On Sunday, December 29, 2019, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Keep the Gospel Central” from 2 Timothy. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.
1. Did you have someone who filled a role as a spiritual mentor to you? How do/did you feel about them? Elaborate.
2. Timothy had been shepherded for 17 years by his spiritual father/mentor Paul. What kind of emotions do you imagine Timothy had as Paul penned his last words to him before facing execution? How carefully do you think Timothy repeatedly poured over Paul’s last words to him?
3. Why do we often tend to view the gospel—the truth that Jesus died for our sins—as merely a past event (though a significant one) in our lives?
4. Bruce cited several reasons why we should preach the gospel to ourselves regularly. One was our tendency to let feelings rule our life. What did he mean by that? Explain.
5. Another reason cited was we often stumble spiritually. How does the gospel and the truth of the cross help us there?
6. A final reason Bruce cited was that the gospel assists us in our everyday relationships. How does that work?
7. What are some practical ways to help us embrace the cross, revel in it, and rest in it on a regular basis?
8. Consider memorizing the song “Who Killed Jesus?” like Bruce has.
You can find the lyrics at this blog post by Charlie Dyer: http://thelandandthebook.blogspot.com/2011/03/who-killed-jesus.html