What Makes Spirituality Christian? (Galatians 3:1-9)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
From books and movies to TV shows, there is a rising interest in all things spiritual. And in the midst of this booming spiritual melting pot, the question we must ask ourselves is, “What makes spirituality Christian?” In this passage from the book of Galatians, Paul teaches that the spiritual Christian is someone who is cross-shaped, empowered by the Holy Spirit, carried by the grace of God, marked by suffering, and is fully submitted to scripture.


GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

1. What are some of your favorite books, movies, or TV shows that have a spiritual undertone?
2. Why do you think there is such great interest in spirituality these days?
3. Have you ever personally been deeply involved in spirituality that was not Christian? How did you get involved? What was that experience like? Briefly explain.
4. If you ever attended the Newcomer’s Class, you would have learned that Vineyard Columbus is orthodox, evangelical, and empowered evangelical. Briefly discuss the meaning of “orthodox,” “evangelical,” and “empowered evangelical.”


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
1. Briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.


2. Read Acts 1:4-9, 2:1-21:

1:4 On one occasion, while he [Jesus] was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

• What is the setting of Acts 1:4-9?
• What does Jesus command his disciples to do? (Acts 1:4)
• Have you ever personally experienced being “baptized with the Holy Spirit”? Briefly share your experience.
• How do the disciples respond? (v. 6) Why do you think they responded this way?
• What does Jesus say will happen when the Holy Spirit comes on them? (v. 8)
• Why were the disciples “all together in one place”? (Acts 2:1) What do we know about the Pentecost?
• Briefly describe the scene that plays out in verses 2-4.
• When they were filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak in tongues. (v. 4) What does it mean to speak in tongues? Why would God give them the gift to speak in tongues? Have you received the gift of speaking in tongues? How did it happen? What did it feel like? Briefly share your experience.
• How did the “God-fearing Jews” respond to what was happening? (vv. 5-13) Why do you think they responded this way? Compare and contrast the different responses found in verse 7 and verse 13. What has your own response been to the work of the Holy Spirit? Has your response changed in the last few years? If so, in what way? Why might those changes have come about?
• In verses 14-21, Peter stands up to address the crowd. And he begins to explain to them what is unfolding right before their eyes. How does he explain it? What passage does he quote? As you study verses 17-21, what stands out to you the most?


3. In his sermon, Rich spoke these challenging words specifically addressing all the small groups and small group leaders of Vineyard Columbus. Please read these words and take his challenge to heart.

“Let me just speak to any of you who are small group leaders, women’s group leaders, men’s group leaders, co-ed group leaders, recovery group leaders. I implore you to not settle for what’s comfortable in your group! Rather, every time you meet, welcome the presence of the Spirit. Welcome the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Pray for the sick in your group by the laying on of hands. Ask God for miracles. Ask God in your own life for his dynamic in-breaking. That is Christian spirituality!”

The Questions of Job (Book of Job)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
The experience of suffering is a reality of life. And in our desperate attempt to understand suffering, we are confronted with a myriad of difficult questions. The book of Job, and the person whose life it depicts, gives us a glimpse into how we should understand suffering. Instead of becoming fatalistic, despairing, or even blaming God for suffering, Job teaches us that we must be honest in our engagement with God, we must engage with those who are suffering in our midst, and we must hold firmly to the hope of Christ’s ultimate victory.


GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTEDThese questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

1. Which would you say is more difficult for you to experience: physical pain or emotional pain? Why? Briefly explain?
2. Andy stated in his sermon that virtually all suffering and evil in this world is a result of sickness, accident, natural disaster, sin, or a combination of these. Do you agree with his statement? Why or why not?
3. Did you ever have a Job experience in your life? How did you respond? What did you learn? Briefly explain.


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
1. Briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.


2. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

• What words does Paul use to describe God the Father in verse 3?
• According to verse 4, why does God comfort us?
• How did Paul “share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ?” (v. 5, 8-9) Have you ever personally shared in the sufferings of Christ? Briefly explain.
• What do you think Paul meant when he wrote that our comfort “abounds through Christ”? (v. 5) Is this comfort different than what we can experience without Christ? How so? Have you ever personally experienced this comfort that “abounds through Christ”? Briefly explain.
• Reread verses 6-7. In your own words, briefly explain the interchange between Paul and those he is writing to in these verses. How do you think their distress brought “comfort and salvation”? How do you think their comfort produced “patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer”?
• According to verses 8-9, what is Paul’s explanation for why they endured such hardships? Can you say that this was true of your personal experience of enduring hardships in your life?
• In reading verses 10-11, what is the hope with which we can face future hardships?
• As you reflect on these words of Paul, how do they impact the way you think about, and engage with, suffering in this world? Do any people or situations immediate come to mind? How would you respond differently to these people or situations in light of this passage?


3. During the sermon, Mark Batcheck gave an update on what we are doing as a church in Haiti.

• How did hearing the stories of suffering in Haiti make you feel?
• How did hearing about what our teams are doing in Haiti make you feel?
• What are you doing as a small group to engage with suffering in this world? In Haiti? In your neighborhood? In this small group?

Who Am I? (Galatians 2:15-21)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
“Who am I?” This is one of the great questions that we are confronted with in life. In this week’s passage in Galatians, Paul says that the answer to “Who am I?” is only found by discovering, “Whose am I?” Our true identity is found as we are “crucified with Christ,” so that we can fully experience what it means to be justified, made new, and loved by God.


GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

1. When you meet someone new, what are the top 2-3 things you would want to know about that person? Why are those things so important to you?
2. When you meet someone new, what are the top 2-3 things you would want them to know about you? Why are those things so important to you?


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
1. Briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.


2. Read Luke 7:36-50:

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

• Briefly explain the setting of this story.
• Why do you think the Pharisees had invited Jesus to have dinner with them? (v. 36) Why do you think Jesus accepted their invitation?
• What are we told about the woman in this story? What may we infer about her life? What do you think brought her to Jesus?
• What does she bring with her to see Jesus? (v. 37) Why did she bring it? (v. 38) What do you think was her motivation to do this?
• How do the Pharisees respond to this? (v. 39) Why do you think they responded in this manner? What was their motivation?
• Have you ever responded like the Pharisees did in this story? What happened? What was your motivation? Briefly explain.
• In response to the Pharisees’ attitude, Jesus shares a parable. (vv. 40-42). Briefly explain the parable. Who are the characters in the parable? What was the point of the parable?
• What is the question that Jesus raises in the parable? (v. 42)
• Briefly review the contrasting points between Simon and this sinful woman. (vv. 44-47)
• What does Jesus say to the sinful woman in verses 48 and 50? How do you think the woman responded to these words?
• According to this passage, what is true faith in Jesus?
• As you examine your life, is your love for Jesus more like the Pharisees or the sinful woman? Have you ever loved Jesus in the manner in which the sinful woman expressed her love for Jesus? Why or why not? Briefly explain.


3. Rich shared in his sermon that most people define their identity through either tradition or self-construction (self-made identities). But Paul says that our true identity (“Who am I?”) is discovered as we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (“Whose am I?”).

• Today, how would you respond to the question, “Who am I?” Has your answer changed over the years? In what ways? Why might that be?
• Today, how would you respond to the question, “Whose am I?”
• Have you ever made a deep commitment of faith in Jesus?

Because He Is Mine, I Walk The Line (Galatians 2:11-14)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
In Paul’s confrontation of Peter found in this week’s passage, we learn that the gospel not only frees us to confront and speak up for truth, but we also learn that it frees us from judgmentalism, people-pleasing, conviction-less civility, hypocrisy, racism, and cultural imperialism.


GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED
These questions can be used as ice-breakers in the beginning OR interwoven between the questions below to draw the group into the discussion.

1. Briefly share about a recent disagreement or conflict you had with a friend or a family member. How do you generally respond to disagreement or conflict?
2. What kind of peer pressure did you experience growing up? When was the last time you gave in to peer pressure? Why do you think peer pressure is such a strong force?
3. In your own words, define “hypocrisy.”
4. Have you ever confronted someone who was obviously doing something wrong (e.g. bad life decisions, harmful behaviors, hurting others, etc.)? What was that experience like? How did you respond? What did you learn from the experience? Briefly share.
5. Has someone ever confronted you about something you were doing wrong? What was that experience like? How did you respond? What did you learn from the experience? Briefly share.
6. What are some things that Jesus confronted you with when you became a Christian?


INTERACTING WITH THE SERMON
1. Briefly give a synopsis of this week’s sermon. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain.


2. Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

• What is the background of this passage? (2 Timothy)
• What do we know about Timothy?
• What do you think Paul was addressing when he writes about the “evil desires of youth” (v. 22)? What does Paul encourage Timothy to pursue instead?
• Paul exhorts Timothy to not engage in “foolish and stupid arguments” (v. 23) because they produce quarrels. What are some “foolish and stupid arguments” we sometimes engage in that lead to quarrels?
• What are the qualities to be displayed by the “Lord’s servant” (v. 24)? As you examine your own life, which of these qualities do you possess? Which of these qualities do you find most difficult to display in your life?
• Who are the “opponents” that Paul is addressing in verse 25? How should we deal with opponents (v. 25)? What should we hope for would be the result of confronting opponents (v. 25)?
• In your own words, define “repentance” (v. 25).
• What do you think is the “knowledge of the truth” (v. 25)? Would you consider yourself as someone who has been lead to this “knowledge of truth”? Why or why not? Briefly explain.
• Why do you think Paul brings up “the devil” in this passage (v. 26)? Does that affect the way we deal with opponents? Why or why not? Briefly explain.


3. Rich began his sermon by sharing a testimony from a church member who, while attending nursing school, experienced tremendous opposition from the school administrators when she had prayed for a patient.

• Have you ever personally experienced opposition regarding your faith? What happened? How did you respond? What did you learn from the experience? Briefly share.
• If someone you know is currently in such a situation, please set aside time during small group to pray together.