What Is Freedom For? (Galatians 5:13-15)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
Everybody wants to be free - free from slavery, free from poverty, free from persecution, and free from the problems of life. However, should we be free to do whatever we want? What have we been set free for? In Galatians 5:13-15, the apostle Paul tells us that the reason why we have been set free is to be, first of all, servants of God, and secondly, servants of each other in love.

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 were growing up, what were some of the freedoms you wanted for yourself but did not have? What would you have done with those freedoms? How would your life today be any different had you had them?
2. Have you ever gotten in trouble for doing something you were not free to do?
3. What are some of the freedoms you currently enjoy in your life? How are you using them to love God and love others?
4. Have you ever had to fight for freedom? Have you ever used your freedom to fight for someone else’s? What are some current issues in which you could advocate for freedom in your community?


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? Briefly explain.


2. Read Titus 2:1-15

1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

(If you are interested in reading more about Vineyard Columbus' position on Women in Ministry, please CLICK HERE to read an article written by our senior pastor, Rich Nathan. Starting on page 10, Rich specifically deals with how we should read and understand Titus 2.)


• In verse 1, who is Paul talking to? Whose responsibility is it to teach sound doctrine? As followers of Jesus, how can we teach those around us? As a small group, how can we teach those around us?
• What does Paul mean when he says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men”? (v. 11) How did God’s grace first appear to you? In what areas of your life did you experience freedom because of his grace? Briefly share your experience.
• According to verses 2 - 10, what are some ways in which Paul asks us to act? Why should we act in such ways? (vv. 5, 8 and 10)
• Through God’s grace, we learn to say “no.” (v. 12) Are there areas in your life where you still struggle saying “no”? As a community, how can you support one another in this goal?
• How should we live our lives in this present age? (v. 12) What are the implications of living “self-controlled, upright and godly lives”?
• According to Paul, we should be people that are eager to do what is good. (v. 14) How is this the result of the freedom we received from God? With this in mind, is your life a testimony of freedom? How has the freedom you received through Christ brought freedom to other people? Briefly share your experience.


3. In his sermon, Rich showed us how the freedom we receive through Christ is not a freedom to do whatever we want.

• As you have grown in Christ, have you come to experience greater freedom? What does “greater freedom” look like in your life?
• Have you ever experienced freedom through obedience? Briefly share your experience.
• Martin Luther, in his treatise called "The Freedom of a Christian" said, "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” What do you think he meant by that?
• Take time in your small group to share and pray for each other.

Freedom! (Galatians 5:1-12)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
Freedom is a great biblical word; it is a Christian word! The letter to the Galatians is Paul’s warning to the Galatians, and to us, that we must look to Christ to set us free rather than looking to law or rule-keeping. The means of freedom is not legalism; but rather, it is faith and hope!


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. Growing up, were you a good rule keeper? What about now?
2. How do you usually relate to others? Would people who know you say that you are someone who models grace? Briefly share.
3. In your own words, define “legalism.” Why do you think legalism can be so attractive?
4. Have you ever personally pursued freedom but found yourself in greater bondage? Briefly explain.
5. In your own words, define “addiction.” Why do you think addictions are so difficult to break? Have you ever struggled with an addiction? Briefly share.


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? Briefly explain.


2. Read Matthew 23:1-32

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13-14 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and then you make that convert twice as much a child of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gift on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your ancestors!

• What is the setting of this passage? (see end of chapter 22) Who is Jesus speaking to here? (v. 1)
• What does Jesus mean when he says, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat”? (v. 2)
• What is the charge that Jesus makes against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees? (v. 3) Does Jesus condemn what they are teaching? If not, what is he actually condemning? What analogy does Jesus use to explain what they are doing? (v. 4)
• Jesus says in verse 5, “Everything they do is done for people to see.” Why is this bad?
• What are “phylacteries”? What are “tassels”? (v. 6)
• According to verses 6 and 7, what do these teachers of the law and the Pharisees “love”? Do you think it is really that wrong to love these things? Why or why not?
• Read verses 8-10. What does Jesus say about calling someone “Rabbi,” “father,” or “teacher”? Why would he bring this up?
• Read verses 11-12. Have you ever actually witnessed these statements to be true? Briefly explain.
• Read verses 13-32, paying particular attention to the 7 sections that begin with “woe to you.” As you come to one of these sections, take time to discuss what Jesus is speaking out against, and see how they apply to us today.


3. In the sermon, Rich said that Jesus sets us free from yesterday; that through the cross, we are set free from our past mistakes, failures, hurts, and pain. And Jesus also sets us free from tomorrow; that we can be free from anxiety and fear about what tomorrow may bring.

• What are the things in your past from which you need to find freedom?
• What about tomorrow causes you fear and anxiety?
• Take time in your small group to share and pray for each other.

The Art of Persuasion (Galatians 4:12-31)

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SYNOPSIS OF THE SERMON
The book of Galatians, in the simplest sense, is Paul’s passionate plea to the new Christians in Galatia to not abandon the gospel that he preached to them. And the way he goes about doing this is not through subversive marketing or manipulation, but he appeals to the power of his personal relationship with them and to the power of the scriptures.


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 TV commercials? Why do you like them? What is the effect that these commercials have on you? How do they make you feel?
2. Who are the people in your life that have had the most influence on you? Why is that the case? 3. Why do you think that suffering and sacrifice leave such a strong impression on people?
4. What are some things that you do or say when you want to persuade someone to stop a destructive behavior? What has worked? What hasn’t worked? Why might that be?
5. When you have received correction about something that need to change in your life, what are the things that have persuaded 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? Briefly explain.


2. Read John 13:1-17

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

• What is the setting of this passage? (vv. 1-2)
• What do we know about the intentions of Judas at this point? (v. 2) Does Jesus know this? (see v. 11, also v. 26) But what else does Jesus know? (v. 3)
• What does Jesus begin to do in verse 4?
• How does Peter respond to Jesus’ washing his feet? (vv. 6-9) How do you think you would have responded if you were in Peter's position?
• What do you think Jesus meant when he says, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand”? (v. 7)
• What do you think Jesus felt as he was washing the feet of Judas? What might Judas have felt seeing Jesus kneeling down to wash his feet?
• Why do you think is the meaning behind Jesus washing his disciples’ feet? (vv. 12-17)
• What are some ways that we can follow the example Jesus set for us in this passage?
• What can we learn from this passage about the God that we worship?


3. Rich shared the following quote in his sermon: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

• What is this statement implying? Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
• Why do you think it is so important for people to know that you care? Have you experienced this in your own life?
• What are some ways that you can live this out in the church, your small group, or in your neighborhood?