Grand Lake Church

Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes. 1. The “Main Idea” this week is that God has placed us in specific places and around specific people so that we can bring peace into our broken world. In what ways is our world broken. How can you help bring peace? 2. Pastor Mick had some fun using the transitive property from mathematics (if a=b and b=c, then a=c) in conjunction with Matthew 5: 9 and John 1:...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Matthew 5: 8. What is your interpretation of what Jesus is saying in this Beatitude? Pastor Diane shared William Barclay’s quote that this sixth beatitude demands that every man and woman who read this beatitude should stop, and think, and examine him or herself. Do you agree with him? What do you think is meant by this quote? How might it hel...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection:  Read John 8: 1-11. 1. Why did the Pharisees only bring the woman caught in adultery, and not the man also? What ulterior motive did the Pharisees have in bringing this woman before Jesus? 2. What was the significance of Jesus bending down and writing in the sand? What did that gesture mean in his cultural context? 3. What was Jesus’ response to th...

Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes. 1. Chandler describes mercy in two different ways during this week’s session: (1) the act of withholding punishment or consequences from someone who’s done wrong, and (2) the giving of undeserved acceptance and blessing. What do you think about these two definitions? Is this how you have traditionally understood mercy? 2. The Main Idea for this week is that G...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: 1. Read Matthew 5: 6. Do you fully understand what Jesus is saying in this beatitude? 2. What does the word righteousness mean to you? What do you think Jesus wants you to glean from this word? What does it mean to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness? 3. Think about a time when you were extremely thirsty. What emotions do you remember feeling?...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection:  Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes. 1. What does the word “meek” mean to you? 2. Chandler says that “Meekness is not weakness, but a controlled strength rooted in our trust and delight in God.” What does he mean by that? How does that differ from the world’s understanding of meekness? 3. In what ways were Moses and Jesus meek? 4. Read Matthew 2...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection:  Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes. 1. Read Matthew 5: 4. What are your initial thoughts about this passage? 2. When you really think about the word “mourn” how does it make you feel? Have you ever realized that Jesus is giving you permission to mourn? Does that change your thoughts about mourning? 3. Pastor Diane spoke about “coping mechanisms...

Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes. What does the word “beatitude” mean? Are The Beatitudes consistent with what the world understands as blessings? If not, in what ways are they different? A common thread throughout The Beatitudes is humility. Can you see that? Why is humility so important? Chandler says, “Beatitudes are pronouncements of blessing – objective realities – and not commands that...

Easter Prayer Easter is a time of joy and renewal. Followers of Jesus saw their darkest days replaced with the miracle of hope and eternal life. Christians today take time for self-examination and reflection during Lent. “Going dark” for a few weeks prepares us to fully experience those first rays of resurrection light on Easter. Easter Prayer When everything was dark and it seemed that the sun wo...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26. 1. Read the Apostles’ Creed together as a group... I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Romans 3: 21-25 1. Read the Apostles’ Creed together as a group... I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he asce...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Acts 2: 42-47. 1. Read the Apostles’ Creed together as a group... I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascen...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read John 14: 25-27. 1. Read the Apostles’ Creed together as a group... I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he asce...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Who is Jesus? John 1: 1-14  March 5, 2023 Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. How has your understanding of Jesus grown as you have grown in your faith? Is it important that all Christ...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Genesis 1: 1-3. 1. Read the Apostles’ Creed together as a group... I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he asce...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read John 2: 1-11. 1. What does the word “joy” mean to you? How can you choose joy every day? 2. In what ways was Jesus a joy-bringer? Why is this important? 3. Paul describes Christians as “ambassadors of Christ.” In that sense, shouldn’t we all be joy-bringers too? Do you feel like you are a joy-bringer now? Why/why not? How can you do better? 4....

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Luke 7: 11-16. 1. Today Pastor Mick once again used parts of grammar to illustrate some Biblical points. In what way are conjunctions important to our faith lives and what is the difference between “and” and “but”? 2. We have probably all experienced the way our emotions impact the way we practice our faith. Idleman says that one emotion of Je...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: 1. Read Matthew 5: 13. What does “You are the Salt of the Earth” mean to you? How would you describe the “salt” that reflects who you are as a follower of Christ? Are there individuals that God has placed in your life that you have avoided that could benefit from being flavored with “salt”? (God’s grace and love) 2. Read Matthew 5: 14-16. What does...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection:  Read John 4: 3-15. What do you know about the relationship between the Jewish people and the Samaritans during Jesus’ time on earth? What do you think the significance of verse 4 is when it says: “He (Jesus) had to go through Samaria”? Jesus was a Jew, and yet he was willing to interact with a Samaritan woman. What does this tell you about His mis...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Luke 5:27-32. 1. Idleman says in the study guide that the Big Idea for this week is that “Jesus put himself in proximity with people in messy situations.” What does that mean for us? How messy are we supposed to get? 2. Idleman starts the video this week from high up in an office building, discussing how things look very different “up here” th...

Read John 15: 1-8. 1. Idleman says in the study guide that the Big Idea for this week is that “Jesus knew the value of God’s work in Him before the work could happen through Him.” What kind of work does God want to do “in” us and “through” us? 2. Today’s sermon title is, “The Proper Order of Prepositions.” What does that mean? What are the key prepositions discussed today? Why is the order of thos...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Luke 8:40-48 1. Today we begin a new series and study based on Kyle Idleman’s video series entitled “One at a Time.” Why is it important to minister to people one at a time? 2. Idleman says in the study that the main idea for this week is that “Jesus focused on people one at a time.” How do we see Jesus doing this in today’s passage? Can you t...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Luke 4:14-21. 1. Today’s sermon title is “There’s No Time Like the Present.” What does that title mean to you in the context of the Advent season and your discipleship journey? 2. How can we know that Jesus is present with us in our present-day lives? What Scripture verses attest to this truth? 3. In his book, “The Redemption of Scrooge,” Rawl...

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Isaiah 9: 6-7. 1. This morning we lit the candle of hope on the Advent wreath. In what ways is God the source of all of our hope? How do today’s Isaiah texts remind us that God offers hope to the hopeless? 2. In what ways had the Israelites wandered from God, bringing about their own exile and captivity? In what ways do we wander today? What d...