New Life Irvine

Ephesians 2:1-7 1. What is your favorite zombie movie or tv show? 2. We all complain from time to time. Right now, at this moment, what is one thing that you find yourself complaining a lot about? 3. How does the doctrine of Original Sin make sense of the world we live in? 4. Can you describe the moment when the truths of the Bible became real to you? How old were you? What truths became real? What happened? 5. We can be fleshly by breaking all the rules or even keeping all the rules. What are some rules that you keep that feed your self-glory? 6. The Gospel straightens our souls so that we can look around us to see how we can serve the needs of those around us. What are some needs God has made you aware of recently that you think He's calling you to serve?

Ephesians 1:15-23 1. What are Paul's petitions in Ephesians 1? Summarize them in your own words. Do you regularly pray for such things? Why or why not? How can you improve 2. Of what relevance to your prayer life is the stunning conclusion clusion to Paul's prayer, where he records the best analogy to the power he wants to see operating in every believer's life? 3. What does this passage teach us about how to pray under the sovereignty of God? These questions are taken from D. A. Carson's Call to Spiritual Reformation, A: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers (p. 180).

Ephesians 1:11-14 1. When you get to heaven, what is the first thing you'll think you'll do? 2. Israel find life in the Promise Land disappointing. What are some experiences you've had where something you really looked forward to, ended up not being as fulfilling as you thought it'd be? 3. If you knew that an amazing inheritance was waiting for you in the future, how would that impact you today? 4. The greatest wonder of the Gospel is not that we get to inherit God but that God has chosen to inherit us. How does this impact you and make you feel? How does a greater appreciation of God's love for you transform your daily living?

Psalm 131 1. Are you quiet inside? Is Psalm 131 your experience? If not, how would you describe the "noise" that is inside you? 2. How would you describe your relationship with your mom? Healthy or unhealthy? In what ways, do you see the image of God through her? 3. For parents, describe your most embarrassing parenting mistake. For non-parents, describe your most fond memory of your mom. 4. Pride is fundamentally competitive. For those who have less, we feel superior and better. For those who have more, we feel envious and jealous. What are some areas in your life where you find yourself "competing" with others? 5. Describe your devotional life. How often do you meet with God? What do you do? Where and when? How can it be improved?

Ephesians 1:7-10 1. Idols are good things that become ultimate things. As a result, they are hard to identify since from a distance, the pursuit of these things look virtuous. What are some common idols you see in our society? 2. Fill in the blank. "If I had _______________, my life would be complete." 3. Extreme emotions serve as helpful indicators of our idols. Emotions like rage, paralyzing fear, and despondency can be indicative of idols lurking in our hearts. As you survey your emotions, what idols may they be pointing at? 4. Four common idols are Comfort (privacy, lack of stress, freedom), Approval (affirmation, love, relationship), Control (self-discipline, certainty, standards), and Power (success, winning, influence). Of these four idols, which resonates most with you? 5. Think of your idol and compare it to Jesus. How does Jesus give you more than the idol?

Joel 2:28-32 1. What are some past regrets or missed opportunities that you often reflect on? 2. In what ways do you see the Holy Spirit's power at work in your life? 3. Do you sometimes think or act in certain ways that demonstrate that you believe that your mistakes have a greater influence on your future than God's Holy Spirit and Salvation do? Explain how this is either true or untrue for you.

Ephesians 1:3-6   Discussion Questions: 1. On a scale of 1-10 (1=Always Complaining, 10=Always Grateful), how would you describe your life? What do you tend to complain about? What do you tend to be grateful for? 2. How is the blessing of justification different from the blessing of adoption? How do they both address our spiritual needs? 3. How is spiritual adoption different from Roman adoption? How does the difference enhance God's adoption of us? 4. Can you think of a time where you felt like you were not wanted? How did that experience impact you? How did it make you feel? 5. "If God's love for you never began because of what you've done, then God's love for you will never end because of what you've done." How does God's unconditional love make a difference in your life? 6. What are some stark differences between an orphan mindset and a child mindset? How do you continue to live as an orphan today? What does it look like to live as a child in this si

Ephesians 1:1-2   Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever experienced "imposter syndrome"? If so, how? 2. What are some reasons why Paul might have felt a bit insecure about his apostleship? 3. How can a strong sense of calling in life help you and resource you to live? Do you have a strong sense of calling? If so, what do you believe God has called you to do? 4. When it comes to your job, how often do you connect it with your faith? Do you see your job as a means to glorify God? What do you think you can do to cultivate a more faith-centered attitude to your work?

Mark 16:1-8

Genesis 16:1-13

Mark 15:33-39

Mark 15:16-32

Genesis 4:17-26

Mark 14:53-65

Mark 14:26-31, 53-54, 66-72

Mark 14:43-52

Mark 14:32-42

Mark 14:12-25

Matthew 21:12-13

Mark 14:1-2, 10-11, 17-21