A Time to Build | Message Four

A Time to Build | Message Four

The Bible says "For everything there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  Join us for this season, and this series, that is all about building: Building community, building a new worship center, building God's Kingdom, and building up one another.  

Scriptures | Luke 6:31 & Matthew 7:12; Philippians 2:4; Mark 12:29-31

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” “...for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”Luke 6:31 & Matthew 7:12

Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  ’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is nocommandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

Question 1: You don’t have to have heard the sermon from Sunday, but if you were in church, watched online, what stuck with you?

Question 2: Jeremy shared that one of the best questions he’s ever been asked is “Who is this for?”  This question is good for many reasons, and one reason is that it gets to the heart of Christian values.  We do what we do for the sake of others (see all scriptures above).  But sometimes, doing for others is hard.  Question: What makes it hard for us to do for others?  And what helps you follow the direction of scripture and do for others? 

Question 3: The Bible gives a lot of direction about what we do for others, too many Bible verses for one sermon!  But it all boils down into two categories: service and evangelism.  We serve others when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, teach and encourage each other, and build each other up.  Question: Have you served before in the past?  What impact did it have on your life or the life of others?  And: Jeremy shared eight different ways people can serve now.  Which of those are you, or might you, be involved in in the present?  What impact did it, or could it, have on your life or the life of others?   

Question 4: We also do for others through evangelism.  When we share the Good News of Jesus with others, we don’t do it for ourselves, we do it for others!  Jeremy suggested one way to do evangelism:

• -Start by answering the question: What helps you?  Meaning, in your walk with Jesus, what helps you?  Answer this question in your group, and be as specific as possible.
• -Then you can: share “what helps you” with others.  Does prayer help you?  Then you can say to others, “Prayer helps me, maybe that can help you too.”  Do you experience hope when you read scripture?  Then you can say to others, “Reading scripture gives me hope, maybe that can help you too.”  Who are the “others” that you could share with?  Be as specific as possible, and look for ways to share with them this week!