ARCC Sermons

Philippians 2:1-8 - Gospel Living and Glory Seeking

DNA Questions - Philippians 1:1-11 Discover: Meditate on verse one. How has this played out in your life? What does it mean to be in full accord and of one mind? What does Paul mean when he says that Christ Jesus did not count equality with God something to be grasped? Nurture: How would you know if you were doing things out of selfish ambition or conceit? Do you think you have ever done anything with zero selfish ambition or conceit? What is true, gospel formed, Christ exalting humility? What f...

John 1:1-18 - Grace and Truth

n our digital age, especially for our communication and information, we have never had a greater need to lean into the implications of the incarnation of Jesus…that is Jesus, as God, coming to be present in the flesh. The greatest purpose and meaning for this life begins and ends with our relationship to God and just under that would be our relationship to others. The key to both of those realities lies in the incarnation of Jesus…putting on flesh to come and be physically present with us. If th...

Follow Me - Mark 10:17-31

DNA Questions - Mark 10:17-31 Discover: What are the assumptions that this young guys is making by asking Jesus such a question? What do we learn about "eternal life" from this story? What do we learn about Jesus from this story? Nurture: What things in your life do you use to protect the "one thing" that Jesus would point at in your life? What discouragement and sorrow and grief do you need to honestly bring to Jesus in order to draw near trusting in His comfort? In what ways have you experienc...

Follow Me - Luke 9:23-27

DNA Questions: Luke 9:23-27 Discover: Who is Jesus talking to in this text? Why does He feel the need to address this? What is the Kingdom that "some" will see? Nurture: What do you think Jesus would ask you to deny? What sacrifices would Jesus ask you to make? What direction would Jesus take you? Act: How would your week look different if you lived unashamed of Jesus and His words? What direction in life would open up for you if you were truly willing to deny yourself, take up your cross daily ...

Follow Me - John 21:15-19

Follow Me - Matthew 4:18-22

DNA Questions - Matthew 4:18 - 5:12 Discover: What is the significance of the fact that Jesus would call guys who were fishermen? What is the correlation between "the gospel of the kingdom" and Jesus healing every disease? Who is Jesus calling "blessed" in the famous Beatitudes? Nurture Are you following Jesus? How would you know? How have you experienced the "good news of the kingdom" in your life? If Jesus is talking to the same people from the end of chapter 4 in His sermon on the mount, how ...

Genesis 35:1-15

DNA Questions - (Genesis 35:1-15) Discover: What is the actual "blessing" that God gives to Jacob? How did his people fall into so much idolatry while in Shechem? What is the significance of God's call for them to "be fruitful and multiply"? Nurture: What are the "foreign gods" in our culture that seem to lure you the most? How would you know? Is there a "loss" in your life that you need to acknowledge and grieve over similarly as they wept for Deborah? What would it look like for you to reestab...

Genesis 34

DNA Questions (Genesis 34) Discover: What does this story teach us about the nature of sin? What would it look like for Jacob to step in and speak a better word? In what ways does Christianity impact culture and in what was has culture impacted Christianity? Nurture: How has anger impacted your life? How does the gospel/scripture help us to understand its rightful place in our lives? In what ways do you relate to Levi and Simeon? How do you relate to Jacob? How is Jesus the better Jacob especial...

Genesis 33

DNA Questions: Genesis 33 Discover: -What stands out to you the most in this part of the story? Why? -What does this section teach us about the way God works? -What does Jacob mean when he tells Esau that seeing his face was like seeing the face of God? Nurture: -How does this story of reconciliation resonate with you? Are there relationships in your life that you desire healing? How does this story encourage you? -What would it look like for us to "bow ourselves to the ground seven times" befor...

Genesis 32:22-32

DNA Questions (Genesis 32:22-32) Discover: -What is the significance of Jacob being "left alone"? -What is the significance of the wrestling taking place "until the breaking of the day"? -Why did Jacob need a name change and why would that have been such a blessing? Nurture: -Do you have any regular times of solitude where you are seeking the face of God? Why or why not? -In some sense we are all wrestling in order to be blessed. What are you hoping will justify your existence at the end of the ...

Genesis 32:9-21

DNA Questions (Genesis 32:9-21) Discover: -What does it mean for Jacob that He identifies with God as the God "of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac"? -Why is it important that Jacob quotes God in his prayer to God? -What other factors of Jacob's prayer point to Jacob being honest with himself and God? -Considering verses 13-21: Is Jacob making plans in light of his prayer or despite his prayer and how would you know? Nurture: -What does your prayer life say about your relationship to ...

Genesis 32:1-8

DNA Questions (Genesis 32:1-8) Discover: -What was God's purpose for allowing Jacob to see the angels on his way back home? -Would it have been possible for the messengers sent by Jacob to have alleviated his fear and distress? What "messengers" in your life increase fear and distress rather than help point to the Father? What kind of "messenger" are you? -Does Jacob have any reason to believe that his only hope is to sacrifice half of his camp in order to escape Esau? Why or why not? Nurture: -...

Deacons: Holding to the Faith (1 Timothy 3:12-13)

DNA Questions (1 Timothy 3:12-13) Discover: What does it truly mean to be the husband of one wife? What does it look like to manage one's household well? What does it look like to have a "deacon" culture in the church? Nurture: Given Jesus' words in Matthew 5:27-30 what would it look like to fight the good fight of being a committed husband to your wife? Consider Jesus' parable in Luke 15:11-32. Which son do you most identify with? How do you identify with the father in the parable? At the end o...

Deacons: Holding to the Faith (1 Timothy 3:10-11)

DNA Questions: 1 Timothy 3:10-11 Discover: What does it mean to "slander"? What does it mean to be "sober-minded"? What does it mean to be "faithful in all things"? Nurture: Why is it so tempting to slander someone? Why is it difficult to put a stop to it when it's going on around you? What gospel promise can we hold to in order to fight this temptation for slander? (Help each other find scripture to hold to, memorize, and meditate upon) Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7. How could it be possible for slander...

Deacons: Holding to the Faith (1 Timothy 3:8-9)

Discover: (1 Timothy 1:12-20; 3:8-9) How does Paul, in his letter to Timothy help us to understand what it looks like / sounds like to be "dignified"? Which prohibition do you struggle with most from verse 8 of chapter 3? Being double tongued? Addiction? Greed for gain? Nurture: Why do you run to those things to cover your indignity? What is happening in your life that sets you down that path? What gospel truth/promise strengthens you from falling into that trap? (Help each other find actual scr...

Deacons: Three Renderings

Discussion Questions: Why is it so hard to consider others as more significant than ourselves? Sermon Outline - Deacons What does it look like to "outdo one another in showing honor"? What would it look like for you to "steward" the grace of God in your life for the good of the body of Christ?

Psalms 83

In your experience, why does God seem "silent" or "inactive" in your life? Do you often cry out for Him? How does the cross and resurrection of Jesus ultimately answer the Psalmist? Do you believe that you were once an enemy of God? Why or why not? Do you believe that you are His "treasured one"? Why or why not?

Psalm 82

Discussion Questions: If God is sovereign over all of those in positions of power, how does that impact the way we think about the leaders in our day? (John 19:11; Daniel 2:21) How is justice (or a lack thereof) interconnected with fatherlessness? How is the Church to respond? If the earth was shaken, what would grieve your heart? How can we intentionally fight against loving the things of this world?

Psalm 81

Psalms 80

Psalms 79

Psalms 78 :30-55

Psalm 78:56-72

Psalm 78

Discussion Questions: What is the gospel? What is your favorite portrayal of the gospel in scripture? What is the "obedience of faith"? How does it play out in your life? (Romans 1:5; 14:23; 16:26) What is real, biblical freedom? Do you have it? How would you know? (Galatians 5:1)

Psalm 77

You welcomed me into the roar of the waterfalls and out where the waves could crush me. The One who walks on waves has taken us far fromBethlehem and away from the safety of our sheep into deep waters. In the sea and through the great waters we learn how to cray aloud to God AND how to meet Him there.

Psalm 76

Do we know God? His people are supposed to know Him. Perhaps the difficulty we have reading and studying a text with little to know personal application points to the great barrier of a heart that knows God.

Psalm 75

This Psalm alludes to the fact that there is a connection between gratitude and the nearness of God. The Psalmist presents 5 eternal realities of God for which we should be ultimately grateful. The barrier can be, however, that we sometimes place ourselves in the position of “god” and see ourselves as fulfilling these things. Therefore, we realize that if one of the keys to nearness with God is gratitude, then one of the keys to gratitude is humility.

Psalm 74

Faith sounds like making our ultimate appeal to God. In this Psalm Asaph leads the congregation in a liturgy of returning to the Lord and hoping once again in His faithful promises.

Jacob - A True Coming to Age Story

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” There is so much hope for us in that verse from Philippians 1:6. If we are being honest with ourselves it is likely that we often feel like an incomplete project at best. It is such good news for our soul to consider no only that God mercifully saved us, but that He fully intends to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. In God’s grace and wisdom we get to see where God worked beautifully in the midst of...

Jacob - A True Coming to Age Story

Obeying God’s instruction (Genesis 31:3), Jacob leaves Paddan-aram and heads home to Canaan and his father, Isaac. Needless to say this trip, like all of life, has some serious bumps in the road; Jacob’s deception, Rachael’s theft and Laban’s angry attempt at manipulation. Through it all the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob proves Himself faithful to fulfill all He promised to Jacob. (Genesis 28:13-17). This event in Jacob’s life teaches what it means to live the gospel “from faith to faith”. (Ro...