1. What is your favorite treasure hunting story? Why do you think we tell stories about searching for buried treasure?

2. Read Matthew 6:19-24. What stands out to you in this passage? How are these verses connected to verse 1: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven”?

3. Jesus is using three different illustrations or metaphors (verses 19-21, 22-23, & 24) in this text. What do you think he is describing? How would you summarize what these three metaphors mean?

4. Jesus concludes this section by saying, “You cannot serve God and Money.” Besides Money, what are the alternative masters that compete with God for your service?

5. Read Matthew 13:44. What makes the Kingdom of Heaven like a buried treasure to you? Why is it an act of joy to sell everything and buy the field?

6. What is one action step you can take this week in order to apply this passage to your life? Pray for one another toward this step.

1. Take a few minutes to debrief this week’s sermon. What stood out to you? What questions did you have? Were there any takeaways you had?

2. Read Matthew 6:14-15. What is Jesus teaching in these two verses? How are these verses related to the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13)? Does this mean that our salvation depends on whether or not we forgive others?

3. Read Matthew 18:21-22. Why does Jesus tell Peter to forgive seventy-seven times? How does this teaching help us understand Matthew 6:14-15?

4. Read Psalm 103:12. What is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? How can you know whether or not you’ve forgiven someone when reconciliation hasn’t happened yet?

5. Think about a specific individual you are needing to forgive. What are the obstacles to forgiveness for you? How does the cross break down those obstacles?

6. Take a look at the practical helps below that Cron Gibson gave in the sermon. Which of these is the next step for you to practice this week?

   1. Confess your honest resistance to forgiving the other.

   2. Give thanks for the offender.

   3. Each time the offense comes to mind ask God to bless the offender.

   4. Each time the desire for justice comes upon you thank God for his mercy to you and ask God to enable you to show mercy rather than demand justice.

Remember to join us tomorrow night for our 2nd Hopewell Session. Register here.

1. Tell about a time when forgiveness (or unforgiveness) had a profound affect on your life. Were you the one needing or extending forgiveness? What was difficult about the situation? How did forgiveness play out?

2. Read Matthew 6:12. Jesus uses the language of ‘debts & debtors’ to describe wrongs done by us and to us. In what sense is sin like debt? In what sense can such a debt be forgiven?

3. When Jesus instructs us to pray, “as we also have forgiven,” he is introducing the only phrase in the Lord’s prayer that describes human action rather than God’s. Why is it so important that we forgive as the Lord forgives us?

4. Which is more difficult for you personally: to ask forgiveness, or to extend forgiveness? Why? How does the Gospel empower us to work out forgiveness in our relationships?

5. In the sermon today, Robb warned against ‘shortcuts’ that keep us from having an authentic exchange of forgiveness. For instance, saying “I’m sorry” and “That’s OK” is not the same as saying, “Will you forgive me?” and “Yes, I forgive you.” How has forgiveness been practiced in your family? What have you found most helpful for working out forgiveness on a regular basis in your closest relationships?

6. Because we are broken people living in a broken world, forgiveness is something that is constantly needing to be worked out in our relationships. What situations might require an exchange of forgiveness in your lives right now? Share and pray for one another.

1. Recall a time when you had a need you couldn’t meet on your own. In your experience, was it a crisis? How did it make you feel?

2. Read Matthew 6:11. In the sermon today, Robb said the bread represents all of our normal needs as human beings. What needs are you most inclined to bring to God in prayer? What needs are you inclined to just address without prayer?

3. Read Exodus 16:2-4. “Daily bread” alludes to the manna God provided daily to the Israelites in the wilderness. What do we learn from the Israelites in this passage about the nature and challenges of daily dependence?

4. In their need, the Israelites accuse God and longingly remember their Egyptian slavedrivers as deliverers. How do these bad responses to neediness corelate to our modern experience? How do we appropriately grapple with our neediness while avoiding these pitfalls?

5. Read Luke 4:3 and 23:35-39. What is the refrain that is repeated by the religious leaders (v35), the soldiers (v37) and even the criminals (v39)? How does it relate to Satan’s temptation in the wilderness? What does this temptation look like practically in your own life? How did Jesus respond (see 1 Peter 2:23)?

6. How does Jesus help us in our need? What can we thank him for today? Spend some time worshipping and thanking Jesus together as a group in prayer.

1. Read Matthew 6:9-10. After addressing God as Father, Jesus leads us to pray three petitions in these verses. What are they? How are they different from one another? How are they the same?

2. In today’s sermon, Robb said these opening petitions reflect “Radical God-Centeredness,” which means God is the always the main character in the story, and everyone else is in a supporting role. If a human is self-centered, we consider it a flaw in character. Why is it OK for God to be God-centered?

3. Consider the verses below as they relate to the three petitions for God’s Name, Kingdom and Will. How do the promises of scripture inform our faith as we take up these “eschatological pleas” in prayer?

   1. NAME: Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 42:8

   2. KINGDOM: Psalm 29:10; Daniel 4:3

   3. WILL: Isaiah 46:8-13

4. Reflect together on the phrase, “on earth as it is in heaven.” When you look out your window, what do you think will be different when God’s kingdom comes in power, here? Which of those things can we ask God to accomplish in our day? When you think about that day when his kingdom comes, what excites you most?

5. How does the cross of Christ mediate the Godward petitions of Matthew 6:9-10? What difference does it make in your life to know that Jesus fulfills these pleas on our behalf?

6. Spend time praying together. Consider praying through the 4/4 Pattern of Worship Based Prayer from Daniel Henderson.

1. Briefly share your experience with the Lord’s Prayer. When do you remember first saying it? Was it ‘mindless recitation’ or something more? How has your relationship with this prayer changed over time (if it has)?

2. Read Matthew 6:5-9. How many times is God called ‘Father’ in these verses? What specific truths do we learn hear about God as Father? Why do you think Jesus stresses the fatherhood of God so much in his teaching?

3. Read Matthew 6:9-13. In the sermon today, Robb encouraged us to see the Lord’s Prayer as ‘an introduction to our heavenly Father.’ Which truth about God as Father stands out to you most in this season of life, and why?

4. Read Galations 4:4-7. How is the Fatherhood of God & our sonship mediated by the cross of Jesus?

5. Read the list of contrasts below. Which items from the ‘orphan’ side of the list do you most often struggle with? Share with one another and pray for each other to live daily in light of our Father’s love for us. Remember, struggling with these things does not mean that you are unsaved or should entertain guilt and shame. These are simply evidences of the fact that living as sons and daughters can be difficult.

1. Reflect on VBCC’s Global Outreach Month. What have been the most significant moments for you personally? What take-aways do you have from the month?

2. Read Mark 2:1-12. What does Jesus see in v5? How does it influence his action? What does it mean to ‘see’ faith? Is that something we can all do, or is it only Jesus who can see it?

3. When Jesus first speaks to the paralytic in v5, what does he address? How might you have responded if you were the paralytic? If you were one of his friends?

4. Why does Jesus heal the man’s paralysis (v10)? How does the man respond to Jesus’ authority? How do the Scribes respond?

5. Read Mark 2:13-17. How does this story about the calling of Levi relate to the previous story? In what way is Levi in ‘need of a physician’? What does his story tell us about what it means to follow Jesus, in light of its connection to vv1-12?

1.        What is the significance for us at VBCC, of the scene around the throne?

2.        How is the scene around the throne different from any other scene you can imagine?

3.        The scene in Revelation 7 is one of perfect unity.  What differences might there be within this unity (language, actions, motions)?  What is the significance of this?

4.        Why do you think God has chosen to call out individuals to bring about this plan?

5.        How have you seen God working in ways that are hard to imagine?

6.         What part might you have in bringing the scene in Revelation 7 to fulness?

7.        What is the relationship between God’s call to individuals and the responsibility of the Church?

1. How did you see our youth engaged in serving our church family this Sunday morning?

2. How do you picture God’s compassion? If you were to draw it, what would it look like?

3. One at a time, read Mark 1:29-34, 35-39, and 40-45. For each section, answer this question: How is Jesus’s compassionate heart on display in these verses?

4. Read Mark 3:6. The opening of the Gospel of Mark is structured around three cycles, each of which includes (1) Jesus calling his disciples to follow him and (2) increasing levels of opposition to Jesus’s ministry. What does it show us that Jesus served and ministered to others on a road filled with opposition and persecution, ultimately death? What does it mean for us that Jesus called his disciples while he walked that road?

5. God’s compassion is at the core of God’s mission. How does our church participate in God’s mission? How do our students participate in God’s mission? How do you participate in God’s mission (or how do you want to)?

6. What circles do we draw to limit the extent of our compassion? How do we decide what opportunities are worth pursuing as part of God’s mission?

7. Reminder: Our youth are assembling blessing bags on February 25. If you’d like to help, you can bring (1) individually pre-packaged snacks, (2) hand/foot warmers, and (3) mini hand sanitizer/wipes. These items can be dropped off at the church offices or in a box at the back of the sanctuary on February 18.

1) Read the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
What are your observations about the Samaritan?
What about the Innkeeper?
What opportunities might you have to be neighborly and show mercy?

2) Christopher Grundmann’s 4 historical motives for sending medical people to the Mission Field:
-Care for bodily needs (the body)
-Use medicine to attract people to hearing the Gospel (the soul)
-Support the missionary team where good medical care is not available
-Heal because Jesus healed
Which one most resonates with you, and why?

3) If someone told you, “I don’t think we should send medics as missionaries; medical missions is expensive and we need medics here,” what would you say?

4) Does God use illness in our lives? How might it affect our faith?

5) What are the differences between Christian healthcare missionaries and medics from secular ‘sending’ organizations? (ie. purpose, procedure, church involvement, community, patient interaction, etc)

6) Discuss the spiritual component to illness:
Why do you think so many prayer requests are about illness and medical care?
Why do you think there are so many healing miracles in Cambodia?
What does Scripture say about spirits and curses causing some illnesses?

7) What does Scripture say about the church’s role in ministering to the sick? (Matt. 25:31-46; James 5:13-16)

8) How can you minister in illness and healing, even if you have no formal medical training?

1. Is fasting a discipline with which you have much personal experience?
   If your answer is ‘no,’ share with the group what connotations does fasting have when you think about it?
   If your answer is ‘yes,’ share with the group your experience with the group. Has it been mainly a good or bad experience? How has your relationship to fasting changed over time?

2. Read Matthew 6:16-18. This is the 3rd in a series of three teachings on giving (6:2-4), prayer (5-8) and fasting (16-18). How do these three sections mirror one another? How does today’s passage differ from the others?

3. Read Matthew 4:1-11. This account of Jesus’ fast in the wilderness comes just after his baptism (Matt 3:13-17). Why do you think Jesus engaged in these spiritual exercises? In the sermon today, Robb called fasting “a way of immersing ourselves body and soul in the story of Jesus.” In what way does fasting do that?

4. Review the ‘nuts & bolts’ instruction below which was shared in the sermon today. What stands out to you as particularly helpful? What else might you add, from your own experience?

   • Consider fasting for Lent: February 14 - March 31, 2024.

   • Choose a fast that is stretching but do-able.

   • Remember that fasting is not the same as repenting.

   • Don’t look gloomy.

5. Why does Jesus instruct us to “not look gloomy” when we fast? In what way does a gloomy fast betray its meaning and purpose?

6. Read Acts 13::1-3. Fasting “in secret” does not mean that we can’t fast together. Regularly in Scripture, communities share the experience of fasting and prayer. Consider if your group might want to enter the season of Lent together this year. You needn’t all fast the same way, but a community can help spur one another on during seasons of spiritual discipline. Discuss what a group fast might look like, but don’t put pressure on one another to do it. Performative fasting is what Jesus is protecting us from! Pray for one another.

   • The Good of Giving Up, by Aaron Damiani, is the book Robb quoted today. He’s still got copies! Let him know if you’d like one by emailing robb@vbcc.church. Or you can purchase your own copy here.

1. Can you think of a time when you had something you felt that you couldn’t keep contained? Share with the group. Bonus points if it’s an embarrassing story.

2. Read Matthew 6:5-8. How would you summarize what Jesus is teaching in these verses? What examples of hypocritical or empty prayer have you seen?

3. Read Matthew 6:1. How does our passage illustrate what Jesus is teaching in this verse?

4. Read Matthew 6:6. What alternative does Jesus give to hypocritical prayer? How does praying in the “secret place” guard us from hypocrisy?

5. Read Matthew 6:9-15. What alternative does Jesus give to empty prayer? How does the Lord’s Prayer instruct us in our own prayer?

6. What is one step you can take this week to move toward increasing humility, gratitude, and honesty in your prayers this week?

1. If you had to pick one word or phrase to describe your relationship with money, what would it be?

2. Read Matthew 6:2-4. Jesus begins his teaching with the word 'when,' not 'if.' Why do you think Jesus considers giving such a central discipline in the lives of his followers?

3. What would 'sounding a trumpet' look like practically in our modern context? Are there common ways people expect to be recognized for how they steward their money?

4. Why is it important to Jesus that we give in secret? 

5. Jesus says those who give in secret will be rewarded by their heavenly Father. In the sermon today, we discussed 4 kinds of reward (below). What has been your own experience with giving? Have you tasted any of these rewards? How did it affect your faith? 

1. Watching investments bear fruit

2. Freedom from financial slavery / idolatry

3. Storing up treasures in heaven

4. Intimacy with our heavenly Father

1. Think of a time you were confronted with gross hypocrisy. What happened and how did you respond? Why is this sin so vulgar to everyone, whether they are religious or not?

2. Read Matthew 6:1-6. What emotions arise in you when Jesus tells us that God ‘sees in secret’? Why do you think many people are uncomfortable with this idea? What does it that discomfort tell us about our assumptions when it comes to God?

3. Why does Jesus want our giving (v4) and praying (v6) to be in secret? In what way is this ‘secret righteousness’ different than they hypocrites he describes? How do we reconcile this teaching of Jesus with his own very public ministry of teaching, prayer, and deeds?

4. Compare and contrast the reward of hypocrites to the reward of those who serve in secret. How do you personally respond to the notion of seeking personal reward from God? What do you think that reward might be?

5. The most common word in Matthew 6 is Father. How does the Fatherhood of God affect our practice of righteousness, according to Jesus? Peruse all of Matthew 6 together and write down the words that describe the character and posture of our Heavenly Father toward his children. Spend time worshiping him together and resting in his love.

6. If you haven’t already, take some time this week to pray through the Serve! Card and ask Jesus where he might want you to serve for the next 4-6 months.

1. What is your favorite Christmas song? Share with one another in your group. Are any songs named by multiple people? What do our songs tell us about what we celebrate and treasure most in life?

2. Read Luke 2:36-38. What do we learn about Anna in these few verses? In what ways is she similar to the other women in Luke’s story (Mary & Elizabeth)? In what ways is she different?

3. Describe Anna’s posture toward God in v37. What are some unhealthy ways people often react to difficult circumstances? Why is Anna’s posture a positive example for us?

4. This Sunday, Robb said, “Surrender leads to seeing Jesus.” How did Anna’s posture of faith and surrender prepare the way for her to encounter Jesus? Obviously, we don’t see Jesus the same way she did. How does surrender lead to deeper intimacy with Jesus for believers today?

5. “Seeing Jesus leads to joy.” Read Psalms 16:11 and 63:3, Philippians 3:8, and Matthew 13:44. Do you believe Christians can experience joy even in the midst of sadness and trials? How does that work? What has been your own experience?

6. Read Luke 2:38 again. Why does Anna “speak of him to all”? What is the relationship between seeing Jesus and sharing him with others? What specific things can you do to practice surrendering, seeing, and sharing Jesus this week?

1. Everyone has experienced suffering at one time or another. Recount a painful experience from your past. How have your own experiences of suffering changed the way you view/ interact with others in their suffering?

2. Read Luke 1:5-7. Think of someone you know that reminds you of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Have you or someone you love struggled with infertility? On a scale of 1-10 (10 = greatest), how significant do you think this pain was in their lives?

3. Read Luke 1:11-13. Try to put yourself in Zechariah’s shoes. What do you see, smell, hear and feel? What emotions might you be feeling in this moment? Why does it matter that Zechariah’s “prayer has been heard”? Read Psalm 55:16-17 and Psalm 56:8. How does it affect you to know that God hears your prayers?

4. Read Luke 1:14-17. In light of Luke 1:5-7 and Malachi 4:5-6, what is the significance of this promise for the couple, and for the nation, respectively?

5. Read Luke 1:18-25. Luke sets Zechariah and Elizabeth in contrast to one another. What is the difference in their responses (hint: see v20 and v45)? In the case of these two people, how can we tell the difference between believing and not believing?

6. Read 2 Peter 1:4. Just like Zechariah and Elizabeth, we participate in God’s divine work by believing his promises. What hardship or difficulty are you facing right now, and what promise are you clinging to in the midst of it? Share with one another, and pray for one another. Rom 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 

1. In this week’s sermon, Pastor Houston talked about “One Things”, which are the main priorities in our lives (e.g., work, family, self-actualization). What is your One Thing?

2. Read Luke 1:46-55. What examples of God’s mercy do you see in this song, traditionally called “The Magnficat”?

3. Read 1 Samuel 1:10-11, 27-28. What parallels do you notice between Mary and Hannah? What do you think is the significance of these parallels?

4. Where do you see yourself in the Magnficat? Do you find your “spirit rejoicing in God your Savior”? Or are the “thoughts of your heart scattered”?

5. Read Luke 23:26-31. Why does Jesus tell the Daughters of Jerusalem not to mourn for him? How does he show them mercy in his death?

6. Recall the One Thing you mentioned at the start of our discussion. How is God calling you to surrender that thing to him?

1. How does God’s identity as our Good Shepherd help us better understand who we are as His sheep?

2. Read Psalm 100:5. How is God described? How are these truths to be fully relied upon?

3. What’s it like to be around someone who has a negative perspective on life? What’s it like being around someone who has an appreciation of it? Which side do you fall on more often?

4. How does life feel heavy to you these days? Read Ephesians 1:3-14. What is the Good News we need to hear?

5. Where are areas you have seen God work that has filled your heart with gratitude? Take time to express your thanksgivings to one another for His love and faithfulness.

6. Thanksgiving people are active. Read 1 Peter 4:10. Brainstorm ways you can give, bless, and serve others, especially as we enter the holiday season.

7. How does humility help us avoid drifting away from our Thanksgiving identity?

1. Can you think of a story from your own life when a second perspective was helpful for you? Share with the group. Why was the new perspective beneficial?

2. Read Ephesians 2:1-10. Identify truths in the text that correspond to the four plot points for the Gospel on the Ground (God, Man, Christ, Response). How does this lens help brin our relationship with God into focus?

3. Read Ephesians 2:11-22. Identify truths in the text that correspond to the four plot points for the Gospel in the Air (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation). How does this 2nd lens help shape our sense of mission?

4. Examine your own life. Do you have a tendency to view your faith through one of these lenses more than the other? How do these two lenses work together to bring about a fuller sense of Jesus’ person and work?

5. Dr Robertson McQuilkin, former president of Columbia International University, said, “It is easier to go to a consistent extreme than to stay at the center of biblical tension.” What does it mean to stay at the center of biblical tension? How can we help one another to do it?

6. How has this series helped you to know Jesus more? Pray for one another, our church family, and our city to know Jesus and see him more clearly!

1. Review the “Gospel in the Air” together as a group. What does each of the 4 plot points mean?

   • Creation

   • Fall

   • Redemption

   • Consummation

2. What kind of emotional response do you have when conversation turns to eschatology (end times theology)? Do you love it? Do you shy away from it? Why?

3. Skim Genesis 8-9. In the sermon this morning, Robb mentioned the narrative motion of Creation (Gen 1), De-creation (Gen 7) and Re-creation (Gen 8-9). What echoes from the Genesis 1 creation account do you find in this story? Why does it matter that life continued after the ‘end of the world’ in Genesis 7?

4. Explore the three images of Jesus’ consummation that were discussed in the sermon this morning. What is the significance of each? Which one is most important to you in this season of you life?

   • HEAVEN & EARTH (Gen 1:1, Rev 21:1)

   • TREE OF LIFE (Gen 3:22, Rev 22:1-3)

   • MARRIAGE (Gen 2:24, Rev 21:2)

5. Read Matthew 24:37-42. In what ways will Jesus’ second coming be like the days of Noah? According to this passage, what are we to do since we do not know when he is coming? What about Jesus’ instruction is most challenging for you personally? Spend time praying for one another to ‘stay awake’ and faithful to Jesus.