Topic: Christian Living

Title: Peace In A Divided World
Text: Ephesians 2:14-18

While Christmas fills the air with a sense of peace, Ephesians 2:14–18 reminds us that true and lasting peace is not a feeling but a Person—Jesus Christ. He reconciled us to God through the cross, tore down dividing walls between people, and calls us not only to receive His peace but to live as peacemakers who make room for others as the river of God’s peace flows through obedient, reconciled hearts.”

General Question:

  1. Paul says “For he himself is our peace” (Eph 2:14). In one or two sentences, how did the sermon explain (a) how we receive that peace, and (b) what2. 3. we are to do with it? Which image or line from the message stayed with you most,and why?

Perspective Question:

  1. We can mistake protective boundaries for dividing walls that exclude those different from us. Where in your life or group might you be tempted to build a wall rather than a healthy boundary? What makes you hold that wall up?

Application Question:

  1. There are two practical calls: stay in the wonder of the gospel, and become a peacemaker who makes room. Which one will you prioritise and what is the first specific action you will take this season?

Series: A Gift Like No Other
Title: Rest In A Weary World
Text: Isaiah 40:27-31

The chaos and challenges we face in this world often drain us out and leave us feeling tired and discouraged. Through Isaiah 40, what can we learn about finding real rest for our weary souls?

General Questions:

  1. Isaiah 40:27-31 addressed a nation in exile. What does v27 reveal about the state of the people’s hearts and their perspective of God and His works? How does Isaiah remind the people of who God is? How would the people’s renewed understanding of God and His works enable them to respond in their current situation?

Perspective Questions:

  1. What roles and responsibilities do we have in our lives? What are some common burdens we carry due to these roles/responsibilities? How might these burdens grow heavier when we forget God? How does this influence the way we live our lives?
  2. What is hindering us from trusting God amid the various burdens we carry? How does the passage (Isaiah 40:27-31) encourage us towards trusting God more and allowing Him to renew our strength? What would that deepened trust look like? How would our lives look different when we choose to trust God?

Application Questions:

  1. What is a small next step we can take to trust God more in our lives based on areas we feel burdened by? How can the LG support you in taking the next step?

Christmas season is a time where everyone looks forward to receiving gifts. But Christmas isn’t about physical gifts. Its essence lies in the fact that God sent His one and only Son as a gift to the whole humankind. Come explore the different gifts that God has given to His people.

Series: Songs For All Seasons
Title: When We Look To Christ
Text: Psalm 110

When battles seem unending and we feel defeated by life’s setbacks, Psalm 110 lifts our eyes to Christ, the exalted King and eternal Priest, who rules with all authority and will one day judge with perfect righteousness. Even when victory feels distant, this psalm assures us that in Jesus, God has already secured our final triumph.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In what ways do you need to adjust your picture of how victory looks like?
  2. How can you live in a manner that reflects your final victory in Christ?

Title: When We Trust God Together
Series: Songs for All Seasons
Text: Psalm 115

The community of God is called to remember God’s greatness and to choose to trust Him, instead of idols. When we do so, God will bless us and renew us in Him.

General Questions:

  1. Read through Psalm 115. What does the text reveal about the psalmist’s understanding of and relationship with God? Considering this, in what ways does our understanding of and relationship with God need to change?
  2. The text of Psalm 115 suggests it was sung corporately in the nation of Israel. What did Israel, as a community, sing about? What truths did they proclaim about God? What is the role of the community in proclaiming these truths with and to one another?
  3. Put yourself in the shoes of an Israelite, during a festival celebration when Psalm 115 was sung. What impact would hearing the words of Psalm 115, sung by your fellow Israelites, have on you, especially if you were feeling discouraged? How does this experience enrich our understanding of gathering as a spiritual community? Why is it important for us to gather?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Psalm 115 tells us to praise God together. What is the difference between singing songs of praise in private or recording our testimonies in our diaries, as compared to singing together and sharing our testimonies with one another? How does this affect our attitude towards gathering for LG and for weekly services? 
  2. Manmade idols can never replace the place of God in our community. What are some manmade idols (e.g. busyness, success, people’s approval, performance, self-dependence) that we are susceptible to worshiping? Verses 4-8 describes such manmade idols: what do these verses show about the manmade idols we seek? How has worshiping these idols affected us as well as our understanding of God and His power?  
  3. In what ways might we have become over-familiar with God’s grace and works? How has this over-familiarity affected the way we respond to and relate with God? What can we do to avoid being over-familiar with God’s grace and works?
  4. If God gives you a blank cheque to ask for anything that is godly for the LG, what would you ask for? Why do we not regularly ask God for these things in our LG? What does our lack of asking reveal about our understanding of and relationship with God?

Application Questions:

  1. What are some areas in which we can change how we conduct our LG meetings?
    • How can we help one another to remember that God is active in our lives?
    • How can we, when we gather, be more proactive in involving God in the seemingly mundane things (e.g. work, bringing our children to/from school) in our lives?
    • As a community, how can we develop the habit to seek God for breakthroughs?

Title: When I am Complacent
Text: Psalms 90

The Psalms are a collection of songs that address the full range of human experience. What can we learn from Psalm 90 not living in a complacent manner?

General Questions:

  1. Psalm 90 is written by Moses who saw how the Israelites’ complacency got them into trouble. Share an occasion in your own life when complacency led to trouble or regret. What did you learn from that incident?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Moses prayed that the God who protects His people (v1) would “establish the work of our hands.” How does knowing that our eternal God (v2) has a purpose for believers motivate us not to be complacent? What do you sense is God’s purpose for you in this current season?
  2. Psalm 90 highlights God’s power over all people (v3–6) and His steadfast love (v13–16). In response, we are called to “number our days” and “gain a heart of wisdom” (v12). Why is numbering our days important in overcoming complacency? How can remembering God’s power and love enable us not to live in complacency?

Application Questions:

  1. Are there relationships—especially with pre-believing family members or friends—that you may have grown complacent about? With Christmas about 40 days away, how can you partner with the Holy Spirit and your LG to reach out to them intentionally?
  2. “Complacency is a deadly foe of spiritual growth.” In what area of your spiritual life have you been complacent in? How can you immediately begin investing time and effort to grow in that area?

Series: Song For All Seasons
Title: When There Is Injustice
Text: Psalm 12

In a world where truth is twisted and injustice seems to prevail, Psalm 12 teaches us how to respond with faith instead of despair.

General Question:

  1. The sermon showed how David’s cry of “Help, Lord” turns despair into hope, as God promises to arise for the needy. Which part of this truth spoke to you most, bringing injustice before God, guarding your own heart, or being God’s instrument of justice and why?

Perspective Question:

  1. Psalm 12 warns that injustice begins with deceit and self-deception. Are there areas in your life where you find it hard to bring to light?

Application Question:

  1. The sermon challenged us to respond to injustice by calling on God first, refusing vengeance, and partnering with Him to reach the forgotten. Which of these steps will you take this week, and what is one practical action you can do to begin?

Title: When I Feel Overwhelmed
Text: Psalm 42

Psalm 42 is a type of lament psalm, which generally expresses a deep trust in God, and helps a person to express struggles, suffering or disappointment to God. As the first lament psalm in a new subsection of this book, it sets the tone for a deep longing for God in difficult and distressing situations.

General Question:

  1. What stood out to you from this message about what it means to be honest and hopeful before God when you feel overwhelmed?

Perspective Question:

  1. In your own walk, do you tend to lean more towards being brutally honest or overly ‘performative’ before God? What might that reveal about how you see Him?

Application Question:

  1. When your soul feels downcast, what is one practical way you can ‘speak to your soul’ and realign your thoughts with God’s truth? How can you make this a habit in your daily life?

Title: When I Overcome
Text: Psalms 40:1-3

The Psalms are a collection of songs that address  the full range of human experience. What can we learn from Psalm 40 on overcoming challenges?

General Questions:

  1. When you encounter challenges, difficulties or roadblocks in your life, how do you usually respond? Is God the first person that you go to, to pray and to petition your needs to? Why?
  2. What does “waiting patiently for the Lord” mean to you? Have you ever experienced a time when you were desperate and could only rely on God to deliver and help you? What helped you to hold on in faith while waiting? What did you learn about God and about yourself through that season of waiting?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Everyone (believers and pre-believers alike) will go through challenging and difficult times. How do you think having a relationship with God changes the way we respond to those challenges? How does knowing God’s character (e.g., faithful, loving, present) shape your response?
  2. Have you ever felt like God was silent during a difficult time? Looking back, what were the precious lessons you learned in this season and how did you come to realise that He was still working?
  3. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past help us to overcome present challenges? Take time to recall God’s faithfulness in your life and give thanks to Him.

Application Questions:

  1. Are you personally going through a challenging or uncertain season in your life? In what ways does this sermon speak to you? How do you think you can apply the truths from Psalms 40 to help you to overcome this season?
  2. Are there people in your life, be it in your life group, family or colleagues who come to mind that might be struggling or searching for hope? How can you share your testimony to encourage them?

Series: Songs For All Seasons
Title: When I Feel Small
Text: Psalm 8

In a world that constantly tells us to look inward and elevate ourselves, Psalm 8 invites us to look upward, to see the majesty of God and our smallness in His greatness. Through the psalm’s poetic structure, we discover that the God who rules over the heavens is also mindful of us, entrusting us with His creation despite our insignificance. When we truly grasp how majestic God is and how small we are, our hearts are moved to worship, not for what we gain, but for who He is.

Discussion Questions

  1. How great and majestic do I perceive God to be?

  2. Practically, how can I keep my worship more God-focused and less me-focused?