08-23-2020
Dr. E. Dale Locke and Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: Five Things to Grow Your Faith
Week 2: Practical Teaching
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Each week, our Sermon Discussion Questions are here to help the sermon go deeper into your life. You can think these through on your own, or discuss them with your spouse, family, or small group.
1. Our memory verse for this series is 2 Thessalonians 1:3: We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
Note the connection Paul makes here between growing faith and increasing love. How is this different from what some people think Christian maturity is about?
2. Faith is trusting God, and growing in our faith means we are growing in our trust of God our heavenly Father. List some things that help a child trust their earthly father.
3. Pastor Dale asked: If God really exists, and if you had perfect faith in him, and if you were totally confident in His Word, and if you lived out that confidence in every area of your life - how would that change your daily life from how you’re currently living?
4. What are some things that might cause a person to stop trusting God?
5. We read in Acts 2:42 that the early Christians, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.…”
Practical teaching is one of the five things that God uses to grow our faith. Name a Christian teacher whose teaching has helped you grow spiritually, and share what has been helpful about their teaching.
6. Read what Jesus said at the close of his first public sermon in 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.”
Note that the end-goal of Jesus’ sermon wasn’t that people would enjoy listening to him or think he was a great preacher. Jesus made it clear that what he really cares about is that we put his words into practice in our daily life. Share about a time when you put something into practice that you learned in a sermon or in your Bible reading, and it made a difference in your life.
7. Read Matthew 7:26-27: “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
What is Jesus trying to communicate about the dangers of just hearing his teaching, but not putting it into practice?
8. If you’ve seen the truth of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:26-27 in your own life or in the life of someone you know, share about that.
9. In contrast to that, read what Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-25: “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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
If you’ve seen the truth of this passage in your own life or in the life of someone you know, tell about that.
10. It was powerful to see Deja’s baptism and hear her share her testimony. Share with your group about your own baptism experience.
Ready for your next step?
If you would like to take a next step in your faith journey, such as trusting your life to Christ or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we’ll contact you to help you do that.
News and Announcements:
· If you’re new to Community of Hope, text “Hello” to 561-264-6079 to let us know who you are.
· The Community of Hope App is serving as our Connect Folder in this time. Download it to watch our services, get sermon notes, register for events, and to stay connected with what’s going on in our church.
· Groups Launch Season: We want to help you experience community! We’re only asking for a short-term commitment. Some groups will be exclusively online, others will be in-person – either indoors or outside, and some will be a hybrid. You get to choose the meeting option you feel comfortable with! We’re offering some great topics like parenting, mental health, Bible discussion, business mentoring, Skeptics and more. Or we can help you form a “Watch Party” – a small group of people that you can experience our weekend services with. Just fill out the form at https://communityofhope.church/groups and we’ll find a group that fits you.
· Fall Marriage Night - September 11th | 7:00-8:30pm | Online: Dale & Beth Locke and Trevor & Leah Johnston will host married couples in our first ever online marriage conference. You’ll get to connect with other COH couples from the comfort of your own home. This fun event is designed to strengthen your connection with your spouse during this crazy time. The $15/couple cost includes a gift bag with a journal for each of you and some fun surprises to help you make the most of your evening! Gift bags will be delivered to your homes prior to the event. Register at https://communityofhope.church/events/fall-marriage-night
· Back to School Parade: Come out with decorated cars, noise makers, signs, megaphones, or whatever you have to encourage and cheer on our young families and school-age kiddos.
WEST CAMPUS | Wednesday, August 26 | anytime between 5:30pm-7:30pm
EAST CAMPUS | Thursday, August 27 | anytime between 6:00pm-7:30pm
· Drive-Through Communion: Sunday, September 6, 5-7pm, at our East and West campuses. Jesus asked us to remember him, so we invite you to come to our church parking lot to receive the elements of bread and juice in a safe and sanitary fashion, and also have the opportunity to see your pastors and receive prayer.
· Thank you for your financial support, which makes it possible for us to minister to our community! To give to Community of Hope, go to https://communityofhope.church/give.