"The Unity and Freedom of the Gospel" Galatians 2:1-10; Exodus 6:1-8

"Stewarding Your Life" John 16:33-17:5

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever considered “what God deserves”?  Is He truly worthy of our complete love, devotion and obedience?  Do you believe this?  What are some reasons for this from the sermon?

2. Describe man-centered vacillation between works-righteousness and hedonistic-despair.  And how is Christian pursuit of holiness different?

3. What is the ultimate purpose of our life in Christ?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"The Saints at Philippi" Philippians 1:1-2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What similarities can you see between living as a Christian in Philippi and in Sydney?

2. How do our similarities with the saints in Philippi encourage/challenge you in your faith?

3. Why is it so important for Christians to keep the gospel of grace central in all we do?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"The Whole Armour of God" Ephesians 6:10-20

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What did you learn from the Scriptures about the Devil/Satan and his demonic angels?  What are his goals and objective in the world?

2. How can you discern the external manifestation of spiritual darkness and forces of evil?

3. How can you guard and battle effectively against Satan and spiritual darkness?  How would you make use of the “whole armour of God”?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Godly Authority & Submission" Ephesians 6:1-9

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the destructive pattern of life-perspective that we are warned against in the sermon?

2. In what ways are you called to serve by leading?

3. In what ways are you called to serve by submission?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Christ and His Church" Ephesians 5:22-33

Discussion Questions: 

1. What is the purpose of marriage according to God’s design? Why is it important to keep this at the centre of marriage?  

2. If married, how is your marriage reflecting the mystery of the union of Christ and the Church?  

3. If unmarried, how does the passage encourage you to remember the centrality of your union to Christ by faith? 

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"The Holy Pursuit" Ephesians 4:17-5:21

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you know and believe that there is a real difference between Christian thoughts & life; mind & practice?  Discuss where these differences are lived out and seen in real life.

2. How do you make sense of your own Christian imperfection and experience of brokenness and fallenness that often resemble the lives of unbelievers?

3. What is the key to our “Christian contradiction”?  And how is it different from “hypocrisy”?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Apostolic Foundation and an Apostolic Mission" Ephesians 2:11-22

"The Love of God in Christ" Ephesians 3:14-21

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is your experience of the love of Christ in your current season of life?  

2. How has it been, trusting that the Father is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think?  

3. How can your fellow brothers/sisters encourage you in your faith today?

"Strangers No Longer" Ephesians 2:11-22

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What were we once upon a time as Gentiles in the flesh? What has changed now in Christ?  

2. How did God bring down the dividing wall between the Jews and Gentiles?  

3. How does your identity in Christ strengthen your faith in relation to the rest of the Church? 

"By Grace Through Faith" Ephesians 2:1-10

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How can you understand “spiritual death in sin” when biologically you are very much alive

2. According to the sermon, what is “unique, stubborn and defiant” about God’s love?

3. What is the purpose and direction of your life and work? Can you say that they are by God and for God which He prepared beforehand?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Glorious Inheritance” Ephesians 1:15-23

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you live in the wealth of your Christian inheritance? Are the “eyes of your hearts enlightened”?

2. Which particular “inheritance” do you experience and enjoy the most?

3. How does the power of Christ rule “not only in the age to come, but also in this one”?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Giving Your Treasure" Matthew 6:19-21; James 1:16-18

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is your treasure? (—whether they be financial security, health, reputation, family, other relationship(s), …or, perhaps it is Christ, redemption, and resurrection hope?

2. What does the “location of your treasure” reveal about the condition of your heart?

3. Considering God’s great gift and sacrifice of His Son Jesus, how can we better understand the Father’s heart, and grow in faith?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Assurance for God's Beloved" Ephesians 1:3-14

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why is the doctrine of election meant to be such a deep comfort to Christians struggling to find assurance in God?  

2. How does the gruesome historicity of the crucifixion actual comfort Christians questioning God’s love?  

3. How does the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit encourage and assure Christians wrestling with doubt and fear? 

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Grace and Peace" Ephesians 1:1-2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What new things about Paul’s activities or spiritual/theological mind-set have you learned in the sermon?

• What significance does the Ephesian church hold for the early church development?

• How does “grace and peace” communicate a unique New Testament Christian greetings to the church?

• What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Boast in Christ in Alone" Galatians 6:11-18

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• When/where in your life are you tempted to make your boast in things of the flesh?  

• What does it look like for you to make Christ your only boast in life?

• How can we encourage and spur one another on to make our boast in Christ, and not things of the flesh? 

• What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"Sowing and Reaping" Galatians 5:26-6:10

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. According to the sermon, why do we struggle, compete and often experience burden
   and bitterness?

2. Why is sense of purpose and calling so important in life?

3. According to the passage, what kind of sowing and what kind of reaping make
   everything, even struggles and trials, worth all the while?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?

"The Spirit and the Flesh" Galatians 5:16-25

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How are you going in your daily battle against the flesh? What are some particular areas of weakness?

2. How does the gospel empower you and encourage you to walk in the Spirit and put to the death the flesh?

3. What does it actually look like to ‘put to death’ the misdeeds of the flesh? Why is it so important?

4. What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?