MyHope

Topic: Gospel

Title: Caring for One Another
Text: Philemon 22-25

True fellowship in the Gospel entails caring for one another by practising hospitality and rendering support to one another.

General Questions:

  1. What is hospitality to you? Do you have any personal experiences as a giver or receiver of great hospitality? How did those experiences make you feel or impact you?
  2. Other than showing hospitality, we care for one another by supporting one another in the mission that God has entrusted to us. Why do you think Paul always make special mention of people who partnered with him in his letters? What do you think fulfilling God’s missions will be like if we do it on our own?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Early Christians showed hospitality by opening their homes and giving traveling missionaries food, shelter and even funds for the next leg of their journey. What does “unreasonable hospitality” look like to you in your context, such as LG, family and workplace? What is the motivation behind Christian hospitality?
  2. True fellowship in the gospel is not just about sharing lives and memories with one another but also sharing in God’s mission. Do you think this element of fellowship is evident in your Christian fellowship groups? What do you think will happen if this aspect is neglected?

Application Questions:

  1. What do you think a hospitable LG looks like? What roles can you play to raise the level of hospitality in your LG?
  2. Who are the people you can support to fulfil the Great Commission? How do you think you can use your time, talent and treasures to support them, and in particular our pastors and leaders?

The letter to Philemon is short but has something important to say about how our relationship with Jesus changes the way we relate with one another. Our faith is personal but not private and our love has to be active, not passive.

We all long for meaningful relationships within the church. But what does that truly look like in Christ? Join us for a 4-part book study series on Philemon, where we learn what true fellowship in the Gospel means.

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel Part 3
Title: The True Meaning of Being a Christian
Text: Galatians 6:11-18

Paul ends the letter to the Galatians with his concluding summary unlike any other letters he wrote to emphasise the importance of believers’ faith in Christ alone and not appearances.

General Questions:

  1. When looking at people outside the church, what are some markers/characteristics you look out for to differentiate believers and non/believers?

Perspective Questions:

  1. The Judaizers were using circumcision – works of the flesh – as a marker for receiving salvation. What are some things modern believers might depend on to be secure in their faith? What then does true dependence on the spirit looks like?
  2. The gospel is good news because of God’s grace to forgive us all even when we are unworthy. It is different from other religions where you are earning your salvation. How does knowing God’s grace for us drive our desire for holiness? How can knowing God’s grace for us make us complacent? What can we do to protect ourselves from such complacency?
  3. Living a life of holiness is difficult. Although we cannot attain holiness through the flesh, we need to believe that holiness is possible for all of us. Why can we be sure that holiness can be attained?

Application Questions:

  1. How can we encourage each other to live by the spirit? What are some practices we can incorporate into our lives to walk more in step with the spirit? What are some challenges to implementing them into your lives?
  2. A Christian is to live by the Spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit. The Spirit is meant to be our source and our direction. What can you do to become more sensitive to the Spirit’s direction? What can you do to rely more on the Spirit’s power in your live?

In this third instalment of our Galatians book study, learn how we can live as follower of Christ.

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: Children of the Promise
Text: Galatians 4:21-31

In Christ, we are children born through God’s promise and born by the power of the Spirit. How does understanding who we are in Christ affect our resolve to resist the way of law and persist in the way of grace? 

Perspective Questions:

  1. In verse 21, Paul accuses the Galatians of wanting to be under the law. What are some reasons why believers would want to put themselves under some kind of law? What are the pitfalls of doing so?

  2. Many people see the Christian faith as a set of rules and regulations.  We know this is not true, why then do we give that impression? What then is the true heart of Christianity and how is it practised in our lives?

Application Questions:

  1. Over the whole series, we have been tracing Paul’s argument that we can be right with God only by faith in Christ. Paul uses several approaches to make his case – he appealed to the Galatians’ experiences with God (Gal 3:1-6), scriptural arguments (Gal 3:7-14), relatable illustrations from daily life (Gal 3:15-4:7), his pastoral heart for them (Gal 4:8-20), and creative analogies from Scripture (Gal 4:21-31). 

    Which of these approaches are you most familiar with? How can you use some of these approaches to help believers in your community live more by faith?

  2. How can we resolve to live as children of the promise i.e. to resist the way of law and persist in the way of grace? 

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: Struggle of Love
Text: Galatians 4:8-20

Often, love is a struggle because it is a challenge to love when things go wrong, especially in ministry. What can we learn about the struggle of love from Paul’s passionate appeal to the Galatians in their spiritual crisis?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Paul was deeply troubled when he saw the Galatians becoming law-centred instead of Christ-centred. He tried hard to correct their doctrinal error so that they would hold onto their freedom in Christ. 

    How concerned are we that we and other believers have the right understanding of the Gospel?  

Application Questions:

  1. Paul argued that following Jewish customs to make ourselves right before God is akin to worshipping false gods – we are depending on “weak and miserable forces” (v9) besides Christ for salvation. This does not mean that all religious practices are bad or evil. In fact, some can benefit our spiritual life. How then, can we ensure that when we participate in religious practices, we are not becoming legalistic?

  2. Paul is willing to engage in tough conversations out of love and concern.  How can the LG be a safe space to correct and strengthen one another?  How can we positively influence others through our speech and actions?

  3. Having zeal in itself is not enough – it is important to have zeal for the right purposes (v18).  How can we discern which purposes are right or wrong? How can we guard against selfish motives that cause us to pursue our own interests instead of God’s?

  4. Sometimes, love is a struggle. We need to invite the Holy Spirit to partner with us to expand our hearts and help one another to enter His Kingdom. Will you ask the Spirit to reveal a couple of names whom He wants you to love, even when it is difficult?

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: New Realities
Text: Galatians 3:26-4:7

Paul’s opponents saw the importance of the sacrifice of Christ in providing atonement, but they did not believe the Cross was important enough to discontinue the Law. On the contrary, Paul saw the Cross as changing everything. What is the new reality that believers have in Christ?

Perspective Questions:

  1. In Christ, we have a new status as children of God (3:26-27). What was our previous status (Read Eph 2:1-3; Rom 5:10)? What does this drastic change in status show about God’s character and attitude towards us? 

  2. In Christ, we have a new liberty (4:1-7). Yet some may still think that subjecting themselves to policies or rules can make them better Christians. Can you think of such examples? What do you think is the consequence of living by rules instead of living by grace? 

Application Questions:

  1. How can we maintain the unity that we have in Christ? 

  2. How can our LG be more welcoming to people who are different from us?

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: Purpose of the Law
Text: Galatians 3:15-25

How does knowing the purpose of the Law of Moses affect how we treat it?

General Questions:

  1. Our society is governed by rules and laws. What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of having laws in general? Do you consider yourself to be someone law-abiding? If so, why do you obey laws?

  2. Why do you think God gave His people the Mosaic Law, knowing that imperfect human beings will never be able to obey Him perfectly? What role does God’s Law play in your life personally?

Perspective Questions:

  1. From the Scriptures, we learn that the promise is superior to the  Law.  What do you think are reasons why some people prefer to live by the Law instead of the promise of God? 

  2. We may swing to two extremes when it comes to God’s Law – to adhere to it legalistically, or to ignore it and live a lawless life. What do you think will be the outcome of our life and faith if we swing to either extreme? What is the proper way to treat the Law? 

Application Questions:

  1. One reason the Law was given was to make sins obvious. Are there areas or situations in your life that you know you have fallen short of God’s standards? How do you think God want us to respond when our sins are revealed?

  2. What are some “laws” that govern your life today? How can you stop living by these “laws” and start living for the holy ideal that God calls us to in Christ?

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: Only Way to Be Right with God
Text: Galatians 3:7-14

Many of us grew up thinking that if we want something, we must work for it. But being right with God is not something we can work for because no one, except Christ, can perfectly live up to God’s standards. How then, can a person be right with God? 

Perspective Questions:

  1. What is the key difference between believing and doing when it comes to being right with God? How would a person who relies on faith differ from a person who relies on works to obtain a right standing before God?

  2. We may have been conditioned by the world to think that we would only be accepted only if we are strong and capable. But are these qualities that matter most to God? What does God really look for from His people?

  3. How should we understand the relationship between faith and works? Read James 2:14-24. 

Application Questions:

  1. How can we base our security not in what we can do but in what Christ has done for us?

MyHope