Letters To The Church 1

Discussion Questions for sermon series Letters to the Church Part 1

God’s Church started as a radical, spiritually intimate gathering of believers that ultimately changed history. Yet millions today are content to be mere observers at church. But God is waking up His people—people who will risk anything and sacrifice everything to be the dynamic, world-changing Church of the Bible. In this series we are going to be asking, “What does God want for His Church?”

Imagine you are stranded on a deserted island with nothing but a copy of the Bible. You have no experience with Christianity so all you know about the Church will come from reading the Bible.

What would you understand Church to be with only the bible as your guide? Compare that with your Church experience. What are some discrepancies. If Jesus came knocking on One Life Church’s door, what would be some of the responses people would have?
Has this ever been true with you? My intimacy with God has been directly tied to my connection with the Church? Why or why not?
The Bible tells us that every member of the body has a gift and is necessary to the functioning of the Church. If people are not allowed to use their gifts, their growth is being stunted. How are we using our gifts and the gifts of others in our church?
How much we give of ourselves reflects our view of God. If we just show up to service, or serve on Sunday only, but do little else the rest of the week, what does that say about our view of God? What weaknesses can you identify in your commitment to the Church? How can you address them?
Over and over the Bible speaks of unity in the church. Through this sermon series we want to grow in unity towards each other and our leaders. Have you ever found yourself unintentionally speaking against another believer, causing others to view them negatively? What caused you to do that? How can we avoid this in the future?
Share times in your life that you have seen God do amazing things, your prayers were answered, and the Bible has come to life.
How do you feel about this statement and how it is motivating?

Sometimes I pretend to set a timer that is a countdown of my life. I imagine that in that short time, when the timer beeps, I will be face-to face with God. This gives me courage to say everything I think He would want me to say. If I really was going to die, I would care very little about people’s thoughts or complaints. I would be obsessed with seeing the face of God and wanting His approval.

Pray

(Source for these questions: Letters to the Church Book and Study Guide, by Francis Chan)