CVPC Sermons

1. How does this teaching by Jesus relate to or explain his actions in forgiving the woman caught in adultery?2. What is the Old Testament background to Jesus' statement, "I am the light of the world" (vs.12)? How would the Jews in Jesus' day understand his statement?3. The Pharisees questioned Jesus' authority to say that he is the light of the world. What are the implications of him saying that...

1. What does this story teach you about sin and its consequences? What made the problem in this story an impossible situation to solve for Jesus? 2. Why were the charges levied against the woman both just and unjust? Why was Jesus' statement, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone," so effective against those who wanted to stone the woman? 3. What effect do private sins have on society?...

12.28.2025 sermon.

1. It's Christmas Sunday. We celebrate with gifts. What Christmas gift have you received that has given you the greatest joy? What gift have you given that brought you the greatest joy? How have either the gifts you have given or those you have received brought joy to others?2. As we study the third of the Servant Songs in Isaiah 50:4-11, we can see our Servant Savior celebrate. What is it tha...

1. Where in Isaiah are the four Servant Songs? 2. What's the difference between the way the world achieves victory and the way the Lord achieves it through his servant? 3. What do you think makes up the sweetness of Christian character?

1. The second Servant Song is unique for several reasons, but in particular for its maternal imagery (vs. 1, 5, 15). What do these metaphors communicate about the Servant and about us?2. Israel thought Yahweh had forgotten his promises toward them (v. 14). In what ways does the second Servant Song remind them that Yahweh has not forgotten them?3. Although Christmas is a time of joy and celebration...

1. Who is the servant of the Lord mentioned in Isaiah 42, and what evidence does the text give of the servant's identity2. The servant's primary task was to bring justice to the world (vs. 1, 3, 4). In what ways is the servant of the Lord carrying out justice differently from all the other rulers of this world? In what ways does this servant bring joy to the world? 3. In what ways do you t...

1. Who is included in the jury pool that judged Jesus in John 7? Can you identify with anyone in this group of skeptics? 2. How does Jesus handle the skepticism of his questioners? How does he handle your questions, your skepticism, or your unbelief? 3. Does Jesus’ promise of "rivers of living water" ring true to you? Do you believe? Do you have a sense of the fulfillment of Jesus’ promi...

1. What effect did Jesus ' self-disclosure of "I am the bread of life" have on the crowd of people and his disciples? What effect has it had on the way you live? What effect does God want it to have in our lives?2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book, "The Cost of Discipleship," makes a distinction between cheap grace (that costs you nothing) and costly grace (that costs a man...

1. What effect did Jesus ' self-disclosure of "I am the bread of life" have on the crowd of people and his disciples? What effect has it had on the way you live? What effect does God want it to have in our lives?2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book, "The Cost of Discipleship," makes a distinction between cheap grace (that costs you nothing) and costly grace (that costs a man...

1. The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle mentioned in all four gospels. What makes the meaning of this miracle so important? How does it differ from all the other signs that John gives in his gospel? Jesus used this sign as a test; did the disciples understand the spiritual lesson? Do you grasp the lesson Jesus was trying to teach? 2. When did the multiplication of the meal happen?...

1. Like any good doctor, Jesus asked a probing question to the paralytic man: "Do you want to be healed?" What was the purpose of this question? How did the paralytic respond? What does the paralytic's response teach us about his emotional and spiritual state? 2. What made this miracle a turning point in Jesus' ministry? Why did Jesus only heal this man and not all the others who...

1. Why didn't Jesus and the Samaritan woman mean the same thing when they used the word "water?" Much more so than food, human beings are dependent on water and live only a matter of days without it. What was Jesus up to when he used water and "thirst" to speak of eternal life? 2. What would a woman who has had five men be looking for, and why has she not found it through t...

1. Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus by night? What was he hoping to learn or gain from Jesus? It is evident that Jesus takes the conversation down a path that Nicodemus did not anticipate. What can this entire narrative teach us about how we share the gospel with those who are seeking?2. What does Jesus mean when he tells Nicodemus, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God&q...

1. If what they were doing in the temple was lawful and necessary, then why did Jesus cleanse the temple? Why didn't others address this injustice in the past? 2. For a Christian, why is spiritual maturity an important prerequisite for social action? In what context is righteous anger needful and important for social change? 3. What "tables" need to be flipped in our society today? H...

1. What makes a wedding such an important celebration for our culture? 2. In your experience, what was the focus of the weddings you have attended? What was the focus of your own wedding, if you are married? What is the focus of the wedding in Cana as John records the story?3. What is the best wedding story you can remember?

1. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus, and what are the marks of a disciple of Jesus?2. Andrew and Nathaniel factor heavily in this section. What was the difference between how they both initially responded to Jesus? What do their responses teach us about how people vary in their response to Jesus?3. Nathaniel was originally skeptical of Jesus. How did Jesus overcome his skepticism? What...

Questions for Reflection: John 1:19-34 1. The story of John the Baptist is split into two days. On day one, John proclaims that he is not the Christ. How does John's confession help shape his public ministry (v. 20)?2. On the second day, John proclaimed that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (v. 29). Some claim that John's proclamation is the gospel in brief. Ho...

1. Why did the Apostle John use the Greek word logos to describe Jesus? What was its cultural and theological significance to John's readers? Why is understanding Jesus as the Logos important for us today? 2. The purpose statement of John is stated in John 20:31 — "...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his...

1. Why did the Apostle John use the Greek word logos to describe Jesus? What was its cultural and theological significance to John's readers? Why is understanding Jesus as the "Logos" important for us today?2. The purpose statement of John is stated in John 20:31 — "...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his...

1. When it came to preaching, why did Paul oppose "plausible (or persuasive) words of wisdom" (v. 4)? 2. When Paul makes a distinction in v.5 between faith that rests on the wisdom of men and faith that rests on the power of God, do you feel like you are able to distinguish those two in your own heart? If you are not depending on plausible or persuasive words that have shaped you over th...

1. What is the connection between all the details about the tabernacle and the presence of God at the end of chapter 40? 2. Why did Moses state that he did "as the Lord had commanded" seven times? What is one characteristic of Christian worship that is different from all other forms of worship? 3. What principle do we see in vs. 34-38? God chose to live among sinful humanity. What does this commun...

1. In John 10:14-15, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” How does Jesus know you: only sovereignly in that he knows all things, or also personally in that you have welcomed his intimate relationship with you? How have you facilitated that relationship? 2. What is the connect...

1. The role of the mediator has two parts: to represent man to God and to represent God to man. How does Moses fulfill both of these roles in chapter 32? 2. In vs. 11-13, Moses appeals to Yahweh's character, his reputation, and his promises to save Israel from destruction. What does Moses' prayer teach us about praying for the lost? 3. In v. 14, the passage states that God relents (ESV, CSB); othe...

1. What is an idol, and why is it essential for us to identify them and get rid of them? What was unique about Israel's idol, the golden calf? What kinds of idols exist in our day? 2. In Exodus 32:7-8, God described what idols do to us. What was the most striking effect, in your mind, that idolatry has on us? 3. NT scholar G.K. Beale states that we are what we worship. In what ways do you see this...