07-10-2022
07-10-2022
Pastor Brandon Weaver (LOX, LW & Online), Rev. Jose Marerro (WPB), Rev. Efrain Silva (Español)
Sermon Series: Word of God Speak
Week 2: Voices
English PDF file for printing.
1. What are some of the voices seeking to get people’s attention in today’s culture?
2. Read the theme verse for this series - Psalms 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
What are some things that God has taught you over the years? And what has been the main way that God has instructed you?
3. God wants to speak to us through His Word. One method that many of us at Community of Hope use to hear God’s voice through His Word is to journal through the acronym SOAP, which stands for:
S C R I P T U R E
As you read the passage for the day, select just one or two verses (or even just a phrase) that you feel led to focus on in your journaling for the day. Write that Scripture in your journal.
O B S E R V A T I O N
Observe what today’s reading says about the thought God pointed out to you in the “S” step above. What does the surrounding chapter help you understand about it? What did the writer want people back then to know? Write out a few sentences describing what you notice.
A P P L I C A T I O N
Now consider how this applies to you personally. What does God want you to do in response to what you have read? How might He want you to change? What help and encouragement is He offering you? This is the most important part of your journaling time. Let God speak to you about your own life, and write down what you sense He is saying.
P R A Y E R
Write a brief prayer of response to what God has shown you today.
Share one thing you read in the Bible this past week that made an impression on you.
4. Read 1 Peter 2:2-3 - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Pastor Brandon talked about the importance of becoming a “self-feeder” of God’s Word, rather than remaining an infant. What did he mean by the expression “self-feeder”?
5. Read Jesus’s words in John 14:26 - But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Bible can be tricky to understand, Jesus explained that God has given us the Holy Spirit living inside of us to help us understand it and apply it to our lives. If you’ve experienced this, talk about how that works.
6. Whenever you start a new book of the Bible, a great free resource that helps you understand the background of that book is Tim Mackie’s book overview at BibleProject.com. If you haven’t already, watch the Bible Project’s video of Hebrews and then discuss what you learn from it.
7. Read Hebrews 1:1-4 - In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
What is the main point of this passage?
Past
8. What does the writer of Hebrews say about how God has spoken to His people in the past?
Present
9. What does the writer of Hebrews say is God’s best and clearest way of speaking to us?
10. To whom do you tend to turn when you need advice for your daily life?
11. We can learn from our own experience, or we can learn from the experience of others. What are some advantages of learning from the experience of people whose stories are told in Scripture, rather than just learning by our own experience?
12. Read Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
What does this passage add to your understanding of how God uses the Bible to speak to us personally?
Future
13. Read Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This passage helped Pastor Brandon as he was feeling anxious about speaking this morning. It felt like a very personal message from God to Brandon. If you’ve ever had that experience where a passage of Scripture felt like it was a direct word from God to you, share about that.
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Fam Jam, July 19 | 5:30pm - 8:00pm | All Campuses - Fam Jams are fun, high-energy evenings for our families with pre-school and elementary-age children! Come and spend time as a family and enjoy dinner, activities and Bible teachings! We will have lots of outdoor games and activities set up for the kids to run around, too. Dinner will be served for $3, and if you invite a friend, their meal will be FREE!
4 Kids Backpack Drive - As part of our partnership with 4Kids, a wonderful ministry that brings hope, homes, and healing to foster kids and families in crisis in our area, we donate back-to-school backpacks for them to give to foster children each fall. Our goal this year is to donate 75 filled backpacks to 4Kids. You can find a list of items to fill the backpacks with and get more information at: https://www.4kids.us/PBBacktoSchool. The deadline to bring the filled backpacks to any of our church campuses is Sunday, July 17.
Thank you for your regular financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to you and to our community! To give to Community of Hope go to https://communityofhope.church/give.