Category: Series: Jesus Teaches On Living In The Kingdom Of God

Raising the DIckens

11/17/2019

LUKE 20:27-40 (CLICK TO READ)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

as recorded at Saint John Vineyard Church

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

What was the last really big exam you had to prepare for? How did you do?
Why would the Sadducees, an elite religious and political group, pose a question like this to Jesus?
How seriously does Jesus treat this absurd question? What if he had ridiculed it?
What does Jesus teach about life after death (vv. 34-36)?
How does he then “prove” the resurrection? (Note the verb tense in this Exodus 3:6 quote and when the burning bush incident took place).
How do the teachers of the law differ in their response? Why?

Remembering Zacchaeus

11/10/2019

Luke 19:1-10 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: Reed Fleming

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

How does Zacchaeus compare with the rich young ruler (Lk. 18:18-30) in his approach and response to Jesus?
Why does Jesus dine with him? Why does this bother others?
Do you think Jesus’ words (vv. 9-10) stopped the crowd muttering?
Where did Jesus first find you? Up a tree? Out on a limb?
How did he get you to join him? What wrongs do you need to make right?

Saints Alive!

11/3/2019

Luke 6:20-31 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: JOhn Paul Westin

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

Who is in the crowd? Why have they come? How does Jesus meet their needs? How do his actions (vv. 18-19) relate to his teaching (vv. 20-22)?
What four qualities ought to characterize "kingdom people" (vv. 20-22)? How would you define each of these? What blessing is promised to each? Are these present blessings or future blessings
Who is Jesus addressing (vv. 24-26)? How would you define each warning he gives?
How do the values Jesus talks about here compare with the values you are sold on TV?
If you could add another "blessed" and another "woe" to counteract present day values, what would you want to add?

Taxing SOuls

10/27/2019

Luke 18:9-14 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

In school were you the “in” crowd or the “out” crowd?
How would people in Jesus’ day view the two characters in this parable?
Why did the tax collector go home ”justified before God” (v. 14) rather than the Pharisee?
What point was Jesus making with the parable?
When have you been like the Pharisee in this parable? Like the tax collector? What accounts for the difference?
How are you humble before God?

The Widow & the Judge

10/20/2019

Luke 18:1-8 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading:

What did you use to get your way with your parents: Sulk? Cry? Bribe? Persist? Force? Wit? What worked best?
What method did this woman use as she approached the judge?
How is God like and unlike the judge?
As for prayer, are you more likely to give up or hang tough? Why?
Does this story mean you should keep praying to get rich or to see the coming of God’s kingdom? Why?

Angels on Ladders

9/29/2019

John 1:43-51 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Carolyn Westin

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

When you get some good news, who is the first person you want to share it with? Why?
As a child, what would it take for you to believe something a brother or sister told you?
What helped Nathanael overcome his initial skepticism about Jesus?
In this passage, how many different titles are attributed to Jesus?
What is one way you can follow Jesus more closely in the coming week?

Dishonest Managers

9/23/2019

Luke 16:1-13 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

Why would it be important for Jesus' disciples to hear this parable?
In what crisis does the manager find himself? What plan does he devise? In light of this scheme, why does the owner commend the manager (v.8)?
How does Jesus summarize this parable? How do vs. 10-12 help you understand his point?
What's the problem with trying to serve two masters (v. 13) What characterizes the Pharisees (v. 14)? How does the parable speak to them?
Who (or what) are some of the masters you have served in the past?

The Cost of Discipleship

9/11/2019

Luke 14:25-33 (Click to Read)

Presentation by Krista Raynard & Melody Griffin on the work of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Saint John

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

If you were on a TV game show, would you try for the $50,000 grand prize, even though you might lose the $25,000 you had won so far? Why?
When has a family relationship or close friendship been a hindrance to your whole-hearted devotion to Christ?
In v. 26 what does Jesus mean by “hate” in reference to one’s family and life?
What does the salt analogy emphasize about discipleship?
What price have you had to pay to follow Christ? How hard or easy has this been?

Walking Cripples

8/25/2019

Luke 13:10-17 (Click to Read)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

Are you more of a “the-rules-were-meant-to-be-broken” or a “play- it-by-the-book” sort of a person? Why? Give an example.
What does v. 11 tell you about Dr. Luke’s knowledge of medicine? Of spiritual phenomenon?
How does Jesus expose the ruler’s hypocrisy?
What tensions between caring for people and keeping religious rules do you feel?
How do you reconcile this connection between physical and spiritual healing?

Faithful and Faithless

8/19/2019

Luke 12:49-56 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Questions for Personal and Small Group Considerations on the Sunday Gospel Reading (taken from the Serendipity Bible):

What discussion topics are taboo at your family table or at family reunions? Why?
Of what fire is Jesus speaking? What “baptism”? What division?
How and why does Jesus bring division? Why do you think Jesus wishes the fire was already kindled? How does this relate to “Peace on earth, goodwill to all people”?
How has the crowd misread Jesus? In vv. 54-59, would Jesus speak the same way to a Gentile audience?

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Sermons & Teachings Online

Raising the DIckens

LUKE 20:27-40 (CLICK TO READ)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Remembering Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: Reed Fleming

Saints Alive!

Luke 6:20-31 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: JOhn Paul Westin

Taxing SOuls

Luke 18:9-14 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

The Widow & the Judge

Luke 18:1-8 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

Angels on Ladders

John 1:43-51 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Carolyn Westin

Dishonest Managers

Luke 16:1-13 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33 (Click to Read)

Walking Cripples

Luke 13:10-17 (Click to Read)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Faithful and Faithless

Luke 12:49-56 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Archives

Categories

Sermons & Teachings Online

​LUKE 20:27-40 (CLICK TO READ)PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Luke 19:1-10 (CLick to Read)Preacher: Reed Fleming

Luke 6:20-31 (CLick to Read)Preacher: JOhn Paul Westin

Luke 18:9-14 (Click to Read)Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Luke 18:1-8 (Click to Read)Preacher: John Paul Westin

John 1:43-51 (Click to Read)Preacher: Carolyn Westin

Luke 16:1-13 (Click to Read)Preacher: John Paul Westin

Luke 14:25-33 (Click to Read)

Luke 13:10-17 (Click to Read) PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN​

Luke 12:49-56 (Click to Read)Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Archives

Categories

LUKE 20:27-40 (CLICK TO READ)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Luke 19:1-10 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: Reed Fleming

Luke 6:20-31 (CLick to Read)
Preacher: JOhn Paul Westin

Luke 18:9-14 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

Luke 18:1-8 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

John 1:43-51 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Carolyn Westin

Luke 16:1-13 (Click to Read)
Preacher: John Paul Westin

Luke 13:10-17 (Click to Read)
PREACHER: JOHN PAUL WESTIN

Luke 12:49-56 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra