Sermon Notes
“Your friends determine the direction and quality of your life.” – Pastor Andy Stanley
1. What is the job of the Bible? To equip you for every good work.
2. No one who follows Christ matures alone.
What is the job of community and the church?
To stir up one another to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
3. What is the job of the pastors and teachers?
To equip you for good works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The job of the Word, of Pastors, Teachers & Community is the SAME job!
4. What is the job of our good work? So that others will give glory to our Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Circle Group Questions
Ice Breaker – Who has been the greatest influence in your life?
Share one of your Personal Reflections from the week.
Read Mark 1:16-20, Mark 2:13-14, Mark 3:13-19. What type of people did Jesus call? Pastor Dave said, “Jesus was the secret weapon to mature those people he chose to be in community with.” What does this mean?
How does seeing who Jesus chose to carry the Gospel to the world give us confidence that we can be used by Him also?
How does seeing who Jesus chose to carry the Gospel to the world help us to accept and love others in our church and community even though they are different?
How does the presence of Jesus in our lives lead us to spiritual maturity? (Colossians 2:6-7)
Pastor Dave’s main idea is that no one matures alone. God has provided all the resources we need to mature in Christ.
How is the Bible useful for spiritual maturity? (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 on page 31.)
How are pastors and teachers useful for spiritual maturity, both individual and corporate? (See Ephesians 4:11-13 on page 31.)
How is meeting together as a church and in Circle Groups important for Spiritual Growth? (See Hebrews 10:24-25 on page 32.)
What keeps us from maturing as Christians?
What is God’s goal for our maturity? (Philippians 3:13-14)
Consider the formula InFORMATION + Application = TransFORMATION. How can your group “spur one another on toward love and good deeds”? (Hebrews 10:24)
Personal Reflections
Sunday
What stood out to you from today’s sermon? What teaching can you apply this week? What Reflections did you apply last week?
Monday – Reflect
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
How does God’s Word help me to mature? What good work am I being equipped for?
Tuesday – Reflect
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Ephesians 4:11–12
How does Christian leadership help you to mature? How can your acts of service build up the body of Christ?
Wednesday – Reflect
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11–13
How am I growing in faith, knowledge and maturity? What does it mean to me to attain the whole measure of Christ?
Thursday – Reflect
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…
Hebrews 10:24–25
What am I doing to spur others to love and good deeds? How can I intentionally be encouraging to others this week?
Friday – Reflect
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9–11
How is God calling me to pursue spiritual maturity?
Saturday
How can I actively use fellowship with Jesus, the Word of God, my relationships and the church to help me grow in Christ? How can I help others grow in their maturity?