The Role of Leadership

Speaker: Pastor Jay Childs
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3
Series: God's Design for the Church

  1. Qualifications for Elders (vv. 1-7)
  2. Qualifications for Deacons (vv. 8-16)
Posted on May 18, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under God's Design and tagged Jay Childs.

What God Promises Sacrificial Givers

Speaker: Pastor Jay Childs
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Series: God & Money

  1. Sacrifical Giving Stores Up Treasure in Heaven
  2. Sacrificial Giving Changes Us
  3. Sacrificial Giving Shows Off God's Worth
  4. Sacrificial Giving Brings Great Joy
  5. Sacrificial Giving Brings Blessing on Earth

Discussion Questions

Download the discussion questions as a printable PDF file.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

Describe someone you know who is a sacrificial giver; what are they like?

INTO THE BIBLE

  1. Review the benefits God promises sacrificial givers. Discuss how this impacted you.
  2. Read Matthew 6:21. Discuss how our emotions follow our spending and giving. Have you seen this?
  3. Read Isaiah 58:6-11. What is the summons here? What rewards are promised if we obey?
  4. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-14. What is Paul’s advice here? Summarize it in your own words.
  5. Read Matthew 6:1-4, 19-21. Is it legitimate to obey God for reward? Why or why not? What does this text say?
  6. Read Luke 19:11-27. Discuss how faithfulness with money in this life impacts rewards in the next life.
  7. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-4. Discuss the phrase, “they gave . . . beyond their ability.” What might this look like?
  8. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, notice the connection between giving and joy. Have you seen this?
  9. How is our giving a window into our relationship with God?
  10. Read Malachi 3:6-10. Does it surprise you that God says to “test Him”? Why or why not? When God promises to pour out “so much blessing,” what might this include? Why?

APPLICATION

What excites you most about sacrificial giving?

Posted on April 13, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under God & Money and tagged Jay Childs.

Investing God's Way

Speaker: Pastor Jay Childs
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4
Series: God & Money

  1. Who Should Give?
  2. When Should We Give?
  3. How Much Should We Give?
  4. Where Should We Give?

Discussion Questions

Download the discussion questions as a printable PDF file.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

Have you listened to any of the “prosperity preachers” on TV? If so, what did you think?

INTO THE BIBLE

  1. Read Genesis 14:20 and 28:22. Why do you think Abram and Jacob chose to give the amount of “a tenth”?
  2. Tithing appears before the Mosaic Law. It is part of God’s expectations for all time? Why or why not?
  3. Read Matthew 19:21. What does it mean to have “treasure in Heaven”? How do we get this?
  4. Read Deuteronomy 14:22-27. Summarize what Moses is saying. Why does he command tithing?
  5. In light of 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, how is the New Testament even more radical than the Old Testament?
  6. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-4. What does Paul mean, “they gave . . . beyond their ability”?
  7. Read Malachi 3:8-10. What does God promise to faithful tithers here? Why? Who is cursed?
  8. Read Luke 11:42. Jesus mentions tithing here; what is His point?
  9. Read Matthew 6:21. What does it mean, “wherever your treasure is—there is your heart also”?
  10. Why is tithing so weak in the American church? Should we tithe gross or net?

APPLICATION

How did you make your decision about what amount of money to regularly give EFCCL?

Posted on April 6, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under God & Money and tagged Jay Childs.

A God-Centered Prayer

Speaker: Pastor Tim Bruns
Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14
Series: —

  1. The Reason for the Prayer
  2. The Request of the Prayer
  3. The Result from the Prayer
  4. Epilogue: All Because of the Rescue

Discussion Questions

Download the discussion questions as a printable PDF file.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

Briefly describe a person, book, or event that has impacted your prayer life.

INTO THE BIBLE

  1. Paul says in Colossians 1:19 that “for this reason” he prays for the church at Colosse. What was (were) the reason(s)?
  2. The Scriptures urge God’s people to “pray continually.” (See 1 Samuel 12:23; Luke 18:1-8; Acts 10:1-10, 12:5; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:11.) Certainly the Lord can answer a prayer after the first time it is uttered (Daniel 9:23), so what is the purpose of, what are we to learn from, or what is the value for Christians being diligent in praying?
  3. It appears that some in the Colossian church were following after false knowledge (Colossians 2:8, 18, 21-23). Paul sought to combat that with the teaching them the right kind of knowledge (1:25-27, 2:2-3). What are some of the human commands and teachings that the church faces today? How do we fight against them? Discuss. Then also read Romans 12:2 and Hebrews 5:14.
  4. Look at the following verses for what Jesus Christ has done for believers through His finished work on the cross—Colossians 1:12-14, 22-23; 2:9-14. Which of these speaks most powerfully to your own heart at this stage of your Christian life?
  5. In this prayer, Paul says Christians share in the inheritance of the saints. Look at Romans 8:16-18, Galatians 4:4-7, 1 Peter 1:3-5, and 1 John 3:1-3. Discuss the further implications of our inheritance in Christ Jesus.

APPLICATION

Many of the recorded prayers in Scripture are God-centered prayers. A great way to help us keep our own prayers focused on the Lord is to use verses from His Word. Develop a list of at least a dozen Bible passages that will help guide your prayer life. Use two or three of them this week as you pray for yourself, those closest to you, and for our church. Here are some suggestions to get you started; come up with more as a group:

  • John 15:5, 8, 10
  • Romans 16:5-6, 13
  • 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 10:11-13
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  • Galatians 6:9-10
  • Ephesians 1:17-19
  • Philippians 1:9-11
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, 3:12-13
  • 1 Timothy 4:12
  • James 1:2-5
Posted on March 30, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under Special Services and tagged Tim Bruns.

The Money Monster

Speaker: Pastor Jay Childs
Scripture: Mark 10:17-31
Series: God & Money

  1. The Power of the Monster
  2. Killing the Monster

Discussion Questions

Download the discussion questions as a printable PDF file.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

If you could give away one million dollars, what cause would you give it to?

INTO THE BIBLE

  1. Read Matthew 6:19-24. Summarize what Jesus says here about money. Why such strong language?
  2. What does Jesus mean, “You cannot serve both God and money”? Be specific.
  3. Read 1 Timothy 6:3-10. What does Paul say here about money? What is his point? Have you seen this?
  4. What is “the love of money”? Describe this as specifically as you can.
  5. Read Matthew 19:24. Why would Jesus say this? What does He mean? Does this offend people?
  6. Why are so many churches hesitant to talk about tithing?
  7. Read Luke 12:15. How can we “be on our guard against greed”? What steps need to be taken?
  8. How does our culture promote the love of money? How should the church address this?
  9. Read Proverbs 11:24-25. Why does God call us to be generous with our money? Be specific.
  10. How do our giving habits reveal what we really think about God?

APPLICATION

In what areas does ‘the Money Monster’ most attack you? How are you fighting this?

Posted on March 23, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under God & Money and tagged Jay Childs.

The Last Battle

Speaker: Pastor Jay Childs
Scripture: Daniel 10-12
Series: Daniel: Finding Hope in Our Faithful God

  1. The Messenger (ch. 10)
  2. The Message (ch. 11)
  3. The Mandate (ch. 12)

Discussion Questions

Download the discussion questions as a printable PDF file.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

What do you like most about the book of Daniel? How have you been encouraged?

INTO THE BIBLE

  1. Read Daniel 10:1-6. Who was this messenger? Why did he come? Does God still send angels today?
  2. Where are other angelic visitations in the Bible? What happened in some of these instances?
  3. Since Mormonism and Islam both began with “angelic visitations,” how are we to discern if an angel is good or evil? Read Galatians 1:6-9.
  4. Skim through Daniel 10. What were Daniel’s physical reactions to seeing this angel?
  5. What do we learn about spiritual warfare in chapter 10? Have you ever sensed being in a spiritual war?
  6. Read Daniel 11:1-9. What was the angel’s first role (verse 1), and what does that reveal? What would happen in Persia (v. 2) and then in Greece (vv. 3-4)? What will be the sequence of events in the south (Egypt) and north (Syria)?
  7. Compare Daniel 11 and Revelation 16. What similarities do you see regarding the Last Battle?
  8. In Daniel 11:14-19, what tactics will the king of the north use to get his way (v. 17)? How will he treat the “beautiful land” of Israel (v. 16)? In verses 20-28, who will seize power next (v. 21), and how will he do it (vv. 21, 23)? Who will his heart be set against (v. 28)?
  9. Discuss how the narrative seems to shift in 11:36ff. Who is now being discussed? Why? What is said about this person? What will he do? What else do we know about him from Scripture?
  10. In Daniel 12:1, what time is now being referred to? Why? (cf. Matthew 24:21ff)
  11. What is the mandate Daniel is given? How does this apply to us today?

APPLICATION

Discuss how Daniel 10-12 ties into the theme of God’s faithfulness in Daniel’s book.

Posted on March 16, 2014 by EFCCL and filed under Daniel and tagged Jay Childs.