Tag: christianity

  • New Wine (12.28.25)

    Matthew 9:14-17

    Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

    John 15:5

    I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

    TEN TAKE-HOME THOUGHTS

    • A good spiritual practice can become a bad spiritual distraction if it replaces dependence on Jesus.
    • A tight grip on yesterday—whether wins or wounds—can keep you from what God wants to do today.
    • Jesus didn’t come to be added to your life; He came to transform it by His presence.
    • It’s about the wine, not the wineskin—about Christ, not the method that once led you to Him.
    • Life is best lived in the present, with an eye on the future, having learned from the past.
    • Righteousness is never found in habits, rules, or standards we create—it is found only in Christ.
    • Anything that distracts you from abiding in Jesus, no matter how good it once was, must be surrendered.
    • Begin and end every day with gratitude.
    • Learn from and let go of the past so that you can grow in the future.
    • Eliminate everything in your life that distracts you from abiding in Christ.
    DiscipleQuest

    Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF

    The DiscipleQuest PDF includes 7 days of verse study prompts. You can use these seven studies to dig deeper into the following verses about the new life:

    • 2 Corinthians 5:17
    • Colossians 3:9-10
    • Galatians 2:20
    • John 15:5
    • Romans 6:4
    • Philippians 4:13
    • 1 Peter 2:1-3

    Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:

    1. When you think about your spiritual life right now, where do you sense a tension between what has always worked and what God may be inviting you into now?
    2. Is there a habit, practice, mindset, or season from your past that you find yourself clinging to—even if it may no longer be helping you grow closer to Jesus?
    3. In Matthew 9:14–15, why does Jesus compare His presence to a wedding celebration rather than a time of fasting or mourning?
    4. What point is Jesus making with the images of unshrunk cloth and new wine in old wineskins in verses 16–17?
    5. How do these illustrations help explain why the disciples of John and the Pharisees struggled to understand what Jesus was doing?
    6. Why do you think it can be difficult for people to recognize when something that was once good has become a distraction?
    7. What does this passage reveal about how much Jesus values His presence over religious routines or spiritual performance?
    8. How does this teaching challenge the idea that spiritual growth is mainly about adding more discipline rather than receiving new life from Christ?
    9. What is one “old wineskin” in your life—something familiar, comfortable, or controlling—that God may be asking you to loosen your grip on?
    10. What would it look like this week to prioritize abiding in Jesus rather than relying on methods, habits, or standards that once pointed you to Him?

  • Contentment at Christmas (12.21.25)

    MATTHEW 2:1-11

    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
    6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
    for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
    7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

    TEN TAKE-HOME THOUGHTS

    • Contentment is a sign that our faith is growing.

    Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6)

    • Greed is being obsessed with the desire for more or different than what you have & thinking you deserve more or different than what you have.
    • Greed is more insidious and more infectious than we imagine. It blinds us to the truth, traps us in the “control” vortex, and takes us to a darker place than we thought possible.
    • If I don’t check myself, my desires will grow into perceived needs, which will become entitlement. When I believe I don’t have what I deserve, I become obsessed with what is not good for me.
    • God’s love is the source of contentment.

    For God so loved that the world that He gave… (John 3:16)

    • Contentment is discovered when we receive what we don’t deserve instead of what we think we deserve.
    • Gratitude and generosity are the fuel of contentment.
    • “When” is a circumstance word that reminds us we cannot control everything.
    • “Then” is a responsive word that reminds us we can always control our responses and the direction in which they move us.
    • WHEN life isn’t what you desired or think you deserve, THEN you can still choose gratitude and generosity which will move you toward contentment.

    FOOD FOR THOUGHT

    Check out this informational post about the Wise Men, Daniel, and the star; and how their story provides us with a pratical principle to chew on:

    The Star of Bethlehem Points (Also) to the Eternal Impact of Our Work

    DiscipleQuest

    Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF

    The DiscipleQuest PDF includes 7 days of verse study prompts. You can use these seven studies to dig deeper into the following verses about contentment:

    • Philippians 4:11-13
    • Hebrews 13:5
    • Psalm 23:1
    • 1 Timothy 6:6-8
    • Proverbs 15:16
    • Ecclesiastes 4:6
    • Matthew 6:31-33

    SERMON LEFTOVERS

    Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:

    When you face unexpected or unsettling circumstances, then how do you typically respond—more like Herod (with fear and grasping) or like the Wise Men (with trust and seeking)? Why?

    When life isn’t going the way you planned, then what emotions rise in you that make contentment feel difficult?

    When Herod hears about a new King (v.3), then he is “troubled.” What does this reveal about the relationship between greed, insecurity, and discontentment?

    When the Wise Men see the star again (v.10), then they “rejoice exceedingly with great joy.” What does this teach about how gratitude shapes contentment?

    When the Wise Men enter the house and see Jesus (v.11), then they fall down in worship and give gifts. How does their response illustrate that generosity flows from a content heart?

    When your circumstances threaten your sense of control (like Herod), then what false beliefs or fears surface that steal contentment from your heart?

    When God redirects your plans—like guiding the Wise Men step by step—then how willing are you to trust Him in the in-between moments of the journey?

    When you choose gratitude and worship (like the Wise Men), then how does it reshape your desires, your emotions, and your sense of enough?

    When you face a situation this week that tempts you toward greed, comparison, or control, then what is one Wise-Men-like response you can choose instead?

    When you feel discontent rising, then what simple practice—gratitude, generosity, worship, or surrender—will you intentionally use to reset your heart?

  • EXPERIENCING JOY (12.14.25)

    Luke 2:8-20

    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
    “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
    When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

    TEN TAKE-HOME THOUGHTS

    • Joy is available to everyone, regardless of their situation.
    • Joy found in Jesus, who is the Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
    • Because He is Savior, He rescues us from our sin and we can be FREE from GUILT!
    • Because He is the Messiah, we have confidence that God always does what He says, so we can be free from FEAR!
    • Because He is Lord, we can make Him the authority in our lives, knowing that His way will always be better than ours.
    • Hearing and knowing the truth is never as good as living the truth.

    But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22)

    • God is not afraid of our questions. Those who honestly and consistently seek Him will find Him.
    • Practicing gratitude plants a seed that will ultimately grow into joy.
    • The more often we talk to others about the goodness of God, the more likely we will experience the joy God offers.
    • Joy is the result of responding in faith to God’s truth.

    Check out this short article with some parallel thoughts to today’s sermon: https://www.leadbiblically.com/how-the-shepherds-teach-us-joy-on-christmas/

    Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF

    The DiscipleQuest PDF includes 7 days of verse study prompts. You can use these seven studies to dig deeper into the following verses about joy:

    • Psalm 16:11
    • Psalm 30:5
    • Psalm 119:11
    • Isaiah 55:12
    • John 15:11
    • James 1:2
    • 1 Peter 1:8

    SERMON LEFTOVERS

    Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:

    When you hear the word joy, what do you tend to associate it with—circumstances, emotions, or something deeper? Why do you think that is?

    Think about a recent season when joy felt distant. What were the circumstances shaping your outlook at the time?

    According to Luke 2:10–11, what reason does the angel give for “great joy”? What is announced—and to whom?

    How would you describe the shepherds’ circumstances when the message of joy first comes to them? What stands out about their situation?

    What actions do the shepherds take after hearing the angel’s message (vv. 15–20), and how do those actions reveal their response to Jesus?

    What does the shepherds’ experience teach us about the relationship between joy and circumstances?

    Why is it significant that joy comes before anything in the shepherds’ lives actually changes?

    How does the shepherds’ response challenge the idea that joy depends on how we feel in the moment?

    What would it look like for you to anchor your joy more fully in what Jesus has done rather than in how life is going right now?

    This week, how can you intentionally respond to Jesus—through worship, obedience, gratitude, or witness—in a way that cultivates joy?