Topic: Discipleship

Series: ABCD
Title: The Next Step to Disciple
Text: 1 Timothy 3:1, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Peter 5:4  

God calls all of us to make disciples. We make disciples as it is a noble task and it extends God’s influence. Divine rewards also await those of us who disciple others to follow Jesus.   

General Questions: 

  1. Why do you think discipleship is important? What may happen if believers stay on the sideline as just church goers? On the other hand, if the church focuses on building disciples of Christ who will disciple others, what difference do you think the Church will make in the world?
  2. The bible describes the role of a spiritual mentor as noble – an honourable and admirable task. Share about a personal experience where you were blessed by a spiritual mentor who guided you in your spiritual growth journey. If you are already in Step D, share how you have been blessed and have grown in your journey as a disciple maker.   

Perspective Questions: 

  1. God strengthens and equips those who desire to serve Him. The character and attitude of a disciple maker are more important than one’s competency. What do you think are the attitudes or character traits that God looks for in a disciple maker? 
  2. God promises divine rewards for those who rise up to disciple His people. However, we may still go through challenging times in our disciple-making journey. What perspectives can we hold on to in order to persevere in our journey of making disciples? 

Application Questions: 

  1. Which stage of the ABCD discipleship journey are you at? If you are in Step C, how do you think you can step up to Step D to play a part in discipling and mentoring other people to follow Christ? What are the ways that you can disciple others in your life group, church ministry, family and marketplace?

    If you are already in Step D, is there a renewed understanding and vision of your role as a disciple maker? How do you think you can expand your sphere of influence – to disciple more and disciple better to further extend God’s influence? 

Series: The Next Step
Title: To Belong
Text: Romans 12:3-5

In every season, we all need to grow and mature in our faith. In belonging to a local church, we are to view ourselves with humility and view others with necessity.

General Questions:

  1. Look at the ABCD Grow journey (https://grow.hopesingapore.org.sg/grow). Which stage are you at currently?
  2. Think back on a time where your church community supported you during a difficult time or helped you to grow in your faith. Share how this incident shaped your view on the importance of belonging to the local church.

Perspective Questions:

  1. What are some common dangers when a believer measures himself against worldly standards? How would Paul’s instruction to measure ourselves against the Gospel (v3) strengthen our relationship with God?
  2. Although our faith is personal, Paul makes it clear that we need one another in the body of Christ (v4-5). What are some myths about interdependent living that some believers may have regarding belonging to a church?

Application Questions:

  1. How willing and open are you to share your life with others in your LG? How involved are you in the lives of others in the LG? What is one small step you can take to do so?
  2. A united church is not a homogenous/uniform entity. We need diverse skills to meet many needs. What is one individual gift you can contribute to the LG or church?

In every season, we all need to grow and mature in our faith.

God has sent us into the world to glorify Him by being His witness. Find out how we can rely on God more and how He has set us apart for His mission.

Series: Mighty To Save
Title: The Power of the Gospel 

God has called our church to fulfil the Great Commission, and one of the ways is to love Singapore block by block, school by school. Learn biblical perspectives that will empower us to commit to loving our neighbours, schoolmates, and colleagues

General Questions:

  1. Think about the people you interact with the most every week. What are some of their views towards religion? How do they see topics like death, success, and purpose?

  2. In light of the different views people hold towards life and death, what is unique about the gospel message that Paul mentioned in Romans 1:16-17?

Perspective Questions:

  1. “Salvation is God reaching out to us and not us reaching out to God.” How does this idea impact the way Christians see the world and make decisions in life? How do we distinguish between someone who does religion (DO) and someone who follows Christ (DONE)? 

  2. Think about ourselves and the fellow believers around us. What might cause us to feel “ashamed” of the gospel sometimes? What common difficulties do we face in sharing the gospel?

  3. Other than timidity in sharing, what are some other possible signs that we are not fully convinced of or are ashamed of the gospel?

Application Questions:

  1. Take some time to reflect upon the gospel message, thank God for our personal salvation and recommit ourselves to work at growing our relationship with Jesus.

  2. What is one step I can take to bring the gospel to people in our nation this week?

God has called our church to fulfil the Great Commission, and one of the ways is to love Singapore block by block, school by school. Learn biblical perspectives that will empower us to commit to loving our neighbours, schoolmates, and colleagues.

Series: Call Of A Disciple
Title: Putting Our Faith To Work
Text: Matthew 7:24-29

General Questions:

  1. In this passage, Jesus challenged his listeners to put his words into practice. What do you think a life of obedience to God is supposed to be like? 

  2. How is a life of obedience different from one that is merely appears to be in obedience to God?

Perspective Questions:

  1. In the imagery of the wise and the foolish men, both men have put effort into build their houses. The difference is therefore not in amount of effort, but rather about choosing what we are building our lives upon. What are some truths of God that you are building your life upon? How are you living these truths out?

  2. What are some temptations that cause believers to choose to live in disobedience to God? How can believers avoid these pitfalls?

  3. What are some tests of faith and obedience that you have been victorious in? What helped you to gain victory in these tests?

Application Questions:

  1. The words of Jesus can be often challenging to live out as they challenge our natural ways of thinking and living. What is an area that the Holy Spirit is calling you into greater obedience?

  2. As believers, we are bound to fail God’s call for obedience every now and then. What are some truths that we can hold on to when we have failed in these areas?

Series: Call Of A Disciple
Title: Following The Voice Amidst Noises
Text: Matthew 7:15-23

Believers may be hindered from following Jesus because they are distracted or derailed by false prophets. They might also be deluded over their own relationship with God. What are some ways in which believers can recognise false prophets, and properly evaluate their own walk with God?

General Questions:

  1. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus states that though false prophets are ferocious wolves, they come to us in sheep’s clothing. What does this imagery teach us about the role of false prophets? Based on this imagery, what could false prophets look like in today’s context?

  2. Based on the context provided in the preceding passages (Matthew 5-7), what could “good fruit” (v17) refer to?

Perspective Questions:

  1. What are some things that can make us susceptible to being deceived by false prophets? What do these tendencies reveal about our walk with God?

  2. Besides being deceived by false prophets, we can deceive ourselves when we become complacent in our walk with Jesus. How and why do we become complacent? What are your potential pitfalls? How can the LG support you in overcoming such complacency?

  3. While we want to be careful about who and what we are listening to, we do not want to veer to the extreme of being critical of every speaker/leader we encounter. How does one be discerning but not critical? What are some attitudes we need to adopt in doing so?

Application Questions:

  1. Refer to the self-examination questions raised during sermon. Think of one area in your life that the LG can support you in as you strive to be a true disciple of Christ.

    • Do I desire to appear right before man more than to live right before God?

    • Are we motivated by church activities more than a desire to know God?

    • Are we concerned about what you can do for God more than what God wants to do in you?

    • Are you concerned about being theologically right more than walking right?

    • Do we seek after God’s blessings more than we seek after God?

    • Do you feel good about your “righteous acts” more than being sorrowful over your sins?

Series: Call Of A Disciple
Title: Choosing The Road Less Traveled
Text: Matthew 7:13-14

In the final instalment of our Discipleship mega-series, Jesus challenges His disciples to take the call of discipleship seriously. The choice is ours – which road to travel on, which voice to follow, which action to take – and it will determine the way we live today and forever more. 

General Questions:

  1. In this passage, Jesus challenges His disciples to choose the road less travelled. How did you feel listening to this message? Were you surprised? Challenged? Concerned? Share your thoughts and feelings. 

  2. Share an occasion that you choose to do something that is right but inconvenient or unpopular. What motivated you to do the right thing?

Perspective Questions:

  1. What are some factors that lead to people choosing the wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction? How can believers avoid them?

  2. There is belief among non-believers that “all religions lead to heaven.”  How has v14 reinforced or debunked this belief? How does living out v14 in our daily lives look like to you?

  3. This Bible passage clearly debunks the notion that Christian life will always be easy, smooth-sailing or comfortable. What would help you to stand firm in your faith when you meet life challenges as a result of following Christ?

Application Questions:

  1. Our prayer life, giving and attitude to God can indicate whether we are living a cozy Christian life instead of walking the narrow path. How would you rate your prayer, giving and attitude today? What is one thing you can do to improve?

  2. By nature, we are inclined to choose what is convenient, comfortable and popular. How can we involve our church community to help us to choose and persevere on the narrow path?

Series: Call Of A Disciple
Title: Where It All Begins
Text: Matthew 7:7-12

In the final installment of our Discipleship mega-series, Jesus challenges His disciples to take the call of discipleship seriously. The choice is ours – which road to travel on, which voice to follow, which action to take – and it will determine the way we live today and forever more. 

General Questions:

  1. What are some character traits of God that are highlighted by the passage?

  2. Persistent prayer shifts our hearts from one that is distant to one that is intimate with God. It can also lead to greater trust in His character. Share some personal experiences or stories you have heard from others about these “shifts”.

  3. Beyond wanting others to treat us well, what biblical basis does the passage provide for us to be able to love others? 

Perspective Questions:

  1. Consider some of our own experiences as we journey with God. How do we make sense of moments where our prayers seemingly go unanswered? What helps us to trust Him despite such moments?

  2. What are some circumstances or factors that can make it challenging for us to apply the Golden Rule, i.e. to do to others what we would have them do to us, towards others? How does a trusting, intimate relationship with God affect this?

Application Questions:

  1. By nature, we are self-centred, self-seeking, self-preserving and self-pleasuring. What can we do to fight these natural instincts to care only for ourselves? Think of a few practical solutions you can incorporate into your life.

  2. Are there any adjustments that we need to make in order to grow in how we approach God and how much we engage God in our lives? For example, in our understanding of prayer or in the things we tend to pray about.