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Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

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In-Person
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Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

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WEEK 1 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

December 24, 2023

The Greatest Gift Ever

Introduction:

The greatest gift you’ve ever been given wasn’t bought in a store. No cash exchanged hands. It wasn’t even wrapped. Yet it cost the Giver everything. The Bible says God sent His Son to Earth to give you the greatest gift ever. He came to Earth to die—so that you could be made right with God. Romans 3:24-25 says, “Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin” (MSG).

Something To Talk About:

  1. God didn’t have to give. He could have created a world without color or without joy unless you believe in Him. God didn’t do any of those things. He freely created this world so that we could enjoy it with Him. God is the great giver who gives to us freely.
  2. As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s remember the God who gave. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” Let’s appreciate the giver and the relationship we can have with Him and not just His gifts. Let’s worship Him and not the things He gives us. God has been giving and giving of Himself and John tells us that God gave us something even more precious than creation: 
  3. It is a gift that is not even humanly possible to be given.  It is the gift of Jesus Christ. What does that mean to you?  God gave His Son. John 3:16a says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” God gave humanity the best gift imaginable. 
  4. The Son of God gave away the wealth of heaven. He made himself nothing. He took on human flesh. He humbled himself. He became impoverished and poor; He hung on the cross, separated from His Father’s love. He died. Jesus didn’t just give some away. He gave it all away.
  5. This gift doesn’t just get us back to a perfect creation before the sin and brokenness. This gift gets us back to God himself. Eternal life is having a relationship with the living God. We can have a relationship with God through believing in Christ Jesus. 
  6. How can we meditate and rejoice in this truth this Christmas season and throughout the year? May we continually give thanks for the greatest gift of all – Jesus.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Hope, in the Bible, is a peculiar thing. It seems like a vital component of how we relate to God. Agree or disagree and why?
  2. What are some “good things” that grab your attention and keep you from focusing on growing your relationship with God?
  3. Society says you must accomplish a long list of tasks every day to be successful. What does the Bible say about that?
  4. What is a new Christmas tradition you can start this year that will help you focus more on Jesus during this season?
  5.  Is there an area of your life where you need more hope? What promises or hopes are you currently waiting for God to fulfill?
  6. Christmas is a reminder that God is active in our world and that He does keep His promises. Be reminded that neither your faithfulness nor your hope in God is in vain. Like the characters in the first Christmas story and the generations that preceded them . . . wait faithfully. How can we do the same?
  7. God restores generously. Share how God has blessed you with more than you had hoped for. 
  8.  What was your main takeaway from this week’s message?

Take One Thing Home with You:

The gift of Jesus calls for a response from each one of us. . “…that whoever believes in Him.” Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He took the place of our sins so that we would be able to be saved, but He did not only die for our sins, He rose from the grave three days after He died, showing that He had conquered sin and death forever. Jesus’ life was a gift to us. But as with any other gift, we must receive it. We are able to be saved because of what Christ has done on the cross, but in order to be saved, we must admit that we are sinners, and we must believe that Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sins. Romans 10:9 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”