Horizon Community Church - Philadelphia

We continue our series in Matthew, with a look at the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16. This week's discussion questions and the spiritual checkup included in this message are below: Self-Righteous Faith Checkup 1. You feel morally superior to others. You look down on others who sin differently than you do, assuming you’re better because you don’t struggle in the same way. You bel...

We continue in our series in the book of Matthew. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions 1. What are some of the key differences between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000? Why do you think Matthew included both stories? 2. What does Jesus’ compassion in Matthew 15:32 reveal about his heart and his priorities? 3. How did the disciples respond to the sit...

We continue our series in Matthew in our June 29 Sunday gathering. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions 1. What part of this story challenged you the most? What part encouraged you? 2. Have you ever experienced a time when you cried out to God and were met with silence? How did that affect your faith? 3. Why do you think Jesus responded the way he did to the Canaanite w...

In our June 22 Sunday gathering we continue our series in Matthew. This week's discussion questions are: Discussion Questions 1. What stood out to you from this passage or the message today? Was there a moment that challenged or convicted you? 2. Why do you think the Pharisees were so focused on outward behavior and ritual purity? In what ways can we fall into the same mindset today? 3. Jesus says...

In our June 15 Sunday gathering we continued our series in Matthew. This week's discussion questions are: Discussion Questions 1. What kinds of fears or anxieties have you felt recently? How do those compare with what the disciples might have felt out on the water? 2. Can you relate to the idea that anxiety feels like a superpower turned kryptonite? What are some ways fear has helped or hindered y...

We continue our series in Matthew in our June 8 Sunday gathering. This week's discussion questions are below: June 8 Discussion Questions: Why do you think the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle (besides the resurrection) recorded in all four gospels? What does that say about its importance? Jesus sought solitude after John’s death but responded with compassion when interrupted. How...

We kick off an old new series by returning to our summer series in the book of Matthew. This week's discussion questions for June 1 are below: Discussion Questions June 1 1. What were some of the common expectations people had of the Messiah during Jesus’ time? 2. In what ways do our modern expectations of God mirror or differ from theirs? 3. Have you ever felt disappointed with God? What were you...

We conclude our series about the Jewish roots of Christianity. From our May 25 Sunday gathering. This week's discussion questions are below: May 25 Discussion Questions Have you ever struggled with the apparent contrast between the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed in Jesus? How does the idea of progressive revelation help make sense of this tension? 2. What stood out to you about the...

In our May 18 Sunday gathering we continue our series about the Jewish roots of Christianity and some of the confusion that has caused for the Western church. This week's discussion questions are below: 1. Have you ever claimed a Bible promise thinking it applied directly to you, only to realize later it was originally meant for someone else? How did that realization impact your faith or understan...

We continue our series about the Jewish foundations of the Christian faith. Your discussion questions this week are: Discussion Questions 1. What does the Hebrew word “Barukh” reveal about how God defines blessing? 2. In Genesis 12:1–3, what does it mean that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through” Abraham? How does Jesus fulfill that? 3. How does the way Jesus describes "blessed" people in...

We continue our series about the Jewish roots of Christianity. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions May 4 1. What were some things you were taught about the Old Testament growing up? How did that shape your view of the Torah? 2. The Hebrew word *Torah* means "instruction" or "direction." How does this definition affect how we should approach the first five books of the B...

We kick off a new series about the Jewish people and how Israel affects our Bibles and the roots of Christinaity. Discussion Questions for this week are 1. Why is it important to understand the Jewishness of the Bible and of Jesus? 2. How does realizing that most of the Bible was written by and about Jewish people shift the way we read it? 3. What challenges do modern Christians face when interpre...

In our April 20 Easter Sunday gathering we wrap up our miniseries about why Jesus had to die. This week's discussion questions are below: April 20, 2025 Discussion Questions 1. Have you ever had to reboot a device to fix a problem? How does that experience connect with the idea of Jesus rebooting creation through the resurrection? 2. Colossians 1:18 says Jesus is the "firstborn from among the dead...

We continue our micro series about why Jesus had to die. This week's discussion questions are below: April 13 Discussion Questions What do you feel when you think about death—fear, peace, confusion, something else? Why? 2. How has your perspective on death changed over time, if at all? 3. The sermon argues that Jesus died in order to defeat death. How does that paradox strike you—does it feel conf...

We kick off a new series about why Jesus had to die. This week's discussion questions are below: April 6 Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think the question “If God can do anything, why did Jesus have to die?” is such a powerful or challenging one? 2. Dallas Willard suggests that God’s goal is to create a community of free, loving beings. How does that help explain why God allows our current wor...

We conclude our series on trials, by talking about the fires Satan throws into our lives. This weeks discussion questions are below: March 30, 2025 Discussion Questions What does Peter mean when he tells believers to "cast all your anxiety on Jesus"? How does this relate to spiritual battles? Have you ever experienced a time when you felt like you were under spiritual attack? How did you respond?...

We continue our series in 1 Peter with a look at why trials often surprise us. This week's discussion questions are: March 23 Discussion Questions Peter tells believers not to be surprised by suffering (1 Peter 4:12). Why do we often feel surprised when we face hardships? 2. How does the idea of suffering as a "refiner’s fire" change the way we view trials? Can you think of a time when a difficult...

We continue our series about trials and overcoming them from 1 Peter. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions March 16 1. Peter compares trials to a refiner’s fire. Can you think of a time in your life when a difficult situation made you stronger? How did it refine you rather than destroy you? 2. What are some common ways people react to stress and hardship? How do you per...

We continue our series about trials and stress, by looking at 1 Peter 2. The discussion questions for this week are: 1. Have you ever experienced a trial or season of suffering that ultimately shaped you for the better? How did it change you? 2. Peter compares suffering to a refining fire that reshapes us. How does this metaphor help us understand the role of trials in our lives? 3. Why do you thi...

We kick off a new series about trials and stress and pressure. How do we respond when it feels like life is an inescapable furnace? We’ll look at Peter’s words to the early Christian’s facing persecution under the tyrant Nero, and I hope all of us will find the courage, the endurance and the faith to keep going, keep loving our neighbors and keep pushing back the darkness. This week's discussion q...

In our final message in our series about doubt, we explore the prayer of a father who tells Jesus, "I believe, help my unbelief." The discussion questions this week are: 1. Have you ever prayed, “Help me God”? What was the situation, and what happened after that prayer? 2. Where do you see yourself on the Engel Scale of belief? What step might be next for you? 4. In Mark 9:23-24, Jesus tells the f...

We continue our series about Thomas the famous doubting disciple. This week's discussion questions are: 2/16/25 Discussion Questions The sermon contrasts Thomas's nickname "Twin" with the later label "Doubter." How does understanding his original nickname change your perception of him? What are the key differences between genuine doubt and cynicism, as explained in the sermon? How can you tell the...

We cancelled our February 9 Sunday gathering due to sickness. Here is a quick mini message from Alex and this week's discussion questions: Have you ever experienced a season of doubt in your faith? If so, what was that experience like? How do you typically respond when you have doubts about God? Do you lean in, push away, or something else? Does knowing that historical Christian figures like St. J...

We continue our series about doubt by talking about what it means to have child like faith. 2/2/25 Discussion Questions How has your understanding of "childlike faith" been shaped by your own experiences in church or religious settings? Have you ever felt that your questions or doubts were unwelcome in your faith community? If so, how did that experience affect you? Do you resonate with the idea t...

We continue our series on doubt and look at what James says about people who doubt. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions 1/26/25 1. Growing up, were you ever made to feel like doubt was a weakness or a sin? How has that impacted your faith or view of God? 2. How does the meaning of the Greek word diakrinoo (doubt) reshape the way you understand James 1:5-7? 3. James 2:4...