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StoneBridge Community Church
Palm Sunday: Faith Not Fear
Pastor Neal Nybo
Locations & Times
StoneBridge Community Church
4832 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA 93063, USA
Saturday 5:00 PM
Sunday 8:30 AM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Online Connection Card
Thanks for joining us today! Follow this link to our online Connection Card where you can let us know you were here and share any prayer concerns.
http://bit.ly/2z61WwiEveryone fights an internal battle between fear and faith. Overcoming fear and emulating Jesus' faith can be intimidating, but not impossible. This weekend's message shares practical steps for strengthening faith, in spite of our fear.
Background on Palm Sunday
Falling on the sixth Sunday in Lent and the Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday is celebrated Christians everywhere.
https://bit.ly/39CrZxx1. Start small.
While Proverbs tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and all our understanding, we have to start somewhere. Start small and build up to "all."
GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. When have you exercised most? What areas did you focus on?
2. Did you start small? How much did you lift, or how many reps, miles, etc.?
3. How much did you increase in lifting, reps, miles, etc.?
4. Have you experienced a similar pattern with faith? What did you trust God for years ago and what do you trust him for now?
5. Is there an area in which you don’t have much faith and you need to start small? Are you comfortable sharing what it is?
1. When have you exercised most? What areas did you focus on?
2. Did you start small? How much did you lift, or how many reps, miles, etc.?
3. How much did you increase in lifting, reps, miles, etc.?
4. Have you experienced a similar pattern with faith? What did you trust God for years ago and what do you trust him for now?
5. Is there an area in which you don’t have much faith and you need to start small? Are you comfortable sharing what it is?
2. Extend your faith.
While it's possible to exercise a muscle with just a short distance, it is useful to work through a full range of motion. We start small with faith and then extend that faith. This is one of the reasons churches have mission trips and service projects. In addition to helping others, they extend the faith of the participants.
Benefits of mission trips
Here are ten reasons to extend your faith and go on a mission trip.
https://bit.ly/3dRHeWTGROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to you to extend your faith?
2. How have you extended your faith in the past and what was it? What was the outcome?
3. Have you had faith extending experiences recently?
4. Can you think of a way to extend your faith in each of these areas: hearts, minds, souls, and strength?
5. Which one of these, interests you most? Is there one thing you can do to start small and begin to extend your faith in that area?
1. What does it mean to you to extend your faith?
2. How have you extended your faith in the past and what was it? What was the outcome?
3. Have you had faith extending experiences recently?
4. Can you think of a way to extend your faith in each of these areas: hearts, minds, souls, and strength?
5. Which one of these, interests you most? Is there one thing you can do to start small and begin to extend your faith in that area?
3. Do this to be able to do that.
Wax on, wax off. It is the core lesson in learning any new behavior and that is exactly what we are doing. We are learning to behave out of faith, not fear.
GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Have you experienced doing one thing to become able to do something else?
2. There are many examples of physical change like running each day to be able to run a marathon in a few months. Can you think of an example that isn’t physical?
3. Dallas Willard said learning about something does not mean we can do it. Can you give an example that supports this claim?
4. Compare and contrast the amount of time you have spent learning about faith issues compared to the amount of time you have spent doing something that increases faith or decreases fear.
5. Pastor Neal said to brush our teeth with the opposite hand for a week and to use that exercise to help us increase faith and decrease fear. Would that work? Why? How? Are you willing to give it a try?
1. Have you experienced doing one thing to become able to do something else?
2. There are many examples of physical change like running each day to be able to run a marathon in a few months. Can you think of an example that isn’t physical?
3. Dallas Willard said learning about something does not mean we can do it. Can you give an example that supports this claim?
4. Compare and contrast the amount of time you have spent learning about faith issues compared to the amount of time you have spent doing something that increases faith or decreases fear.
5. Pastor Neal said to brush our teeth with the opposite hand for a week and to use that exercise to help us increase faith and decrease fear. Would that work? Why? How? Are you willing to give it a try?
Next Step
For at least the next week, brush your teeth with your other hand.
1. While you brush in the morning, reflect on your coming day and identify situations and times you know cause you fear and pray, "Lord, help me have faith."
2. Repeat out loud as much of Proverbs 3:5,6 as you can.
3. As you brush at night, remember awkward moments in your day. Think of how to start small to extend your faith in that area.
1. While you brush in the morning, reflect on your coming day and identify situations and times you know cause you fear and pray, "Lord, help me have faith."
2. Repeat out loud as much of Proverbs 3:5,6 as you can.
3. As you brush at night, remember awkward moments in your day. Think of how to start small to extend your faith in that area.
Having good days and bad days? Is social distancing making you feel socially isolated? Now more than ever, with the help of zoom and other online platforms, growth groups are a vital part of staying connected! Following Easter, Pastor Neal will be starting a new message series, and it will be a great time to join the community and get the support growth groups provide. Contact Barbara Waite by giving her a call at 805-915-7320. You can also fill out a form online through our website by clicking the link below..
Growth Group sign-up
Click the link to sign up for a virtual growth group!
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