2024
Faithfulness
Passage: Galatians 5:22-25 & Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
“We will not wake up ten years from now and find we have passively taken on the character of God.” — Jen Wilken, Women of the Word
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” — Hebrews 10:23
SERMON OUTLINE:
- Faithful Faith
- Fruitful Soil
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Patrick shared about a tightrope walker who asked if the crowd believed he could push 200 lbs in a wheelbarrow across the tightrope. The crowd said yes. But when the man asked for a volunteer to sit in the wheelbarrow, no one volunteered. Discuss the distinction between believing facts about someone and entrusting yourself to someone. How does this distinction help you define faithfulness?
Read Galatians 5:22-25 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. Consider the four soils in the parable: Hard soil – theoretical faith, Rocky soil – superficial faith, Thorny soil – divided faith, Fertile soil – fruitful faith. German Pastor Helmut Thielicke said, “There are certain times in our life and there are certain levels in the self in which we are hard ground, rocky ground, thorny ground, and fertile soil all in one…we dare not leave this grim hour of admonition without resolving to enter into judgment with ourselves and sternly asking ourselves: to what birds, what thorns, what superficiality am I exposing the Word of God in my life?” What soil are you in right now?
What would it look like for you to be fruitful soil or continue tilling fruitful soil?
How have you experienced God’s faithfulness towards you?
How have you witnessed faithful faith around you and in our church?
PRAYER
Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:4-5 )