad advice?
4. Read Proverbs 3:5-6. What word/phrase pops out to you most? What part of this Scripture do you neglect most often when “following your heart”?
5. Have you ever experienced God refine the selfishness out of a desire of your heart? What has been the result?
6. Have you ever had God say “no” or “not now” to a desire of your heart? How did you deal with it?
7. How are you rejoicing in God’s forever love?

Spiritual Gifts are an essential component for the church to glorify God and display the gospel. 
Outline: 3 Truths to Anchor our understanding of Spiritual Gifts
1. Spiritual Gifts Center on the Lordship of Christ “no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit”
2. Spiritual Gifts are given to all believers for the benefit of others. “To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
3. Spiritual Gifts are not our own; they belong to the Spirit of God “All of these are empowered by the one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. What is your experience with spiritual gifts? Would you say you tend to neglect them or overemphasize them?
3. Why do you think Paul connects spiritual gifts to the lordship of Jesus Christ?
4. How do you think people tend to misuse of the spiritual gifts?
5. What gifts do you think the Spirit has given you and how can that be used for the benefit of the church? How have you benefited from someone else displaying their gifts?
6. How does playing the comparison game when it comes to spiritual gifts dangerous for the church?
7. How should love guide the way Christians use spiritual gifts?

God has uniquely designed and prepared each of us to serve His Kingdom.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Re-read Psalm 139:13-15. What is your initial reaction to these verses?
2. Where are you most tempted to “wear Saul’s armor” - leaning on your own (or someone else’s) ideas about how God designed you?
3. Before we get into the details of SHAPE during this series, what are some abilities, passions, or experiences that you believe God has given you that can aid his Kingdom?
4. Of the 5 categories of SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart/passion, abilities, personality, and experiences), which ones are you looking forward to exploring more? Why?
5. What is the difference between asking, “What do I want to do with my life?” and “What does God want to do through my life?” Why is this difference important?
6. If God truly designed you for His glory and the building up of his church, what would need to change in the way you view yourself, your gifts, and your purpose?

We share the gospel with divine power.
1. We share the gospel with the power of divine authority
2. We share the gospel with the power of divine assurance
3. We share the gospel with the power of divine assistance
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon?
2. How have you experienced intimidation for being a Christian?
3. Read Matthew 28:18. Where are you hearing secularism’s call to silence that you need to hear Jesus has given you all authority even here to be his witness?
4. How have you benefited from Christian subculture? How might we discern if we have made subculture a retreat from witnessing?
5. Read Romans 8:28. What experiences can you point to in your life that has proven this verse true? Where do you need to apply this verse to give you assurance today?
6. The Holy Spirit is with us in our witnessing. Recall a story or verse about the Holy Spirit that reveals His power (cf. Judges 15:14-15, Matthew 12:28, Acts 10:38). How do these recollections affect your sense of intimidation?