Chelten - a church of hope

Discussion Questions Where in your life do you most feel the reality of hevel: fleetingness, frustration, or futility? Are there habits or heart-postures that keep you from enjoying God's good gifts—like food, laughter, family, work, or rest? How can you practice joy as obedience this week? What "ordinary" gift do you need to receive with gratitude?

Discussion Questions How would you explain what the "Fear of the Lord" is? Which aspect of the Fear of the Lord (Reverential Awe, Loving Delight, Humble Obedience) do you most often neglect? Pause and ask the Lord to grow you in this area.  What is the connection between listening and obedience?  What are some ways that we try to manipulate God to bring about another “end?”

Discussion Questions Give a few stories from your life of injustice, rivalry, isolation, or fickle popularity.  What are some ways to offset the vanity of the four examples above? How does the gospel give you hope to counteract the effects of life's vanity?

Discussion Questions What season of life are you currently in? How are you resisting or receiving that season? What longing in your heart points to your deeper desire for eternity? What practices help you live joyfully and gratefully in the present, even while waiting for God to make all things right?

Sermon Title: Seek the Giver, Enjoy His Gifts Sermon Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26 Speaker: Jon Shepherd

Sermon Title: What's the Point? Ecclesiastes and the Gospel Sermon Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Speaker: Jin Lee

Sermon Title: To God be the Glory Sermon Passage: Romans 11:33-36 Speaker: Alfred Muli

Sermon Title: Romans in Action Sermon Passage: Romans 16:1-27 Speaker: Jon Shepherd

Discussion Questions What do you currently “glory” in, and how might God be inviting you to see evangelism or discipleship as a joyful offering to Him? Are there ways you're serving others that feel more like a duty than a delight? What might help shift your heart to see it as a joyful opportunity? What is one simple way you could embody the gospel in your relationships this week, through either words or actions?

Discussion Questions Have you ever tried to change someone's mind about a secondary matter? If so, what was your attitude? How can you encourage someone that you naturally want to avoid? Why does remembering how Christ welcomes you influence how you welcome someone else?

Discussion Questions In what secondary areas of faith do you see stronger and weaker believers?  If you consider yourself a "stronger" believer over one of those matters, what is your priority: enjoying your freedom, or giving it up to serve another Christian? How can you look like Jesus by laying aside your freedom for another believer this week?

Discussion Questions Where are you most tempted to believe Jesus is absent when He might actually be near? What would change if you stopped looking inward to find your purpose and started looking at the Risen Jesus? When has doubt led you closer to God instead of farther away?

Discussion Questions What does it mean that “whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life?” (John 12:25) What is the path to glory according to Jesus? And how does that compare to our personal and cultural paths to glory? This week, how might you follow Jesus into a death like his?

Discussion Questions What are some disputable matters in our church today that can lead to division? What experiences, beliefs, or habits from your upbringing or past church background influence the way you respond to gray areas or non-essential issues in your spiritual life today? Have you ever held a strong conviction or belief and expressed it in a way that ended up hurting someone or causing division, even though you believed you were right? What happened, and what did you learn from it?

Discussion Questions Why does Paul say that we “owe” love to others? How can you show love to someone that needs it this week? How does understanding the present time motivate you to live holy?

Discussion Questions How much does your attitude toward governing authorities match God's command in Romans 13:1-7? Is your view too high or too low of God-ordained authorities? Is your first instinct to criticize or pray for your governing authorities? How can you actively give respect and honor to those in positions of authority?

Discussion Questions How do you struggle with giving or receiving loving correction, and what might help you grow in this area? Why is it often harder to rejoice with others than to weep with them, and how can you cultivate a heart that truly celebrates others? How does this passage challenge your attitude toward those who oppose or mistreat you, and what practical steps can you take to respond in a Christlike way?

Discussion Questions How does Romans 12:1-2 define true worship? What are the implications for every single area and moment of your life?   How does Paul connect the theology of Romans 1-11 with practical living in Romans 12-16? Where are you most tempted to be conformed to a godless worldview? Ask the Lord to reveal the subtle ways you are being conformed.   How can you actively renew your mind and participate in your transformation?

Who is the All Israel in Romans 11 and When and How Will They Be Saved Discussion Questions How does Romans 11:25-27 fit into Paul's argument in chapter 11, chapters 9-11, and the book of Romans as a whole? To whom does Paul refer when he speaks of all Israel in v. 26?  How and when will Israel be saved?  In what ways is all the promise of all Israel being saved connected to the second coming of Christ.

Discussion Questions Why is there so much in the Bible about Israel, the Jewish people? How is God's faithfulness to the Jews a reflection of his promises to you? How are some ways that you would you talk about Jesus to a Jewish person?

Discussion Questions Paul says the Israelites had “zeal without knowledge” (Romans 10:2). How can religious fervor sometimes blind people to the gospel? Why do you think salvation by faith alone is often so difficult for people to accept? Romans 10:14-15 emphasizes the necessity of preaching the gospel. What does that look like practically for you?

Discussion Questions Paul was deeply grieved for those who rejected Christ. Who in your life do you feel this kind of burden for, and how does this passage challenge or encourage your prayers for them? How does the doctrine of election humble us and challenge our sense of fairness? Romans 9 emphasizes that salvation is based on God's mercy, not our merit. How does this shape your view of salvation and evangelism?

Discussion Questions How would you retell the Gospel from Romans 1-8 to someone else? Where is faith in Jesus bringing about glad obedience to his commands in your life? Encourage someone else by telling them where you see this happening in their lives. How does remembering who you are (“dead to sin and alive to God”), lead to greater obedience from the heart? In what ways is the Gospel for both believers and unbelievers?

Discussion Questions How can you practice being fully present with those around you this week—in your family, workplace, or community? In what ways has God "salted" (gifted) you uniquely to preserve, enhance, and bring life to your sphere of influence? How can you use those gifts intentionally? How can your community group or close friends collaborate to declare and display Christ in both words and actions?

Discussion Questions In your life, what role has sharing a meal with someone played in building and strengthening relationships? Why do you think sharing a meal with someone creates the opportunity for deep connection? How will you plan to intentionally share meals to make connections with old friends and new friends in 2025?

Discussion Questions Who has been your spiritual friend(s) and in what ways have they changed your life? Who has been your spiritual friend(s) and in what ways have you helped change their life? Who might God want you to reach out to be a friend?

Discussion Questions How can you set your mind on things above and make worship part of your daily life? How can you foster a spirit of unity and thankfulness in your interactions with fellow believers? How is God calling you to share the gospel and live out your faith in your community this week?

Discussion Questions How has God shown you his love this past year? How can you perfect God's love to you by showing that love to someone else this week? What people in your life do you find hard to love? How does the love of God in Christ help you in your weakness?

Discussion Questions How does Romans 8:31-39 help you trust that God's plan is greater than your sins, failures, and uncertainties? What barriers prevent you from fully believing in God's love for you? In what ways does the Holy Spirit reassure you of God's love, and how can you grow in recognizing His work in your life?

Discussion Questions Where are you experiencing suffering in your life? How does this passage (Rom 8:26-30) help you to wait patiently for the redemption of all things? When have you experienced feeling too weak or confused to pray with words? How does the Holy Spirit's intercession (8:26-27) encourage you? Where in your life is God's promise that “all things work together for good” (8:28) difficult to believe? What aspect of the “chain of salvation” (8:29-30) is most difficult to understand or believe? Which are you most grateful for today?

Discussion Questions How does the truth of being able to call God "Abba, Father" impact the way you approach Him in prayer and daily life? What areas of your life might God be using as discipline to draw you closer to Him and make you more like Christ? In what ways can you point others to the hope found in Christ, even as the world groans under brokenness?

Discussion Questions When you feel like God condemns you, what should you think and say out loud? What do you see in your life that shows that God's Spirit has been changing you? What can you do to develop a mindset that reflects God?

Discussion Questions Where do you see evidence of your own struggle with sin, and how do you lean on Christ in those moments? What does it mean for you to "live in the victory already won"? How does this change your perspective on daily battles? How can recognizing your "wretchedness" lead to deeper gratitude and dependence on Christ?

Discussion Questions What are some “masters” you've been tempted to follow besides God? How have they impacted your life? What does it mean to you to be “free in Christ”? How does that change how you see yourself? What is one way you can “present yourself as a slave to righteousness” this week?

Discussion Questions What does it mean that Christians have “died to sin?” How is baptism a personalized retelling of the Gospel story? Are there any sins that you have grown tolerant toward? In an area of sin that you struggle against, what would it look like to offer your body to righteousness?

Discussion Questions Sin's effects are so deep. Identify 3 ways you see it in your life. Think back to when you first received God's free gift of Christ. Why is it good to do that? How can knowing your spiritual genealogy help you share the good news with someone?

Discussion Questions How has surrendering to Jesus in the past brought unexpected joy and hope, and where might God be calling you to surrender now? In what ways can suffering strip away distractions and help you focus on the hope that only God can give? Can you provide a real-life example? How can your experiences of peace with God and the peace of God help you share the hope of Jesus with those who struggle with doubt and fear?

Discussion Questions What religious traditions or practices do you tend to rely on for a sense of spiritual validation, and how does embracing faith alone challenge and transform those habits? Abraham's faith wavered at times, but he ultimately held fast to God's promises. How can you use his example to strengthen your faith during moments of doubt or uncertainty? How can you help others recognize that their true worth comes from God's forgiveness, especially when they are struggling with feelings of unworthiness?

Discussion Questions Explain in one minute how someone can be made right with God. Do you tend to forget that God is just (and that sin is a horrific offense to his holiness) or that he is the one who justifies (and that through faith in Christ you are actually righteous)? How does the Gospel of Christ destroy pride? What area of pride needs to be put to death in your life?

Discussion Questions In what ways have you seen God's faithfulness in your life, even when you were unfaithful? How does recognizing our inability to earn or deserve God's favor change the way we approach our relationship with Him? How can the truth that God's plan is unshakable, bring you comfort during difficult times?

Discussion Questions What marks you as a Christian? Are you trusting in that more than Christ? Why do you think it's easy to justify yourself when you feel the need to? How can you help a friend understand the difference between self-justification and Christ-justification?

Discussion Questions When do you most often find yourself judging others, and what does this reveal about your own heart? How can we resist the temptation to feel morally superior to others, and how does grace help us in this? In what areas of your life have you misunderstood God's patience, and how is his kindness calling you to repentance?

Discussion Questions Do you see the truths of these verses in your own life before coming to Christ? And do you see fragments of this in your life now? Where are you tempted to choose the creation over the Creator?  How will you intentionally honor and give thanks to God this week?

Discussion Questions In what areas of your life do you feel divided from others, and how can the gospel bring unity? How does the gospel challenge the idea that our value comes from what we accomplish? In what ways does the truth of God's grace offer freedom from performance-based living? How can you live out the gospel as a present power shaping your daily life, not just a past event?

Discussion Questions What are your Pinterest fails? Where do you fail to look like Jesus in your life? How are you looking more like Jesus today than you did yesterday? Last week? Last year? How can you look like Jesus this week?

Discussion Questions How can you intentionally seek the welfare of the city or community where God has placed you? What opportunities for spiritual multiplication might you be overlooking in your current life? How do fears or feelings of inadequacy hinder you from sharing the gospel or making disciples in the context where God has called you?

Discussion Questions What fears, lies or idols keep you from living a more generous life? Meditate on God's generosity toward you. Share that with someone else. How can you “test God” (Malachi 3:10) in the area of generosity?

Discussion Questions Is there a chasm between your current view of work and the biblical perspective we learned today, and what needs to change to bridge that gap? Reflect on a time when you found joy and fulfillment in your work. What factors contributed to that experience, and how can you cultivate those factors in your current situation? Discuss how you can help others see the value and dignity in their work, regardless of the nature of their job. How can you encourage and support those around you in their vocational callings?

Discussion Questions What group at Chelten would you call your community? Who could you seek out to be a friend who is not one now? How can you spend quality time with a friend this week?

Discussion Questions Reflect on a time when you have seen singleness used for the benefit of the community or church. How did it impact you? What are some common misconceptions about singleness in the church today? How can the church create an environment that affirms and celebrates the goodness of singleness?

Sermon Title: Conquering Marriage Conflicts Sermon Passages: Gen 3:14-19; Col 3:18-19 Speaker: Bill Krewson