Questions for Personal or Group Reflections/Discussions

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If you wish to take Pastor Greg’s Easter sermon further in your own life, use some or all of the following questions to help focus you, your family, or your life group for your reflections and discussions. (click here to listen to the sermon)

1.     What is the Gospel of Christ? How does the resurrection of Jesus give us hope both in this life and the one to come?

2.      Who raised Jesus from the dead? Was it God the Father (Acts 2:32, 33 Romans 6:4) Jesus Himself (John 2:18, 19, John 10:18) or The Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, 1 Peter 3:18)?

3.      Read Romans 6:3-11. When we come to faith in Christ and are baptized “into Him,” what is the significance of this in relation to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? In what ways are we transformed through Christ’s resurrection power?

4.      Read 2 Cor. 5:17. Jesus makes all who believe and follow Him a new creation. Through the power of His resurrection, God has granted Jesus all authority. Not only over the grave but also to forgive all your sins, to transform your life and to resurrect you to a new life both here and in eternity. How has your life been transformed by His death and resurrection? How is a life lived in obedience to Christ, evidence of the power of His resurrection?

5.      Read Matt. 28:18-20.  After the resurrection, Jesus affirms His authority over everything on earth and in Heaven, to his disciples. In His final instructions to them (and us), He commands them to instruct/teach new disciples all that Jesus taught them, and to teach them obedience to His Word. Read 2 Peter 1:1-4. What blessings/promises does the power of the resurrection grant us through our “knowledge of God” and “obedience” to His Word?

6.      Read Romans 8:11. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead (the Holy Spirit) now lives in all who believe the Gospel, confess, repent and are baptized into Christ. We have the power of the resurrection indwelling us, instructing us and leading us in all righteousness for the glory of Christ. Do you live out your faith in accordance with this truth? Or are you like Thomas and struggle with unbelief and doubt?

Your writing team this week is Rob Tudball, Claire Walker and Peter Bowyer.



For the next month or two, the weekly agenda for these "stretching the sermon" posts will be:

Monday - Questions for reflection and discussion (for individuals, families and groups)
Tuesday - Deep dive: exploring one aspect of the sermon beyond what the preacher has time for
Wednesday - Reflection on the sermon for personal application
Thursday - Nerd corner: examining a technical or contextual aspect of the sermon
Friday - Reflection on the sermon for personal application

And Saturday will continue to be a story from one of your HCC brothers or sisters about how they are seeing God in this crisis.




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