Creating Space for Mercy and Grace

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak on Sunday, February 14th about knowing grace, being grace in the flesh, and living into the Christ pattern of death followed by replenishment and resurrection. 

Read along in Phillipians 2:5, Phillipians 1:7-8, Galatians 2:20, and Colossians 3:1-17.

Read the Growth Group Discussion notes too. 

Saying Yes To Life (Even the Hard Parts)

Listen to Jonathan Woolner walk through the book of Philippians on Sunday, February 7th of 2016. God is faithful to complete the good work He started in you. Are you open to that? We have to let some parts of us die to allow God’s resurrection power to replace them. 

Read Philippians 1:1-6, Genesis 1:1-2:1

Review the Growth Group notes

Grace and Peace in The Flesh

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak on Sunday, January 31st, 2016 about identifying things that keep you from accepting grace and peace. He also introduces the concept of being grace and peace to others around you. Later on this series we will be discussing ‘how’ to do this stuff, not just discuss the ‘what’. 

Read along in Philippians 1:1-2

Growth Group Questions

The Ultimate Scapegoat

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak on Sunday, January 24th. The Hebraic perspective is explored. They think of sins in the community sense, rather than in the individual sense. The goat with our sins has left and is not coming back. When you forget who you are in Jesus, the church becomes “Sin Management 101”

Read along in: 

  • Leviticus 16:3-5, 6, 7-10, 20-22 The Day of Atonement. The scapegoat is led out into the wilderness with all the sins of community loaded onto it  to take away their sins for one year. 
  • John 19:15, 16 Jesus is before Pilate & led away from Jerusalem to take away the sins of world once and for all. 
  • Hebrews 10:1-4, 11 The law is a shadow of what is to come. We don’t have to keep sacrificing goats because Jesus was the sacrifice to end all payment for sins. 

Genealogies: Math and the Good News

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak on Sunday, January 17th, 2016 about the genealogy of Jesus and David. It is a story about the “One God” who was faithful. He uses the ordinary to redeem His creation. Three genealogies reveal multiple ways God reveals His plan to redeem humankind. 

Read along in Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38, 1 Chronicles 1

Blessing the Hated

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak on Sunday, January 3rd, 2016 about Noah’s curse on his youngest son, Ham. Jesus blessed and loved those who have been living under a curse, including the descendants of Ham: The Canaanites, among others. We are called to step aside from cultural norms and follow His radical example.

Read along in Genesis 9:20-28, Judges 10, Mark 7, Matthew 15, Luke 6

The Art of Receiving

Listen to guest speaker, John Jenks. 

God is a giver of gifts, and we have a role in receiving. “As God gives and I receive, life flows.” I need to connect with God. There is a God who loves us and wants to connect with us. The best gift God has given us is Himself. God continues to give other gifts to His children. We all have a desire for Love, Joy, Peace & Justice because we are created in God’s image. We need to be humble & teachable. Give up your need to be right. Learn to live in grace. “Grace protects us from pride and frees us from guilt” Be ready to trust. Be ready to trust even when we take a risk. God may call us to an adventure, and that involves risk. Cultivate the art of receiving in your life. Take a specific step with God’s direction. 

See James 1:17, Romans 8, John 3:16, Hebrews 12:15, Mark 10:15, John 20:30-31, Acts 5:20, John 10:10, Genesis 2:24, & Romans 8. 

Gossip

Listen to Jonathan Woolner speak about gossip, and how the Bible instructs us to handle grievances with our brothers and sisters directly, and to value unity and connection with God and with others. Read along in Matthew 18:15-17

Technical Note: Missing CDs for CD recorder, so the recording was done by a cell phone app. Sorry about the poor sound quality. 

A 55 Gallon Drum of Grace: Part 2

Listen  to Jonathan Woolner speak about the love the father shows to his sons and daughters, which cannot be earned. The “good son” is challenged to be reconciled to the father by his own ego. Forgiveness is offered before, during, and after our sin by the father. Obedience is a result of the father’s love, not it’s cause. Radical love wins the heart, not condemnation. Read along in Luke 15:11-32