1. Read Dan 1:1-7. The opening verse sets the stage for Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem (v. 1). But what comes next is a bit of a shocker: “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand . . .” (v. 2). Why would Daniel ascribe ultimate responsibility for the capture of Jerusalem to the Lord? What does this teach us about Daniel’s view of God? And what does this imply about human agency?

2. In his sermon, Robb talked about displaced authority & displaced identity. How do you see these elements at play in these verses? How do you see these elements at play in our present era?

3. Read Dan 1:8-16. Verse 9 tells us that God gave Daniel “favor and compassion.” How does the Lord’s favor and compassion manifest itself in Daniel’s life in these verses? What concrete evidence could we point to? Where else do we witness God’s ‘giving’ in Dan 1? What do we learn from these instances about God’s relationship to exiles?

4. Read Dan 1:17-21. This first chapter climaxes when King Nebuchadnezzar tests Daniel and his three friends in their learning. And the text isn’t bashful about telling us they pass the test with flying colors; in fact, it says they were “ten times better” than anyone else. Why, though, do you think this point is emphasized?

5. Verse 21 looks, at first glance, to be an incidental historical detail tacked onto the end of the story: “And Daniel was there [in the court of the King of Babylon] until the first year of King Cyrus.” Who is King Cyrus? And why do you think this is mentioned? What does it say about Daniel? What does it say about God?

   • Some questions adapted from Daniel (Knowing the Bible). Crossway. By Todd Wilson

1. When and where have you recently seen or heard messages highlighting revenge in our culture? Why do you think revenge is so often celebrated?

2. Read Matt 28:21-22. What potential objections would someone have to forgiving another person “seventy-seven times”? What would such a level of grace and forgiveness within the church communicate to unbelievers?

3. Read Matt 28:23-27. In his sermon, Robb called this “Scene I: Absurd Forgiveness.” What actions and dispositions of the king parallel God’s dealings with us? What effect has God’s compassion and forgiveness through Jesus Christ had upon you?

4. Read Matt 28:28-30, “Scene II: Absurd Response.” How do you respond emotionally to the forgiven servant’s treatment of the second servant? What are some ways, even subtle ones, that we can punish others instead of forgive them for the wrongs they have done against us?

5. Read Matt 28:31-35, “Scene III: The Cost of Unforgiveness.” How are you challenged by Jesus’ addition of the phrase “from your heart” to his command to forgive? What practical steps might you need to take in light of Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the unmerciful servant?

6. What resources has God given us to help us in the work of extending forgiveness to others? Which resources are you more inclined to utilize? Which are you less inclined to appropriate? Why?

• Some questions adapted from The Gospel Project Study, Volume 5, Nov 2017.

This morning Robb shared a story from Corrie Ten Boom. Read the full story below:

Extract from The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
“It was in a church in Munich that I saw him—a balding, heavyset man in a grey overcoat, a brown
felt hat clutched between his hands. People were filing out of the basement room where I had just
spoken, moving along the rows of wooden chairs to the door at the rear. It was 1947 and I had come
from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives.
“It was the truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my
favourite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander’s mind, I liked to think
that that’s where forgiven sins were thrown. ‘When we confess our sins,’ I said, ‘God casts them into
the deepest ocean, gone forever…’
“The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. There were never questions after a
talk in Germany in 1947. People stood up in silence, in silence collected their wraps, in silence left
the room.
“And that’s when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the
overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and
crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights; the pathetic pile
of dresses and shoes in the centre of the floor; the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see
my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you
were!
[Betsie and I had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of
Holland; this man had been a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp where we were sent.]
“Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: ‘A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that,
as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!’
“And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that
hand. He would not remember me, of course—how could he remember one prisoner among those
thousands of women?
“But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt. I was face-to-face with one of
my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.
“ ‘You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,’ he was saying, ‘I was a guard there.’ No, he did not
remember me.
“ ‘But since that time,’ he went on, ‘I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for
the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,’ again the hand
came out, ’will you forgive me?’
“And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie
had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?
“It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed
hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.
“For I had to do it—I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive
those who have injured us. ‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your
Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’
“I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I
had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to forgive their former
enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the
physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible
as that.
“And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion—I
knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the
temperature of the heart. ‘Help!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply
the feeling.’
“And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an
incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our
joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my
eyes.
“ ‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart!’
“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had
never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.”

• In the parable of the lost sheep, we see that God’s heart is toward the member of his family that wanders away. When you find yourself stuck in sin, is this what you normally believe about God, or do you see him as standoffish, angry at your sin?

• How do you handle interpersonal conflict? Do you tend to bottle it up, or blast it out? How is the process of restoration we see in these verses a correction to those two faulty ways of dealing with conflict?

• Have you ever had someone confront you about sin that you’ve committed? How did it feel? How did they approach you? What did that do for your relationship? If it didn’t go well, what could have gone better?

• As you think about the story of David Sharp, who, although he socialized with other mountaineers, was ultimately on his expedition alone, how can you ensure that you are not on this Christian expedition alone? What’s one thing you can do today that would help grow a vulnerable relationship in your life?

• As we think about the unique presence of God with those who go about the work of restoration, what ways do you need to know that God is present so that your will step out in faith to restore others to his family?

• Can you described a time in your life when you have been in the boat with the disciples, looking for status?

• Is it easy for you to see your own sin and the beauty of Jesus humbling himself to save you, or is that a struggle?

• Today. where do you find yourself most tempted to seek your own status?

• When have you experienced the cost of humbling yourself in order to follow Jesus?

• What would it look like for you to make progress in being quick to receive other followers of Jesus? How does that relate to the question of status-seeking, in other words, in what ways would you need to stop status-seeking in order to receive others?

• Is it easy or hard for you to hear Jesus’ hard words in verses 6-9? Is this a way you typically experience him? Does it seem like he’s being unfair or can you hear the tender heart of a loving Savior behind the words of woe to those who would shut people out of the kingdom of heaven?

• Who is one person this week that you work to receive into your home, life, or family?

Read Psalm 150.

1. This morning, we learned that the opening line of “Praise the LORD” is really just one word - Hallelujah. Halal means to praise or glorify and YHWH was the sacred name of God for the Israelites. Listen to the Psalm in Hebrew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOKcVSR0CU

2. The fact that the Psalm opens and closes with this declaration of praise toward Yahweh is a good reminder for us. How can we be more mindful to open and close our days with praise?

3. The Psalmist has certain deeds of God in mind here. What are some mighty deeds for which you can give God glory?

4. Psalm 150 encourages us to bring all of our instruments and even to dance. Do you struggle to outwardly demonstrate the praise God deserves? Discuss.

5. Zach used the image of a glass with water splashing out. When you are bumped, what kind of water splashes out? Is it bitter or sweet? (John 7:37-38) How can we increasingly become praisin’ people?

1. Read Psalm 141 aloud as a group. Identify the 5 elements of lament:

   • Invocation

   • Complaint

   • Petition

   • Trust

   • Praise.

2. Which part is most dominant in Psalm 141? What does the emphasis communicate?

3. In the sermon today, Robb said, “The internal trouble [temptation to sin] is almost always a greater threat than the external trouble.” Recall a season of life when you encountered severe trial. What was the external trouble you faced? What was the internal threat or temptation?

4. How does David pray through his inclination toward sin (vv3-5, 9-10)? What does he ask of God? What does it reveal about him, his relationship to God, and his relationship to others in his community?

5. Psalm 141:6-7 are notoriously difficult to translate, as you can tell by comparing the various English translations. The general sense is that the sin of the wicked will eventually overtake them. In contrast, vv8-10 offer a prayer for deliverance from the same end. Compare the imagery of these verses with the Invocation & Praise of vv1-2. What do these contrasting images make you feel? What is the psalm communicating about worship?

Click here to read the story of Roland Hayes’ 1924 performance in Berlin.

Watch the video below to hear him sing the song he sang that night, Du Bist Die Ruh’



1. What are some common ways people respond to negative emotions & excessive stress? What are your personal habits? Which habits are healthy, and which could be healthier?

2. Read Psalm 140. Review the five common parts of Lament Psalms. Which verses most closely correspond to each part (hint: they may not be in order)?

   • Invocation - Address God directly. O LORD!

   • Complaint - Specifically state the problem at hand

   • Petition - Make your request known to God

   • Trust - Express faith in the promises of God & his faithfulness

   • Praise - Exult in God’s goodness

3. Which of the five parts is easiest or most comfortable for you to personally pray through? Which is most uncomfortable or difficult? Why?

4. Think about a hardship in your life/heart and write out your own psalm of lament. Include all 5 parts in any order you see fit. Share your psalms with one another in the group.

• Can you remember a time when the truths about God were real and you were tuned to sing his praise? What was that like? What happened to change it?

• When you go through seasons where you feel yourself growing cold to God, what “tools” do you reach for to try to recapture your heart with love for God? What would it look like for you personally to spend time remembering?

• We are not the majority focal point in the Psalm, but one of the ways we see God’s glory is through his benefit to a broken people. Where today do you feel especially broken? How does this Psalm lead you to worship God because of his benefits to you?

• David calls us to “entire person worship” in this Psalm. He wants EVERYTHING within him to be bent to the love and praise of the LORD. What in your life today is dividing your affection from God? Another way to ask it is: what other object(s) are you worshipping?

• Pick one benefit of God to you that warms your heart in a special way and share it with your group (if in a small group setting) or a friend. Take a few minutes to pray and worship God for his character and his benefits to you.

1. Share a story about your own father or grandfather. What did your paternal relationship[s] teach you about God and how to relate to him?

2. Read Psalm 139:1-6. Spurgeon comments on v5:
   As though caught in an ambush, or besieged by an army which has wholly beleaguered the city walls, we are surrounded by the Lord … & lest there should seem any chance of escape, or lest we should imagine that the surrounding presence is yet a distant one, it is added, and lay your hand upon me. The prisoner marches along surrounded by a guard, and gripped by an officer.
   What is it about God that makes David feel this way? Do you resonate with his sentiment? Why or why not?

3. Read Psalm 139:7-12. What are some ways people often try to ‘escape’? How does God’s inescapable knowing speak into the strategy of escapism?

4. Read verses 13-18. How does the tone of this stanza differ from the first two stanzas (vv1-6, vv7-12)? How does God’s knowledge contribute to David’s sense of identity and security?

5. Take time to celebrate the $100 Billion men among you. You can read the report behind the title here. Find more info on fathers in America at fatherhood.gov

1. Recall the difficulties you and your family faced in the past year. How did you face the troubles it brought? Did you run away? Get excited about the new challenges? Grow numb? What difference might turning to prayer have made?

2. Read Psalm 20:1-5. Here are seven blessings that Jerusalem pronounces over the King of Judah and Israel. What connections are there between them? Are there any patterns? Which ones stand out? Is there an emphasis on one of the blessings?

3. Read Galatians 6:14 and Philippians 1:18-21. As you consider the legacy you want to leave (e.g., public square, work, family, church), many good things will come to mind that may be places you go to find your hope, happiness, significance, and security. How can you relinquish your possessing of these things and “boast only in the cross”?

1. What is your summer rhythm like? In what ways is it different from the rest of the year? What do you look forward to in the summer?

2. Read Psalm 138:1-3. This first ‘stanza’ of the psalm focuses on praise. What language does the author use to describe his praise? What part of this stanza reflects your own practice of worship? What part feels most foreign?

3. Read stanza 2 (vv 4-6). How does the the language shift? What is the relationship between the singing kings of these verses and the singing psalmist in vv1-3?

4. In the final stanza (vv7-8) the focus shifts to David’s experience of walking ‘in the midst of trouble.’ How do these verses affect the tone of the psalm overall? How do they relate to the rest of the psalm?

5. In the sermon, Robb mentioned Daniel Henderson’s ‘transforming prayer’ template (below). Take some time to write out prayers in this template. Share them with one another in a season of prayer and praise.

Transforming Prayer

“Prayer is intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes.” – Alvin Reid

• I praise God because He ___(praise)_______________.

• In response to God’s character, I request prayer for ____(prayer)______________.

• I’m praying about this SO THAT ____(purpose)______________.

1. Recount a time when you realized you were at the end of your rope. What brought you to that place? How did you respond? What was the outcome?

2. Read John 7:37-39. The ‘Great Day’ of the Feast of Tabernacles was the apex of the largest celebration in the Jewish year. Why do you think Jesus chose this day to make his announcement?

3. “If anyone thirsts,” is likely an allusion to Isaiah 55:1ff. What does it mean to ‘thirst’ in these verses? Why does Jesus direct his message specifically toward those who thirst? What about those who aren’t thirsty? Why doesn’t he speak to them?

4. To the thirsty ones, Jesus said, “come to me and drink.” Why is it significant that Jesus drew attention to himself in this way? What was the reaction of his hearers (vv40-52)? How do people in your circle respond to Jesus’ exclusive claims today?

5. Jesus says believers will experience, “rivers of living water,” which John says is a reference to the Spirit (v39). What role[s] does the Spirit in the life of a Christian? Review the following verses and thank God for life in Christ & the Spirit abiding:

   • John 3:5

   • John 14:26; 16:13

   • Acts 1:8

   • Acts 2:17-18

   • Acts 20:28

   • Romans 5:2-5

   • Romans 8:1-6

   • Romans 8:10-11

   • Romans 8:13-14

   • Romans 8:15-16

   • Romans 8:23-27

   • Romans 15:13

• One of the things we see from the crowd is their desire to use Jesus to meet their own desires. In what ways, right now, can you identify with the crowd in only pursuing Jesus because you want a specific result?

• When you think about Jesus being the bread of life, and satisfying your need for sustenance that gives eternal life, what ways would that not only impact you eternity, but also impact your here and now? For example, if one of the hungers you are experiencing is a sick relative, knowing that Jesus loves you and provided a means of eternal life to you can also give hope that he is working for you (and your relative’s) best.

• Can you think of and share a time when Jesus was revealed to be the powerful Son of God in your life? This would generally look like your life moving from a me-centered view of the world to a way of viewing the world that is centered on Christ.

• Have you had an, “eat my flesh and drink my blood moment?” What was it?

• In what ways, right now, can you identify with Jesus’ disciples as they hear his hard sayings, but know that they must stay committed to Jesus because he is the Christ?

• Can you share an experience when having community around you allowed you to continue to pursue Christ even though following Christ was hard in your given situation?

1. One of VBCC’s core values is Teaching God’s Word. Share an experience of your own encounter with God in the Scriptures. What scripture[s] were part of that particular experience? Why is it a special memory?

2. Read John 5:30-40. Name the witnesses Jesus calls in his defense. What does Jesus mean when he says in v39, ‘it is they that bear witness to me’? Who/what are ‘they’? What does he expect to be our proper response to their witness (v40)?

3. In the sermon today, Robb referenced the Word Hand developed by the Navigators. Take a moment to review the five ‘fingers’ of personal engagement. Where do you feel most engaged personally? Where do you feel least engaged? Share one step you will take this week to engage the Word more deeply.

4. Word ministry in Community helps us learn and remember the Gospel. Take a moment to map out your own life of community around the Word. List the environments where you regularly engage in Corporate (large group), Communal (small group discussion), and Confidential (one-on-one) Word Ministry. What value does each have in your life?

5. When we come to the scriptures, we must come with expectant hearts, hungry to encounter the living Christ. What keeps people from approaching the Word with expectation? How can we spur one another on to stay connected to Christ through the Word?

1. One of VBCC’s Core Values is Transforming Lives. Think of an example of life transformation in your life or someone you know. How did it happen? What were the key ingredients needed for transformation to occur?

2. Read John 3:1-9. What do we learn about Nicodemus in the opening verses? Why do you think he came to Jesus at night (see vv 19-20)?

3. How many times does Jesus talk about birth in these verses? What does he mean by the phrase ‘born again’? How does Jesus’ use compare/contrast with the modern use of the phrase ‘born again’?

4. Compare Nicodemus’ religious tradition (Pharisee) with Jesus’ notion of being born again. Why was this difficult for Nicodemus to grasp? (If you need help understanding the perspective of Nicodemus, read the memoir of another Pharisee in Philippians 3:4-6.) What does being born again have to do with Transforming Lives?

5. In his sermon, Robb related John 3:5 to Ezekiel 36:25-28, and 37:1-10. These prophetic passages tell of the coming day of the Lord, when he restores his people. What are the hallmarks of this restoration, according to the Ezekiel passages? How does Jesus’ ministry fulfill them?

6. Where are you in your own spiritual journey? To stretch the birth metaphor, which statement below most accurately describes where you are? Explain.

   • Not yet conceived?

   • Developing, but not so anyone could tell?

   • Heavy with child and waiting for birth?

   • Kicking and screaming like a newborn infant?

   • Growing and maturing in new life?

*Some questions derived from the Serendipity Study Bible

1. Take some time to recount your own journey of faith. What did you experience as barriers to faith in Jesus? How were those barriers overcome? What doctrinal issues are still matters of difficulty for you today?

2. Read 1 Cor 15:3-5. These verses are known as the Corinthian Creed. What is the importance of the repeated phrase, “in accordance with the scriptures”? How are we to understand Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament, and what bearing does it have on the claims of the gospel?

3. Read 1 Cor 15:5-8. What groups and people are listed here as eye witnesses to the resurrection? Why does the early date of the creed matter in discussions concerning eye witness accounts and the historicity of the resurrection?

4. Robb referred to the three people named in 1 Cor 15:5-8 as, “Peter the defector, James the life-long skeptic, and Paul the opposition leader.” Do you relate more with one of these three? If so, why? How do the experiences of these three men affect our faith today?

5. Read 1 Cor 15:9-11. What story does Paul tell about himself (vv9-10) and about the church (v11)? How do these stories translate to a confirmation of the Gospel?

   PS

   For more on the historicity of the resurrection and its implications, watch these lectures by Gary Habermas and N T Wright

1. Have you ever been in the presence of ‘greatness’? Why do you think people often act differently around someone who is exceedingly rich, famous, or powerful?

2. Read 1 Corinthians 14:26. When the church gathers, we gather in the presence of the triumphant King Jesus! According to this verse, what should characterize those gatherings?

3. In the sermon, Robb said, “We gather as SHARERS. Each one has something to offer.” What kinds of gifts do you have to offer when you gather with the church?

4. In your experience, does our church err more on the side of ‘sharing too much’ (like the Corinthian church) or ‘sharing too little’ (like many Western consumer-oriented churches)? How can we avoid these two errors when we meet together?

5. “We gather as BUILDERS. Let all things be done for building up.” Read through 1 Cor 14 and mark all the verses that speak to the idea of building up, edification, encouragement, etc. What kinds of things hinder us from sharing freely out of our gifting?

PS

For two opposing and equally well-reasoned articles on the use of charismatic gifts in the modern church, see Sam Storm’s Why I Am A Continuationist and Thomas Schreiner’s Why I Am A Cessationist.

Group Discussion Questions

• What things are you often tempted to make the “linchpin” of church instead of love?

• How does the eternal nature of love help you restructure from the things you would most often view as the linchpin of church?

• Share a time that you served (or received from someone) who was not operating in love.

• When you read the list in 13:4-7 do you first think of it as a to-do list or do you think about it as God’s disposition to you in Christ?

• One of the ways to understand the list in v.4-7 is to think about the areas you see needing to grow in loving as being places where you haven’t “received” God’s love in your life (not in a “salvation way,” but in a “sanctifying way”). Share that with the group.

• In your group, talk about some of the variety between you that you have learned to appreciate even though it may have at one time been tempting to divide you.

• Where is somewhere this week that you could flex your love muscles by getting out of your comfort zone and trusting the God will move as you express the love you have been given to others?

• For conversation: much of the conversation about the cessation of gifts revolves around these verses. Feel free to discuss, but also discuss how the fact that a discussion about gifts that dominates these verses is directly antithetical to what Paul was doing.

1. Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. What sorts of activities might cause a Christian to praise someone as ‘spiritual’ today, even if that person does not claim Christ as Lord? What is Paul’s word of instruction on the matter? Is it wrong to celebrate such ‘spiritual’ people?

2. Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. What words or themes are repeated for emphasis in this passage? Why do you think the author is stressing the point[s]?

3. How does it make you feel to think that God has apportioned spiritual gifting to you ‘individually just as He wills’ (v11)? What does it tell you about how he deals with his children? About the gifts you’ve been given?

4. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. What is the main point of the ‘body’ imagery? Explain in concrete rather than metaphorical terms.

5. Take a moment to review this list of gifts compiled from various passages of scripture. This is not a comprehensive list of gifts, but a good starting point. Go around the room and share as a group what you perceive to be the gifting of each one present. Take time to worship together and thank God for his generous gifts made manifest among you.
   
   If you have time, you can also each take the online test. Does the test agree with your community’s assessment of your gifting?

1. Compare 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 11:17. Why are the Corinthians commended in v2? How does Paul change his tone in the second half of the chapter?

2. Read v18-22. What behavior caused Paul’s change in tone? How were people ‘despising the church of God’?

3. Read vv23-26. Count the number of references to Jesus (proper nouns and pronouns). How is this emphasis an antidote to the problems expressed in vv18-22?

4. Communion is about looking BACK. In the sermon today, Robb said, “it’s easy to get preoccupied with trivialities and miss the main event.” What trivial issues distract us from Christ as the object of our worship when we gather? What distractions do you personally struggle with? Are there distractions we could eliminate from our worship gatherings?

5. Communion is about looking FORWARD. In the sermon today, Robb said, “Jesus is from the future, and so are you.” Rehearse what that means (or explain it to those who didn’t hear the sermon) in light of v26. How ought Christ’s imminent return affect our community today?

6. Communion is about looking IN. Review the three key verbs below. What is the particular value of each one? Is there one that feels more foreign than the others to your own experience of communion?

   •v28 – Examine: ‘prove genuine’

   •v29 – Discern: ‘recognize & honor’

   •v31 – Judge: ‘lead in righteousness’