Foundation Church

The mighty work of God through his Apostles in the day of Pentecost has some amazingly beautiful ramifications for the lives of those who have trusted in Jesus. In this passage we see the description of this new community of believers and can learn much from their example. Discipleship Questions: 1. In what ways are you prone to isolation? 2. Does the description of Gospel Community in Acts 2:42-47 appear attractive to you? Why or why not? 3. Reading the Bible in the context of community changes much of our interpretation, why is it important that we do this? 4. Why is being in the gospel community of a local church a non-negotiable for God’s people? 5. What is the most important thing for you about being in a gospel community?

Can we be truly thankful when there is so much evil around us? Is there a place for joy in darkness? True joy cannot exist when evil is doing its worst to us and those around us it is only when light is shone on darkness that there can be true thanksgiving, and for the Church is it our responsibility to bring the Light of God in word and works to those enslaved by darkness. Discipleship Questions: 1. Have you ever been accused of being boring (or alike) for living a Christian life? Explain? 2. When you hear the command “let your light shine” (Matt 5:16) what do you feel? Why? 3. Why is it important we bring light to darkness in all areas of our life? 4. Why do you think that being full of the Spirit is paired with bringing light to darkness in our passage (Eph 5:8-21)? 5. In what ways can you live out todays message?

With the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles are faced with a large crowd. It is at this moment that the primary action of the Holy Spirit is engaged through Peter and the Good News of Jesus is proclaimed. There is much to learn and to be convicted by in studying Peter’s sermon not least of all is the simplicity and clarity of this gospel message. Discipleship Questions: 1. When have you been attracted to the style of a message rather than the substance of it? 2. Why is Peter's sermon a ‘great’ sermon? 3. What are some ways we can discern Gospel preaching from counterfeit teaching? 4. Communicate the gospel message in the simplest terms you can. 5. How do you need to respond to Peter’s sermon in Acts 2?

The Church has changed to history of the world, and today we look at it’s official birth. In a passage that has often been misunderstood how can we hope to understand the significance of the coming of the Holy Spirit and what does that mean for us today almost 2000 years removed from this event? Discipleship Questions: 1. Who is the Holy Spirit? 2. What is the significance of the Holy Spirit being understood as a ‘Person’? 3. In the redemptive story of the Bible, why is this Pentecost a big deal? 4. Read John 15:8-16:15 and discuss why you think Jesus talks about persecution and the Holy Spirit together. 5. What does the Holy Spirit do in the life of a Christian? Find Bible passages to support your answers.

When we think of reform we are usually thinking of progressive changes forward. But what if the Reformation was not about forward progress at all. What if it was, and is, about returning to the Gospel that has been delivered to the saints once and for all. Discipleship Questions: 1. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Semper Reformanda’ before? What was your first impression of it? 2. Why do you think Paul is so adamant in his message to Timothy that he should guard the gospel? 3. What are some common attacks on the gospel in our day? 4. How can we be ‘Always Reforming’ in the church? 5. What part of your life needs to be reformed back to the gospel?

Glory is often a misunderstood attribute of God. It is important, I think we all know that, but what is it and why should it be for God alone? If we take a look at our lives can we truly say that God get’s all the glory or are we trying to take some or all of it from him? Discipleship Questions: 1. What do you think glory is? 2. Why is God unwilling to share his glory? 3. In what way have you operated as a ‘Theologian of Glory’? 4. How have you been changed to see things as a ‘Theologian of the Cross’? 5. When God is given his glory how do you feel?

The person of Jesus Christ is a polarizing figure. He is important for sure, but why? Who was he, who did he claim to be and why is the doctrine of Solus Christus such a big deal in Christian belief? Discipleship Questions: 1. Who is Jesus Christ? Have you always had the same answer? 2. Why do you think Jesus Christ so important, not just in the church but in human history? 3. How does the person and work of Jesus Christ presented in the gospel accounts challenge our culture's perception of him? 4. Why are the ‘I Am’ statements in the gospel of John significant? 5. How did you meet Jesus? Please share with the group

Grace as a word is often thrown around carelessly but rarely reckoned with. Grace, if we are to truly understand it is profoundly confrontational and challenging. How could God show grace to those who have hated and fought with him? Where is the justice? The answer is astounding when we truly grasp God’s action of Grace in His world. Discipleship Questions: 1. Why would God’s grace be described as outrageous? 2. Explain your understanding of what sin is. 3. How do you respond when you are confronted by your sin? 4. Why is Jesus’ death on the cross good news for sinners? 5. Talk about evidences of God’s grace in your life and in your community group.

In these days where everyone seems to do what is right in their own eyes, where can we find unchanging instruction and authority? Throughout the reformation the one thing the reformers had in common was that the scriptures were their ultimate authority and guidance, giving them boldness and hope in difficult times. Might we find the same courage through the same means. Discipleship Questions: 1. What misunderstandings have you had about the bible in the past? 2. Why do you think Peter trust the words of scripture more than his own personal experience? 3. Explain the difference between ‘Sola Scriptura’ and ‘Nuda Scriptura’ 4. What or Who is the main point of the Scriptures? Discuss your answer 5. Why do you think the Reformers were willing to give up their lives to uphold the Doctrine of Sola Scriptura?

The 5 Solas were beliefs that those seeking to reform the Church 500 years ago rallied behind. Inspired by historical Christian belief and the truth of the scriptures, these 5 doctrines remain as important and relevant today as they did 500 years ago. The doctrine of Sola Fide or By Faith Alone dared to challenge the notion that a person could be justified before God outside of the approval of a priest or a member of the clergy. Justification by faith in Christ alone might seem simple to us, but it is profound and spectacular in its realities. *Sermon audio & video will be uploaded after the service on 9/24/17 Discipleship Questions: 1. What do you know about the 5 Solas? Where did you learn about them? 2. How does the doctrine of Sola Fide or By Faith Alone make Christianity unique among other belief systems? 3. Why is it important that we have faith imputed to us by God? 4. How can God be the Just and the Justifier of those who have faith in Jesus? 5. Explain in your own words how you have been

While they wait for the promised Holy Spirit the Apostles and other faithful followers of Jesus are expectantly active in all they are doing. There is much to learn from their example for us as a church and community of faith in how we to should remain active in expectation of God Discipleship Questions: 1. Do you live in faithful expectation of the power of the Holy Spirit? Why or Why not? 2. When has God asked you to wait? How did you respond? 3. How might you be an active part of growing the unity of our church? 4. Is God calling you to step up into leadership at Foundation Church? Ask the community to speak into your answer. 5. Spend time as a group in prayer together. Pray for the unity of our church and your community group.

After his glorious resurrection, Jesus prepares to ascend into heaven, leaving his disciples with some very broad yet specific instructions to follow. These instructions remain applicable and true for us in our day too. So how might we be true to the orders of Jesus as we await his return? Discipleship Questions 1. What do you know about the book of Acts? Do you study it often? 2. What opportunities do you have to be Jesus’ witness in word? 3. What opportunities do you have to be Jesus’ witness in deed? 4. What do you think Jesus means when he said “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”? 5. Where in your life do you lack passion for being a witness for Jesus? What needs to happen to see that change?

Our response to suffering should always be changing and growing. As Christians we will suffer, just like everyone else, but how we respond to the situations of pain and hurt in our lives will change as we grow in maturity as followers of Jesus. In this Psalm we see laid before us a mature and godly response to suffering, we can learn much by studying it. Discipleship Questions: 1. Think of two painful situations you have faced in your life, one a long time ago, the other more recently. How did you respond to them differently? 2. How has God revealed himself through painful times in your life? 3. Have you ever made resolutions in regards to how you will live your life as a Christian? What are they? 4. Why do you think David relinquishes control over his situation and ‘gives it up to God’? 5. Where do you need to relinquish control in your life? Especially in situations where you have been sinned against.

If you have children or know children, which should be all of us, then you have a part to play in helping them grow up in what the bible calls the “instruction of the Lord”. What does a biblical understanding of how to raise children have to do with the church, the community of God’s people and what role does the church play in the raising of children who grow up in it? Discipleship Questions 1. Did you grow up in a Christian family? If so how did your parents raise you in the Christian faith? 2. Why, as a parent, is your personal walk with Jesus so important in raising your children in the faith? 3. Why do you think Jesus cares about children? 4. Where do you need to begin to take more responsibility for the upbringing of your, or if childless those in your community’s, children? 5. Where do you need to trust God more with your children?

Whether we see it or not, each of us is in desperate need of help. We find ourselves overwhelmed daily with all sorts of difficulties big and small. Where does help come from? Our help comes from God, creator of heaven and earth. For God’s people, there is help. God is a loving Father. He promises to keep you, to watch over you, and to protect you. God sent his own Son Jesus to die that we might be reconciled to Himself. God wants your complete trust and reliance upon Him for help, and through Jesus’ death and resurrection, this perfect trust is possible as a gift given to you by God. Discipleship Questions 1. What are the circumstances of life right now that are overwhelming? 2. How do you feel when you think of the things that overwhelm you? Is your first inclination to ask God for help? 3. Which promise of how God keeps his people in Psalm 121 seems most applicable to your situation? 4. What are your roadblocks to believing the promises of Psalm 121. 5. Together as a group, pray for eac

Trust in God not a natural position of the human heart. We love to trust what we can perceive and reckon in our own understanding, but that is not the way towards flourishing for the Christian. For the people of God trusting in God is the only way of growth, but how do we do that? Discipleship Questions: 1. When have you been led astray by your own understanding of a situation? What happened? 2. When have you been led astray by your own fleshly desires? What happened? 3. When have you been led astray by others? What happened? 4. How does having a whole trust in God (Father, Son, and Spirit) help us from being led astray? 5. Where are you currently not trusting in God with your whole understanding? Repent and Recommit your life to trusting in God

Often we can find ourselves feeling like we don’t have any support, that no-one understands us or cares about us. This may or may not be true, but no matter the validity of our feelings the reality of them is that to be isolated is to be in danger of making a wreck of your life. The writer of this proverb provides us with great wisdom on God’s intentions for how we are to live our lives in relationship with one another to avoid the foolishness of isolation. Discipleship Questions: 1. Are you tempted to isolate yourself? Why do you think that is? 2. Which one of the sermon points stood out to you most? Why do you think that is? 3. Read Proverbs 18:1 in different versions of the Bible, which version do you like the best? Discuss. 4, In what ways do you experience community with God’s people? 5. What ways could you grow in living in community?

One of the deepest struggles we all deal with is believing that we need to make ourselves tidy before God can help us. For so many people this belief keeps them from crying out to God in their pain and their craziness. As a result their pain simply continues unchanged. In this psalm there is hope for us all, that God not only can, but is at work in all situations no matter how crazy they are. Discipleship Questions: 1. Read Psalm 34 together, what are your initial impressions? 2. How does the context of why this psalm was written help you understand it better? 3. When has God worked in your crazy life? What happened? 4. Looking back on your life how have you seen the redemption of God? 5. Explain what it means to be made righteous in the eyes of God.

Worship is much more than singing, but does that mean that we can truly worship without singing to God? The psalms are a large collection of songs to God that can help instruct and guide us in our desire to learn more about how we worship God. Discipleship Questions: 1. How do you feel about singing at church? Why do you think that is? 2. Why do you think the Psalms are filled with songs to God? 3. What’s your favorite song that we sing during church service? Why? 4. Singing songs is a form of Evangelism. Discuss. 5. If you’re brave enough, sing some of your favorite gospel songs together.