Discussion Questions
November 30, 2025 — Philippians 2:1–11
1. Which of Paul’s four shared blessings (encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection and sympathy) do you experience most strongly, and which is hardest to recognize?
2. What is the difference between inward harmony and outward uniformity, and why does inward harmony matter more for Christian community?
3. How does pursuing unity within your church produce joy in spiritual leaders and the congregation as a whole?
4. What practical forms might “encouragement in Christ” take in daily church life?
5. When have you received “comfort from love,” and how might that equip you to comfort another believer?
6. Do you agree that a fellow Christian is spiritually closer than a non-believing relative, and how should this shape how we relate to believers?
7. What does true Christian fellowship (koinonia) look like beyond friendliness or social interaction?
8. What makes genuine humility difficult, and what habits can help cultivate it?
9. How does reflecting on Christ’s incarnation and humility during Advent reshape your expectations for Christian living?
10. What does it look like for a church to be “tuned” to Christ rather than to each other’s expectations?
11. What are some “majors” all Christians should share, and what “minors” often divide unnecessarily?
12. Where do you find it easiest and hardest to practice agape love within your church or family?
13. What does it look like in practical terms to “count others more significant than yourselves,” especially during conflict or disagreement?
14. How does the truth that God never asks you to give what He hasn’t already given encourage or challenge you when asked to serve, forgive, or sacrifice?
15. How might a deeper commitment to the Great Commandments and the Great Commission transform your church’s unity and witness?
November 16, 2025 — Luke 11:1-13
1. Read Luke 11:1-13. What jumped out at you first / the most from the opening text?
2. Do you find prayer easy? Or hard? Why?
3. What 2 ways does Jesus answer the disciples’ request that He teach them to pray? (1- vv. 2-4 ) (2- v. 13)
4. What does Jesus' two examples [(1) a friend asking for bread at midnight (2) a child asking for something to eat] tell us about Jesus' response when we ask Him for good and right things?
5. What do you think was going through Jehoshaphat’s mind when he prayed in II Chron. 20:12b? Have you ever prayed like that? Would anyone care to share such a circumstance?
6. How is the work of the Holy Spirit “teaching and bringing to our remembrance” what Christ said while on earth a help to us in prayer? Discuss I Jn. 5:14-15.
7. Why is the knowledge of the Holy Spirit giving us Christ’s words, and/or helping us when our words fail an encouragement to keep on praying, even when its hard?
8. Respond to the claim “'Helplessness / desperation' is a good thing for a Christian to experience.“ What illustration (i.e., from the gym) was given in the sermon as to how helplessness is a good thing for us?
9. How do the opposing facts that (1) we are united to Christ AND (2) we still struggle against our sin nature factor into the difficulties of prayer? See Rom. 7:21–25.
10. How did the sermon define “UGH! Prayers?" Do your “UGH! Prayers” ever tempt you to give up praying? What goes through your mind? How does Rom. 8:26 help us here?