Weekly Sermon Reflection Questions

The Latin word ‘benediction’ comprises two parts: ‘bene’, which means good, and ‘diction’, which means to speak. Together, it means to pronounce a blessing. The cultural notion of blessing is often inherently circumstantial and personalised; it is tied to a time, place and individual and is inherently religious.

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l MERCY at the heart of justice is God’s way. God commends us to endure unjust suffering that brings about good. Christ suffered as our example who “committed no sin” yet died to redeem us

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/knowing-where-we-are-going-traditional/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

The church camp theme is ‘Shining Like Stars In The Universe’. Christians march towards eternal destiny with Jesus, overcoming challenges, forgiving others and rejoicing in faith, hope and divine guidance, while focusing on their eternal destiny and divine calling.

God’s heart is for the marginalised, vulnerable and powerless (MVP). As Christians and as the church we are God’s hands and feet for God’s love and redemption.

Justice is not an optional add-on to evangelism. It is part of the Gospel. It is one of the most powerful ways the church can bear witness to Jesus in the world today. In Timothy Keller’s book “Generous Justice”, he shared, “If a person has grasped the meaning of God’s grace in his heart, he will do justice.” How do we do biblical justice today?

The second sermon in the Biblical Justice Series explores justice in scripture, emphasising debt cancellation, radical hospitality, gracious justice, dignity, restoration, covenant faithfulness and Jesus’ mission of radical generosity and compassion.

Different moral principles guide decisions: maximising welfare (greatest good), respecting freedom (sanctity of life) and promoting virtue (good life). Each focuses on consequences, individual autonomy or moral character.

Amos condemned Israel’s hollow worship and indifference to injustice. God rejected their rituals and luxury, urging them to pursue justice and righteousness. This message remains relevant for modern societies.

Justice involves making right what is wrong, not revenge. Types include distributive, procedural, retributive and restorative. Biblical justice emphasises acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God.

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/divine-treatment-for-depression-traditional/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1 in 7 Singaporeans face mental illness, affecting all ages and daily functioning. As members of the Body of Christ, we must support those suffering from depression and similar conditions.

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l In His Word, God prepares us for troubles and suffering. He states with no uncertainty that we will face suffering as Christians. At the same time, God promises that these troubles are temporary, and they prepare

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l The world around us is marked by an absence of peace. Many are living in great distress. Yet God says to us he that wants peace for the world – as angels announced during

We must embrace biblical justice in our discipleship. Psalm 137, though violent and imprecatory, calls for God’s judgment on evildoers. Despite its harshness, it offers valuable lessons about justice and should not be overlooked.

John’s account highlights Jesus’ gentle redemption of the Disciples’ failure. After Jesus’ execution, the Disciples felt guilt and despair. Only seven remained, feeling remorseful and dejected, until Jesus appeared and invited them to “Come and Dine”.

Joshua, on the brink of leading the Israelites into Jericho, faced hopes and uncertainties. Similarly, our ambitions and fears can hinder the future God desires for us.

Ezekiel sees a vision of a river starting from the temple of God. It flows into desert lands, transforming the landscape into a beautiful flourishing one. This is a picture of the church which blesses the community, nation and world. We, the church, are God’s gift to the world.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the climactic and ultimate sign in the Gospel of John, the seventh and final miracle that confirms Jesus’ divine identity and mission. The tomb is empty – Jesus did not remain in the grave.

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/resurrection-of-jesus-traditional/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

The Resurrection and the Life: Jesus’ miraculous raising of Lazarus showed not only His power to heal but to restore life from death.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. These words bring much comfort and hope to the bereaved; for all those who have died in Christ, will be resurrected with a new body, like that of our Lord at the second coming.

Reflect on whether we are like the disciples with assumptions, the blind man unaware of Jesus, the Pharisees rejecting truth, or the parents afraid to acknowledge Jesus publicly.

The healing of the blind man in John 9 parallels the lame man’s healing in John 5, showing Jesus as the Light of the World who heals spiritual blindness, affirming His divinity.

John chapter 6 highlights Jesus’ miracles, teachings and people’s responses, emphasising Jesus as the Bread of Life, spiritual sustenance and eternal life provider during the Passover period.

We are now halfway through Lent and studying the fourth miracle (sign) pointing us to the true identity of Jesus. John is less direct than the other three Gospel writers, hinting at the Divinity of Jesus without being explicit. In the previous three miracles, Jesus has done things that only God can do: transforming, restoring life to the dead and healing.

John teases the reader to discover who Jesus really is, through the great miracles He performs. In today’s passage, Jesus heals the lame man at the pool on the Sabbath. He had been an invalid for 38 years. The Sabbath is the time set aside for reverence and devotion. The preparation for the Sabbath, sets the tone for the devotion that we have on the Sabbath. We step away from our busyness and adopt a posture of reverence and devotion.

In this third session in Lent, we continue reflecting on the signs in the Gospel of John. John presents seven key miracles to help us recognise Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. These signs provoke belief and encourage us to understand who Jesus truly is. One of these miracles occurs at the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus heals a man who has been invalid for 38 years.

John’s Gospel, written 50-60 years after Jesus’ death, reflects on His life and signs, emphasising faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the giver of abundant life.

God is calling us to a faith beyond what we see. The example of a father’s obedient, all-consuming faith in Jesus encourages us to perseveringly seek God’s blessing of overcoming victory for ourselves or someone we love.