Topic: Community

Series: A Brick In His House
Title: From Stones to a House
Text: N.A.

Many structures of wood, brick and steel are built and established by the hands of man. Yet none of them, from shophouse to skyscraper, compares to the Church, the spiritual house of God.

Discover what makes up His House and how we are called to be part of it!

General Questions:

  1. How did you come to Hope Church? Why did you eventually decide to stay and root yourself here?

  2. What do you think are the purposes of the church?

Perspective Questions:

  1. 1 Peter 2 talks of Jesus as the cornerstone of the Church. Read up about the functions of the cornerstone in ancient buildings (foundation, reference point, alignment). How should knowing the role Jesus plays in the church affect the way we view and be involved in church? What does it mean for us as believers today?

  2. Some people think of church as a service, building or organisation. How does the bible define the church? How should I consider my role as a member of the church?

  3. “I love Jesus but not the church!” is a refrain we hear. Is it possible to be a follower of Christ without the church? What are the dangers of not having a community to support your journey? 

Application Questions:

  1. Being part of a community is difficult. Why should we still love the church and be a part of it despite its imperfections? What should I do in a church that is imperfect? What role do we play in the church? 

  2. In our fast-paced society, we have so many other things fighting for our attention. Why should we prioritise the church? What does it look like? How can the life group aid your journey to put Jesus first?

Series: Faith & Family
Title: Love At Full Stretch
Text: 1 Peter 4:7a, 8

When those who matter to us do not respond according to our desires, we may feel unheard, unappreciated or offended. How can we continue to love as a family in the midst of disappointments and frustrations? 

General Questions:

  1. Someone once said that unmet expectations is a ‘silent killer’ in relationships. Would you agree? Why?

Perspective Questions:

  1. To Peter, believers prepare for Christ’s return as King and Judge by living right before God and with one another in the present (1 Pet 4:7a, 8). How would keeping the end in mind affect or change the way we serve or relate with one another, especially when our expectations are not met?   

  2. What may happen if we do not handle unmet expectations well? Conversely, if we respond with the deep love that Peter calls for (1 Pet 4:8), what may happen?

Application Questions:

  1. It can be tempting to hold grudges against those who have let us down. Yet the Bible challenges us to respond with a love that keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor 13:5). How can we practically live this out?

  2. Perhaps we should expect to have unmet expectations in our relationships because we are all works in progress. How can we manage our expectations?

Series: Faith & Family
Title: Care For The Cross
Text: John 19:25-27

At the Cross, Jesus forms a new family among His disciples. How does belonging to the spiritual family impact our lives?

General Questions:

  1. How would you describe your experience with family?

Perspective Questions:

  1. What do you make of Jesus’ words in Mk 3:32-35? Why would they sound radical to many of us today? 

  2. Jesus establishes a new family that is bonded not by blood but by Spirit. Why is the spiritual family God’s gift to believers?

Application Questions:

  1. How can we invest in our spiritual family while fulfilling our responsibilities towards our natural families?

  2. How can we involve our spiritual family in reaching out to our natural families?

FAMILY – Our greatest love? Or deepest heartache?

Beyond our experiences, what does God say about family? Explore how we can live out our faith in both our spiritual and natural families!

Series: Which is Better?
Title: Online Church or Physical Church?
Text: Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Thessalonians 2:17; Romans 1:11-12

Now that safe management measures are relaxing, should watching livestreams of church services and meeting online continue to be the main mode of gathering for believers?

General Questions:

  1. Reflect on your experience watching livestream services or meeting your LG online during the pandemic. What are your thoughts? How do you feel?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Hebrews 10:24-25 calls believers to be ministers. While ministering can take place both online and onsite, do you think it is more effective in person? Why or why not?
  2. As helpful as technology is, most if not all us would not want our most treasured relationships to be completely virtual. What do you think are the possibilities and limitations that technology brings to our relationships?

Application Questions:

  1. It takes time and effort to meet physically more frequently again. How can the LG take concrete steps?

Title: Love My City
Passage: 1 Cor 9:19-23

A city is known for its dense population and rich cultural diversity. This means that cities are full of opportunities to display the love of Christ to many people who come from all walks of life. How can we love the city where we are living in?

General Questions:
1) We are able to love others when we remember God’s love for us. Do you agree? What is the unmistakable evidence of God’s love for you?

Perspective Questions:

1) Are there groups of people that you struggle to love? What is it about these groups that make it difficult for you to love them?

2) “Loving from beneath” means that we love others with an attitude of wanting to serve them. Part of that means being willing to give up our rights for their sake.  What are some hindrances that stop us from loving from beneath?

3) Loving others for the sake of the Gospel requires us to be keep being amazed by the Gospel and not grow weary in sharing its message. If you could sum up what the Gospel means to you in one phrase, what would it be?

Application Questions:

1) It is challenging to share the Gospel with people who are different from us, and it requires us to spend time listening to them and getting to know them. Who are some of these people that God has called you to listen to and know?

Title: Shine With Joy As His Children
Series: We His People
Text: Phil 2:14-18
God works in us, this we believe – how does this understanding change our attitude towards how we ought to live in the world and how we respond to challenges? Learn what it means to shine for Christ with joy!
Discussion Questions:
1) We live differently from our world (v14 – v16a)
What is the difference between grumbling and being honest about our struggles? What does it reflect about a Christian who does not grumble or complain, even in difficult situations? How is such a Christian different from people of the world? In this pandemic, many of believers are also facing trying situations. What is one thing during this period that believers tend to grumble about?
2) We rejoice in the midst of challenges (v16b – v18)
Why is it that Christians can be joyful amidst difficult times? As a community of God, seeing fellow believers persevering in their faith is something we work towards and celebrate. In recent times, have we experienced such joy in our community? How can we as a people of God encourage each other to persevere in the faith during trying times? How would persevering in our faith be our testimony to the world?
Title: Unite In His Love

Series: We His People
Text: Philippians 2:1-4
1) Why do you think unity is important within the body of Christ? What do you think are the reasons and causes of disunity? What is the basis that Paul is appealing to believers to be united?
2 ) What do you think are the common goal, common purpose and common mission that believers have? How would the church and your LG look like if people are like-minded? What change could you and your LG make to work towards like-mindedness?
3) Unity in the body of Christ is possible when people choose to put others before themselves. What do you think it means to “value others above yourselves”? Why do you think some may struggle to put others’ interests before their own? How can you live out this principle in your life? What are ways that we can prioritise the interests of others?

4) How do you think believers should deal with disagreements? What does being humble and giving up our rights look like in such situations? What would motivate us to respond rightly in conflicts?