1. In preaching about the passage from John 14 in which Jesus says, “I am the True Vine,” Mandy discussed what it means to “bear fruit,” and suggested several related questions.  So, what do you think? What *does* it mean to “bear fruit?” And, if you can, share a bit about how you arrived at your answer or, perhaps, what influences led to your conclusions.  What is it that you think God wants from you (personally & individually)? How does it differ from with what you think God wants from us, as the Christian body of the church?  Finally, what do you think God wants from us ..read more

1. Without reading ahead to the questions that follow, come up with a mental list of things and people to which you have an authentic fidelity. How do you know? How were you able it identify these things? To what things would others who know you say that you have fidelity, based on what they can see of how you spend your time, your energy, and your money? What do you think of these lists? How similar or dissimilar are they? Why do you think that might be? 2. Whoever you may have thought of as “hired hands” during this week’s sermon, “they” aren’t the only ones who act as hired hands, holdi ..read more

1. Tim preached about the need for our approach to our doubts to be neither indulgent nor avoidant, but to, instead, be creative. He talked about stewarding the tool of doubt. What experiences do you have with indulging in doubt and avoiding doubt? Tell your group a bit about those parts of your story - or as much of it as you may have to tell at this point in your faith travels. (You’ll get a chance to share about your experiences stewarding your doubt in a bit.) 2. How do you feel about your doubts? How do you feel about the doubts of others? Maybe those closest to you? In what context doe ..read more

1. In Tim’s sermon today, he talked about the symbolic opposition Jesus presented to three related spheres of power & influence that shared control of their world at large. Those Spheres of Power were Economic, Military, and Religious. As a group, discuss the following: What spheres of power & influence do you see as dominating and sharing control in our world today? Which, if any, of these remain? Which, if any, have shifted out of dominance? What, if anything, should be added to the list? 2. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds shouted, “Hosanna,” a phrase that, at the time had p ..read more

1. Cole’s translation of John 12:25 is as follows: “Anyone who maintains their life will lose it, while anyone who comes to the end of themselves in this world of violence and corruption will keep it for the eternal kind of life.” What do you take away from this translated version? What does it mean - in concrete terms - to maintain your life in the sense of this passage as it was taught? What does it mean to “come to the end of yourself?” What might that look and feel like? Have you had experiences that you see as coming to the end of yourself? How easy or hard is it believe that these expe ..read more

1. One of the slides from Tim’s sermon today read, “People will choose a low level of chronic anxiety & stress, even though it’s more withering, over temporary acute pain that deals with the root cause.”  What is your initial response to this idea? If you agree, why do you think people seem to operate this way?  How true does it ring for you personally? Where have you seen this principle at work in yourself?  If you’re aware of ways in which this has been true for you, but in which you have also eventually dug into those root causes, what motivated you to delve into that spa ..read more

1. Tim used Hans-Georg Gadamer‘s concept of horizons throughout this week’s sermon, articulating the idea that we can sometimes have two clashing horizons (or orientations toward the world) challenging our working models of reality.  Gadamer believed that the clash of horizons is the pathway to wisdom…if we’re willing to interrogate both horizons with curiosity and make adjustments.  Share a bit with the group about times in your life when you’ve seen this concept at work in yourself. What have some of the new “alternate horizons” been that have entered your world and instigat ..read more

1. When talking about ancient practices around the Holy of Holies, and the fear God’s people felt about approaching God, Tim said, “When the children of God isolated God inside the temple, they cut themselves off from the source of life.” He juxtaposed that by noting that, in the Biblical stories, when someone had an experience of God while out in the wilderness, it was definitely one that didn’t have any of those isolating & estanging layers.  Consider some of the stories from the Bible that stick with you most, some of your favorites. Are there Biblical stories of people encounterin ..read more

1. In today’s sermon, Tim talked about the way in which, “In attending to life’s measurable realities, we seem to have lost the ability to recognize life’s immeasurable realities…” He also spoke of God as, “not a mystery that is unknowable, but rather endlessly knowable.” How do these ideas sit for you? What do they make you think of and feel? Remembering that there are no bad answers, reflect on how important measurable, concrete realities are in the way in which you understand and show up in the world. How much space is allocated for the mysterious and unknowable in your life and ..read more

1. Tim talked about Jesus’ symbolic move from the synagogue, which we see unfolding between last week & this week’s scripture passages from Mark 1. Tim talked about understanding this movement as a lesson: the problems in the synagogue are leaking out into the village. No shalom in the synagogue = no shalom in the home…or in the individual (physical) body. Think about and discuss this idea with the group. How does this baseline idea strike you? As part of your discussion, consider this concept’s application today. If we are paralleling this concept in our lives & world now, what stand ..read more