Discussion Questions

Discussion questions 18 January 2025

in Discussion Questions  by Sharyn 0 comments

These questions are a starting point to help spark discussion that digs deeper into today’s topic – feel free to adapt or add additional questions of your own.   

      1. What interested you the most from today’s sermon?

      2. “I see the darkness still – how could I not? But it has lost its fascination. I know it has been pierced.” – Erik Varden, ‘The Shattering of Loneliness’. Did the four stories (Psalms 18, the Dawn Treader, Celia’s story and John 20) remind you of any of your own experiences?

      3. Have you been given the holy spirit? How can you tell? What effect does it have on the dark and troubling things?

      4. What are the dark things in your heart that most trouble you?

      5. What do you make of the strong man passage?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and being involved in today’s discussion!

Discussion questions 11 January 2025

in Discussion Questions  by Sharyn 0 comments

These questions are a starting point to help spark discussion that digs deeper into today’s topic – feel free to adapt or add additional questions of your own.   

    1. Bronwyn shared with us the physical importance of a ‘rest day’ when it comes to exercising muscles, in order for muscle growth and strengthening to properly occur. How much of a connection do you think there is between physical and spiritual rest? What does true rest look like to you?

    2. If you’ve been keeping Sabbath for many years, how has your understanding or appreciation of Sabbath changed over this time? Or if Sabbath is a newer tradition for you – what has your experience with Sabbath rest been so far?

    3. In your day-to-day life, what is your biggest challenge when it comes to keeping the Sabbath as a genuine time of spiritual refreshment? What are some approaches that you’ve found to be helpful?

    4. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he challenged people’s preconceptions of what keeping Sabbath actually looked like: as well as rest, Jesus also spent time to actively engage in the wellbeing of others. Read Matthew 12:9-14 [click to read online]. What stands out to you in this passage?

    5. Sabbath is designed to be a delight and a joy – a blessing, not a burden. Read Isaiah 58:13-14 [click to read online]. How does this match with your current experience of Sabbath? If today’s sermon or discussion has sparked any ideas or new inspiration for ways you might observe Sabbath, what might this look like in your life over the next few weeks?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and being involved in today’s discussion!

 

Discussion Questions 4 January 2025

in Discussion Questions  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

These questions are here to stimulate dialogue about today’s topic – feel free to skip around or discuss items not listed below.

  1. What was most memorable for you from the sermon (whether you liked or disliked it)?
  2. Have you ever tried gardening or know someone who enjoys it? What was your experience like, and did you learn anything unexpected?
  3. Read John 15:1-5 and Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23. What do these gardening metaphors teach us about spiritual growth? How do you see the balance—or tension—between God’s role in nurturing us and our responsibility in cultivating our own growth?
  4. Why do you think people are often more focused on visible “leaves” (achievements, busyness, results) rather than the unseen “roots” of spiritual life?
  5. How can you prioritise “slow growth” in a fast-paced world? Share one practical step you could take this week to slow down and spend intentional time with God.

Thank you for coming today and contributing to our discussion!