01-09-2022
01-09-2022
Dr. E. Dale Locke (Loxahatchee & Online), Rev. José Marerro (WPB), Rev. Efrain Silva (COH Español)
Sermon Series: How Life Works
Week 1: Wrong
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español
1. Share a story of when you got something just “sorta” right or something “sorta” worked, but not completely.
2. Read our theme verse from this series, Matthew 7:24 - Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
What do you notice in this verse?
3. Read Matthew 5:1-16 – Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
What do you notice in this passage?
4. Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount has some very surprising values. In fact, many Christians today don’t think it’s even possible or practical to live these out! But notice how Jesus ends this sermon in Matthew 7:24! Jesus’s teaching isn’t just an ideal to think about. Jesus actually expects his followers to live this way! What do you think about that?
5. “Blessed” means “fortunate” or “happy.” If you search for #Blessed on social media, people mention things like new cars, houses, jobs, promotions, raises. The common denominator is that everything is moving up and to the right. Blessed in our world is synonymous with winning, acquisition, prosperity, power, prestige, perfection and beauty. Share how you’ve observed this understanding of what it means to be “blessed” in our current culture.
6. Read James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James’s words indicate that it’s a good thing to acknowledge God as the giver or all good gifts and to express our gratitude to him. So what’s the problem with the world’s understanding of what it means to be blessed? How does the social media concept of #blessed compare with what Jesus calls blessed?
7. What does Jesus mean by “poor in spirit”?
8. Go through each of the beatitudes in Jesus’s sermon listed above, and talk about what you think each one means and how each one can actually be a blessing for Christ-followers.
9. Later, throughout the sermon, Jesus often uses the phrase: “You’ve heard it said… but I say to you….” What do you think Jesus is getting at?
10. Our habits control most of our behavior. Whenever we’re wronged by someone or have a scary situation, we tend to respond out of habit. Habits are hard to change, but it’s important that we do change them if they’re out of sync with Jesus’s teaching. How do we form new habits?
11. If we live out Jesus’s values, he says we will be salt and light in the world, because we will look so different that it will make people curious about what’s behind our behavior. Share an experience where you saw that happen.
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Dads Group: Sundays 4:30-6:00pm | Loxahatchee Campus
Come join our new weekly group for dads, step-dads, foster dads & granddads to grow in our faith and as dads. Childcare can be provided for our regular meetings, and once a month we’ll do a fun activity with kids instead of the regular meeting. This group will be led by Omar Vega. Dads Group starts January 16th. Register at communityofhope.church/groups
Groups Launch Season: We have lots of other small group available for you to join. Groups are a big part of what we offer here at Community of Hope, so if you’re not yet in a group, this is a great time to find one. Community Groups are a great place to build friendships and grow spiritually. Find a full list at communityofhope.church/groups. There you can see videos of each leader telling what their group is about, to give you a feel for each group, so you can choose the best fit for you.
Support Groups: We also offer Support Groups for those going through a tough season, like grief, divorce or mental illness. These are open to anyone whether they attend our church or not, so we encourage you to invite someone you know who doesn’t have a church home. Sign up at communityofhope.church/care
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