Kettlebrook West Bend

Questions for Reflection/ Discussion: 1. From what you heard today, what would be your definition of what prayer is? 2. Why do you think Paul’s prayer for you is that you would more deeply discover and embrace Jesus’ love for you? 3. When you envision Jesus’ face and how He is looking at you, what is the expression on His face? How are you convinced (if you are convinced?) that He loves you passionately?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. In the prayer self-assessment survey we took as a family of faith, only 5.6% of us said we don’t have time to pray. However, 61% of us said we struggle to make prayer a priority. Why do you think this is the case? How might you struggle personally to make prayer a priority? 2. Read Ephesians 3:14-17a, then try to discover what Paul is referring to when he writes in 3:14 “For this reason…”? For what reason? (hint: you may have to go back even to chapter 2.) 3. What is Paul’s actual prayer in 3:14-17? Have you ever prayed this for yourself? For others? Why or why not? 4. In what ways might you struggle to bring your “inner being” (i.e. heart/soul) before God? Before others? Why do you think this is the case? 5. In what ways might prayer be the very best place for your inner being to be known and shared with God? With others? 6. What might be one way you could seek to experience Christ’s dwelling in your hearts through faith via prayer this week as an individual/ cou

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. Describe a time when you have been intimidated to pray or felt inadequate in prayer. 2. Paul prays that the Ephesian's hearts would be “illuminated”. How have you seen God "illuminate" your heart? In what areas does more "illumination" need to happen? 3. What is the “hope that God has called you”? Where are you lacking assurance of that hope? 4. Do you tend to see following Jesus as a blessing or a curse? Why? 5. Read Psalms 103:1-12. Underline all the blessings or benefits we have in Christ Jesus. Which do you appreciate most? Which do you tend to forget? 6. Meditate on God’s incomparable power. How would knowing God’s power change things in your life? 7. What is God calling you to be or do as a result of what you heard or experienced?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What stuck out to you? 2. What further questions does it raise? 3. What does it say about Jesus? 4. How will you respond personally? 5. With whom / how can you share this?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. Why do you think the “Mission Impossible” film series is so popular? What is it about people that long to live a life of purpose & significance? 2. Have you ever thought of yourself as being on a mission? What might that look like for you? 3. Read Ephesians 2:10. What do you think it means that God prepared good works in advance for us to do? What might those ‘good works’ be? 4. How would it change how you approach your work if you consider that God prepared good works in advance for you to do? 5. Read Colossians 3:17 & 23. Paul begins by telling us to 'do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus' and then gives a list of what that might look like. He ends with “whatever you do work at it with all your heart.” What is the connection between those two? 6. How might you give glory and honor to Jesus this week by 'working with all your heart' at your place of employment? What might that look like for you specifically?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: (For this series, we wanted to give you the same questions that we asked the panel… so, how would you answer the below three questions:) · Which parts of your work life feel like they are under the curse? · How have you tried to express your faith in the workplace/at school? What has went well? What has not went well? · In what ways do you wish you were better equipped to reflect God at work/school? Further discussion questions: 1. Read Genesis 3:17-19. How would the words “toil, sweat, thorn and thistle” be seen in your own life? 2. A story was shared at the beginning of the message about three different responses by three different men about their work. How would you respond to the question of “What are you doing?” as was proposed in this story. 3. What significance, if any, might there be to Jesus being given a crown of thorns? 4. What might be some practical ways that you could worship and glorify God in your work this week?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: (For this series, we wanted to give you the same questions that we asked the panel… so, how would you answer the below three questions:) · Do you think you are doing what you were created to do (in terms of “work”)? Why or why not? · What are some of the barriers that you face in trying to bear the image of God in your work? · How has your faith changed the way you see your work? Further Discussion Questions: 1. In what ways might your identity/self worth be wrapped up in your work? 2. Robert Banks sorts work into five different categories that reflect the nature and character of God. What were these categories, and which one(s) might your work most closely reflect? How are you trying to reflect God in this way at work? 3. Read Genesis 2:15. What do you think God intended in this verse? 4. What role does Jesus play in your life when it comes to your work? 5. What might be some practical ways that you could worship and glorify God in your work this week?

Questions for Reflection/ Discussion: 1. What are your favorite kind/style/color of Christmas lights and why? 2. What, in your own opinion, is the most pressing evidence of the darkness that is in this world? 3. Read John 1:1-9, making a list of what the Light does. What sticks out to you from the list? 4. In what ways might you be living in fear, unconvinced that the darkness does not overcome the Light? 5. In John 1:6-8, John (the author) writes of John the Baptist. Why does it say that John the Baptist came to be and do? Do you think these things might also be true of you? Why or why not? 6. John 1:9 says that the true Light gives light or enlightens every man (and woman). This can mean exposing darkness. Reflect to yourself (or be brave enough to share with someone else), what are you afraid of being enlightened/exposed in your own heart/life? 7. In John 1:12, what is the promise that John writes of? Have you “received Him”? If not, what is keeping you from doing so? If so, how can you shine Him th

Questions for Reflection/ Discussion: 1. What present reality in your life may cause you to question God's goodness towards you? 2. What gives you hope in one or more of these attributes ascribed to Jesus? 3. Why does this give you hope?

Questions for Reflection/ Discussion: 1. In what ways might your life seem too “full” right now? Why do you think this is the case? 2. Read Matthew 2:1-12 three or four times. What sticks out to you as you read it? What questions do you have? 3. In verse 3 it says that King Herod was “troubled or disturbed” upon hearing from the magi. Why do you think he was disturbed? In what ways might you be able to identify with him? 4. Tim Keller was quoted as writing, “If you want to be king, and someone else comes along saying he is the king, then one of you has to give in.” What do you think about this comment? How might this be true in your own heart and life? 5. What elements of your life are meant to point to Jesus, but you might instead be leveraging to point to yourself? Why do you think this is the case? What next step could you take to change this?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What stuck out to you? 2. What further questions does it raise? 3. What does it say about Jesus? 4. How will you respond personally? 5. With whom / how can you share this?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: Here are 3 reminders in the Book of Romans to encourage, strengthen and challenge us to continue on this vision which God has called us to: 1) The Good News Think about your own journey, when you first heard and responded to the Good news of Jesus Christ. How passionate are you about sharing the Gospel? Do you have compassion for those who are unreached? 2) Calling How much of a priority is making disciples in your life? 3) Gifts What are your gifts? How can you use your gifts to support the work of reaching the unreached?

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What was your experience with conflict growing up? How have these experiences shaped the way that you approach conflict today? 2. Read Matthew 7:1-5. How should these words shape our approach to conflict? 3. Read Matthew 18:15-17. What steps do you see Jesus outlining? What is the goal of the process? 4. Why is it easier to confide in the wrong person instead of going to the person we have an offense with? Why is there a temptation to draw in a third party? 5. “Winning the conflict” versus “winning your brother/sister” are radically different approaches to conflict. How might you be guilty of trying to “win” a conflict in your life instead of winning a brother/sister? Who in your life might need to be “won” back in your life through radical, self-sacrificing reconciliation? 6. Re-read the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon. What is the significance of verse 18? Where did Paul learn this approach from? What can we learn from this in our own lives? 7. Where in your

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What was your experience with conflict growing up? How have these experiences shaped the way that you approach conflict today? 2. It was said this morning that “Hurt people hurt people.” Give an example of when this has been true of someone else hurting you in your life. Give an example of when you have been guilty of this yourself. 3. When it comes to conflict, would you classify your approach as tending more towards avoiding or attacking? Why do you think this is this the case? 4. Read Paul’s letter to Philemon. In what ways do you see Paul humbling himself (and Onesimus) and honoring Philemon as he approaches him? What can we learn from Paul’s approach and apply in conflict in our own lives? 5. What might be one or two wounds that you bring into conflict with you from the past (or the present)? How might you appeal to Jesus with respect to these wounds and allow Him to begin healing you? 6. It was mentioned that the word translated as “appeal” comes from two Gr

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. Did you ever have or make a fort as a child? If so, what do you remember most about making forts? 2. What broader stories have influenced how you see the story of your own life? 3. Read Psalm 103:19-22. What sticks out to you as you read this text? 4. In Psalm 103, David describes God as Forgiving, Compassionate, Father, and King. Which of these four specific characteristics resonate most with you and why? Do you struggle with any? Why or why not? 5. One of the downsides of sitting on our own thrones is the burden that goes with it. What might the stresses and pressures in your life reveal to you? 6. When we sit on the throne of our own life, we are also can see others as a threat to us. Where/how might this be the case in your own life? 7. Are there areas of your own life that you have built a fort around that you want to be sovereign over instead of God? If so, what areas and why? How might Jesus re-frame this area of life for you? What specifically could you d

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What stuck out to you? 2. What further questions does it raise? 3. What does it say about Jesus? 4. How will you respond personally? 5. With whom / how can you share this?

Questions for Reflection? When is a time you have experience compassion from someone? What did their compassion make you feel? In what ways do you struggle to believe God is compassionate? Where in your life are you experiencing the compassion of God? What areas are you allowing God to carry in your life? What areas are you resistant? Why? Who is God calling you to show compassion (suffer with) today? How will you tangibly carry this out this week?