Grand Lake Church

Read James 5: 7-11. 1. What does it mean to be patient in the context of waiting for the Lord’s return? How can we practically apply this to our lives today? 2. What are some areas in your life where you struggle with impatience? How can you grow more patient in those areas? 3. Reflecting on the example of the farmer in James 5: 7, what does "long-suffering" look like in your own spiritual walk? 4...

Read Hebrews 11: 1-2. 1. What does the word “faith” mean to you? 2. Take a look at all of Hebrews 11. Why is this chapter sometimes referred to as the “Hall of Faith”? 3. Why does the phrase “by faith” occur so many times in chapter 11? What does this tell us about our own lives? 4. Pastor Wendy Joyner describes life as a “glorious adventure” that we are to “view through the lens of eternity.” She...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection 1. When you think of the word "goodness," what comes to mind? How would you define God’s goodness versus how the world defines goodness? 2. Read Matthew 5: 1-12 (The Beatitudes). Which of these blessings stands out to you the most? How do these characteristics reflect the goodness we are called to live out? 3. Jesus calls His followers “the salt of...

Read Luke 10: 25-37. 1. What do you think the lawyer's motivation was for asking Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" How might this question reflect our own attitudes toward faith? 2. Jesus asked the lawyer, "What is written in the Law?" How would you answer this question in your own life today? 3. In what ways can loving God and loving neighbor become a tangible expression of your fa...

Read Micah 6: 6-8. 1. What does Lent mean to you personally, and how can it shape your relationship with God over the next few weeks? 2. How does the shift from "Everybody Needs a Little Jesus" to "Becoming a Little More Like Jesus" challenge or inspire you? 3. What is your understanding of humility, and how would you define it in your own words? 4. How do the examples of Jesus in Philippians 2: 5...

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Read Luke 15: 11-32. 1. What does the word “prodigal” mean? How can it be used in both positive and negative contexts? 2. Why do you think the father agreed to give the youngest son his inheritance early? 3. What happens to the youngest son after he goes off on his own? 4. What does the youngest son decide to do when he hits rock bottom? What is he hoping his father will do for him? 5. How does th...

1. Read Acts 9: 1-19. How does Saul’s encounter with Jesus demonstrate God’s grace? 2. Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where God’s grace completely changed your direction? 3. Saul went from being a persecutor of Christians to one of the greatest apostles. What does this say about the power of God’s grace? 4. How does Paul’s transformation challenge the way we view people who seem "...

Read Mark 2: 1-12. 1. Share a time when someone’s love and support helped you in a difficult season. How did their actions impact you? 2. If you were the paralytic in the story, what emotions do you think you would have felt as your friends carried you to Jesus? 3. The paralytic was unable to get to Jesus on his own. How does this reflect our spiritual condition before Christ? 4. Who do you know t...

Read Mark 5: 25-34. 1. What were the two interruptions Jesus encountered in the larger narrative of today’s passage? How did Jesus respond to these interruptions? How might that affect our own prayer lives? 2. How do you think the woman with the hemorrhage would have been treated in her society? Why would she have been treated that way? 3. Who, in our modern society, is treated as unclean, untouch...

Read John 4: 1-30. 1. The woman at the well didn’t expect to meet Jesus that day. Have you ever had a moment when God showed up unexpectedly in your life? How did that experience change you? 2. Jesus broke cultural and social barriers to speak with the Samaritan woman. What barriers exist in our world, community, or church today? How can we follow Jesus’ example in breaking them down? 3. The woman...

Read John 8: 2-11 1. Today’s passage is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. Why do you think it resonates so much with people throughout the ages? 2. What was the Pharisees’ true intention of bringing this woman before Jesus? What did they want to happen? 3. Pastor Mick said it seems like the Pharisees are acting pretty smug in this passage. What do they say that might be interpreted...

Read Luke 8: 1-3 and Isaiah 43: 1. 1. What is Mary Magdalene’s condition before meeting Jesus? What happens when she meets Jesus? 2. What demons do you wrestle with in life? Do you believe Jesus can remove these demons from your life? 3. What part of the video clip did you find most impactful? Why? 4. Read Jeremiah 1: 5 and Isaiah 49: 16. What do these passages tell us about God’s love for us? How...

Read Luke 7: 36-50. 1. Pastor Mick described this passage as “The Tale of Two Sinners.” What did he mean by that? Who are the two sinners? How are they similar / different? 2. What did the woman do to Jesus’ feet and why did she do it? 3. Why was Simon the Pharisee so upset with the woman’s behavior? 4. Read Luke 18: 9-14. How is this passage similar to today’s passage? What are these passages try...

Read Matthew 2: 1-12. 1. What do you think of when you hear the word epiphany? How is the term “Epiphany” used differently in the church compared to its usage outside the church? 2. How is the Magi story an illustration of God’s grace, specifically from the Wesleyan understanding of grace (prevenient, justifying, sanctifying)? 3. In what ways did the Magi have “aha” moments in this story? When hav...

1. What are the daily habits or patterns in your life that help you rejoice in the Lord, even during challenging times? How might you cultivate more opportunities to experience joy in God's presence? 2. When you face anxiety or worry, do you naturally turn to prayer and thanksgiving? How can you make these responses more central in your spiritual practice? 3. What occupies your thoughts most often...

Read Luke 1: 39-45. 1. What does the word “theotokos” mean? Why is Mary called “theotokos”? 2. What did Mary and Elizabeth have in common? What differences were there between them? 3. Why do you think Mary “got ready and hurried” to visit Elizabeth? 4. What are all the ways Elizabeth talks about “blessing” in this passage? How do you think Elizabeth’s words made Mary feel? 5. What happened when El...

Read Luke 1: 26-38. 1. Where and to whom did God send the angel Gabriel to announce the coming Christ child? What is significant about the person and place God chose? 2. Why was Mary “greatly troubled”? 3. What does it mean to “find favor with God”? 4. Has God ever called you to something that left you “greatly troubled”? If so, what was it? 5. Mary’s reactions range from fear to confusion to acce...

What is your favorite image of peace from Scripture or real life?  Read Isaiah 11: 1-9. What stands out to you in this passage? How does the image of the shoot from Jesse’s stump inspire hope? What would it look like for a “child to lead them” in today’s world?  Read Jeremiah 23: 5-6. How does this reinforce Isaiah’s vision of a righteous leader? What kind of hope does this bring during Advent?...

Read Isaiah 9: 1-7. 1. What does the word “Advent” mean? Why do we celebrate it every year in the church? 2. Advent is often referred as the season of the “already” and the “not yet.” What does that mean? 3. In what ways does this passage from Isaiah also represent the “already” and the “not yet”? 4. Read Isaiah 9: 2 and John 1: 5 & 9. How do these passages relate to one another? 5. Why is the “Li...

Read Hebrews 4: 14-16. 1. What does it mean for Jesus to be fully human and fully divine? Why is this important? 2. There’s an ancient expression that says, “He was as we are, and therefore He will help; He was not as we are, and therefore He can.” What does this mean to you? 3. What is the word “therefore” there for in today’s passage? 4. Read Hebrews 4: 13. What does this tell us about our need...

Read Malachi 3: 6-10. 1. Today’s passage begins with God describing the Israelites as “descendants of Jacob.” What is significant about this reference to Jacob? (Hint: remember last week’s message and Genesis 28: 22) 2. Pastor Mick said the Israelites seemed to have some form of spiritual amnesia. What did he mean by that? How do we sometimes struggle with this same malady today? 3. Pastor Mick sh...

Read Genesis 28: 10-22. 1. What does the word stewardship mean? How does it apply to our faith lives? 2. What does the word tithe mean? Why does God command us to tithe? 3. Why does Jacob vow to give God a tenth at the end of today’s passage? What can we learn from Jacob in this regard? 4. In what ways is tithing more of a spiritual decision than a financial decision? 5. What did Jacob realize whe...

Read Hebrews 12: 1-3. 1. In verse 1, what is the word “therefore,” there for? 2. Why is Hebrews chapter 11 sometimes referred to as the Roll Call of Faith? Look through that chapter and see how many names you can find. 3. What is meant by the “great cloud of witnesses”? Who is in your “cloud” that helps cheer you on in your faith? 4. What kinds of things can hinder your faith? How can you prevent...