Home Worship Guide (5-10-2020)

Overview: This is a guide. It has been designed to help you and can be modified by you however you see fit. Especially for those with younger kids, it might be best to read through this in advance and use elements that will fit the attention span of your kids. 

Main Point: Believers and healthy churches walk by the Spirit.   

Read: Eph 5:8-11

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

Encouragement: Our God has called us who believe in Him out of our darkness and into His marvelous light. The same God that called you to himself is the one who you can lean into now to walk in that light. It is only through His grace that we walk in the Spirit. Praise God for His great saving grace.  

Prayer: 

Spend some time praying for the following

1. Pray that God would bless your time with him

2. Pray that God would open your heart and enlarge your love for him

3. Pray that God would show you how he is calling you to respond

Devotion: Gal 5:15-17

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the three causes listed (self focus, in love with the past, not focusing on Christ and the mission) most affects your attitudes when it comes to church life and relationships with other believers?  

2. Do you struggle more with affection or action? We tend to struggle in one more than the other? 

3. Where do you need to grow in being “gospel literate” and preaching the gospel to yourself? What challenges keep you from that? How can they be overcome? 

4. Where do you need to grow in walking away from sin? What besetting sins have you ignored or not repented of? Where is the Spirit convicting you? What is your attitude toward your sin (not the sins of others, but yours)?   

5. Where do you need to walk toward God’s Word? What is your typical attitude when you open the Bible? Do you look first for God to reveal himself? Do you have a desire to know him more through his word?   

6. Where do you need to walk in humility and dependence? What are some areas in your life that have been marked by pride or independence?    

Application:

1. The gospel is essential to the believer, not only for salvation, but for growing in Christ-likeness. (1 Cor 15:1-2; Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 5:21)

2. As believers, we are to walk in a new way that is distinct from the world. (Col 3:1-17; Eph 4:22-24; John 17:14-19)

Respond in Song: Be Thou My Vision (Consider discussing how the words of this song connect with the truths you saw in the text after singing).

Respond in Prayer (Pray specifically for an increased desire and longing to walk with Christ and reflect him as well as empowerment by the Spirit to do that)