Spring 2009, Week 6 – Small Group Questions

The sermon for this week from the series “Strong: Putting on the Full Armor of God” is titled “Rescue Me“.

START IT – Connecting with each other

• What’s the first thing that comes to mind for you when you hear the word “saved”?  The word “salvation”?
• Have you ever saved or rescued someone who was in trouble?  Have you ever been saved or rescued by someone (not including Jesus!)?

STUDY IT – Matthew 1:18-21, Luke 2:25-32, Philippians 2:12-13

• Read Matthew 1:18-21 and Luke 2:25-32 out loud.  What do these verses have in common in terms of what they say about who Jesus is?  (See in particular Matt. 1:21 and Luke 2:30.)
• What does it mean to say that “Jesus is salvation”?  How would you put this statement into your own words?
• Look again at Matt. 1:21.  What does Jesus save us from?  What does this mean?  Why is this important?  How does this relate to forgiveness?
• Read Philippians 2:12-13.  What does it mean to “work out your salvation”?  Is salvation dependent on our works?
• Do you think these verses are referring to salvation past (saved from the penalty of sin), salvation present (saved from the power of sin), or salvation future (saved from the presence of sin)?  Why?
• What do Phil. 2:12-13 have to do with transformation?  What does it mean to be transformed?
• LIVE IT – Applying the truth of Scripture to life
• How have you experienced Jesus as someone who saves us?  (This could be in terms of being saved “from sin” or being saved in other ways in your life.)
• Do you feel like you’ve experienced God’s forgiveness (“the front end of salvation”)?  Why or why not?
• Do you feel like you are in a process of transformation (“being saved from the power of sin”)?  Why or why not?

PRAY IT

• Application:  Go around the group and have each person say one of the following prayers: 1) “Thank you for saving me from the penalty of sin,” or 2) “Thank you for saving me from the power of sin,” or 3) “Thank you that you will save me from the presence of sin.”
• Joys and Challenges:  What joys and challenges are you facing this week?
• Here at Northminster:  Pray for our Worship SERVICE Sunday next week!  Pray that we will make a real impact on our neighborhood.
• Beyond Northminster: Pray for our neighbors whom we will be blessing through our Worship SERVICE Sunday.