Vantage Point: Pharisees (Mark 2:13-17; 3:1-6 and Phil 3:4-9)

Sunday, February 28th - Pastor Kyle Van Tine  

"Vantage Point: Pharisees" (Mark 2:13-17; 3:1-6 and Phil 3:4-9) 

Listen to "Vantage Point: Pharisees" by following this link

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 

What kind of religious traditions have you seen or experienced that actually go beyond the scriptures, or even contradict God’s Word?

Why is it easier to see disobedience in others instead of ourselves?

In what specific ways do you have a condemning and judgmental spirit towards others?

When you think of being a hypocrite, what does that mean to you? The Bible describes a time when Peter was hypocritical (Gal 2:11-13); share a time where you found yourself acting hypocritically. What is involved in the process of moving from honesty to hypocrisy?

What is the motivation behind times when you have behaved hypocritically? What are areas of hypocrisy in your life and how do you fight against hypocritical tendencies?

The Pharisees were jealous of Jesus’ popularity and threated by his growing influence. How have you experienced jealousy in your own life? What tends to provoke you to jealousy and why? When we live in ongoing jealousy and envy of others, what truths are we not believing about the Gospel?

In what areas of your life do you tend to find your value, significance and worthiness apart from the cross of Jesus?

How does the cross confront our self-righteousness?

How does the cross confront our hypocrisy?

How does the cross confront our jealousy?

Why do you think it was so hard for the Pharisees to see these qualities in themselves? Why is it so hard for us? As a group, if you were challenged to help a Pharisee recover, how would you help him/her? What advice and help would you offer? Of that advice, what do you need to apply to your own life?

Sunday, July 12th "Compelled by Christ's Love" (2 Cor:5:11-6:2)

"Compelled by Christ's Love" 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

Pastor Kyle Van Tine at Summit View Church: Heritage Park Campus

Listen to this Sunday's sermon by following this link.

CG Coaching for Week #6 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

Sunday, July 12th  -  Pastor Kyle Van Tine  -  "Compelled by Christ's Love" 

Many times, we are blind to the motivations of our own heart - fame, money, power, acceptance, love, shame, guilt… the list could go on for a while. God knows. God sees our heart, piercing its depths and seeing the very attitudes and motives that drive our outward actions. Paul knows what motivates him. He is motivated by fearful awe and love for God because he has been stripped of being motivated by the things this world offers. Paul understands that he is deeply known by an infinite God. Paul knows that his sin separates him from his Creator and that his sin destines him for God’s just wrath. God is not impressed by the things people are impressed with - gifts, accomplishments, knowledge, eloquence. We cannot reconcile and make peace with God ourselves through anything we do, no matter how impressive we think they are. Instead, God did it all Himself. God fixed it. He created a way for us, sinners destined for justice from a just God, to be reconciled to Him. By our repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we are made free from shame and guilt. Free from alienation from God. Free from eternal condemnation. We are people who are motivated by the good news that Christ paid the cost for us so we can live in peace with God. We are freed from bondage to the worldly idols that used to motivate us and can, instead, live a deeply revolutionary life, a reconciled life, fueled by a missionary heart. We are a new creation filled with wondrous new desires. The controlling force in our lives is now Christ, who compels us to see beyond the shallow self-filled life, and who gives us rest in the joy of a God-centered life. Out of the desires of our new life, we can use our spiritual eyes to look past the external image people around us strive to maintain, to look deeply at them as souls known by God and in need of a Savior. 

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Romans 5:10-11 and Romans 12:1-2.

The gospel is transforming; our thoughts and deeds are changing. We have been given Christ’s perfect righteousness, counted by God as belonging to us. 

What kinds of motivations have you seen that cause people to get involved in church?

How does the knowing that we will be accountable to Jesus as our Judge motivate us to live sincere and holy lives?  

Because Jesus loved us and died for us, He has given us the Holy Spirit and the ability to begin to die to our sinful self.  How have you died to yourself so that you can live for Jesus? What areas of your sinful life need to die this week and what will it look like to live for Jesus in those areas?

How does knowing you don’t need to impress God or earn His approval and affection liberate you to live for Him?

How does recognizing others as souls change how you see  people in your life, both the easy and difficult?

How will you live as an Ambassador of Jesus and His Kingdom this week? (Practically – Who will you serve? Who will you pray for? Who will you meet with?)

Recommended Reading: Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

The Gospel of Mark: "Jesus & Religion" Mark 7:1-23

JESUS AND RELIGION

The Gospel of Mark 7:1-23

1. Jesus against Religious Traditionalism (Mark 7:1-5) 
What kind of religious traditions have you seen or experienced that actually go beyond the scriptures or even contradict God’s Word?
Why is it easier to see disobedience in others instead of ourselves?
In what specific ways do you have a condemning and judgmental spirit towards others (not lovingly, graciously correcting)?

2. Jesus against Religious Hypocrisy (Mark 7:6-13)
What is involved in the process of moving from honesty to hypocrisy? What might be gained by religious hypocrisy?
Where do you see areas of justified contradiction between what you claim to believe and how you really live?

3. Jesus against Religious Externalism (Mark 7:14-23)
What’s the difference between external conformity and internal heart-transformation? How do you personally know if your obedience is from the heart or only external pressure?
Apart from the gifted righteousness of Jesus, in what areas do you try to find your value, significance and worthiness in the eyes of God or others?

You can listen to Jesus and Religion here.