Take Heart
Weekly Reading
Monday: John 4
Tuesday: Leviticus 25
Wednesday: John 5
Thursday: Leviticus 26
Friday: John 6
Saturday: Psalm 59-61, Proverbs 13
Sunday: 2 Chronicles 31-36, Ezra 1-5
Tuesday: Leviticus 25
Wednesday: John 5
Thursday: Leviticus 26
Friday: John 6
Saturday: Psalm 59-61, Proverbs 13
Sunday: 2 Chronicles 31-36, Ezra 1-5
Discussion Questions
- Reread 16:33. Consider Jesus’ words: “I have said these things to you so that in me you might have peace.” Make a list of other things that you might be prone to look for to bring you peace.
- Consider the two sides of Jesus’ statement: 1) in this world you will have tribulation, and 2) take heart; I have overcome the world. Where have you seen one of those minimized in your life and in the life of the church at large?
- How has God used suffering in your life to conform you to the image of Jesus? How does this strengthen your faith?
- In what areas of your life do you still have questions of “why did this happen?” or “why is this happening?” How can you bring that honest question to God? How can you bring that honest question to others?
- Re-read the account of the Red Sea parting from Exodus 14. How does it give a visual description of “taking heart”? What is God communicating to you through that passage about himself and about you as an individual and you as a community of believers?
3DQ - 3 discipleship questions to ask each other: What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it? How can I help?
Sermon Notes
Key Passage: John 16:25-33
Matthew 26:31-35
Philippians 3:10-11
John 9:1-3
Romans 5:1-5
Exodus 14:10-14
"In the therapeutic culture, which has triumphed everywhere, the great sin is to stand in the way of the freedom of others to find happiness as they wish...
Christian resistance on a large scale to the anti-culture has been fruitless and is likely to be for the foreseeable future. What? Because the spirit of the therapeutic has conquered the churches as well -- even those populated by Christians who identify as conservative.
Relatively few contemporary Christians are prepared to suffer for the faith, because the therapeutic society that has formed them denies the purpose of suffering in the first place, and the idea of bearing pain for the sake of truth seems ridiculous.” ―Rod Dreher, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
“... Christians will have to regard family life in a much more focused, serious way. The traditional Christian family is not merely a good idea—it is also a survival strategy for the faith in a time of persecution. Christians should stop taking family life for granted, instead approaching it in a more thoughtful, disciplined way. We cannot simply live as all other families live, except that we go to church on Sunday. Holding the correct theological beliefs and having the right intentions will not be enough. Christian parents must be intentionally countercultural in their approach to family dynamics. The days of living like everybody else and hoping our children turn out for the best are over.” ―Rod Dreher, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
Matthew 26:31-35
Philippians 3:10-11
John 9:1-3
Romans 5:1-5
Exodus 14:10-14
"In the therapeutic culture, which has triumphed everywhere, the great sin is to stand in the way of the freedom of others to find happiness as they wish...
Christian resistance on a large scale to the anti-culture has been fruitless and is likely to be for the foreseeable future. What? Because the spirit of the therapeutic has conquered the churches as well -- even those populated by Christians who identify as conservative.
Relatively few contemporary Christians are prepared to suffer for the faith, because the therapeutic society that has formed them denies the purpose of suffering in the first place, and the idea of bearing pain for the sake of truth seems ridiculous.” ―Rod Dreher, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
“Not all of us are called to die a martyr’s death, but all of us are called to have the same spirit of self-sacrifice and love to the very end as these martyrs had.” ―Richard Wurmbrand, The Midnight Bride
“... Christians will have to regard family life in a much more focused, serious way. The traditional Christian family is not merely a good idea—it is also a survival strategy for the faith in a time of persecution. Christians should stop taking family life for granted, instead approaching it in a more thoughtful, disciplined way. We cannot simply live as all other families live, except that we go to church on Sunday. Holding the correct theological beliefs and having the right intentions will not be enough. Christian parents must be intentionally countercultural in their approach to family dynamics. The days of living like everybody else and hoping our children turn out for the best are over.” ―Rod Dreher, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
Resources
The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, by D.A. Carson
Audio book available for free through Hoopla at the Charleston County Library
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12004196
Audio book available for free through Hoopla at the Charleston County Library
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12004196
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