Sermon Recap

Title: Triumphal Entry: The King Has Come!

Big Idea: The hands of the King are the hands of a healer.

Outline:
I. He is King of the Jews & the King of creation
II. He is humble & He is strong
III. He has come to bring curse & He has come to bring kindness

Discussion Questions

1. What stories do you love because they echo of the truths of Scripture?

2. How does your life indicate that Jesus is King of your life?

3. How does the truth that Jesus is King of creation impact the way you see the world, current events, news headlines, etc.?

4. How does the humility of Jesus encourage your life in how you interact with others?

5. How does the strength of Jesus against abuses and evil need to be embodied in real tangible ways by His church (especially North Park)?

6. Who in your life can you invite to North Park to hear the gospel preached?

7. How do you need to receive the kindness of Jesus today?

Sermon Recap

Title: A Church That Prays
Text: Acts 4:23-31

A praying church is an unshaken church.

Outline:
I. A Pattern for Prayer
II. A Pattern for Suffering
III. A Pattern for Ministry

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the five characteristics of prayer in Acts 4 stood out to you the most?
(Urgent, Worshipful, Scriptural, Historical, Expectant)

2. Share about an experience of suffering and how it challenged your faith.

3. Why might God allow suffering in the lives of those who are to be furthering His Kingdom?

4. In what ways have you been blessed by the church praying together? How would you like to see this happen more often?

5. Spend some time praying together for our missionaries.

Sermon Recap

Title: What Makes for Greatness?
Text: Matthew 20:17-34

Outline:
I. The Disciples & Power
II. The Blind Men & Mercy
III. Jesus & Service

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen the world’s concept of greatness infused into the way we view church or the Christian life?

2. How have you personally been tempted to view your worth, status, or value from the world's vantage point?

3. In what areas of life may you be tempted to inadvertently use Jesus as the means to some other end?

4. Share stories of how you have seen the church at some point in your past beautifully display humble service, like what Jesus calls us to.

5. How have you been personally gifted or called to serve the church in the world around you?

6. How can we better use the collective good of the church to meet the needs of our people and our community?

7. When you hear the question of Jesus,” what do you want?”, what immediately or naturally comes to mind?

Sermon Recap

Title: The Economy of King Jesus
Text: Matthew 19:30-20:19

Who deserves God's grace?

Outline:
I. The Parable
II. 3 Questions
III. Bookends & Context

Discussion Questions

1. What do you struggle with viewing as "unfair"? Be honest and vulnerable.

2. What are the main ways this teaching needed to be received by you right now?

3. How have you seen God be faithful to His promises to you in your life?

4. Where have you expected things from God that were never promised to you?

5. Respond to the statement, "God does not pay based on labor, but based on His compassion and generosity." Do you want to nuance that statement at all? Does it draw out any "what ifs"?

6. How can you renew your mind and discipline your heart to not envy or covet God's goodness and generosity to others?

7. Who in your life have you written off as too far gone to repent and turn to Jesus? Pray for these individuals as a group.

Sermon Recap
Title: Disordered Loves
Text: Matthew 19:13-30
Big Idea: The human heart is plagued by disordered loves.

Outline:
The Story (19:16-22)
The Lesson (19:23-29)
The Gospel (19:25-26, 30, 13-15)

Discussion Questions
1. What "good deeds" do you feel are pushed in the Church as essential to entering eternal life?

2. How have you personally felt like you relationship with God rises or falls based on what you do?

3. Have you ever felt in the Christian life like you still "lack" something? Describe that experience. What contributed to feeling like that and what do you think you were looking for?

4. As a general assessment of Americans versus the rest of the world, we are classified as "rich" comparatively. How do you see Jesus' teaching about the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom relating to you? What implications does this teaching have for your life?

5. Jesus says that those who give up homes, family, and land will be rewarded a hundredfold in the Kingdom. What has He or is He calling you to potentially sacrifice for Him? Or, what do you think you need to be willing to offer to Him that would be most difficult to you?

6. What practices can we actively engage in to help us resist identifying with the rich young man, and increasingly resemble the aspects of a child who, "to such belongs the kingdom of heaven"?

7. What have you heard taught about "rewards" or "treasures" in heaven? What do expect? How do you balance that motivation with the teaching that Christ is enough?

Sermon Recap

Title: Kingdom Vs. Culture
Text: Matthew 19:1-12
Big Idea: The goodness of the Kingdom collides with the convenience of culture.

Outline:
1. The Divorce Trap
2. The Marriage Misunderstanding
3. The Kingdom Ideal

Discussion Questions

1. How do you understand "convenience culture" impacting our view of marriage today?

2. How have you heard divorce talked about in your past? How does that line up with this message? What sticking points do you still have?

3. The "divorce trap" was a poor interpretation of Scripture that was used to accommodate easy escapes from marriage. In what other ways in culture/society do you see culture inappropriately influencing a right understanding of the Bible?

4. An emphasis was placed upon men to be strong, godly leaders who embody the steadfast commitment to serve their wives. Give more examples of how you've seen that done. How do you prepare yourself to be committed like that?

5. Share a story of divorce, personally or close to you, that has been hard to bear. How does that story impact you personally?

6. Godly marriages and godly singleness flow from the same "kingdom ideal," which is all about seeing the good and flourishing of the world around you through selfless love. What does it look like for you to be faithful to that ideal, and give specific ways to take next steps.

7. What questions still remain on this topic that weren't addressed in the message? Talk about these questions together as a group.

Sermon Recap

Title: Handling Sin
Text: Matthew 18:15-35
Main Idea: Expect to be hurt.

Outline:
1. Prepare to be sinned against.
2. Labor for reconciliation.
3. Forgiveness is possible.

Discussion Questions

1. What have you heart taught regarding the idea of "church discipline"?

2. How have you seen the church do well or not do well in dealing with sin?

3. Do you find that you are shocked or not shocked by peoples' sin? 

4. How do you naturally tend to respond to being hurt by people? (blow up, clam up, avoid, ignore, harden, etc.)

5. Share a time that you were burned by the church, or someone close to you was?

6. How would you have like to see things happen differently?

7. What struggles (in thoughts or beliefs) with forgiving someone who has hurt you?

Sermon Recap

Title: The King's Kids
Text: Matthew 18:1-14

Outline:
I. Kids are great (1-5)
II. Kids are serious (6-9)
III. Kids are cared for (10-14)

Discussion Questions

1. How have you had to compete for status or success in life? Share stories.

2. How has that made it difficult to embrace Jesus' upside-down paradigm of "greatness"?

3. Where do you find difficulty or complication in welcoming others? (It can be complex.)

4. Share thoughts on Pastor Luke's emphasis on men being leaders in protecting the women and children of North Park.

5. How does that teaching on the seriousness of caring for one another's spiritual wellbeing strike you?

6. How does the gospel undergird all of the exhortation of this text?

7. How can we as a church specifically respond to and embody the teaching of this text?

Sermon Recap

Title: Christ Marks the Church
Text: Romans 15
Big Idea: The life of Christ marks the Church.

Outline:
I. His life marks how we live together. (15:1-7)
II. His life marks how we love the world. (15:8-13)
III. His life marks how we labor for God. (15:14-33)

Discussion Questions

1. How have you been called to submit your convictions in order to maintain unity in the family of God? Or how have you seen it play out in a church you've been a part of?

2. How does a "spiritually strong" believer navigate patience and "bearing with," alongside laboring to see a weak brother or sister grow and mature?

3. How do we discern what issues are worth contending for, and what issues are worth submitting for the sake of unity?

4. How have you seen getting to know someone soften your heart toward them?

5. What wisdom or counsel would you give for someone who wants to discuss issues without dividing over them?

6. A story was given over a church debating the purchase of an organ that resulted in a beautiful display of unity. What other stories do you have that are an encouragement to us as a church body?

7. In what ways do you think that North Park needs to grow in this area, and in what ways do you think North Park is doing well?

Sermon Recap

Title: The Character of the Church
Text: Romans 12
Question: What does the "fingerprint" of the Church look like?

Discussion Questions

1. Have you been taught that the gospel is only for unbelievers? How have you heard it talked about in relationship for believers in your past?

2. What practical and tangible habits or disciplines have you found helpful in resisting being conformed to the world?

3. What practical and tangible habits or disciplines have you found helpful for cultivating transformation?

4. What divisions have you had to navigate in past church experiences, and what lessons did you learn from it?

5. What is your role in playing a part in the family of God at North Park?

6. How can we pursue deeper unity as a church while recognizing that we have so many experiences, preferences, and desires represented individually?

7. What area are you most challenged by in the list of 12:9-21? How can you seek real transformation through the power of the gospel in that area? What would a practical step look like right now?

Sermon Recap

Title: The Word
Text: John 1:1-3
Big Idea: Advent is the coming of the Word.

Discussion Questions

1. How have you thought about the nature of God's Word interacting with His people?

2. How does God's Word and His Wisdom (see Proverbs 3:19; 8:22-31) interact to give a fuller sense of His Word's work?

3. How do you need to embrace God's power in your life situation right now?

4. How do you need to experience God's presence in your life situation right now?

5. How does Jesus' deity impact your awe and worship of Him?

6. How can you design celebration this season in light of Christ as the Word?

7. How do we combat the claims of materialism and consumerism around this season without forsaking the joy and celebration that is appropriate?

Sermon Recap

Title: Humble Freedom
Text: Matthew 17:22-27
Big Idea: You are free!

Outline:
I. The King's kids don't pay (17:24-25)
II. Freedom is not to be abused (17:26-27)
III. Jesus pays your way (17:22-23)

Discussion Questions

1. When you think of "freedom," what descriptions or images do you think of?

2. What, in this world/life, shackles us and robs freedom?

3. How do you in particular gravitate toward "working" over being "free"?

4. How can we misuse or abuse our freedom?

5. How do we live as royal sons and daughters, yet maintain humility like we see in Jesus?

6. What other "kingdom teachings" help describe and direct our lives into the alignment with the humble heart of Jesus?

7. How does Jesus paying your way actually change the way you live? Give real examples from the past week.

Sermon Recap

Title: Highs & Lows
Text: Matthew 17:14-20
Big Idea: Beware what comes after the "mountain top" experiences.

Discussion Questions:

1. Share a "mountain top" experience you've had at some point in the past? When did you "come down" from it?

2. What is something that is burdening you right now?

3. How are you resonating with the father who says, "I believe, help my unbelief" with your burdens? (Be specific)

4. Have you felt confused over things not working out the way that you expected, when you felt you were doing everything right?

5. How have you come to realize that you were trusting in yourself or someone/something other than God in a particular situation?

6. How does the quantity size of a mustard seed bring comfort or encouragement to you.

7. Explore together the idea that "some things don't come out without prayer [and fasting']" (see Matt. 17:21 and Mark 9:24). How do you find that exhortation needing to be received in today's world?

Sermon Recap

Title: Glory Revealed
Text: Matthew 17:1-13
Big Idea: God’s glory is our hope.

Discussion Questions

1. What teachings have you received on the Transfiguration before this message? Do you agree that it is a neglected story in Gospels by the modern Protestant church (respective to its significance)?

2. When you think of the work “glory” what does it bring to mind?

3. How does it fit in your theological framework to consider that God bestows glory on us?

4. What Biblical teachings contribute to filling out our understanding of the glory we will receive when we are in Christ’s presence?

5. Jesus’ preview of His exaltation served to give strength and encouragement to the disciples for what lay ahead for them. How has your hope for the future helped you through difficult times?

6. Reflect on the statement of the Westminster catechism, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” or from John Piper, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,” and reflect on the relationship between God’s glory and your joy.

7. What in life is weighing you down or burdening your heart, in which you need the reminder that ”glory is in store”?

Sermon Recap

Title: Devils & Disciples
Text: Matthew 16
Big Idea: There is a cosmic contest that demands your allegiance.

Discussion Questions

1. Share stories of conviction and courage in lives you know.

2. Do you find your convictions most challenged in times of great difficulty or in times of great prosperity?

3. We are tempted to not trust Jesus. In what areas of life is that temptation strongest for you?

4. Peter is called the "rock" that Christ will build upon. How have you heard that passage taught?

5. Peter having the "keys to the kingdom" is a designation of authority and responsibility of stewardship in "our Master's house." What efforts and actions reflect faithfulness to that role today?

6. How have you been tempted to force Jesus and His plans into the framework of your understanding when it was wrong?

7. In what areas of life have you been resistant to following Jesus? What are next steps you could take to orient your life around His mission?

Sermon Recap

Title: An Impartial Gospel
Text: Matthew 15:21-39
Big Idea: There is enough goodness in Jesus for everyone.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your relationship with a scarcity mindset? Did you grow up with one? Bring one into adult years?

2. How does your relationship with a scarcity mindset impact your view of God, His goodness, or His provision?

3. What groups or individuals do you find difficult to be around or mix with?

4. How do you think the Jews felt about Jesus mixing with Canaanites and Gentiles? How do you see yourself in the same place as Jesus' disciples?

5. What would it look like for you to welcome and love those outside of Christianity, especially if they are of a worldview or lifestyle you don't agree with?

6. How do we draw near to the lost without losing the integrity of our witness and hold onto Biblical teaching and morality? In other words, how do we draw near in love without compromising on truth?

7. Where is a space God is calling you to step into? 

Sermon Recap

Title: The Law Can’t Cleanse You
Text: Matthew 14:34-15:20
Big Idea: You cannot fix yourself.

Discussion Questions

1. What traditions were you raised with that were presented as “Gospel Law”?

2. How did those traditions impact your understanding of the Gospel or the concept of grace?

3. What “traditions” or ways of doing things do you find or suspect may be present in your life now or at North Park?

4, How do you grapple with your personal external behaviors and what they reveal about your heart? Would you say that you tend toward “cleaning yourself up” like the Pharisees or do you find yourself struggling with behaviors that make you feel like your guilt is too much to fix?

5. How do you see the world offering solutions to the problem of internal guilt that is universally felt through common conscience?

6. How would you address different ways of handling guilt with the hope of the Gospel? Can you think of a person with a specific example that you could talk about in group, then talk to sometime soon?

7. How do we balance the demands of righteousness and holiness with the cleansing work of Jesus for the unrighteous? How do these both work together without contradiction? How can we imbalance their relationship?

Sermon Recap

Title: When Faith Wavers
Text: Matthew 14:22-33
Question: What do we do with our fears?

Discussion Questions

1. What have you heard taught from this passage in the past? Was there any new insight you gained from this sermon?

2. What coping mechanisms are out there from the world on how to deal with fear?

3. Do you tend to clam up and shut down in confronted with "storms" that induce fears, or do you tend to try to control and manipulate your circumstances to keep your fears at bay?

4. How do you see this story filling in many more details and nuances to God's call for us to not be afraid beyond simply giving the command?

5. What tone do you naturally read in Christ's words, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

6. Read this passage along with Matthew 8:23-27. How do you see the disciples growth and Christ's patience by reading these two passages together? How does that bring encouragement today for us?

7. What fears do you battle? Pray over them together as a group.

Sermon Recap

Title: A Lonely Servant Messiah
Text: Matthew 13:53-14:21
Big Idea: Doing good is not contingent on feeling good.

Outline:
I. The world is brutal (13:5-14:12)
II. Christ is compassionate (14:13-14)
III. We are to be the same (14:15-21)

Discussion Questions
1. How do you naturally respond to difficult circumstances? (ex. shut down, depression, anxious, controlling, etc.)

2. What about your specific context right now makes you feel the brutality of the world the most?

3. How has your own story pressed you to feel your dependency on Jesus the most?

4. How do you cultivate compassion when it is not "deserved"?

5. What specific spaces in your life are you feeling called to bring compassion? (be specific)

6. How can you partner with North Park as a church to bring compassion?

7. What ways would you like to see yourself or North Park make new inroads of compassion and mercy where have not yet?

Sermon Recap

Title: The Kingdom of Heaven is Like...
Text: Matthew 13:24-53
Big Idea: The kingdom of heaven is upon us!

Outline:
I. The Kingdom is Contested (24-30, 36-43)
II. The Kingdom is Subversive (31-33)
III. The Kingdom is Precious (44-45)
IV. The Kingdom is Inevitable (51-52)

Discussion Questions
1. How have you personally reacted to the prevalence of evil in our world/society?

2. Does evil ever cause you to despair or be confused? How does the parable of weeds and wheat speak to that?

3. How would you define a "subversive kingdom"? Process this thought out loud with any questions or clarifications you need in your group.

4. How do Christians specifically operate in a subversive way in our context? How are you called to participate in this yourself?

5. What is the hardest thing or person in your life to "offer up" in order to hold nothing back from Jesus?

6. What does it specifically look like (actions, words, thoughts, etc.) to treasure Christ above all else in your life?

7. How does the inevitability of the coming fulness of the kingdom impact the way you live day-to-day?

Sermon Recap

Title: Hidden Gems
Text: Matthew 13:1-23
Big Idea: Parables teach spiritual realities through physical imagery.

Outline:
I. Jesus spoke in parables (13:1-9)
II. Parables reveal and conceal (13:10-18)
III. Parables show us the Kingdom (13:19-23)

Discussion Questions

1. Share a fictional story that had some formative impact on you growing up.

2. How do stories form our moral imagination, for good or for ill?

3. How do stories guide the trajectory of culture and society? Give examples to make your point.

4. How did Jesus' parables serve to reveal and conceal? How do feel about the point that Jesus was concealing truth from some by using parables?

5. Share examples of people in your life who represent the three "bad" soils. Pray over it if you need to.

6. How would you make the case that your heart is good soil?

7. Who in your life, or where, do you need to scatter some seed?

Sermon Recap

Title: Seeing Unseen Things
Text: Matthew 12:38-50
Big Idea: Everything has spiritual significance.

Discussion Questions
1. How do we often miss seeing how God is working in life?

2. What are some of the greatest distractions from spiritual matters?

3. What does it look like to train the mind to think of the spiritual realities underneath life circumstances?

4. How do you navigate "cleaning the house" of your life with not reducing Christianity to mere rule keeping?

5. How do you do elevating the familial relationships of the church as a priority over other relationships in your life? What does that look like?

6. How do you see Christians engaging with political issues in unhelpful or unBiblical ways?

7. What does it look like for the Church to appropriately engage with culture, politics, justice, and social order?

Sermon Recap

Title: Lord of the Sabbath

Text: Matthew 12:1-14

Big Idea: The Sabbath is one way we rehearse the Gospel.

Outline:
I. The Sabbath is a long story.
II. The Sabbath belongs to Jesus.
III. The Sabbath is a gift of goodness.

Discussion Questions

1. What teachings have you heard on the Sabbath in your life?

2. What implications come to mind when you think of Jesus as "Lord of the Sabbath"?

3. Do you think legislating Sabbath, like was the case with Blue Laws, is a good idea or not? Explain.

4. How do we collectively safeguard and preserve Sabbath without becoming modern-day Pharisees?

5. What practices have you tried with Sabbath?

6. Describe your perfect Sabbath day

7. What barriers in life prevent you from being more faithful and disciplined with Sabbath?

Sermon Recap

Title: Why We Send
Text: Philippians 1:12-30
Big Idea: When we send, we send to the frontlines.

Outline:
I. We send into battle
II. We send into victory
III. We send into suffering

Discussion Questions

1. How have difficult situations/circumstances impacted your perception of being able to advance the Gospel?

2. How do you naturally respond to negativity? Are you naturally defensive? Share a story.

3. Do the comforts of our modern life make volitionally entering into suffering difficult for you?

4. Does death scare you? Be honest and vulnerable.

5. How has God situated you to advance the Gospel in your context?

6. Who is someone that you could commit to having a spiritual conversation with this week? What would prevent you from doing that? What obstacles might you encounter in the conversation?

7. Take time to pray for the individuals listed in #6.