Cell Praxis

Teaching Text 

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Sermon Synopsis

Of all of the seven deadly sins, greed is the sin that Jesus warns us about the most throughout the scriptures.  However, greed is also the sin that we like to quietly excuse ourselves from.  We tend to measure greed by the amount of possessions, thereby limiting greed to be a rich man’s problem.  The reality is that greed is a condition of the heart: the dependence on “more” to feel secure and satisfied.  The parable of the rich man exposes the dangers of this heart condition.  His tragedy is not his success or diligence, but in his functional independence from God as he plans as though he alone controls his future and stores up wealth for future satisfaction.

Jesus confronts this illusion with a sobering truth: “one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  As opposed to greed, generosity recognizes that everything in this life has been entrusted to us to steward for God’s Kingdom purposes and to bless others.  We encounter this truth beautifully in the gospel – although Jesus was rich, He became poor for our sake so that we might inherit our true riches in Him.

Key Takeaway

Greed lures us into the lie that security and satisfaction can be found in accumulating more. Generosity shatters this illusion of ownership and frees us to live open-handedly as God’s stewards, knowing that our true riches are in heaven because of God’s grace in our lives.

Sharing Prompts

1. How does living in Los Angeles subtly shape your personal assumptions or posture toward success, comfort, possessions, or even practicality?  How does the Kingdom of God challenge those ideas?

2. We pray the generosity liturgy together in one voice every Sunday.  How have you seen Jesus’ way of generosity forming you and our community?  In what ways would you like to see yourself and our community continue to grow in this way?

Practice

Spend some time rejoicing over how your cell group saw God’s goodness throughout the past season and bless one another in prayer for the next season ahead.

Teaching Text 

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;

    consider her ways, and be wise.

7 Without having any chief,

    officer, or ruler,

8 she prepares her bread in summer

    and gathers her food in harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?

    When will you arise from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,

    a little folding of the hands to rest,

11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

    and want like an armed man.

Sermon Synopsis

Our modern culture has come to equate sloth with laziness, but the early church understood this deadly sin to be much deeper than that.  Sloth is a spiritual indifference to God that stems from a disordered love for comfort more than obedience.

Proverbs 6 confronts sloth through a sluggard being sent to learn from none other than the unassuming ant.  The ant is a small creature that wisely lives in accordance with God’s design for her.  The sluggard, on the other hand, refuses to consider reality or to prepare faithfully. He is left with the warning that his refusal to God’s call will eventually catch up to him and leave him in sudden poverty. 

The cure for sloth is not just to work harder or to become more disciplined.  Our hope is in Jesus, the true faithful One who never slept through His calling but obeyed the Father’s will because of His love for us.  This radical love ought to wake us up and make us run like the disciples who ran to the tomb.  Love gives us a reason to run!

Key Takeaway

Sloth resists the costly, transforming love of God by continually delaying obedience.  But in Christ, grace awakens us from spiritual passivity so we can experience the fullness of life as God intended it: by loving God and our neighbor, not tomorrow, but today.

Sharing Prompts

1. The danger of sloth is not one big “no” but rather a thousand little “not yet”s.  Where in your life have you been saying "not yet" to God?  What has kept you there?

2. How have you seen a past season of preparation or hidden faithfulness come to fruition in your life?

3. The disciples ran to Jesus’ tomb not out of duty, but out of love.  What tends to awaken in you that same kind of eager movement toward God, and what tends to slow you back down?

Practice

Spend some time in prayer bringing one of your “not yet”s before God.  Ask Him to guide you in what it would look like to move from resistance into action.  Do not worry about making a huge overhaul in your life, but just focus on taking one concrete step of obedience.

Some examples:

• Have the conversation that you have been avoiding

• Apply for the opportunity that you have delayed pursuing

• Make time to attend the prayer room once this week

• Sign up to serve in a new ministry at this upcoming Sunday’s ministry fair

Share with a partner what next step you are being led to take as a form of accountability.  Close in prayer for each other.

Teaching Text 

21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Sermon Synopsis

Anger has terrifying power.  During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus references the commandment, “You shall not murder,” to illustrate just how destructive anger can become when left unchecked.  It may not always kill the body, but it can kill trust, affection, tenderness, and our ability to see another person in the image of God.  Why does Jesus not simply say then, “Never be angry”?  Anger in itself is not always evil – even God gets angry, but His anger is always rooted in love.  This is where we draw a critical distinction: righteous anger protects what God loves and moves toward healing, while wrath protects the self and moves toward revenge.

The instruction Jesus gives us to heal our anger is to let love go first.  This is what God did for us in Jesus, by going first for us to free us from our sins and pay our debts.  Anger is healed when the love of the Father meets us in our anger and answers our wrath not with wrath, but with mercy.

Key Takeaway

Wrath begins not with a weapon, but with a heart that stops seeing people as God’s image bearers.  It is only healed when the love of the Father, who went first for us in Jesus, frees us from the need to punish and sends us to go first, too.

Sharing Prompts

1. Think of a past memory when you experienced anger.  What was being protected underneath it?  What was the outcome of that situation and/or what did you learn from it?

2. Do you tend to deal with anger through explosion (harsh truth without love) or suppression (peacekeeping without honesty)?  What would truth in love look like instead?

3. Think of a past memory when you were the recipient of someone else’s anger.  How does reflecting on this week’s sermon impact the way you view that situation?

Practice

Paul says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

In groups of 2 or 3, reflect together:

• Is there someone God is leading me toward to take a step of forgiveness, reconciliation, repentance, a hard conversation?  What would one small next step look like?

• Is there a lie that the enemy is holding over me in this situation?  What is the truth that God has for me instead?

Pray for one another for the courage and humility to move first in those next steps.

Teaching Text 

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

    to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

    my steps had nearly slipped.

3 For I was envious of the arrogant

    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For they have no pangs until death;

    their bodies are fat and sleek.

5 They are not in trouble as others are;

    they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace;

    violence covers them as a garment.

7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;

    their hearts overflow with follies.

8 They scoff and speak with malice;

    loftily they threaten oppression.

9 They set their mouths against the heavens,

    and their tongue struts through the earth.

10 Therefore his people turn back to them,

    and find no fault in them.

11 And they say, “How can God know?

    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

12 Behold, these are the wicked;

    always at ease, they increase in riches.

13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean

    and washed my hands in innocence.

14 For all the day long I have been stricken

    and rebuked every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

    I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 But when I thought how to understand this,

    it seemed to me a wearisome task,

17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;

    then I discerned their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;

    you make them fall to ruin.

19 How they are destroyed in a moment,

    swept away utterly by terrors!

20 Like a dream when one awakes,

    O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

21 When my soul was embittered,

    when I was pricked in heart,

22 I was brutish and ignorant;

    I was like a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

    you hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

    and afterward you will receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

28 But for me it is good to be near God;

    I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

    that I may tell of all your works.

Sermon Synopsis

Envy begins with the eyes, and Psalm 73 shows us the example of Asaph’s distorted vision.

First, Asaph looks sideways at other people and uses their blessings as measurements to determine his own success.  His desires get twisted and lead to accusation, essentially asking the question, “Why them and not me?”

Asaph then looks inward, and we see what envy truly does to us.  We dismiss envy as harmless, when in reality envy makes our bones and hearts rot.  Envy hides under many other names while robbing us of joy and causing us to love ourselves first before God and our neighbor.

The turning point comes when Asaph goes into the sanctuary of God and looks upward.  His perspective is restored in God’s presence, where he also finds grace.  We see this grace most clearly at the cross – when envy says that we are forgotten or that God is withholding from us, the cross says louder that God gave Himself in love for us.

Key Takeaway

Envy distorts our vision and makes us despise our lives.  When we take our envy upward, we discover that God has already given us Himself in Christ, and that is enough.

Sharing Prompts

1. Envy may be the hardest of all the deadly sins to admit, as it rarely reveals itself honestly.  Where is envy quietly living in your life right now? How do you think envy tends to mask itself in your heart?
2. When have you experienced that God is truly enough for you? What can you do this week to remind yourself of this truth?

Practice

Envy begins to lose its grip when we stop calling it something else and instead name it for what it is.

Step 1: Name it to God

Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind one person whose life, success, or blessing you have been quietly measuring yourself against.  Complete this thought: "What bothers me is that they have _____, and I don't."  Be as specific as possible.  Write it out, if it helps.

Bring these confessions upward to God, not cleaned up, but honestly.  Receive His love for you in exchange.  Ask Him to reveal one thing about your story that He sees with His eyes.

Respond in prayer: “God, I know that in the deepest longing of my heart, there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  And even when my flesh fails, I thank You that your grace meets me there.  Free me to rejoice of that same grace in the lives of those around me.”

Step 2: Name it in community

Share with a partner what came up for you.  Take time to pray blessings over each other and the specific people that were brought to mind.

Teaching Text 

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,and he does according to his will among the host of heavenand among the inhabitants of the earth;and none can stay his handor say to him, “What have you done?”

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Sermon Synopsis
Pride is not just a behavior, it is a posture of the heart that resists God and centers ourselves. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we often take what is a gift and treat it as something we built on our own. Pride deceives us, makes us forget our dependence on God, and slowly deforms our humanity.

We see that pride doesn’t elevate us, it actually makes us less human. It turns relationships into competition, love into self-protection, and joy into entitlement. Left unchecked, pride shapes us into people who cannot truly love, receive, or rejoice.

But the good news is that pride is not the end of the story. When Nebuchadnezzar lifts his eyes to heaven, everything changes. His sanity returns, his perspective is restored, and his life is rebuilt. This shows us that humility is not humiliation, it is healing.

Grace humbles us not to crush us, but to restore us. When we recognize that everything is a gift, we are freed from self-obsession and become people who can truly love God and others.

Key Takeaway

Pride makes us forget God and lose ourselves, but grace lifts our eyes and makes us whole again.

Sharing Prompts

1. Where do you see pride subtly showing up in your life right now? It could be entitlement, comparison, defensiveness, or self-reliance. What makes it hard to recognize or admit it?

2. What is one area of your life where you may be taking credit for what is actually a gift from God?How would your attitude change if you truly saw it as grace?

Practice

1. “Lifting Our Eyes” Prayer

• Sit quietly and take a moment to reflect.

• Ask: “Where have I been looking at myself instead of looking to God?”

Then, pray together:

• Surrender that area to God

• Acknowledge your dependence on Him

• Thank Him for His grace

End with a simple declaration together:“Everything I have is a gift from God.”

2. Practice of Gratitude & Honor

• Form groups of three.

• Each person shares one specific gift they recognize in their life (an ability, opportunity, relationship, etc.).

Then, speak to one another:

• Name something you see in them that is clearly God-given

• Speak words of affirmation over one another

Teaching Text 

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Sermon SynopsisThroughout this series, we’ve been asking a simple but important question: Where does God meet us? 

We often think of specific places, church, prayer time, or quiet moments with Him. But Scripture shows us something greater: God is not confined to a place. If that’s true, then something shifts in how we see our lives. The whole world becomes the altar, and our lives become the offering.

In Romans 12:1–2, Paul calls us to respond to God’s mercy by offering our whole lives to Him, not just parts, but everything. This is not about earning God’s love, but responding to the love we have already received.

But this kind of life is not easy. The world is constantly shaping us, telling us what success looks like, what matters most, and how we should live. Without even realizing it, we can begin to live for comfort instead of calling, seek approval instead of faithfulness, and build our identity on things that cannot last.

That’s why Paul says, “Do not be conformed… but be transformed.” God desires to renew us from the inside out as we trust Him, listen to Him, and begin to live according to His truth.

And as we do, we begin to discover something powerful: God’s way really is better. What feels like loss becomes freedom. What feels like surrender becomes life. Because we are no longer living from fear or scarcity, but from God’s mercy and abundance.

So the Christian life is this: not just believing in Jesus, but offering your whole life to Him, daily. Because the world is the altar, your life becomes the offering.

Key Takeaway

Because of God’s mercy, my whole life is an offering, so I will not live for myself, but for Him in every area of my life.

Sharing Prompts

1. Where do you sense God inviting you to deeper surrender right now?Is there an area of your life where following Jesus feels costly, and what makes it hard to lay it down?

2. What is currently shaping your mind the most?What you watch, think about, repeat, or dwell on, and how is it influencing what you love, fear, or pursue?

Practice

STEP 1 - The Cost of Surrender (3 minutes)

Take a quiet moment before God.

Reflect on this truth:“The Christian life does not move from mercy to comfort, but from mercy to surrender.”

Then ask:“Jesus, what are You inviting me to lay down and trust You with?”

As something comes to mind: Simply acknowledge it before God

Then pray quietly:“Because of Your mercy, I surrender this to You. Shape my life by the cross.”

STEP 2 - Renewing the Mind (3 minutes)

Now reflect on this truth:“What I repeat shapes what I believe.”

Ask God:“What is one truth You want me to hold onto and repeat this week?”

Wait and listen.

Then respond with a simple prayer:“Holy Spirit, renew my mind. Transform me from the inside out as I fix my thoughts on Your truth.”

Teaching Text 

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Sermon Synopsis

We come into Easter carrying different stories, some full of joy, others weighed down by disappointment or quiet exhaustion. Easter asks us one question: What kind of life only makes sense if Jesus truly rose from the dead?

Paul tells us everything depends on the resurrection. If Jesus is not raised, our faith is empty. But if He is risen, everything changes.

First, death is not the end. The grave is real, but it is not final. Because Jesus rose, what feels final in our lives is not ultimate.

Second, new life is possible now. We are not stuck in who we’ve been. Through Jesus, we are forgiven, set free, and given a new identity, not defined by our failures, but by grace.

Third, the path to life goes through surrender. Real change requires something in us to die, our pride, control, or self-reliance, so that new life can grow.

And finally, a new world has already begun. We now live in that reality, showing through our lives that Jesus is alive.

Because He is risen, our story is not over.

Key Takeaway

Because Jesus is risen, our story is not finished. New life is possible, but it comes through surrender.

Sharing Prompts

1. Where in your life do you find it hard to believe that real change is possible?

2. What might God be inviting you to surrender or die to in this season? Why is that difficult?

3. Right now, what shapes your identity more, your past or God’s grace?

Practice

STEP 1 - Surrender before Resurrection

Take a quiet moment before God.

• Bring to mind one area of your life where change feels difficult or unlikely.

• Ask God: “Where are You already at work in this area?”

• Notice anything He brings to mind, even something small.

Then ask: 

• “What does this show me about Your heart toward me?”

Sit quietly and listen.

STEP 2 - New Life

Continue in prayer.

• Ask: “God, what new life are You growing in me right now?”

• “What is true about me because of Your grace?”

Receive what He brings to mind.

Teaching Text 

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 

Sermon Synopsis

We live in a city that is constantly shaping us. Like La La Land, Los Angeles offers beauty, opportunity, and dreams, but it also quietly asks for our devotion. Over time, the city begins to disciple us, forming what we love, what we pursue, and what we worship.

In Jeremiah 29, God’s people are placed in Babylon, a powerful, beautiful, but spiritually compromised city. And instead of telling them to escape or blend in, God gives them a surprising call: Live in the city without letting the city define you. 

How?

1. Receive the City (vv. 4–6)

You are not here by accident, God has sent you. So don’t live like a tourist. Be rooted, present, and intentional.

2. Seek the Good of the City (v. 7)

Seek the shalom, the flourishing, of the city. Not withdrawal. Not assimilation. But sacrificial presence. Your life becomes an altar when it’s laid down for others.

3. Seek God and Prosper (vv. 10–13)

True prosperity is not success, it’s God Himself. Even in Babylon, God offers His presence, a future, and a hope. 

Remember: God has placed you in this city not just to live in it, but to become an altar in it.

Key Takeaway

We are not in this city by accident. God has placed us here to become an altar, a people who seek Him and lay down our lives for the flourishing of others.

Sharing Prompts

1. Resisting Two Extremes: Isolation or Assimilation In your daily life, do you find yourself more tempted to withdraw and disengage, or to blend in and compromise? What draws you in that direction?

2. “Shalom” In Our City As you made your pledge, what kind of “shalom” did you sense God stirring in your heart for our city? What do you hope people will experience through our church in the years to come?

3. Equal Surrender, Not Equal GivingHow did God meet you in this process of giving, reminding you that what matters is not only the amount, but the surrender behind it?

Practice

Practice 1: Receiving the City 

• Sit quietly and reflect: “God, You have sent me here.”

• Name one place (work, home, neighborhood). 

• Pray: “Lord, help me receive this place as my calling, not my circumstance.”

Write down one sentence: “God has placed me here to…”

Practice 2: Becoming an Altar 

• Reflect on one area of your life shaped by the city (success, comfort, comparison, approval).

• Ask: “What have I been chasing or holding onto?”

• Surrender it to God in prayer: “Lord, this belongs to You.”

Practice 3: One Act of Shalom

• Identify one person God is placing on your heart.

• Ask: “What is one small way I can seek their good this week?”

Examples:

• A meaningful conversation

• A prayer for them

• Inviting them to a meal

• Helping with a need

 Commit: “This week, I will…”

Teaching Text 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Sermon Synopsis

Mission is not cultural expansion or Westernization, but a spiritual work rooted in the unseen spiritual reality described in Scripture. The Bible teaches that our struggle is not against people, but against spiritual forces. However, modern thinking often ignores this “middle realm” (the spiritual realm between God and the physical world), leading to a shallow understanding of faith.

From the Tower of Babel, humanity was scattered and, in a sense, temporarily given over to other spiritual powers (Deuteronomy 32:8). Yet God chose Israel as His own people and ultimately sent Jesus—not just for one nation, but for all nations—to reclaim humanity. Through Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, God began reversing this separation, reclaiming the nations.

Mission, therefore, is spiritual warfare and restoration. It is participating in God’s work of freeing people from the kingdom of darkness and bringing them into the Kingdom of God—rescuing them from deception, false gods, and spiritual bondage. True mission is not humanitarian activity alone; it requires the power of the Holy Spirit to confront darkness and lead people into new life in Christ.

Therefore, we are called to be equipped, Spirit-filled, and willing to step out in faith. This means our faith cannot remain shallow or centered on comfort, personal success, or personal well-being, but must be rooted in God’s Kingdom and His purposes. So that when we stand before Christ, we may be found faithful in advancing His Kingdom.

Key Takeaway

The mission is spiritual warfare and restoration. It is about freeing people from the kingdom of darkness and bringing them into the kingdom of God.

Sharing Prompts

1. As you reflect on your understanding of “mission,” what experiences, assumptions, or cultural influences have formed it? 

2. When you look at the people around you (coworkers, neighbors, friends) do you tend to see them mainly through a natural lens or a spiritual one? How might God be inviting you to recognize His mission in their lives? 

3. In what ways do you sense a need to grow or be equipped (spiritually or practically) so you can participate more faithfully in God’s mission? 

Practice (20 min) 

Seeing People Through God’s Eyes (10–12 min)

1. Be Still (1 min)

Sit quietly and slow down your breathing.

Pray silently:“Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see as You see, and align my heart with Yours.”

2. Ask & Receive (2–3 min)

Ask the Lord to bring to mind one person in your daily life (a coworker, neighbor, friend, or family member).

Don’t force it—simply notice who comes to mind.

Then reflect:

• What do I usually notice about this person?

• What assumptions or judgments do I tend to carry about them?

• What might be happening in their life beneath the surface?

3. See Spiritually (2–3 min)

Now bring that person before God and ask:

• “Lord, how do You see this person?”

• “What is happening in their life spiritually?”

• “Where might they be experiencing darkness, deception, or distance from You?”

Then ask:

• “Where is Your grace already at work in their life?”

Stay quiet. Pay attention to any sense of compassion, clarity, or burden.

4. Intercede (2–3 min)

Pray for this person:

• Ask for freedom from spiritual darkness and deception

• Ask for their heart to be opened to Jesus

• Ask for God’s Kingdom to break into their life

Pray not just generally—but specifically, as you feel led.

Then ask:“Lord, how are You inviting me to participate in Your work in their life?”

5. Respond (1–2 min)

Choose one simple, intentional step this week:

• Reach out or check in

• Initiate a meaningful conversation

• Pray for them daily

• Show intentional care or kindness

Commit that step to the Lord.

Teaching Text: 1 Peter 2:4-12 

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Sermon Synopsis

In a vast universe where our world seems like a tiny speck, the question arises: what makes a life stand out? Scripture’s answer is light. Even the smallest light shines in the darkness.

In 1 Peter 2, the apostle Peter reminds scattered and ordinary Christians that their lives were meant to shine. He uses temple imagery to describe the church: God’s people are now the place where His presence dwells. Through Jesus, the cornerstone, believers are being built together as living stones into a spiritual house where worship, sacrifice, and mercy are offered.

The church is not merely a gathering people attend but a community God is actively building. Each person carries weight in the structure, supporting and strengthening one another as part of God’s dwelling place.

Because of this identity, the church lives as a royal priesthood. Believers belong to God, offer their lives as spiritual sacrifices, and extend the mercy they themselves have received.

Finally, Peter reminds the church that they live as sojourners and exiles in the world. Their lives reflect a different kingdom, one marked by humility, generosity, holiness, and love. Even practical acts of sacrifice and generosity become visible signs that our trust is in God.

In this way, the church becomes like an altar in the world, a place where God’s presence dwells and where His light shines through surrendered lives.

Key Takeaway

The church is God’s living temple, where God’s presence dwells and His light shines through surrendered lives. 

Sharing Prompts

1. Peter describes believers as “living stones being built together.” Where have you experienced genuine interdependence in the church, where others supported you or you supported them? 

2. Peter says the church is a royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices. What might it look like for you personally to place something on the altar in this season (time, comfort, finances, control, forgiveness, etc.)?

3. Peter reminds believers that they live as sojourners and exiles. Where do you feel the tension between the values of the world and the values of Jesus in your everyday life?

Practice

Step 1 — Reflection

Take 30–60 seconds of quiet reflection.

Ask yourself:  

• What area of my life is not fully aligned with Christ as my cornerstone?

• What might God be inviting me to surrender?

Step 2 — Living Stones

Remember: stones are meant to bear weight together.

Turn to 2–3 people and share:

• One burden you are currently carrying.

• One area where you need encouragement or prayer.

Step 3 — Placing Something on the Altar 

As a group, reflect on this idea: “Unequal amounts, equal sacrifice.”

Discuss:

• What is one tangible way you can practice generosity or surrender in this season?

• What is one small but meaningful offering you can place on the altar?

End by praying together: “Lord Jesus, you gave yourself for us. Help us offer our lives to you with joy.”

Teaching Text: 1 Kings 18:20-39 (ESV) 

20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

Sermon Synopsis

Throughout human history, people have built altars, places where something valuable is offered for something greater. Scripture shows us that the most important altar is not made of stone but of the heart. The heart is where our deepest loves live, where our sacrifices are decided, and where our allegiance is formed.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah confronts Israel on Mount Carmel and exposes a nation that is limping between two gods. The people had not rejected the Lord outright. They had simply added Baal. God for identity. Baal for security. This divided loyalty revealed a deeper problem. Their hearts had been captured by rival loves.

When the prophets of Baal cry out, perform rituals, and even cut themselves, nothing happens. Their god remains silent. The scene reveals the true nature of idolatry. Idols always demand more but give less. Eventually, the worshiper becomes the sacrifice.

Then Elijah repairs the broken altar of the Lord. Before God sends fire, the place of surrender must be rebuilt. This physical repair points to a deeper spiritual reality. The real altar that needs restoration is the human heart. Our loves shape our lives, and whatever sits on the altar of our hearts ultimately forms who we become.

Finally, Elijah prays and God answers with fire, consuming the sacrifice and turning the hearts of the people back to Him. Yet Mount Carmel ultimately points forward to a greater moment. On another hill, Jesus becomes the true sacrifice. Instead of demanding our blood, God offers His own. Through Christ, God does not simply command our hearts to change. He gives us new hearts.

As our church enters the Altar Campaign, the call is not first about buildings or giving. It is about returning. Before we build anything with our hands, God wants to repair the altar of our hearts.

Key Takeaway

The true altar is the altar of the heart. When God repairs the altar of our hearts, worship flows naturally into surrender, generosity, and wholehearted devotion.

Sharing Prompts

1. Elijah asks, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). Where do you sense tension or divided loyalty in your own heart right now? Is there something you may be trusting for security, approval, or control alongside God?

2. Elijah repaired the broken altar of the Lord before the fire came. What might God be inviting you to bring back onto the altar right now? This could be an idol, a fear, a disappointment, or something you are holding too tightly.

3. God answered with fire and turned the hearts of the people back to Him. What would it look like for your heart to return more fully to God this week? Is there one concrete step of surrender, worship, or obedience you sense Him inviting you into?

Practice

Step 1: Listening to the Accusation (5 minutes)

Take 30–60 seconds of quiet reflection.

Ask yourself honestly:

• When life becomes difficult, what do I tend to believe about God?

• Do I ever feel like God is not attentive enough, not good enough, or not trustworthy enough?

Sometimes our idols grow out of these quiet accusations.

In triads, briefly share:

“One area where my heart sometimes struggles to trust God is…”

Step 2: Naming the Wrong Altar (5 minutes)

The sermon says many people are tired not because they love Jesus too much, but because they are bleeding at the wrong altar.

Reflect for a moment:

• Where do you feel the most pressure to perform, prove yourself, or hold everything together?

• What in your life currently demands the most of your energy, attention, or emotional weight?

Share briefly with your group:

“One place where I sometimes feel exhausted or drained is…”

Step 3: Returning to the Right Altar (3–5 minutes)

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah first repairs the altar of the Lord before the fire of God falls.

In your triads:

• Pray that God would expose the idols of our hearts.

• Ask God to heal the accusations we carry against Him.

• Ask Him to restore our trust so that our hearts return fully to Him.

Then pray together for our church as we prepare for the Altar Campaign, that we would first repair the altar of our hearts before building anything with our hands.

Encourage short and simple prayers so that multiple voices can participate.

Teaching Text: Joshua 8:30-35 (ESV)

30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Sermon Synopsis

We all have moments that divide our lives into before and after—joyful moments, painful moments, defining moments. Scripture shows us that God’s people marked these moments with altars.

In Joshua 8, Israel stands in a defining moment. They have crossed the Jordan, seen Jericho fall, stumbled at Ai because of hidden sin, and now experienced restoration. And what does Joshua do after victory? He builds an altar. Why? Because altars mark what matters most.

The altar is:

1. A Place of Remembrance
Joshua builds the altar exactly as Moses commanded years earlier. Israel’s victory was not the result of military brilliance but God’s covenant faithfulness. The uncut stones remind them: God brought us here. At the altar, they remember who God is and who they are. Before they are warriors, they are people of the Word. Before they are conquerors, they are defined by covenant. The altar reminds us that identity comes from God’s promises, not the world’s labels.

2. A Place of Offering
Because of sin, altars became necessary. Sacrifice was required to restore fellowship with a holy God. The burnt offering symbolized total surrender. The peace offering symbolized joyful gratitude. Altars teach us consecration: All of me belongs to God. We lay down pride, hidden sin, comfort, ambition, and fear. And we give not from pressure, but from gratitude.

3. A Place of Presence
All Israel gathers with the Ark of the Covenant at the center. The altar is public. It declares: God is here. His presence defines the people, guides their obedience, and unites leaders, children, and foreigners alike. God is not distant and He dwells among His people.

Today, as we begin this “Altars” series and step into the Altar Campaign, we are not just talking about a structure. We are talking about remembering God’s faithfulness, surrendering our lives afresh, and making space for His presence among us for generations to come.

Key Takeaway

Altars mark decisive moments where we remember God’s faithfulness, surrender our whole lives to Him, and make room for His presence to dwell among us. And in this season we sense God is inviting us to build an altar, in our own lives and in our church. 

Sharing Prompts

1. What is God asking you to remember right now? Where in your life do you need to pause and acknowledge His faithfulness, especially in a season where you may be tempted to rely on your own strength?

2. What are you holding back from the altar? Is there an area of your life – control, fear, ambition, hidden sin, comfort – that God is inviting you to fully surrender?

3. What would it look like to intentionally create space for God’s presence in this season? Practically, what would it look like to build a personal altar in your life, in your home, in your commitments?

Practice

Follow-Up (From Last Gathering)

Last time, we invited you to take one step toward partnership with God’s mission,not toward comfort, not toward convenience, but toward partnership.

Take a few minutes to reflect:

1. What action did you take? (Be specific — what actually happened?)

2. What did you feel before, during, and after? (Anxiety? Courage? Indifference? Excitement?)

3. Where did you sense resistance? (Fear of rejection? Awkwardness? Busyness? Self-doubt?)

4. Where did you sense joy, peace, or God’s nearness?

5. What did this reveal about your heart?

Step 1: Remember (5 minutes)

Let's begin our time by remembering God’s faithfulness together. Break into small groups of three (triads). In your group, take turns briefly sharing:

• One moment in your life when God showed up.

• One specific way God has been faithful to you.

To make sure everyone gets a chance to speak, try to keep your sharing to about one minute per person. Be mindful of the clock and gently help each other keep things moving.

Step 2: Surrender (5 minutes)

As we transition to the next step, let's keep in mind that altars were not only places of remembrance, they were also places of offering.

Take a moment to ask yourselves: What is one area of your life you need to place on the altar right now? It could be control, fear, a relationship, finances, a hidden struggle, a big decision, or your future.

Take 30 to 60 seconds of quiet time to reflect on this silently. Once you are ready, return to your triads and take turns sharing:

"One thing I need to surrender is..."

Keep this brief and honest. The goal here is simply to listen and support each other, without trying to fix the situation or offer advice.

Step 3: Build Together (3–5 minutes)

In Joshua 8, the whole nation gathered around the altar. This wasn’t a private moment; it was communal.

Remaining in your triads:

• Pray for one another based on what was just shared.

• Pray together for our church as we enter this season of building an altar, asking that we would remember God’s faithfulness, surrender fully, and host His presence.

Feel free to keep your prayers simple and short so that multiple voices have the opportunity to participate.

Teaching Text: Philippians (ESV)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Sermon Synopsis

In a world marked by hyper-individualism – where we are constantly connected yet increasingly isolated – the local church can begin to feel optional. Helpful, maybe. Meaningful at times. But not essential. But what if there is more?

From a Roman prison cell, the apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi, not with despair, but with a deep joy. His joy is not rooted in comfort or circumstance. It is relational and missional. His life is bound to a people. The church is not a service he attends, but a shared life he belongs to. The text invites us to wrestle with two simple but deep questions:

Why do we need the church?

We need the church because we were designed for both community and a cause. We long not only to be known and loved, but to give our lives to something that matters. The local church is where love is practiced in real relationships, and where the gospel advances through shared commitment, sacrifice, and partnership.

Who is the church for?

Acts 16 introduces us to the founding members of the Philippian church: a wealthy businesswoman, an exploited slave girl, and a hardened Roman jailer. Different stories. Different social statuses. What brings them together is not compatibility, morality, or spiritual achievement but simply the grace of God.

The church, then, is not a club for the spiritually impressive. It is a grace-shaped community for those who know they need mercy. And as we rediscover the beauty of the local church, we don’t just find belonging, we step into God’s purpose and experience His transforming power at work in and through us.

Key Takeaway

The local church is God’s answer to our longing for belonging and purpose. It is for anyone who knows they need a Savior. The only prerequisite is a willingness to receive grace.

Sharing Prompts

• Think of a moment in your life when you felt deeply known and accepted or painfully unseen and alone. What was happening in that season? What did that experience awaken in you? (longing, fear, hope, or hesitation)

• The Philippian church was formed by very different people:

  • Lydia – successful, searching, spiritually open yet composed

  • The enslaved girl – oppressed, stuck, longing for freedom

  • The jailer – hardened, skeptical, shaken by crisis

  • Which one feels closest to your current spiritual season and why? What does that reveal about what you most need from God right now? Where do you notice resistance to receiving grace?

• Which posture toward the church best describes your recent experience?

  • Consumer – “What am I getting?”

  • Spectator – “I attend, but stay guarded.”

  • Critic – “I evaluate, but rarely engage.”

  • Partner – “I share life and mission.”

  • What has shaped that posture? What do you sense it might look like to become a partner in the gospel?

• Where do you sense God gently inviting you to move from isolation toward participation? What might obedience look like in this season?

Practice: Partnership in the Gospel

The church is not something we consume. It is something we belong to and build together. This week, we will each take one intentional step from isolation to participation.

Step 1: Reflection 

Before you act, reflect:

• Where have I been holding back?

• What part of my life is still disconnected from church community?

• Where am I comfortable staying unseen?

Write down what surfaces.

Step 2: Choose One Risk

Pick one action that moves you toward partnership.

Not comfort. Not convenience. Partnership.

A Few Examples:

If you’ve been Receiving…

• Invite someone to lunch instead of leaving right after service.

• Share one personal struggle in cell instead of staying surface-level.

• Ask someone how you can pray for them and follow up midweek.

If you’ve been Observing…

• Join a team.

• Stay 20 minutes after service to intentionally meet someone new.

• Text someone in the church and initiate deeper conversation.

If you’ve been Evaluating…

• Thank a leader instead of critiquing silently.

• Offer to serve in an area you’ve had opinions about.

• Pray intentionally for the church for 7 days straight.

If you’re already Partnering…

• Invite someone who feels on the margins into your circle.

• Disciple someone intentionally.

• Step into a leadership or sacrificial role you’ve been avoiding.

The key: It must cost you something. Time. Comfort. Vulnerability. Pride.

Step 3: Commitment

In groups, have each person complete this sentence: “This week, I am choosing to move from _______ to _______ by _______.”

Example: “I am choosing to move from observing to partnering by initiating coffee with someone I don’t know well.”

Step 4: Follow-Up (Next Gathering)

Next week, begin with:

• What did you do?

• What did you feel?

• Where did you sense resistance?

• Where did you sense joy?