Pastor Frank

Mid Week Message 9-10-19

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Message Title: A Reasonable Faith

Series: Reasons for God

 

Key verses:

Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 53

 

Sermon Notes:

Worldview offers answers to four primary life questions:

  1. Origins: Where did I come from?
  2. Meaning: Why am I here?
  3. Morality: How do I understand right and wrong?
  4. Destiny: What happens to me when I die?

 

  1. Is it reasonable to believe that everything comes from nothing?
  2. Is it reasonable to believe that intelligence is produced from non-intelligence?
  3. Is it reasonable to believe that a cosmic explosion produces universal order and fine tuning?

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Getting to Know You:

What was the best memory or highlight from your summer?

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, what was the most memorable part of the message for you on Sunday?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Why do you think college campuses are so hostile to Christians/a Christian world view? Did you ever experience direct or indirect challenges to your faith in college?  Please share.
  2. When you think about your world view, how has it changed over the years and what/who has had the most influence in that change?
  3. Read Isaiah 1:18. How would you define reason?
  4. What do you believe is the most reasonable part of your faith?
  5. Read Isaiah 53. Pastor Frank shared on Sunday that this chapter is what convinced him that the Christian faith/world view was true? Do you believe that this chapter is evidence for the existence of God?  Why or Why not?
  6. Read John 5:39-40. Jesus says that the Scriptures testify about Him and His coming.  Do you think Jesus was referring to passages like Isaiah 53?  What other Scriptures can you think of that testify about Him?
  7. Read 1 Peter 3:15. What does this passage say to us about sharing our worldview with others?  What do you think is so hopeful about our Christian worldview that others don’t have?  How does your faith give you hope for today and into eternity?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Prayer request:

Please pray that this message series will impact people’s lives especially our brothers and sisters attending or soon to be attending college.

Mid Week Message 9-4-19

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Message Title: The Gift Goes On

 

Key verses:

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

 

Sermon Notes:

Are you making a difference in the lives of people?

  1. God is blessing us so we can be a blessing to others.
  2. As we faithfully give to others, God will continuously bless
  3. Our generosity gives glory to God.

 

How are you making a difference in the lives of people?

 

Strengthening families in the Lord

Encouraging Pastors in crisis

Bringing hope to orphans

Tiling floors in a pre-school

Building a road in a remote village

Painting a house

Sharing God’s love to the marginalized

Providing a Sabbatical to a weary pastor

Providing free medical care to the poor

Feeding over 700 children every week

Providing Food packages for the needy

Encouraging fellow Christian workers

Providing education to the underprivileged

Providing a home for the homeless child

Providing clothes and school supplies for children

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Quick Review:

Looking back at your notes from this week’s message, was there anything you heard that stood out in your mind and touched your heart?

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-9. Why is it important to God that we be generous to other people?
  2. Read vs. 10-11. What are the blessings that come with being generous?
  3. Growing up, who was the most generous person to you? How have you benefited from this person’s generosity?
  4. How has the goodness and generosity of other people touched your life? Changed your life?
  5. Who has benefitted from your generosity? How?
  6. Read vs. 12-14. What is the connection between receiving gifts from others and giving gifts to others?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message?

Mid Week Message 8-28-19

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Message Title: The Coming Messenger, John the Baptist

Series: Messengers

Key verses:

Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:1-3; Luke 7:24-27; Matthew 3:1-12

 

Sermon Notes:

Who was John?

  1. He lived out in the wilderness as a loner. (Isaiah 40:3)
  2. He lived out of fashion with his dress and diet.
  3. He embodied the spirit of Elijah. (Matthew 17:10-13)
  4. He was intense.

What was John’s message?

  1. His message was a call to repent.
  2. God is near, the Kingdom is at hand!

Who was John’s message targeted at?

  1. Religious people.
  2. Religious leaders.

 

  1. It was a humbling thing to come to the Jordan.
  2. Repentance prepares the way of the Lord in our lives.

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Malachi 3:1-4; Malachi 4:1-6, How many “comings” of the Lord do you see? How are they similar and how are they different? For each coming of the Lord, who is the person coming before Him?  How does Luke 2:11-17 and Matthew 17:10-13 help us answer that question?
  2. Read Matthew 3:7-10. How do you think people use religious excuses today to justify compromise in following God?
  3. Back then, a Jewish person getting baptized was a humbling experience. In what ways do you think pride and lack of humility keep people from God today?
  4. Who has been a “John the Baptist” in your life? How did they prepare you to meet Jesus?
  5. How is repentance linked to your experience of salvation? In the past? Now?  Where does repentance to God and/or others still need to happen in your life?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message?

Mid Week Message 8-21-19

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Message Title: Robbing God

Series: Messengers

Key verses:

Malachi 3:8-12

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. Levites were the spiritual workers of the nation.
  2. Stealing isn’t only taking what isn’t yours, but also keeping back for yourself what belongs to someone else.
  3. Tithes and offerings are God’s design for worshiping Him and providing for the spiritual care of His people.
  4. The people of God are called to support the ministry of God.
  5. Tithing ultimately isn’t about the money, it is about trusting God.

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Malachi 1:6. Have you ever had to confront someone that you love? God likens Himself to a forceful father having to dish out “tough love” to His children.  What do you think is the hardest part in doing this?
  2. Read Malachi 3:8-12. Do you know what it is like to have someone steal from you?  What does it feel like?  What do you think it would feel like to have your children steal from you?
  3. What happened to God’s children because of their “robbing” God?
  4. What was God’s challenge to His people? Why do you think it is so difficult to trust God with our money?
  5. Read 2 Corinthians 9:5-12. What principles do you see about giving that are in this section of Scripture?
  6. Read Matthew 23:23. What do you think is Jesus’ point in this verse?

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message?

Mid Week Message 8-13-19

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Message Title: Wearying the Almighty God

Series: Messengers

Key verses:

Malachi 2:17; 3:1-7

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. People who constantly complain, weary people around them. (Malachi 2:17; Proverbs 19:13)

Who is coming to answer their accusations of His character? 

  1. The Lord God Himself! (Malachi 3:1-5)

What is the mission of the Messiah?

  1. To purify the evil of mankind.
      1. His First Coming deals with the cleaning of sin. (Malachi 2:2-4)
      2. With His First Coming, He brings grace, cleansing, and forgiveness. (Malachi 2:2-4; John 3:16;  Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)

     

  2. To judge the evil of mankind.
      1. With His Second Coming, He brings justice to human evil. (Malachi 2:5)

If we weary the Lord, why does He put up with us?

  1. God is true to Himself.  (Malachi 3:6)
  2. God is familiar with our ways.  (Malachi 3:7)

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Malachi 2:17; 3:1-7.  What do you learn about God from these verses?
  2. Do you think you have ever wearied the Lord? If so, how?  How did the Lord respond?
  3. Read Malachi 3:1-4.  Who does God say is coming to His people?  What does God say this person will do?  400 years later Jesus came.  Who did He say He was and what did He come to do?  Do you find this miraculous? Why or why not?
  4. Read Malachi 3:5.  What does God say He is going to do to people that don’t fear Him?  What do you think it means to fear the Lord?  Why do you think that is so important to Him?

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

 

Mid Week Message 8-6-19

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Message Title: Another Wake-Up Call

Series: Messengers

Key verses:

Malachi 2:1-16

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. In the Religious Realm. Failure of the priests and Levites
    The Warning v. 1-6
    Failure to render glory to God would result in a curse upon them
    What God expected of the priests vs 7-9
    They were to be men of integrity and devotion with a strong influence on the lives of others
  2. In the Social Realm – failure of the people
    The main complaint God has with His people is that they have been unfaithful in fulfilling their vows to him.
    Faithless is a word that dominates this passage- it appears five times.
    Someone once asked: “what in the world has got into the church?”
    The answer: The world has got into the church.

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Did you ever refuse to do what someone in authority asked? What happened to you?
  2. Why is the Lord so tough on the priests? What was the effect of their actions on others?
  3. Has anyone ever stumbled in their faith due to what you did or did not do? Describe how you felt and what did you do to change that?
  4. Were you ever jilted by anyone while dating? What made you jealous or hurt?
  5. What are some of the things God points out in this passage that displease Him?
  6. What do you need to put right with God so that you may receive His blessings?

 

 

Mid Week Message 7-30-19

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Message Title: Dishonoring Our Faithful God

Series: Messengers

Key verses:

Malachi 1

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. Malachi is like God’s good-bye letter.
  2. Malachi is a book of God’s grievances to His people before He goes silent.

 

What can we learn from God in Malachi?

  1. Be careful who your spiritual leaders are.
  2. When we ignore and forget the faithfulness of God in our lives, He gets upset.
  3. When we begin to blame God for all our problems, He gets upset!

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Malachi 1. How would you describe the tone of God in this chapter?  What would you say are some of the biggest mistakes that God’s people have made from reading this chapter?  Have you made any of these mistakes in your life?
  2. Have you ever had to sit someone down that you love and give them tough love? (speaking truth to them in a forceful tone regarding what they were doing wrong and what the consequences of their course would be?)  If so, how was the outcome?
  3. How would you say has God shown his love for you over the years of your life?
  4. Read verses 6-8. When was the last time you felt disrespected?  How do you think we dishonor and disrespect God today?
  5. Read Isaiah 65:1-3. What do these verses tell you about the heart of God?  How do you think we are guilty of this today as a people?  Do you think God has ever felt this way about you?  Please share.
  6. Was there ever a time in your life when you blamed God for your problems instead of you? If yes, why do you think you did that?

 

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Mid Week Message 7-23-19

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Message Title: The Coming Age of the Holy Spirit

Series: Messengers

Key verses:
Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2

 

Sermon Notes:

  1. Tucked between the judgments in the book of Joel is the promise of a special age of the Holy Spirit falling on all mankind.
  2. The age of the Holy Spirit is the age of the supernatural.
  3. The greatest supernatural event is a changed
  4. Are you one of those born-again Christians? ________

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Joel 2:28-32. What do you think the Jewish people in the time of Jesus thought about this section of Scripture?
  2. As a New Testament saint, what do you think about this section of Scripture? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life?
  3. Read Acts 2:1-13. If you were seeing this, how do you think you would have reacted?
  4. Read Acts 2:14-36. How do you think Peter felt as he stood up to speak to this crowd?
  5. When you read Peter’s first sermon, what impresses you the most?
  6. Read Acts 2:37-39. How would you put Peter’s answer in your own words to explain what is involved to become a Christian?
  7. Read Ephesians 1:13. When did this happen in your life?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Mid Week Message 7-16-19

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Message Title: A Coming Judgment

Series: Messengers

Key verses:
Joel 2:1-11; Psalm 2; Revelation 19:11-19

 

Sermon Notes:

The Prophets’ job description was twofold:

  1. Forth-telling is to reveal God’s present thoughts, feelings, and will for His people.
  2. Foretelling is to reveal future events before they come to pass.
  3. Joel 1 is forth-telling as God speaks to the present judgment on His people by locusts.
  4. Joel 2 is foretelling as God speaks to a future judgment of the nations as God Himself is at the head of a heavenly army.
  5. Joel 3 is foretelling as God speaks to a future trial of the nations.

 

What does Joel teach us about God and the deeds of man?

  1. God sees how we live our lives and He cares.
  2. God will let evil go on for only so long.
  3. In God’s timing, He will judge the evil of mankind.
  4. God is patient with us because He loves

 

Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:

 

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

 

Digging Deeper:

  1. Read Joel 2:1-11; Psalm 2; Revelation 19:11-19. When you read these prophetic chapters of the last days and the 2nd coming of Jesus, what thoughts and emotions go through your mind?
  2. Read 2 Peter 3:3-10. Peter says that in the “Last Days” the world will mock the idea of Jesus coming again to judge the world.  Do you think this is happening today? Where and how?
  3. What frustrations does God’s patience produce? How is God’s patience a benefit?
  4. If you were in charge of creating, destroying, and redeeming the world, which one of these would you spend more time doing and why?

 

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?

Mid Week Message 7-10-19

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Message Title: A Wake Up Call

Series: Messengers

Key verses:
Joel 1:1-5

 

Sermon Notes:

THE MAN

  1. The prophet Joel describes a locust invasion which he sees as a judgment of God.
  2. The prophet Joel has been called the prophet of revival and the prophet of Pentecost.

 

THE MESSAGE

  1. The prophet Joel is God’s voice in the midst of suffering and confusion.
  2. The prophet Joel can teach us how to respond to disaster.
  3. How to learn from disaster
  • They learned something of the provision of God.
  • They learned something of the power of God.
  1. How to live with disaster
  • Hold on to the hope of restoration
  • Hold on to the promise of his sovereignty

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

 

  1. What does it take to rouse you from sleep: two alarms?
  2. What memories do you have of waking up – a cold shower?
  3. What is the closest you have come to experiencing famine or plague conditions?
  4. Describe a situation when you had a real “wake-up” call in your life and how did it affect you?
  5. What various groups does Joel address? (Joel 1:2-14)
  6. Why does Joel emphasize hearing and re-telling? (verses 2-3)
  7. The joy of Judah was linked to external circumstances. on a scale of 1 (never) to 10
    (always) how often is that true of you?
  8. When your joy has withered, what or who has God used to renew it?