1. Think back on a time of great trouble in your life. What kinds of feelings did that trouble produce in you? How did you handle the situation? How did you experience God in the midst of trouble?

2. Read Psalm 46:1-3. How is trouble depicted in this first stanza of the psalm? How is God depicted?

3. Read vv4-7. How does the imagery within the city compare/contrast to that of world outside from the first stanza (vv1-3)? What is it about the city that makes the difference?

4. Curiously, there has never been a river in Jerusalem. What might the figurative river of v4 represent? (See also Revelation 22:1-3)

5. What is the parallel between the mountains of vv2-3 and the nations of vv6-7?

6. Read vv8-11. How should we understand v10 in light of the ‘trouble’ depictions of Psalm 46? In what way are we to be still? What is the significance of God’s promise to ‘be exalted’? How does that benefit his people?

7. Today in the sermon, Robb mentioned God’s 3 P’s: Presence, Power, and Promise. How are these depicted in the psalm? How do you see them manifest in your own life?

1. Do you have a physical place of spiritual significance in your life? Where is it? What makes it special to you?

2. Read Psalm 48:1-3. What place is being celebrated in this psalm? What makes it special?

3. Read Psalm 48:4-8. What is being depicted in these verses? How might this stanza bring comfort or joy to the psalmist’s original audience? What does it tell us about God & his people?

4. Read 48:9-11. In these verses, the imagery shifts from city walls to the temple. How does the thematic shift reflect the geographic shift? The ‘steadfast love’ (hesed) love of God in v9 references his faithfulness to keep his covenant with the people. How is God’s hesed love reflected in the temple and it’s practices?

5. Read John 4:20-24 & Matthew 5:14. Where are New Testament believers to worship? Where is the city on the hill now? How might Jesus’ words shape our posture toward Jerusalem and psalms like Psalm 48?

6. In the sermon today, Robb said the believers’ place of ‘orientation’ is the cross. How does Jesus’ work on the cross compare/contrast with the work done at the Jerusalem temple?

1. What is the most ‘raucously festive’ event you’ve ever participated in? What was the experience like for you personally? Share your experiences with one another.

2. Read Psalm 47 aloud. In the sermon today, Robb said this psalm communicates ‘raucous joy.’ What words or phrases in the text communicate that sentiment? Imagine this psalm being sung in the temple. What might the music have sounded like?

3. The word ‘for’ occurs in verses 2, 7 and 9b. What does this word tell us about the reason for joy in the psalm? Today Robb said, “The key to joy is the kingship of Christ.” What does that mean?

4. Briefly review Bill Bright’s explanation of the self-directed & Christ-directed life. What does it mean to have Self on the throne of your heart? Christ? What might be some indicators that someone is living the self-directed life vs the Christ-directed life?

5. What word pictures does the psalmist employ in verses 8-9? What do these images communicate? What are some concrete ways we can participate in the ‘expansive, universal joy’ of God’s kingdom right now?

• Click Here to read Bob Kellemen’s article, Raucous Joy, which Robb mentioned and quoted in the sermon today.

1. Do you remember the first wedding you ever attended? What was your impression of love/weddings/marriage upon witnessing it?

2. Read Psalm 45:1-9. What kind of person is this king about whom the psalmist is singing? What descriptive words stand out to you?

3. Read 2 Samuel 7:12-13. How are these verses reflected in Psalm 45:16-17? What does this reflection tell us about the king in the psalm?

4. Read Hebrews 1:7-9. Why does the author of Hebrews quote these verses from Psalm 45? What do these verses tell us about the true identity of the Psalm 45 King?

5. Read Psalm 45:10-15. How do these verses depict the bride of the king? The wedding festivities?

6. In the sermon, Pastor Robb called the king, the bride and the wedding of Psalm 45 “prophetic messages in flesh and bone.” In what ways do each of these figures pre-figure the New Testament gospel reality of Christ and his church?

7. Spend time worshiping Christ for his love over us, and pray for the married people in your group to have marriages that likewise reflect the glory of Christ and his church.

1. A vulnerable place is a relational space where staying present carries the risk of getting hurt. In what vulnerable places do you find yourself? What risk do you take in remaining there? What fears encourage you to emotionally retreat?

2. How can those around you support or encourage you as you navigate your vulnerable places with God as your refuge? Who do you know that loves God, loves you, and provides you wisdom and support?

3. What aspects of God’s character offer a refuge for you? How can you rest in God’s rule? 

4. How are you hoping to see you, your life, and your relationships change as God redeems your vulnerabilities? 

5. How do you relate to the vulnerable places where graduates and their parents currently reside? How can you support graduates and their parents in the spiritual family that is your church? 

6. Read Hebrews 12:1–2, 28–29. How does the New Testament extend the idea of God as a refuge for his people from Psalm 11? How does that extension change how you think about vulnerability?

1. Is there a time when you experienced a betrayal of trust? It may be something relatively minor like a dishonest auto mechanic, or something more substantial like a broken relationship. If someone has broken trust with you, how might they regain it?

2. Read Matthew 5:33. The first word is “Again.” What pattern is Jesus referring to with this word (see vv 21, 27, 31, 38, 43)? What is the point of this rhetorical device in the sermon?

3. In this verse, Jesus is referencing an idea conveyed in a number of commands like Leviticus 19:12 and Exodus 20:7. What is the basic idea, and how was it being distorted in Jesus’ day (Matt 23:16-22)?

4. Read Matthew 5:34-36. What rationale does Jesus give for NOT taking an oath ‘by heaven … by earth … by Jerusalem … and by your head”? Restate in your own words the essence of Jesus’ instruction in these verses.

5. Read Matthew 26:69-75. How are oaths used in this passage? What do you think led Peter to such extreme action? What do you think he was feeling after the rooster crowed? What do we learn about Jesus in this passage?

6. Read Ephesians 4:17-25. How does the gospel change our relationship to lies and truth-telling? How does truth-telling celebrate and reflect the Gospel?

   
   In the sermon today, Robb mentioned a podcast about the British gameshow, “Golden Balls.” You can find the podcast episode and the clip of the Golden Bowls episode below.

1. Read Matthew 5:38-42. Jesus talks about how we’re not to resist, or retaliate, against the one who personally wrongs us. What’s an area of your life that you find yourself often retaliating? Maybe when you feel disrespected? (v39) Do you cling to your rights over choosing to love? (v40) Maybe when you’re forced to do what you don’t want to? (v41)

2. What’s the self oriented sin that’s fueling your desire for retaliation? Can you see one? How does being an adopted Son of God speak to what’s fueling the desire to retaliate and protect yourself?

3. In this section, Jesus talks about giving to the one who asks and not refusing one who would borrow. What’s a step you can take to be more intentional in your giving financially to those in need inside and/or outside the church? Additionally, what are potential ways you can you give outside of just finances?

4. Read Matthew 5:43-47. In the sermon, Matt suggested maybe a friend, household member, coworker, ministry partner, or even fellow church member can turn enemy. Who in your life has acquired the label enemy? What’s a way you could actively love that individual and maybe begin, or continue, the process of reconciliation?

5. Jesus says we’re to pray for those who persecute us.  Spend some time praying for our adopted unreached people group who is actively undergoing persecution. Maybe at the end of your time, you could do a round of ‘popcorn prayer’ with your group focusing on them along with other ministry partners around the world and people undergoing a different type of persecution in the US (Christians in middle school, high school, college. Christians in the workplace).

6. Was there a particular aspect of Sonship in the message, or in your own personal meditations, that’s especially invigorating and empowering in your life?

1. How has your experience and perspective on marriage over time? How did you think about it as a child, a teen, a single adult? Was it a wonderful thing to pursue, or a horrible thing to avoid? How do you think about it now?

2. Read Matthew 5:27-32. In Jesus’ day, adultery was understood legally to be the violation of another Israelite man’s marriage. Divorce could be initiated by the man at any time, and with no obligation to care for the woman besides giving her a certificate of divorce. How does Jesus’ teaching differ from that tradition? How does his teaching differ from our own culture’s norms?

3. When Jesus says, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” who does he have in mind? Why is he going out of his way to condemn as many as possible? How is that loving? (if you need help, see Galatians 3:22)

4. Read Romans 1:22-25. In the sermon today, Robb said that adulterous behavior is a symptom of spiritual adultery (idolatry) in the heart. Why do you think the Bible uses adultery as a common imagery to describe idolatry? What is the connection between idolatry and adultery?

5. Read Matthew 5:29-30 again. Jesus is speaking hyperbolically here about radical repentance. What does radical repentance look like concretely?

6. Read James 5:16. What two commands does James give us for healing? Why are these often so challenging?

7. Spend some time praying for one another. Depending on the makeup of the group, you may want to break into sex-separated subgroups to practice confession and repentance within the group.

1. Today’s Core Value is “Teaching God’s Word.” How have you personally witnessed this value fleshed out in the life of our community at VBCC? Why is it important?

2. Read Matthew 5:17-20. Why might Jesus have to explain his position on the Law and the prophets? How does he ‘fulfill’ them?

3. How does the righteousness of the Pharisees contrast with that described in verses 3-11? How do we obtain this ‘surpassing righteousness’?

4. This morning, Robb spoke about the “Ladder Loophole” (legalism) and the “Salad Bar Loophole” (licentiousness). How do these approaches to the Law work? Which loophole are you more inclined toward (or maybe there is some other option not mentioned in the sermon)? What does Jesus have to say about these loopholes (vv19-20)?

5. Read Matthew 5:21-26. How does Jesus’ teaching in vv17-20 get applied in these verses? How can we adopt Jesus’ posture toward the Law in our own lives so that we can be “do them and teach them”?

6. This Mothers’ Day, take some time to hear from each woman in your group about the significance of the day to her. Spend time in prayer for one another and thanksgiving to God for the gift of motherhood.

*Some questions adapted from Serendipity Bible for Study Groups.

1. When have you struggled with contentment in your life? Alternately, when have you sensed an overwhelming sense of contentment and joy? Either way, what factors do you think led to your experience?

2. Read Philippians 4:10-23. In this passage, Paul offers a three-fold thanksgiving for the Philippian gift sent by Epaphroditus. What specifically does he acknowledge in verses 10, 14 and 18?How do the verses that follow each acknowledgement serve to elaborate or offer caveats?

3. Read Philippians 4:13. In the sermon this morning, Robb ‘retranslated’ this verse so that it read, “I can be content in all circumstances in him who strengthens me.” How does this rendering differ with the translation in your Bible? How do you respond to this ‘translation’ personally?

4. What does it mean to be “In Christ”? How does our union with Christ affect our capacity for contentment?

5. In v12, Paul says he has ‘learned the secret’ of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. The term he uses means ‘to undergo initiation.’ In what way was Paul initiated into a life of contentment? In what ways are you currently experiencing the Lord’s initiation? How does it change the experience to know that his purpose for you is fullness of joy?

6. Read again Philippians 4:14-18. The Philippian church went out of their way to love Paul well as an extension of their own family. Is there a missional partner that your group can bless with a point of contact and support? Consider sending a group selfie video, a care package, or a financial gift to one of our VBCC mission partners. They will ‘rejoice greatly in the Lord!’

1. What symptoms of despair or hopelessness do you see in your daily life? Work? Commute? Family dinner conversations?

2. Read Philippians 4:1-9. What are the commands that Paul gives in this exhortation section of his letter to the Philippians?

3. Read Philippians 4:2-9. What does Paul mean when he says “the Lord is at hand” (v. 5)? How is that connected to the “peace of God” (v. 7)?

4. Read Philippians 4:6-7. What anxieties are you facing right now? As a group, practice praying for one another and giving these anxieties to God.

5. Houston spoke about spiritual numbness as the root of despair and hopelessness. Dream with your group about what life would be like if you were really engaged with God in a practical way. What excites you about the possibilities?

6. What are some of the obstacles you face to engaging with God daily? Are there any fears you face with making adjustments to these things?

7. Read Luke 24:25-32. How does Jesus meet the hopelessness of his disciples on the road to Emmaus? What impact does this have on them? What is a practical step you can take this week to encounter Jesus similarly?

1. Look at your schedule, what do your daily and weekly schedules show to be things you are pressing on to attain? Does this inventory reflect that you are pressing on to know Christ? What’s one thing you could do personally and communally to press on to know Christ?

2. How is your personal and communal bible reading? What do you find to be barriers to the daily discipline of “taking part in the feast” of God Word? How does the truth of the gospel speak to these barriers? Is there something you can do, or others around you can do, to help in this area?

3. Who do you follow or look to in our congregation? What about them do you want to model in your own walk with Christ? If you don’t look to someone in our congregation, what’s a step you could take to make that connection?

4. Is there someone who you see walking according to Paul’s example that you can encourage/recognize? How might you do that?

5. Are you tempted to have gospel and biblical resources available through technology to have a greater influence on your walk than the people in our congregation? What are the benefits and pitfalls of relying more on technology resources vs in person fellowship?

6. How do you react to know that the one you are pressing on to know is also pressing on, with greater energy, to bring you home with Him?

Today, Matt mentioned this free online commentary resource from The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/

1. Read Philippians 3:1-2. What commands does Paul give to the church in these verses? How are ‘rejoice’ and ‘look out’ related to one another?

2. Read Philippians 3:3-4. What does Paul mean by ‘confidence in the flesh’? Is this a good confidence or a bad confidence in Paul’s view? Why?

3. Historical Background: Paul is warning the church about the Circumcision Party (Acts 11:2, Gal 2:12, Titus 1:10). These people believed that Jesus was Messiah, but insisted his followers must follow the Law of Moses, including circumcision for Gentile converts (Acts 11:2, Gal 2:12, Titus 1:10). Paul considered this a form of legalism - a mindset that focuses on behavior instead of the heart.

4. While most of us aren’t overly concerned with Jewish ritual law, self-reliance and behavior-modification approach to life is prevalent in our era. What are some specific ways you or your peers are tempted to legalism? Why is legalism antithetical to the command in 3:1, “Rejoice in the Lord.”?

5. In the sermon today, Robb mentioned Bryan Chapell’s “Deadly Be’s”: Be-LIKE, Be-GOOD, Be-DISCIPLINED. Review these ideas together. What does each mean? Why are they ‘deadly’? How can we tell if we are entertaining these Deadly Be’s in our own spiritual lives?

6. Read Philippians 3:5-7. How does Paul describe his own experience with legalistic righteousness? What is his conclusion?

7. Is “counting [things] loss for the sake of Christ” a one-time thing or a habitual practice? How can we help one another to live in grace and not in a legalistic mindset?

Share about a time in your life when you were particularly discouraged. How did you get out of it (if you did)?

1. Read Philippians 2:19-24. What does Paul say sets Timothy apart? Why didn’t Paul send Timothy to Philippi?

2. Read Philippians 2:25-30. Who is Epaphroditus? What does it mean to receive Epaphroditus with joy and to honor him?

3. How have you been blessed by the leaders God has brought into your life?

4. What makes it so difficult to honor our leaders?

5. What would change in your life if you showed honor to people before they earned it?

1. Nearly 30 million Americans say they have faith in God, but are ‘done with church.’ What do you think leads some people to conclude that church is not for them? Have you ever wondered that for yourself? Why or why not?

2. Read Philippians 2:12-13. In these verses, the instruction is plural: “Y’all work out y’all’s salvation.” What does it mean to work out our salvation? What difference does it make if you think about it as a corporate rather than individual activity?

3. What is the relationship between God’s work (v13) and our work (v12) in the church? How have you seen this dynamic play out in your own spiritual community?

4. Read Philippians 2:14-16. What is the relationship between our communal life (vv12-14) and the church’s Gospel Witness? How does grumbling and disputing disrupt the work God is doing in us? In whose eyes will we appear ‘blameless and innocent’ if we abstain from complaint?

5. If you have artistic people in your group (kids or adults), ask them to sketch one of the images from these verses: innocent children in the midst of a crooked and twisted crowd, or lights shining in the (dark) world. What do these images conjure in your mind? How do they make you feel about your identity as part of the church?

6. Read Philippians 2:17-18. Where else in this chapter does Paul speak about joy? What is the impetus for joy in each of the verses you find? Take some time to pray for one another to have joy in the specific circumstances you find yourselves in.

1. Read Philippians 1:27 and then 2:1-4. What themes from 1:27 re-emerge in chapter 2 after Paul’s short teaching on fear (1:28-30)?

2. Christ is our POWER.
   Review once more the ‘any’ statements of v1. Which of these gifts of grace have been most precious to you in your walk with Christ? Which seems most foreign? How does our experience of v1 affect our capacity to follow vv2-4?

3. Christ is our MODEL. Read Philippians 2:5-8. How would you describe Jesus’ model or mindset? What elements in these verses are most challenging for you personally?

4. With the phrase ‘even the death of the cross’ (2:8), Paul indicates the special nature of Jesus’ crucifixion. What made the death of Jesus special? Read Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:6–8; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24. Read Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 for amazingly detailed prophecies of the cross of Christ. What do these prophecies teach about the nature of Christ’s death?

5. Christ is our HOPE. Read Philippians 2:9-11. What is the relationship between vv6-8 and vv9-11? How do these verses bring hope to suffering Christians? To you personally?

   Consider memorizing Philippians 2:5-11 together as a group - just 2 verses a week and you’ll be done before Easter!

   • Question 4 taken from Roger Ellsworth, Opening up Philippians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2004), 40.

1. Have you ever felt threatened or intimidated for your faith? What led to that experience, and how did it end?

2. Read Phil 1:27. In v27 Paul commands, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel.” In the original language, the phrase “let your manner of life be” carried the connotation, “live as a citizen.” What comes to mind when you think about citizenship? What does Paul mean to communicate with this command?

3. Read Phil 1:28. According to this verse, one component of kingdom citizenship is being ‘not frightened in anything by your opponents.’ Here, the word used for ‘frightened’ comes from the equestrian world, describing what happens when a horse is ‘spooked’ or startled. Why is this an important part of kingdom citizenship? Why might Christians find this sort of unflinching faith difficult to achieve?

4. In what way is fearlessness a ‘sign’? Can you think of an example of this verse in action? How do we embody this posture of fearlessness as we ‘engage in the same conflict’ (v30) of spiritual warfare in our context?

5. Read Phil 1:29. According to this verse, why does God allow Christians suffer? How does this verse help us in the midst of our own suffering?

6. Today we read in Act 16 about the gospel moving as Christians stayed anchored in Christ in the aftermath of an earthquake. Take time now to pray for Rich & Lori Felder and the many believers who are serving Turkish & Syrian earthquake survivors in Jesus’ name.

1. What’s the happiest moment in your life that you can remember? Is there anything that makes that moment bittersweet now as you look back on it?

2. Read Philippians 1:12-26. What is Paul’s tone throughout this passage?

3. In Philippians 1:18-21, what does it mean that “to die is gain”? What does it mean that “to live is Christ” (compare with Galatians 2:20)?

4. Why does it matter in verse 18 when Paul writes, “whether in pretense or truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice”? Does Paul not care about heart motives?

5. How might you summarize what Paul is saying in Philippians 1:12-26 in one or two sentences?

6. Do you find your happiness in any of the things Houston mentioned in the sermon: pleasure, success, or stuff? What are the vulnerabilities of those things? Does Christ have those same vulnerabilities? What is keeping you from putting your joy in him?

1. Can you remember the first time you really heard and understood the gospel story? How did you respond to the gospel back then? How has your understanding or your response changed since then?

2. Read Philippians 1:1-11. How would you describe the tone or emotional quality of these opening remarks? What language does Paul use to convey such a tone/emotion?

3. In v5, Paul talks about the Philippians “partnership in the Gospel from the first day.” This is the very first church ever planted in Europe. Read Acts 16:9-40, the story of Paul’s first visit to Philippi. Who from this story might have been in the congregation that first received Paul’s letter? How does the history from Acts affect your reading of Philippians?

4. The Gospel is a major theme of Philippians. In the sermon today, Robb said, “for Paul, the gospel is the whole story of Jesus.” What do we learn about the gospel from Phi 1:1-11? From Phi 2:6-11?

5. Another major theme discussed in the sermon this morning is ‘participation’ or 'koinonia.’ What does Paul mean when he speaks of ‘partnership in the gospel’ (v5) and being ‘partakers with me of grace’ (v7)? (See also Phi 3:10-11).

6. The final theme discussed in the sermon this morning is joy. What is the relationship between gospel, koinonia, and joy? In what ways might we be tempted to compromise the gospel, or compromise our commitment/participation? How does that affect our joy in Christ?

1. What is your experience so far with global missions? Would you say those experiences have been good? Why or why not?

2. In Romans 15:23-29, what does Paul say about his travel itinerary? As a group, but his travel plan into chronological order.

3. In Romans 15:27, what does Paul mean when he says that since “the Gentiles have come to share in [the Jews’] spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings”? What are the spiritual blessings he’s talking about?

4. Why does this mutual partnership between the Greek, Roman, and Jerusalem Church matter for us today? Does it change how we approach cross-cultural missions?

5. In Romans 15: 27, Paul says that we participate in the global church because it is our duty and our joy. What does this look like in the life of a 21st century American Christian?

6. Though missions is something that we talk a lot about, a minority of Christians in Virginia Beach are meaningfully engaged in cross-cultural missions. What are the major obstacles you face to engaging in partnering with churches in other cultures? 

7. Read Ephesians 2:13-17. How does the work of Christ on the cross change these dynamics?