The Light Promised | Genesis 3

Discussion Questions

• What has helped you celebrate the true significance of Christmas in the past?

• What makes you doubt the goodness of God? How do you deal with those doubts?

• How have you experienced the darkness of this world in the past year?

• How do we tend to try to deal with the darkness on our own?

• What promises of God are you holding on to in this season to give you hope?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would help our church family celebrate Christmas for all the right reasons instead of getting caught up in the superficiality of the season

• Ask God to help build your faith in his love for you this Advent

Gospel of John | Jesus & the Outsider | John 4:1-42

Gospel of John | Jesus & the Insider | John 3:1-31

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean to be "born again" in the context of John 3? Is this different from your previous understanding?

• How can we relate to Nicodemus's struggle with control when it comes to our spiritual walk?

• Nicodemus was familiar with the idea of future regeneration in the Jewish faith. Why do you think the idea of present spiritual rebirth was so revolutionary to him?

• How can understanding salvation as both a current experience and a future hope guide the way we live today?

• What does it mean for you personally to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease"?

Prayer Points

• Praise God for the love that he poured out through Jesus that allows us to be born-again!

• Pray that we would be people at Sound City that stand firm not on our own credentials but the credentials of Jesus.

• Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us share the good news of Jesus so that those around us would “look and believe”.

Gospel of John | The Lord of Whips | John 2:13-25

Discussion Questions

• What’s the difference between having an authoritative Jesus and a domesticated Jesus?

• What are some ways we try to domesticate Jesus? Are there any parts of Jesus you have difficulty accepting?

• Has there ever been a time when God removed something from your life that eventually led to deeper intimacy with him?

• Jesus tells the people in this story to “take these things away”. What in your life might Jesus be asking you to remove in order that you might experience more of his will for you?

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to bless our church this week as we host our non-Christians friends and family at our house for “Every Table”

• Ask the Lord to reveal anything in your life that needs to be taken away

Gospel of John | The Lord of Wine | John 2:1-12

Discussion Questions

• Do you often think of God as the happiest being in existence? Why or why not?

• If you feel comfortable, share a story about how Jesus has saved you from the crushing burden of shame in your life.

• How do you think those outside the church would describe Christians? Joyful? Serious? Judgmental?

• What’s one thing you already do to celebrate the goodness of God in your life?

• What’s one thing you could do to begin celebrating God’s goodness more intentionally in your life?

Prayer Points

• Spend some time thanking God for all of his goodness in your life

• Pray that God would make our church family into a people known for their joy

Gospel of John | Come and See | John 1:35-51

Discussion Questions

• How should Jesus’ model of invitation inform how we share the gospel?

• Do you have any friends who don’t know Jesus? How could you patiently and

  graciously befriend others to invite them to “come and see”?

• Are you intimidated by people skeptical of Christianity? How did Jesus treat

  Nathanael? How can you treat people like him?

• What comfort can believers take from the truth that Jesus is the gate of heaven?

Prayer Points

• Pray God would grant us a mature mindset so that whatever space we enter we

  aren’t thinking of how people aren’t befriending us, but who we can befriend.

• Pray for an awareness of our heavenly standing and nearness to God because of

  what Jesus has done for us.

Gospel of John | The Lamb of God | John 1:19-34

Discussion Questions

• How would you answer the question, “Who are you?”

• How does our culture tend to think about identity? How is it different from how the Bible talks about identity?

• What’s unique about the way John the Baptist answers the religious leaders' questions about his identity?

• John commands us to “Behold!” in this passage. What does it look like practically for us to “behold” Jesus in our everyday lives?

• When you aren’t looking to Jesus to define you, who do you tend to listen to most? The opinions of others? Your own voice? Someone else?

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to help us “Behold!” the Lord Jesus more and more each day

• Ask the Lord to help us root our sense of identity in what he says about us

Gospel of John | The Word | John 1:1-18

Discussion Questions

• Who does our culture say Jesus is?

• Why do you think God decided to become human? Could God have saved us without becoming flesh? Why or why not?

• Jesus came full of grace and truth. How do you think these two attributes of Jesus relate to one another?Is he more grace than truth? More truth than grace? Discuss.

• Share about a time when you experienced the grace of Jesus.

• God went through great lengths to draw near to us in Christ. How might God be calling you to draw near to him in this season?

• What implications might the incarnation of Jesus have for how we think about reaching the lost in our city?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would bless our church as we enter into this series through John

• Ask the Lord to show you more of his glory as you consider the person of Jesus

Who We Are - Our Values: Enjoying God | Psalm 84

Discussion Questions

• What was the phrase from John Piper that summarizes the chief end of man?

• With what metaphor did Jonathan Edwards distinguish knowing about God vs enjoying God?

• What were some real life examples of what it looks like to enjoy God?

• How can we practice the Enjoying God value in our own lives?

Prayer Points

• Pray our church would be filled with believers that aren’t content with simply knowing about God, but enjoying Him as our most important relationship

• Pray that we would become excellent at loving our brothers and sisters as evidence of enjoying Jesus (1 Jn. 4:20)

Who We Are - Our Values: On Everyday Mission | Matthew 9:35-38

Discussion Questions

• How would you explain the mission of the church in the world?

• What does or could it look like for you to live out our value of everyday mission?

• Pastor Reece talked about the importance of making space in our lives to engage those who don’t know the Lord. What makes this challenging?

• Pastor Reece introduced an initiative for the Fall called Every Table. Do you have someone in mind you’d like to invite to share a meal with you?

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to help you see those he brings into your path to minister to.

• Ask the Lord to give our church the courage to participate in this season of hospitality.

Who We Are - Our Values: Growing Together | Colossians 3:12-17

Discussion Questions

• If you feel comfortable, share about a time when you felt isolated and lonely? What helped you come out of that season?

• How do you see our culture’s focus on the individual affecting how you live?

• Of the four practices mentioned, gratitude, transparency, truth-telling, and forgiveness, which comes more naturally to you? Which is the hardest for you? Why?

• What’s one thing we could do as a community group to continue growing together in Christ?

Prayer Points

• Ask God to make us into a hospitable church where everyone can find a place to belong

• Ask the Lord to continue working through your group to make us into people of love

Who We Are - Our Values: Grounded in Scripture | James 1:17-25

Discussion Questions

• What do you think it means to live life Grounded in Scripture?

• What practices or habits in your life have helped you root your life in God’s word most?

• What do you do when you encounter a part of God’s word that rubs you the wrong way or feels hard to obey?

• What does it mean to read all of scripture in light of the gospel?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would make is into a people who are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be become angry before God’s word

• Pray that God would show us where we have rejected his word in our lives

Who We Are - Our Mission | Matthew 28:16-20

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think it’s important for our church to be clear on our mission as a community?

2. When you hear Jesus’ command to “make disciples”, what are the first thoughts that pop into your head?

3. What do you think it looks like to do evangelism in our place and time? What makes the work of evangelism uniquely challenging today?

4. Pastor Reece made the point that many churches choose to focus on either evangelism or formation, but rarely both. Have you seen this to be true? If so, why do you think it’s hard to keep both as a priority?

5. What role do you think our community group should play in our church’s mission of raising up wholehearted followers of Jesus?

6. How might God be calling you to engage more fully in our mission as a church this Fall?

Prayer Points

1. Pray that God would show us as a church how to be more effective witnessing for the gospel in our time and place

2. Ask the Lord to show you how he wants you to be a part of the mission of Sound City this FallWho We Are - Our Mission | Matthew 28:16-20

Spiritual Warfare | Ephesians 6:10-20

Discussion Questions

• How often do you think about spiritual warfare?

• Are you in danger of ignoring or obsessing over the reality of a dark spiritual realm? Why?

• Jesus talks about Satan as “the father of lies”. How do you think Satan disseminates his lies into our world?

• What are some of the lies that you’ve struggled against throughout your life?

• How can you “turn up the volume” on God’s voice in your life this week?

• What role do you believe prayers has in spiritual warfare?

• If you feel comfortable, share one lie you struggle with. Then, if you desire, invite the group to share the truth that counteracts that lie

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would shine the line of the truth into the dark places of our lives where lies reign

• Ask the Lord to protect your group from the schemes of the enemy. Pray for unity, a spirit of love and humility, and freedom from the lies of Satan

• Pray that God would give our church strength to withstand spiritual attacks

Guidelines for Children and Parents | Ephesians 6:1-4

Discussion Questions

• What motivation, goals, and hope do believers have when we care for children? How are they different from those of non-Christians?

• Why is it important to set a Christlike example for your children?

• What does this passage teach about honoring parents? What are some ways you feel would be effective in teaching your children about this?

• How do the promises “it may go well with you” and “you may have a long life in the land” pertain to children today?

• Why would it be difficult to honor and obey one’s parents in some situations? Describe hypothetical or actual situations.

• What are some ways a parent might provoke their children to anger?

• How can parents teach their children the gospel and basic doctrines of the faith?

Prayer Points

• Pray for new parents and future parents that they will enter parenthood with a commitment to follow God’s design for parenting.

• Pray for parents of preteens and teens that they will persevere in their parenting and continue to grow and learn in these important final years of having their children in their home.

• Pray that parents of adult children not walking with God will hold on to the hope of the Gospel and the power of Jesus to reach into their lives and redeem them.

• Pray for the children of our church to honor and obey their parents.

• Pray that our church can be a source of help and support for families as they seek to raise their children even as culture exerts a negative influence.

• Pray that those who do not have children will still see their valuable role in making disciples and that God will lead them to a partnership with him that brings joy and satisfaction.

Jesus and Your Marriage - Part 2 | Ephesians 5:21-33

Discussion Questions

• Pastor Reece mentioned how we as a church likely don’t discuss the topic of marriage often enough in our community. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

• If your marriage was facing a challenging season, who would you reach out to for help? If you’re single, who do you reach out to for wisdom regarding relationships of any kind?

• What would it take for your Community Group to become a safe place to turn to with the joys and challenges of marriage or other close relationships?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would give struggling couples the courage to step forward and ask for help

• Pray that God would empower us as husbands and wives to live out our God given roles in our marriages

• Ask the Lord to make us a church that is equally welcoming to both married and single individuals

Jesus and Your Marriage - Part 1 | Ephesians 5:21-33

Discussion Questions

• As a church family, do you think we discuss the state of marriage too much? Too little?

• How does marriage as a covenant influence the way we relate in marriage? For those who are single, how should marriage as a covenant influence how we look for a potential spouse?

• Do you agree that your spouse should be your best friend? Why or why not?

• Paul talks about the importance of both washing and nourishing in marriage. How do you live these commands out in your marriage?

• What things get in the way of cultivating oneness with your spouse?

• What regular habits, rhythms, or practices have helped you foster a healthy marriage?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would give hope to those whose marriages are struggling

• Pray that God would give us courage as a community to share in healthy ways about the joys and hardships of our marriages

• Pray for those who desire to be married

Walk Wisely | Ephesians 5:15-21

Walking in Love, from Darkness to Light | Ephesians 5:1-14

Discussion Questions

• Discuss how grace base and works base would differ in Paul’s exhortation to be imitators of God and to walk in the way of Jesus.

• Share and an example of someone who radiated the light of Jesus in your life.

• Do you struggle being distinctly different in your spheres of influence?

• Share someone God has placed in your life to be a radiant exposure to?

Prayer Points

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you live a life that radiates the light of Jesus to others.

• Pray that the people of Sound City would grow to radiate the light of Jesus in our city.

Put Off, Put On | Ephesians 4:17-32

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think it’s so challenging to change ourselves?

• Do you think following your heart is a good way to navigate life? Why or why not?

• The sermon talked about the importance of both putting off old behaviors and putting on new behaviors in our efforts to change. When you set out to change something in your life, do you focus on both or do you tend to focus on only one? Explain

• What does it look like practically for you to be renewed in the spirit of your mind?

• What habits or rhythms do you have in your life that grow your affections for Jesus?

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would help you identify the areas in your life you need to change

• Ask God to captivate your imagination with the person of Christ more and more each day