ARCC Sermons

Sanctification

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Describe a time when Jesus showed up in your life through completely wrecking your plans. Why are “desert” seasons for us the people of God? 3. Why is it difficult for us to allow others to help us? How can we help one another with this in community. 4. How do you know, personally, that God’s grace is sufficient? What does that look like in our lives? How does community help us...

Salvation (Part 2)

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. When did you first begin to follow Jesus? Share that experience with your group. 3. Have you ever shared the gospel with anyone? Have you ever been present as someone else began to follow and treasure Christ? What was that experience like? 4. What do we learn about God from this story? How is the gospel clarified for us in this story. Additional Scripture References: 1 Timothy ...

Baptism

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Why do you think there have been so many different meanings of baptism across denominations throughout church history? 3. If you have been baptized as a believer and remember it, how would you describe your experience? 4. If not, what has prevented you and would you desire to be baptized? Additional Scripture References: Romans 6:3-10; Matthew 28:19; John 6:44; John 6:37; Acts ...

Salvation (Part 1)

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Share of times when you felt the Holy Spirit calling you to do something. What can you point to that makes you know it was the Spirit in you? 3. What does it look like to love America from a biblical worldview? 4. What does it look like to be in relationship with Jesus? (Recommendation: Read any 10 chapters of the Psalms in succession and discuss what it looked like for David.)...

Conversion (Part 2)

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Knowing yourself, what are some practical glimpses of you walking and being filled with the Spirit? What are glimpses of you not walking and being filled with the Spirit? 3. How can “community” and “discipleship” foster life lived in step with the Holy Spirit? 4. What does John the Baptist mean by “bear fruit in keeping with repentance”? (Matthew 3:8) Additional Scripture Refer...

Conversion (Part 1)

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” What does this quote by John Piper make you think of with respect to your own life? 3. Can you think of a time in your life where your suffering or loss meant the possibility of joy for another? 4. What does Simon’s experience teach us about the theology of baptism? 5. Read and meditate on ...

In Review

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. If the Holy Spirit is the distinguishing mark of a true Christian then what are the implications for us individually? Does that change the way we view the “Church”? 3. In what ways is God calling you to “witness” to your family, your neighbor, your city, your nation, your world? With this in mind, what fruits of the Siprit (Galatians 5:22-24) seem glaringly missing from your li...

Resolutions

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Who, in your life, are you looking at that you see as godly? What makes them that way?

Truth

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. What false truths do you tend to fall for in daily life? Why do you think that is? 3. How does/would community help fight the lies of satan in our lives? How do we accomplish this kind of community?

Love

Study Questions 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Why is John 3:16 so popular? 3. How do we understand John 3:16 in light of verses 17 through 21? Additional Scripture References: Psalm 90:1-2; Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 7:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 115:3; Psalm 90:8; 139:1-4; 15-16; 33:13-15; Hebrews 4:13; Ephesians 1:3-4; 2:4-5; 5:25; Matthew 5:43-45; Deut. 10:14-15; Romans 5:7-8...

Rest

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. Why is busyness exalted so highly in our culture? What are the affects (good or bad) of this kind of paradigm? 3. In what area(s) of your life do you have the most difficulty allowing Jesus to be your Savior? 4. What are some practical ways that our Missional Communities can foster a culture of “rest” in us individually? Additional Scripture References: John 11:19-23; John 11:2...

Forgiveness

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. How would you describe the opposite of forgiveness? What does your un-forgiveness tend to look like? 3. What are some cultural norms that make it difficult to live a life characterized by forgiveness? 4. How does doing life in community help with the process of forgiveness? Additional Scripture References: Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; Matthew 6:14; Philippians 3:7-8; Mark 1...

Membership

Study Questions: 1. In what way(s) did the Church begin in the Matthew 16 text? In what way(s) did it begin in Acts 2? 2. What is the most important requirement for being part of the Church? What are some of the other instructions on what it looks like to be part of the Church? 3. Why is Church Membership a practice that is carried out in so many churches? What is its Biblical basis? 4. In what ways did the Apostle Paul give of himself for the good of others and for the body of Christ as a whole...

Death

Study Questions: 1. What things stuck out to you from this text? Is there anything in this text that challenges you? 2. How does this text push us towards the gospel? 3. What parallels do you see between the nation of Israel in this text and the American nation? 4. What practical application should we as individuals take from this text? …as the church collective? Additional Scripture References: Philippians 3:8

Whatever

Study Questions: 1. Would Jesus consider you a disciple of His? 2. What stands out to you the most from this text? 3. Why were those four qualities given in verse 3 as the standard for those who would serve? How would you describe someone who is a true servant? 4. Why is the “ministry of the word” so important for the Church? Additional Scripture References: Luke 22:26; John 12:26

Fear

Study Questions: 1. What is your initial reaction when you read stories in scripture like the story of Uzzah in 2 Samuel and the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5? How does it stretch you in regards to what you believe about God and about you? 2. Do your experiences in life bring about a positive or negative view of “the fear of the Lord”? 3. How does the gospel help to create a positive or healthy view of this fear? 4. How does community foster a healthy fear of the Lord? Additional Scrip...

Covenant

Study Questions: 1. How is the Covenant that God made with Adam different from the rest of the Covenants? 2. What are some of the other foreshadowings in the Covenants that point toward the New Covenant? 3. Define the New Covenant in Jesus. Additional Scripture References: Romans 5:16; Genesis 15:13-14; Romans 7:10

Together

Study Questions: 1. What is your view of community now and how is it expanded or further developed from this text? 2. What is your view of giving now and how is it expanded or further developed from this text? 3. How is community connected to worship? How is giving connected to worship? Additional Scripture References: John 13:35

Prayer

Study Questions: 1. What is your normal response when things go wrong in your life? Why? 2. What is a gospel-centered, Spirit-filled response to difficult and stressful situations? 3. What tends to keep you from praying? How do you judge the success of prayer? 4. How does the theology of the cross instruct or impact our prayer life? Additional Scripture References: 1 Peter 1:7; Psalm 115:3; Psalm 135:6; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:4-6; Psalm 2:4; Isaiah 46:8-11; John 12:32; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Pet...

Belief

Study Questions: 1. What about your life over the last month gives you confidence that you actually “believe” in Jesus, hope in Jesus, trust in Jesus, worship Jesus,…etc.? 2. Consider the truths of the Gospel of Jesus. (Ephesians 1 is a great place to do this.) What is it that your heart has the hardest time believing? How does this manifest itself? 3. For what specific reasons in your life right now do you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What truths in the gospel, about God, about your ...

Healing

Study Questions: 1. What are we supposed to take away from this particular story of healing? What does it tell us about Peter, the lame man, and God? 2. What are the common themes between Peter's sermon at Pentecost and his sermon in Solomon's Portico? 3. As believers, how does living by faith, wisdom, self control, and good stewardship come together? 4. What is the wickedness that Peter is referring to in verse 26? How can he use such a strong word? Additional Scripture References: 2 Timothy 4:...

Day By Day

Study Questions: 1. To what (or whom) are you devoted? What proof is there? 2. What do you think of when you think about fellowship? What would change in our life if our "fellowship" paradigm was more in sync with the early church? 3. Why does Luke speak so much about the breaking of bread? Why is it significant that the people were receiving food with glad and generous hearts? Why is it so hard to embrace the day to day? Additional Scripture References: Mark 16:20...

Tongues

Study Questions: 1. What do you love about Pentecost here in Acts 2? 2. What challenges you or makes you feel a little uncomfortable? Why do you think this is so? 3. What about your life points to Joel's prophecy being true or fulfilled? Additional Scripture References: Philippians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:28; Galatians 2:20; 2 Kings 5:9-11; John 3:5-8; Acts 11:16-17; Ephesians 4:5; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Corinthians 3:6...

The Ascension, Judas, & Matthias

Study Questions: 1. How can you relate to the disciples in the moment that Jesus was taken into heaven? 2. Are we taking Jesus' command seriously to be His witnesses? If not, what would change in and about our life if we did? 3. What do we learn from Judas? Additional Scripture References: Psalm 103:19; Philippians 3:8-9; Isaiah 53:10

It Has Begun

Study Questions: 1. What is the difference between knowing something and believing something? 2. What would your answer be if Jesus asked you why you were troubled? (with regards to anything)...and why do doubts arise in your heart? Is there a connection between our troubles and our doubts? If so why? How do we fight against this? What part could our community play in this? 3. What is repentance? When was the last time you experienced true repentance in your heart? Should repentance be a one tim...

It Is Finished

Additional Scripture References: Genesis 3:1-6; 3:15, 20-21; 6:5, 7, 8, 18; 8:21; 11:4, 7-8; 12:1-3; 17:7-8; 15:7-21; 22:15-18; Numbers 21:4-9; 1 Samuel 8:7; 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 7:13-14; 9:6-7; 50:6; 52:13-53; 61:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 7:13-14; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9; Colossians 2:13-15; Galatians 3:13-14; John 8:56-58

Maturity

Additional Scripture References: Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21; Matthew 28:17; Ephesians 4:14; 2 Peter 1:10

Sin

Sexuality

Additional Scripture References: Romans 1:32; Romans 1:22-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Matthew 22:30; Mark 8:34

Knowledge Of The Glory

Additional Scripture References: Ecclesiastes 5:10; Psalms 37:4; Psalms 81:12; 1 Peter 1:3