Harris Creek Baptist Church Harris Creek

In this week's sermon, John Elmore taught us about the Christian's security in Christ, the lack of need for worry, and our choice of paths in life: climbing the ladder of the world or the ladder of God's Kingdom.

Our choices in life are:
1. Trash or Treasure 
2. God or Greed
3. Worry or Worship
 
Life Group Discussion:
What treasure do you need to give God all the glory?
How can you shift your focus from accumulating material wealth to building spiritual wealth in your daily life?
What areas of your life do you tend to worry, and you can’t sleep at night?

We could do the right thing for the wrong reasons. What is your “why”? In Matthew 6, we learn how to glorify God with a pure faith believing in Him. 
 
Fake faith gives to be honored by others
Fake faith performs prayers 
Fake faith sacrifices to appear spiritual 
 
Life Group Discussion:
Do you give for God’s glory or man’s glory? Where do you need to be challenged?
When you are praying with others, is it easy for you to just talk to God or do you get distracted on what you are going to pray in the presence of others? 
Is the “why” you fast because you want to appear spiritual to others? What is your motive?

What did Jesus mean when He told us to turn the other cheek? For many of us, our reaction to being wronged is to hit back and try to enact justice on our own terms. But Jesus calls us to something altogether new. When forced to go one mile, we go two. 

Life Group Questions:
1. In the past, how have you responded when you have been wronged?
2. How does this passage challenge our notions of strength and weakness?
3. What does it mean to “not withhold” from your enemies?

How do you define covenants and commitments? In Matthew 5, we learn Christians keep their covenants, consider remarriage carefully, and know the importance of having credibility to point others to Christ.
 
Christians keep our covenants 
Consider remarriage carefully
A Christian’s credibility points to Christ
 
Life Group Discussion:
Does marriage really matter? How important are the marriage vows? Why do you say that?
When you say, “yes”, do you mean it? Is your “yes” trustworthy? 
Share a time when you broke a commitment? How did you handle it? When you need to break a commitment, discuss together the best way.

God requires perfect holiness to be in His presence. We are imperfect and in need of a sinless sacrifice because of sin. Jesus is the sinless sacrifice and comes into our mess to rescue us! We can enter in the presence of God by the name of Jesus. 
 
Jesus is the Sinless Sacrifice
For Sin from Anger
Commands Amends from Sin
 
Life Group Discussion:
Where in my life am I relaxing in areas of sin?
Has God ever brought someone to your mind that you needed to seek out forgiveness? Did you obey? Share this experience. 
Is it hard to say, “Will you please forgive me?” What relationships are the hardest to say this phrase? 
 
 

Jesus is calling us to a higher standard of living and what we need is not to try harder to modify our behavior, rather we need heart transformation that comes from fully surrendering our entire lives to Jesus’ authority. In this sermon we learn from Joshua Broome, a former pornstar turned pastor, who points us towards Jesus' words on these truths.
 
1. Authority Reassigned
2. Adultery Redefined
3. The Adulterous Heart Redeemed
 
Life Group Discussion:
- How do you put up guardrails to protect your heart from tripping up?
- Do you bring your struggles to your heavenly Father? Or do you try to hide your struggles from God and others? 
- Do you take inventory of your life? What are you watching? What are you reading? What are you listening to? Who are you hanging out with? What do you need to stop doing that keeps you from becoming the likeness of Christ?