City Groups Fall '17 - Week 6

Welcome back again Group Leaders! This week, we'll be discussing the doctrine of Sola Gratia...Grace Alone. It is a critically important Reformation doctrine because it points to the notion that salvation is only possible because of God's grace alone and that we contributed nothing to our own salvation (other than the sin that made our rescue necessary). This was a major divergence from Roman Catholic thought and was held tightly by reformers like Luther and Calvin. Show your groups the video and lead them in a great discussion on Grace Alone and what it looks for Christians to have lives characterized by grace today.

Resources for this week:

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Part 4 - GRACE ALONE
• VIDEO: Click the above Image to get to our (password protected) site.

City Groups Fall '17 - Week 5

The New Testament preaches that we need Faith alone to be saved. Luther continually struggled to apply this concept to his life. Yet Jame's writings seemingly challenge this notion stating that Faith without works is dead. How do Faith and works reconcile with each other? 

Resources for this week:

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Part 3 - FAITH ALONE
• VIDEO: Click the above Image to get to our (password protected) site. 

City Groups Fall '17 - Week 4

The Bible, God's inspired Word, is our final authority. No pope, pastor, TV preacher, church council or creed is on par with Scripture and all of them are measured by it. This idea was foundational to the reformation and is called Sola Scriptura or Scripture Alone. This week we will take a close look the doctrine of Scripture Alone and how it touches every part of our lives.

Resources for this week:

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Part 2 - SCRIPTURE ALONE
• VIDEO: Click the above Image to get to our (password protected) site. 

City Groups Fall '17 - Week 3

500 years ago Martin Luther took a stand for the Gospel, which reverberates to today. The church of his time had added requirements and entwined its own self-promotion into the doctrine of salvation. It was a hot mess! Luther discovered that the Bible told a different story, refocusing our understanding of the Gospel to come from Scripture alone, Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone, and to the Glory of God alone. This week, we will learn about the history of the Reformation and why it matters.

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• VIDEO: Click the above Image to get to our (password protected) site. 
• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Part 1 - Why the Reformation Matters

City Groups Fall '17 - Week 2

We will never grow out of the Gospel. By continually returning to it, we find more ways that God reaches and teaches us, while realizing the need to reach others with its truth and joy. This week we are finishing our Deeper sermon series with Luke 24:44-48, the Gospel in Jesus's own words.

NOTE: Next week we begin our Reformation Series!

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Deeper Week 2

City Groups Fall '17 - Week 1

Fall City Groups are here! Welcome new faces and catch up with familiar ones. This week we are looking at Luke 24:13-45, Jesus is risen and talking with his disciples. He uses Scripture to demonstrate that the entirety of the Bible points to Him; which is an important aspect of Biblical Theology.

Please stay safe in the oncoming storm and check on each other within the group. Pray for all those affected and look for ways to love your neighbors and have Gospel conversations.

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Deeper Week 1
• WEB resource where DA Carson explains what Biblical Theology is and why it matters.

City Groups Summer '17 - Week #8

Welcome back and congrats Group Leaders! You made it to our last week of Summer Groups and our study through "What is the Gospel?" I hope and pray that lives were changed and that there is a new freshness to the Gospel in our hearts. This last week, we will focus on the power of the Gospel. Help your group members identity gospel transformation in their lives and what the Gospel is driving them to do differently from now on. 

RESOURCES:

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Week 8 - The Power of the Gospel!

City Groups Summer '17 - Week 7

Group Leaders, be sure to start your group off with the first video above and then end your group with the video below (Gospel-One-Pager Activity)

Welcome back Group Leaders! This week will be different. We've got two videos for you to show...one by David Platt at the beginning of the group like normal and then a second video at the end followed by an activity you will lead your groups through. (Resultantly, there will be less discussion questions than normal.) 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Week 7 - Sharing the Gospel (1-Pager Activity included)

City Groups Summer '17 - Week 6

Welcome back Group Leaders! This week, we'll guide our groups through what it means to be in the Kingdom of God and reach the nations with the Gospel. The only way to enter the Kingdom of God is through the blood of the King. Once we enter His Kingdom we become ambassadors of the King; across the street and around the world. Help your group members learn to regularly pray what Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer..."Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Week 6 - THE KINGDOM OF GOD

City Groups Summer '17 -Week 5

Welcome back to week 5 Group Leaders! We are officially half-way through our summer semester...so way to go and lets keep charging forward. Don't forget to read ch. 5 in your book, which will focus on the right response to the Gospel; Faith & Repentance. They are like two sides of the same coin. As group leaders, you have an opportunity to examine your own hearts regarding ongoing faith & repentance before you lead your group members in great discussion. Take some extra time in personal prayer and reflection this week; asking the Lord to reveal anything you need to repent of or faith that needs to be exercised in your own life.

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Week 5 - Response to the Gospel

City Group Summer '17 - Week 4

We are now in week 4, studying Jesus Christ our Savior. Last week ended in "but...," a word that indicates hope. The gospel gives us our hope through Jesus, fully God and fully man. Jesus, the king who suffered our fate in place of us; through whom we have eternal life.

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: What is the Gospel: Chapter 4

City Group Summer '17 - Week 3

It is week 3 of our summer City Groups! This week we are addressing the often uncomfortable topic of sin. If we don't understand and accept the gravity of our sin, we can't comprehend the glory of the good news of the Gospel.

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: What is the Gospel: Chapter 3

City Groups Summer '17 - Week 2

Welcome to Week 2- "Let me introduce you to god. (Note the lowercase g.)" In these first pages of chapter 2, Gilbert is making a point that the world's definition of God is not ours. God the Creator, God the Holy and Righteous One is the beginning of the Gospel. Good reading and discussion this week! 

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: What is the Gospel: Chapter 2

City Groups Summer '17- Week 1

The Summer is here! And we are kicking off our City Groups summer semester!! This week's chapter will be focusing on the importance of pointing people to the Gospel in Scripture and living gospel-centered. Encourage your group to read or purchase (on Amazon) the book as we go through this study and enjoy welcoming new faces. 

Resources: Below you will find resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: What is the Gospel: Chapter 1

Summer Group Leader Training

Hello Summer City Group Leaders!

Thank you to all the leaders who joined us for this important training last Saturday! For those of you who were not able to come, below you can find the video of our training and the powerpoint slides from our teachers (Adam Hollingsworth & Brian Seagraves). Please watch the video before June 4th and don't forget to pick up your copy of "What is the Gospel?" this Sunday.

Resources: (Training Power Points)

• Lostness & the Gospel (Adam H.) 
• Tactics  - Turning everyday conversations towards the Gospel (Brian S.)

City Groups Spring '17 - The Last Week

The death of Jesus is meaningless without his bodily resurrection.  As the bible says, without the resurrection, “we are of all people most to be pitied.” This week we focus on the joyous truth that Jesus was in fact raised from the dead. No hoax! Furthermore, for those that follow and trust him, we also will be raised to life!

Mark 16:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-20

Resources: Below you will find two resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Mark 16:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-20

City Groups Spring '17 - Week 12

It's Easter week, sometimes called Holy Week- the time we remember and celebrate Jesus' journey to the cross. We remember the horror that the Son of God, our Lord was scandalously killed, but also the beauty that he rose again achieving victory over death. He died for us so that through His victory we might be saved. What a truly beautiful scandalous night.

Mark 14:32-72, 15:1-47

Resources: Below you will find two resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Mark 14:32-72, 15:1-47

City Groups Spring '17 - Week 11

Hello City Group Leaders! This week we are studying the beginning of Chapter 4 in Mark; Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. The seed is the Word of God and the soil is us. Let us consider how do we receive the Word of God? 

Resources: Below you will find two resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Mark 4:1-20

City Groups Spring '17 - Week 10

As we begin week 10 we look at Mark 3:20-35.  In this passage, Jesus is confronted by his family and the Pharisees. His family thinks he is a lunatic, and the Pharisees accuse him of being demonic and of misleading his followers. This is the fundamental question we all must confront: Is Jesus a lunatic, a liar, or Lord?

Videos: There are two videos this week. The first is our usual group video from Brian Seagraves explaining our passage, the second is for group leaders only and introduces a new Easter prayer effort for City Groups.

Resources: Below you will find two resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Mark 3:20-35

• MARK DEVOS: Mark 3:20-30

City Groups Spring '17 - Week 9

Entering week 9 we are examining Mark 3:7-19. At this moment, Jesus chooses from his disciples 12 rather ordinary men and appoints them as His apostles. He tasked them to learn from Him first and then sends them to go forth and preach. Even now, Jesus calls us to learn and emulate Him, our master teacher, as we also have been sent to go forth and share the good news of Jesus, the Son of God. 

Resources: Below you will find two resources for this week: 

• DISCUSSION GUIDE: Mark 3:7-19

• MARK DEVOS: Mark 3:1-12 and Mark 3:13-19