Know Grow Show

Proverbs (Become a Pirate for Wisdom and Wonder)

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. 
www.knowgrowshow.ca
 
The One Thing: Become a pirate for wisdom and wonder
The Scripture: Proverbs 2
growgroup questions (know)
What are some of your favourite memes you’ve seen on the internet? (if you’re not sure what a meme is, google “funny clean memes”).
What age do you think children should start having smart phones? What, if any, restrictions should they have?
 growgroup questions (grow)
Dan said “the treasure (we used to believe existed) gets buried under monthly bills. We exchange living for wonder for living for the weekend”. Is this a necessary part of growing up or is there a way to keep that childlike wonder?
Read Proverbs 2:3-5. Read the action verbs – what words could describe the person outlined in these verses? What is their emotional state?
It would seem that our Lord finds our passions not too strong, but too weak…We are far too easily pleased (CS Lewis).
Do you agree with Lewis? Why or why not?
Verse 5 and 9 are the promises God makes – you will know God, and you will know life. Verses 1-4 are the conditions for those promises (note the “if/then” language used). Why do you think God didn’t just make the promises in verses 5 and 9 unconditional?
Wisdom enables us to avoid the dual enslavement of Public Peer Pressure (2:12-15) and the Seduction of Secret Sin (2:16-19). Which of the two is the greatest temptation for you? How can wisdom / Jesus help you in this battle?
Dan and his mate Willy have used biblical principles to arrive at different conclusions regarding smartphone usage for their children. Does this make one right and the other wrong? Explain your answer.
 growgroup questions (show)
Verses like Hosea 3:4-5 and Proverbs 2:3 depict someone actually giving voice to what’s going on inside their hearts and minds. Why is talking to God out loud (not just in our head space) such an important part of the Christian life?
Keep reading through the book of Proverbs, one chapter a day.

Memes that Matter (Wisdom = Walking With Jesus)

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. 
 www.knowgrowshow.ca
The One Thing: Wisdom = walking with Jesus
The Passage: Proverbs 1:1-7, 1 Cor 1:30, James 1:17
growgroup questions (know)
When have you felt fear (in the “awe / deep respect” way we read about in Proverbs 1:7)? Share with the group the circumstances surrounding this.
growgroups questions (grow)
Why are we drawn to resources with “quick and easy steps to success”? Why do we approach Proverbs like this?
How did the Fall mess up our wisdom? How did it affect our relationship to the world, to God, and to other people?
Solomon, the king of Israel, uses proverbs to teach his son to rule an earthly kingdom in righteousness. What then do they have to do with Jesus? In the big picture how are we to see Jesus from Proverbs?
When you think of someone you know who represents wisdom, who do you think of?
If wisdom is good, then why did God tell Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? How can the moral confusion in our world today be traced back to the first sin?
How does Proverbs push back against the “follow your heart,” Disney-fied culture?
Instead of a concept or set of ideas, what does Proverbs ultimately teach is wisdom? (Also reference 1 Cor 1:30)
growgroups questions (show)
This week start reading one chapter of Proverbs a day for the month and ask Jesus to show you how to walk with Him in wisdom.
Most questions this week were taken from “Exalting Christ in Proverbs” commentary.
 
 

We fight from victory. Not for victory.

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. 
 
www.knowgrowshow.ca
 
The One Thing
We don’t fight for victory. We fight from victory.
The Passage
John 3:34, 2 Kings 13:14-19, 2 Kings 4:1
Grow Group Questions
Know
Have you ever been responsible for a practical joke that worked really well? Or what about one that fell totally flat?
Grow
Why do you think Joash stopped shooting at 3 arrows?
Have you ever only given a partial effort like Joash in 2 Kings 13:14-19 because you didn’t think God could do it? Or because you were afraid He would do it?
Nathan said “We don’t fight for victory. We fight from victory”. Explain the difference between these two and how they apply to our every life in Jesus.
Nathan said instead of focusing on fighting sin we should focus on getting close to Jesus. Is this a helpful thought? Why or why not?
Why did Elisha get upset with Joash (2 Kings 13:19) and not the widow?
Read 2 John 1:8. What might a full reward look like?
Is there room available for God to move in your life?
Show
What are you going to do to try and get closer to Jesus; to receive the Spirit without measure (John 3:34)?
 

Agent's of Change

The One Thing 
Agent's of change
The Passage
Acts 3:2-6, 4:2-10, 5:28-33, 40-42
 
Thanks to Kevin Gay for sharing with us this morning.  
What was inspiring the apostles?  They believed that the world was radically changed by the resurrection.
What Jesus called the apostles to ...He is calling us to as well!
Are we being agent's of change?  Or are we waiting for a miracle before we choose to see the change? 
Kevin challenged us to see the everyday victories as miracles ...the saved marriages, the sick returning to heath, relationships being restored, our foes receiving forgiveness from our Heavenly Father ... and the list goes on 
"Forgiveness of sins was and is a fact about the way the world was and is today.  Rooted in the accomplishments of the cross, reveled in His resurrection, and put to work through the spirit in the transformed lives of His followers" 
~Kevin Gay
In living the way we believe...we will see victories in Christ!
 
 
 

The Last Supper

Memory is Powerful!
Thanks to Miranda Valentini for bringing a message of remembrance this morning.
Luke 22:7-23 - The Last Supper
The scriptures remind us that if we look upon communion only as a time of mental reflection then we're missing the mark.  In observing communion we are meeting with the living Christ!  
But it's not about our action, its about God working in our lives as followers of Jesus which forms us more and more into Christ's likeness.  Taking communion is a vessel whereby we remember Jesus dying on the cross where we meet the living Christ. Jesus meet us exactly where we are and it is His action in us and for us. 
We celebrate communion to remember, to experience the mystery of Gods grace and we celebrate as community.  
  

God can save those we deem unredeemable

Thank you to Steve Prendergast for sharing his testimony with Cornerstone this morning.
Steve encouraged us all to Never Give Up! like the Widow from Luke 18: 1-8
            “So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly!” (Luke 18:7-8)
To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Constant prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are to Never Give Up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. As we persistent prayer, we grow in faith, character, and hope. If we know He loves us, we can believe He will hear our cries for help.
The Lord says, ‘I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again, you will have all the food you want, you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced’” (Joel 3:25-26)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Joel 29:11)
I am a man with a history (His story) delivering God's message of "hope" and "freedom" from addictions through our amazing Teen Challenge Ministry.
Stephen Prendergast
Teen Challenge Ottawa Valley
Teen Challenge Canada Inc.
 
email: Stephen.Prendergast@teenchallenge.ca
web: www.teenchallenge.ca
Story – www.teenchallenge.ca/stephens-story
100 Huntley St. – www.100Huntley.com : My Story/Steve Prendergast

The Servant King - Mark 15.42-16.8

The One Thing
Look up and see the stone has been rolled away.
Passage
Mark 15:42-16:8
Growgroup questions
Know
Take time to thank God today for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Servant King.
Look back through the sermon series on Mark. What has changed in the ways you view yourself, God or the world?
Grow
Which do you think is a better ending to the book of Mark: 16:8 or 16:20? Why do you think Mark ended with 16:8? What might we learn about God’s story from this type of ending? Why might later writers have ‘added on’ verses 9-20?
When you ponder your faith, or when you face doubts, what is the bottom line for you—what is your anchor? How do you give a brief answer to, Why are you a Christian?[i]
If you wanted to make up a story about a man being resurrected from the dead, how would it differ from Mark’s account of Jesus’ resurrection? Why is the difference actually evidence that Mark’s account is true?
How does the martyrdom of ten of the apostles provide evidence for the resurrection?
Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, what were the disciples expecting of Him? When Jesus was crucified, what were they probably thinking? (See Luke 24:19-24.)
Consider Joseph’s and Nicodemus’ faith and friendship (John 19:39-40) in such a dangerous context like the Sanhedrin. How do you think they might have discovered each was a secret Jesus follower?
How does your own heart and personal experience give testimony to the resurrection of Christ?
Show
Start praying that God leads you to a Christian friend in your local context (home or work). Consider how you can start showing people (in an appropriate way) that you are a Christian.
 
[i] Questions taken from Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Mark 16:1…)

The Servant King - Mark 15: 21-41

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. 
 
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The One Thing
The Christian: Obedient Rebel. To obey Jesus is to rebel.
The Passage
Mark 15:21-41
growgroup / discussion questions
Know
What’s worse for you: to be overlooked or insulted? Why?
Grow
Can you think of any Christians who are Obedient Rebels, in the sense Dan preached about?
Dan quoted Hebrews 8:12: For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. However in Matthew 12:36 Jesus says But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. Which is it? Does God stop remembering or not? What, if anything, is the difference between forgetting and not remembering?
Mark 15:32 tells us that those crucified with Jesus insulted Him; however Luke 23:39-40 tells us that one insulted Him while the other defended Him. How can we account for this apparent conflict?
How does the fact that Jesus was forgotten, insulted and forsaken impact how we read Romans 5:3-4: And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Think of ways a Believer’s commitment to obeying God might make her a rebel in society's eyes.
In our culture is the average Christian perceived more as harmless or dangerous? Why is this? Which image should we be trying to cultivate?
Show
Read James 4:4. Consider your life... Are you a friend of the world and an enemy of God or an enemy of the world and a friend of God? Take time to talk honestly with God about your answer.

The Servant King - Mark 15.1-20

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The One Thing
Your life for mine. My life is yours.
The Passage
Mark 15:1-20
discussion questions
Know
Have you ever been caught up in a moment of mob mentality? If not, what about negative gossip? Why are these so infectious and why are we often so slow to stop them?
Grow
If you were at church on Sunday, how was it to have communion served as a part of the sermon, rather than separately?
Do you think that there is any significance to the fact that Barabbas name means “A son of the father”. If so, what?
What reasons can we give for the crowd being so determined to crucify Jesus in Mark 15?
In Mark 14:62-63 Jesus was condemned by the Sanhedrin for admitting to being the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One. Yet in Mark 15:2, the charge brought by the Sanhedrin to Pilate is for being The King of the Jews. Why the change in charge?
15:10 seems to show us that Pilate knew it was a bogus charge being brought against Jesus. Why then did he go ahead with it?
Though scripture doesn’t say, do you think that Barabbas was changed by the events of that day? If so, how?
What did you think of the thought that the cross that Jesus ended up being crucified on may have been the exact cross that was prepared and set aside for Barabbas? How does this change how you read Mark 15?
In his book The Furious Longing of God Brennan Manning said this: “I came to the inescapable conclusion that the degree of Abba’s love for me is in direct proportion to his love for Jesus...God loves me as much as He loves Jesus”. Share with each other in what ways (emotional, physical, psychological) this should impact us.
Take turns to turn to the person to your right hand side and say to them "God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. Do you know this?”. Allow each person to respond before carrying on.
Show
This week say to someone in your life “God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. Do you know this?
Throughout the week carry around with you this week’s One Thing: “Your life for mine. My life is yours”. Say it to yourself often (in the shower, kitchen, office, on a walk). Let your soul hear you say it. Write it down, stick it on your bathroom mirror, put it in your pocket.

The Servant King - Mark 14:27-31, 66-72

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The One Thing
Has regret made lunch meat of you? Make it your launch pad.
The Passage
Mark 14:27-31; 66-72
Discussion Questions
Know
What are some of your favourite sounds from childhood?
Grow
Have you ever known someone who has regret in their life that they cannot seem to move on from? What has been your advice to them?
Luke’s account says that when the rooster crowed, Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter (Luke 22:61). Why do you think Mark omits this detail from his account?
Was it two rooster crows (Mark 14:72) or one rooster crow (Luke 22:60, John 18:27)? Does this give us cause to doubt the reliability of scripture? Why or why not?
Peter fixated on the first statement of Mark 14:27 ([1] You will all fall away) and missed the other statements ([2] After I have risen [3] I will go ahead of you into Galilee). Why was it so vital that Peter listen to all three? How might things have gone differently if he had?
Do you more naturally focus on your sin (the Mess), the gospel (the Method) or the God’s purpose for your life (the Mission)? What is something you can do to embrace all three?
Read Luke 21:31-32. What did Dan mean when he said: “That regret that caused us such shame is now re-purposed for God’s glory. What Peter learned in that place of darkness is now part of his toolbox”?
Show
Take time this week to respond to God. Allow Him to reveal to you any unresolved regrets you have. If there’s a regret that you have kept quiet and hidden, but it’s eating you up inside, confess them fully to God (and to a trusted friend or even set up a time with Dan even) and receive His grace and trust Him for the gift of a new start in Him.