Benjamin Murphy
Small Group Questions
Benjamin Murphy
Sermon Series Highlights
Sermon Series Highlights

Where Are You

Introduction:

  1. Grace Abounds.
  2. Grace abounds in Early Death.
  3. Grace abounds in Eternal Life.
  4. Grace abounds in Everyday Righteousness.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion
Read Romans 5:20-6:14

  1. What is “cheap grace?”

  2. Why is it so difficult to die an early death, i.e., to die to self? How often do you “consider [yourself] dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus?” Romans 6:11; and see John 12:25, Luke 9:23-24.

    a. How do the illustrations of a seed “dying” help us to understand the benefits of dying to self now? See John 12:24-25, 1 Corinthians 15:36-37

    b. How does Galatians 5:22-24 relate to these verses?

  3. Baptism is a picture of death and resurrection, but Paul indicates in Romans 6:3-6 that if our baptism is “into Christ Jesus,” it is evidence that we were in Christ at the time of His death and resurrection. Does this fact cause you to see deeper meaning or purpose in your baptism?

  4. How soon after you professed faith in Jesus were your baptized? If you delayed, why did you do so? If you haven’t yet been baptized, why not?

  5. Paul emphasizes we were “united with Christ” in His death and resurrection. How should union with Christ transform how we live – for example, Who, what, and how we worship, how we love God, neighbor, and enemy, how we forgive others, etc.? How does Galatians 2:20 add to our understanding of the transformation wrought in us by union with Christ?

  6. A concrete anchor was used to illustrate the security we enjoy as a result of being united with Christ. How should the knowledge of the strength of that union transform our thinking about God’s love for us, about anxiety/worry, about the permanence of our salvation, and about our ability to live righteously? See Psalm 18:1-3, 31-32 and Psalm 62:1-8.

  7. Because we are secure “in Christ” we are able to walk “in newness of life.” What does that look like on a daily basis?

BREAKOUT
Does the knowledge that you are united with Christ change your perspective on temptation and sin? In what ways? See Romans 6:2-3, 7, 12-14.

For further study, read Colossians 3:1-17

You Have One Job

Introduction:

How we are to preach the Word/Gospel (2 Timothy 4:1-5):

  1. Stay Focused .
  2. Endure Suffering .
  3. Evangelize .

    1 Cor 1:17 - For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

  4. Finish Strong .

Practical Tips on How to Preach the Gospel:

  1. Get Prepared
  2. Ask Other Christians
  3. Pray for God's peace

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion

Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5

GROUP

  1. We as Christian have been given one job to fulfill… Preach the Gospel... God chose “nobody’s” to complete this job. How does God prefer to use regular people?

  2. Why is Enduring Suffering such a powerful testimony for God?

  3. Why is Finishing Strong so important? Give a specific example of someone is your life that finished strong and an example of someone that didn’t finish strong.

BREAKOUT

Have you ever failed to walk through a door to God has opened for you to preach the Gospel? Pray for that person that was missed that day to come to Christ either through you or another Christian.

Watch Your Mouth

Introduction:

Our Tongues (James 3:1-12):

  1. Are the most Dominant part of our bodies. (Jas 3:1-5a)

    Acts 20:28 - "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

  2. Are able to Wreak Havoc. (Jas 3:5b-6)
  3. Are Untamable. (Jas 3:7-10a)
  1. Are *Untamable...without the Holy Spirit. (Jas 3:10b-12)

    Luke 6:43-45 - For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Practical Ways to Watch Your Mouth:

  1. Watch Your Media.

    Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you."

  2. Watch Your Company.

    Proverbs 24:1-2 - "Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble."

  3. Watch Your Walk.

    Proverbs 8:20-21 - "I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries."

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion

Read James 3:1-12

GROUP

Why does the tongue hold so much power?

  1. How can we overcome our tongues?

  2. What ways can we ensure we are storing treasure of good rather than treasures of evil? (Luke 6:43-45)

  3. Has your media, company and walk changed since becoming a Christian? In what ways?

BREAKOUT

What media or company is holding you spiritually hostage? What can you do to remove it along with its ‘treasures of evil’?

Coming Soon: This is Your Last Warning

Coming Soon: This is Your Last Warning. (Revelation 22:6-21):

Introduction:

This is Your Last Warning: 4 Truths to Embrace Knowing Jesus is Coming Soon.

  1. Worship is only for GOD. (Rev 22:6-9)
  2. Your CHOICES now have eternal consequences. (Rev 22:10-15)
  3. The Invitation is for TODAY. (Rev 22:16-17)
  4. Don't MESS with the Message. (Rev 22:18-19)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion

Read Revelation 22:6-21

GROUP

  1. What stood out to you / surprised you from this passage?

  2. What are some ways people add to or take away from God's Word (Rev 22:18-19)?
    Why is God so serious about adding to or taking away from His Word?

  3. Looking back on the Revelation series as a whole, what was the 1 thing that stood out to you the most? 

BREAKOUT

Pray for one another!

Coming Soon: All Things New.

Introduction:

Heaven: Where Jesus Makes All Things New. (Rev 21-1-22:5)

  1. The new HEAVEN and EARTH . (Rev 21:1)
  2. The new JERUSALEM. (Rev 21:2)
  3. The new way of LIFE. (Rev 21:3-5)
  4. The new DEMOGRAPHIC. (Rev 21:6-8)
  5. The new NEIGHBORHOOD. (Rev 21:9-22:5)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion

Read Revelation 21:1-22:5

GROUP

1 - What aspect of heaven, according to John’s description, are you most looking forward to? Why?

2 - What aspect of heaven, according to John’s description, was “new information” to you?

3 - In this description of heaven, why are John and us reminded 3 times (Rev 21:8, 27, 22:1) of who and what will NOT be in heaven?

4 - In the list of “unrepentant sinners” excluded from heaven, the first kind named is the “cowardly” (Rev 21:8). What type of sin is this referring to? How is someone “sinfully a coward”?

BREAKOUT

Pray for one another, and thank God for this place being prepared for you!