Chelten - a church of hope

Discussion Questions Where in your life do you most feel the reality of hevel: fleetingness, frustration, or futility? Are there habits or heart-postures that keep you from enjoying God’s good gifts—like food, laughter, family, work, or rest? How can you practice joy as obedience this week? What "ordinary" gift do you need to receive with gratitude?

Discussion Questions How would you explain what the "Fear of the Lord" is? Which aspect of the Fear of the Lord (Reverential Awe, Loving Delight, Humble Obedience) do you most often neglect? Pause and ask the Lord to grow you in this area.  What is the connection between listening and obedience?  What are some ways that we try to manipulate God to bring about another “end?”

Discussion Questions Give a few stories from your life of injustice, rivalry, isolation, or fickle popularity.  What are some ways to offset the vanity of the four examples above? How does the gospel give you hope to counteract the effects of life’s vanity?

Discussion Questions What season of life are you currently in? How are you resisting or receiving that season? What longing in your heart points to your deeper desire for eternity? What practices help you live joyfully and gratefully in the present, even while waiting for God to make all things right?

Sermon Title: Seek the Giver, Enjoy His Gifts Sermon Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26 Speaker: Jon Shepherd

Sermon Title: What's the Point? Ecclesiastes and the Gospel Sermon Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Speaker: Jin Lee

Sermon Title: To God be the Glory Sermon Passage: Romans 11:33-36 Speaker: Alfred Muli

Sermon Title: Romans in Action Sermon Passage: Romans 16:1-27 Speaker: Jon Shepherd

Discussion Questions What do you currently “glory” in, and how might God be inviting you to see evangelism or discipleship as a joyful offering to Him? Are there ways you're serving others that feel more like a duty than a delight? What might help shift your heart to see it as a joyful opportunity? What is one simple way you could embody the gospel in your relationships this week, through either w...

Discussion Questions Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind about a secondary matter? If so, what was your attitude? How can you encourage someone that you naturally want to avoid? Why does remembering how Christ welcomes you influence how you welcome someone else?

Discussion Questions In what secondary areas of faith do you see stronger and weaker believers?  If you consider yourself a "stronger" believer over one of those matters, what is your priority: enjoying your freedom, or giving it up to serve another Christian? How can you look like Jesus by laying aside your freedom for another believer this week?

Discussion Questions Where are you most tempted to believe Jesus is absent when He might actually be near? What would change if you stopped looking inward to find your purpose and started looking at the Risen Jesus? When has doubt led you closer to God instead of farther away?

Discussion Questions What does it mean that “whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life?” (John 12:25) What is the path to glory according to Jesus? And how does that compare to our personal and cultural paths to glory? This week, how might you follow Jesus into a death like his?

Discussion Questions What are some disputable matters in our church today that can lead to division? What experiences, beliefs, or habits from your upbringing or past church background influence the way you respond to gray areas or non-essential issues in your spiritual life today? Have you ever held a strong conviction or belief and expressed it in a way that ended up hurting someone or causing d...

Discussion Questions Why does Paul say that we “owe” love to others? How can you show love to someone that needs it this week? How does understanding the present time motivate you to live holy?

Discussion Questions How much does your attitude toward governing authorities match God’s command in Romans 13:1-7? Is your view too high or too low of God-ordained authorities? Is your first instinct to criticize or pray for your governing authorities? How can you actively give respect and honor to those in positions of authority?

Discussion Questions How do you struggle with giving or receiving loving correction, and what might help you grow in this area? Why is it often harder to rejoice with others than to weep with them, and how can you cultivate a heart that truly celebrates others? How does this passage challenge your attitude toward those who oppose or mistreat you, and what practical steps can you take to respond in...

Discussion Questions How does Romans 12:1-2 define true worship? What are the implications for every single area and moment of your life?   How does Paul connect the theology of Romans 1-11 with practical living in Romans 12-16? Where are you most tempted to be conformed to a godless worldview? Ask the Lord to reveal the subtle ways you are being conformed.   How can you actively renew your mind a...

Who is the All Israel in Romans 11 and When and How Will They Be Saved Discussion Questions How does Romans 11:25-27 fit into Paul's argument in chapter 11, chapters 9-11, and the book of Romans as a whole? To whom does Paul refer when he speaks of all Israel in v. 26?  How and when will Israel be saved?  In what ways is all the promise of all Israel being saved connected to the second coming of C...

Discussion Questions Why is there so much in the Bible about Israel, the Jewish people? How is God’s faithfulness to the Jews a reflection of his promises to you? How are some ways that you would you talk about Jesus to a Jewish person?

Discussion Questions Paul says the Israelites had “zeal without knowledge” (Romans 10:2). How can religious fervor sometimes blind people to the gospel? Why do you think salvation by faith alone is often so difficult for people to accept? Romans 10:14-15 emphasizes the necessity of preaching the gospel. What does that look like practically for you?

Discussion Questions Paul was deeply grieved for those who rejected Christ. Who in your life do you feel this kind of burden for, and how does this passage challenge or encourage your prayers for them? How does the doctrine of election humble us and challenge our sense of fairness? Romans 9 emphasizes that salvation is based on God’s mercy, not our merit. How does this shape your view of salvation...

Discussion Questions How would you retell the Gospel from Romans 1-8 to someone else? Where is faith in Jesus bringing about glad obedience to his commands in your life? Encourage someone else by telling them where you see this happening in their lives. How does remembering who you are (“dead to sin and alive to God”), lead to greater obedience from the heart? In what ways is the Gospel for both b...

Discussion Questions How can you practice being fully present with those around you this week—in your family, workplace, or community? In what ways has God "salted" (gifted) you uniquely to preserve, enhance, and bring life to your sphere of influence? How can you use those gifts intentionally? How can your community group or close friends collaborate to declare and display Christ in bot...

Discussion Questions In your life, what role has sharing a meal with someone played in building and strengthening relationships? Why do you think sharing a meal with someone creates the opportunity for deep connection? How will you plan to intentionally share meals to make connections with old friends and new friends in 2025?