This week is a little different since the sermon was about our Vision Statement rather than a one specific passage. So before we get into our study, we need to set it up.
Icebreaker
Share about a road trip you've taken: Did you know where you were going? How important was it to have a clear destination? How did you feel if you didn't know where you were headed?
Vision Statement Review
Our Church Vision: We want to be a church that is rooted in the Word and empowered by the Spirit.
Key Takeaways from Sunday's Message...
1. We Need God's Word
- Jesus affirmed Scripture as authoritative (referenced it 70+ times)
- Scripture is "God-breathed" and profitable for our transformation
- Without God's Word, we have no reliable standard for truth
- Our feelings and culture change, but God's Word doesn't
2. We Need God's Spirit
- We believe in the Spirit's continued activity because we believe in the Word. Not in addition to it.
- The New Testament church consistently experienced the Spirit's power
- Miracles, prophecy, healing, and spiritual gifts were normative, not rare
- These gifts didn't decrease by the end of Acts
- Paul gave instructions for using spiritual gifts, assuming they would continue
3. We Need Both Together
- Word without Spirit = steering without gas (no movement)
- Spirit without Word = gas without steering (potential wreck)
- Good theology protects us from charismatic chaos
- The Spirit's gifts are "manifestations" revealing God's presence
Discussion Questions
Understanding the Vision
Why do you think it's important for a church to have a clear vision statement? How does knowing where we're going help us as a church family?
Before this sermon, how would you have described the balance between Word and Spirit in your own spiritual life? Which side have you leaned toward?
Read Matthew 5:17-18 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What do these passages teach us about the authority and purpose of Scripture?
Examining Our Beliefs
In the sermon Burt asked: "If all you had was the Bible, what would you conclude the Christian life should look like?" How would you answer this question? What would surprise someone reading the New Testament for the first time?
Read Acts 2:43, Acts 6:8, and Acts 28:8-9. What pattern do you notice about the activity of the Holy Spirit throughout the book of Acts? Does this match your expectations or experience?
What experiences, teachings, or lack of experience have shaped your view of spiritual gifts? Have you seen them used well or poorly? How has that influenced you?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. Paul says spiritual gifts are "manifestations of the Spirit for the common good." What does this mean? Why could it be wrong to reject what God gives to reveal His presence?
Personal Application
Where do you need to grow: in being rooted in God's Word or in being open to the Spirit's power? Be honest about which feels more comfortable and which feels more challenging.
The sermon mentioned people who knew God loved them cognitively but needed to feel it as well. Have you experienced this? How might both Scripture study and spiritual gifts address this need?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (the body metaphor). How does this passage challenge the idea that some gifts are more important than others? What gifts do you see in your group members?