Weekly Sermon Reflection Questions

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l John Wesley’s heart-warming experience (received assurance that his sins are forgiven and he is saved through trust in Christ alone) came about from hearing a reading of the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on […]

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome is his longest and most doctrinal letter, written in Corinth around 60 AD. It has been at the centre of many spiritual awakenings including those of St

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We cannot surrender all on our own strength. That is why the biblical understanding is that it is the grace of God that we give. This discipleship principle is captured in today’s passage. The

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Corinth was a very rich city because of its vibrant trades and ideal location.  Living standards increased as people were more affluent.  With affluence came a sense of individualism that values self-sufficiency, i.e. greedy

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Stewardship is re-directing earthly resources using eternal perspectives. It is an integral part of God’s mission whereby we share what we have, with glad, generous and grateful hearts. All that we have – time,

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l God entrusts and expects His disciples to steward every resource He gives. To diligently fulfill this high calling beyond financial tithing and giving, we need to understand the big picture of stewardship. We manage,

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l A story is told of someone who fell into a village well. To rescue him, someone had to go down to the well, secured by a rope while several others had to hold on

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We may have had mentors and role models in our lives. Let us look to St Paul as a role model to understand what are the marks of a disciple in full-time ministry such

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l As evangelists, we should be aware of the cultural realities and climate we are living in today. There is a rising tide of anti-Christian sentiments and authoritarian governments are increasingly restricting religion. Several theologians

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l In 1 Cor 3:-5-9, Apostle Paul used an agricultural imagery process to show us we have an equal role in kingdom partnership with God, and our assignment is to obey God and fulfill the

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We are all evangelists at heart because we tend to share things we like, be it the best hawker stall or good deals. If it’s good news, share it. The gospel or glad tidings

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l What does it mean to reach outside of ourselves and our faith community to the lost, as an individual and as a church? Intentional Discipleship: Evangelism Evangelism is the proclamation of the good news

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l How do our friendships shape us into Christlikeness? Four types of friendships: 1. Acquaintance – know very little of each other 2. Casual friendship – share common interests, activities and concerns like games, climate

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We are created to connect intimately with God and one another in community. Spiritual Friendship is a shared relationship rooted in Christ, where there’s mutual commitment to help each other grow Christlikeness. Then there’s

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l John Wesley’s heart felt strangely warmed at Aldersgate in 1738. While some churches prefer to emphasise the head for correct thinking, and others the hands for correct doing, Methodists should stress the heart for

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l The book of Ephesians was written by Paul to the church in Ephesus, which was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. It was a culturally chaotic and vibrant city where pagan worshippers

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Ps Judith shared her testimony. Born in 1973 in Medan, married to a Singaporean at age 21, she gave birth to a severely handicapped daughter. One month later, her husband left her and she

READ | SERMON NOTES Deuteronomy 6:1-9 is to be taught to all family members.  v4-9 is known as The Shema Prayer.  It is a classic Hebrew confession of faith spoken daily by pious Jews.  The first thing God wanted His

READ | SERMON NOTES Background The entire book of Deuteronomy is a series of public addresses from Moses to prepare Israel’s next lap into the Promised Land. None left from Egypt except Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 32:11-12). Deuteronomy 6 consists

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary | Feeling excluded, disconnected in church? Frustrated by a lack of genuine interaction? Why and how is the small group community key in disciple making? God is relational. He breathed His Spirit into MAN (Genesis

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary | A biblical principle in discipleship is we are made complete in community – you complete me, I complete you. As members of Christ’s body, we belong to each other (Rm 12:4,5). John Wesley believes

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l “The greatest failure of the church is not our poor evangelism, but our poor discipleship.” (Rev Stanley Chua) Why is this so, even though there is no lack of resources and teachings on discipleship?

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary | There are 3 key struggles that all humanity has to deal with. Romans 8 addresses these issues so that we may find liberty and healing. 1. The Struggle of Emptiness: Despite our wealth and

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary I Jesus tells us that the most important thing in life is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength. In other words, we are to love God with our heart, head and

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We live in a broken world with pandemic, wars and power struggles resulting in the loss of innocent lives. History is littered with stories of kings and queens who did much harm, including many

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a triumphal procession.  John mentioned that palms were used and hence it became known as Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week when Jesus was betrayed,

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l The rejection of God’s love and salvation through Christ, then and today, breaks the Father’s heart. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Today’s passage centres on Jesus addressing the crowd and His disciples regarding the spiritual leaders of His time- the Scribes and Pharisees – and His judgement on them, and their imposture of faith. Background:

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l We are forgiven to forgive. Rabbinic law suggests forgiving three times; the apostle Peter asked if it should be seven times, to which Jesus replied not seven times but seventy-seven times. In essence, Jesus

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l Why is choosing not to forgive bad for us? 1. It destroys friendships as we allow resentment to build up blocking effective communication and creating an unpleasant atmosphere. This is a problem when it