On Sunday, February 12, 2017 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on Matthew 3:1-12.  This message was part 1 in the “Foundations” sermon series.  Below you will find a set of questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 3:1-12
3. At the beginning of the message today, I asked the question: “Do you want to be a part of a meeting or a movement?”  What are some of the differences between these two categories?  Which is more appealing to you?
4. John prepared the way for Jesus’s arrival by preaching a message of repentance in the wilderness.  Have you ever had any “wilderness” periods of your own life?  What did God teach you in the midst of the “wilderness”?
5. Repentance is more than just sorrow about our sin . . . it is a change of direction.  Can you think of any examples of repentance from sin in your own life?  Are there things in your life today that you need to repent of?
6. Have you ever been baptized since trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins?  If not, what is stopping you from being baptized (NOTE:  Wildwood’s next baptism service is April 2.  Sign up for more details at wildwoodchurch.org/baptism )
7. Why do you think people flocked out to John to meet with him in the wilderness?  Contrast the harshness of John’s location, presentation, etc. with your modern church experience.
8. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

Origin stories are interesting aren’t they?  We enjoy finding out where our heroes came from.  Before they made history, their foundation was poured over a series of seminal events. 

It is interesting to hear about “the Steves” (Wozniak and Jobs) in the garage in Los Altos dreaming up products that would change the world.  The story of Michael Jordan getting cut from the varsity basketball team in his early days of high school has been told and retold for decades now.  We even enjoy hearing the origin  stories of our fictional characters: the popular Broadway musical “Wicked” introduces us to the cast of the “Wizard of Oz.” 

In each of these instances, knowing where they came from, helps us make sense of their purpose and the ultimate impact of their life. 

The same is also true of the early days of Jesus of Nazareth.  Years before He walked out of an empty tomb near Jerusalem (yet years after His birth in Bethlehem) the origin story of Jesus’ ministry is told by the Gospel writer in Matthew 3-4.  In these two chapters, several key events sit like piers over which the foundation of Jesus ministry would be poured.  Over the next four Sundays at Wildwood Community Church, we will be studying these chapters in a new series we are calling “Foundations.”  In this series, we will see the groundwork of a Gospel movement laid.

Join us as we check out the origin story of Jesus to see His purpose and reflect on the ultimate impact of His life.  Join us this Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00.  See you there!