Tag: god

  • 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?

  • 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?