Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

What does God look like to you?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
Psalm 139:7

Three Attributes of God

Omniscience (God knows everything)

Omnipresence (God is everywhere)

Omnipotence (God is all-powerful)

Psalm 139:1–10
You have searched me, Lord,
      and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
      you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
      you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
      you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
      and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
      too lofty for me to attain.
⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
      Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
      if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
      if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
      your right hand will hold me fast.

…God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20

Small Group Questions

1. What was the highlight of your Easter week?
2. What does God look like to you?
3. What comes to mind when you contemplate the:
   1. Omnipresence of God
   2. Omniscience of God
   3. Omnipotence of God
4. Read Psalm 139:1–10 out loud. Where do you find the three attributes of God in this passage, and how do those truths impact your regular everyday life?
5. Where have you experienced God’s power in nature?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

John 20:1–8
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
      ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

The Story of Two Brothers
A moment of

The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Luke 15:12

A pattern of

…the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15:13

A moment of

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. Luke 15:14

A moment of

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. Luke 15:15–15

The Pivot Point
When he came to his senses… Luke 15:17a

A decision to

I will set out and go back to my father… Luke 15:18a

Luke 15:20–24
²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
      “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
      ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
      ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:28–32
²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
      ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Small Group Questions

1. How did/are you planning on celebrating the resurrection of Jesus this year?
2. What evidence do you believe supports the validity of the Resurrection of Jesus?
3. Read Luke 15: 11-31 out loud. Where do you find yourself in the story? Care to share?
4. If you know Jesus as your Savior, how did your salvation moment come about?
5. How do you respond to the phrase “Jesus was running for a runaway”?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

Matthew 21:1–11
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
     This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
              “Say to Daughter Zion,
                     ‘See, your king comes to you,
             gentle and riding on a donkey,
                     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
         The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
              “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
             “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
              “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
     When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
     The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

3 Lessons from a Donkey

1. God keeps his promises.

“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

2. God partners with people.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:19

3. Jesus is King.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him… John 12:13

Small Group Questions

1. What’s something you really wanted until you realized how much it would cost?
2. Why do you think the crowd was so excited when Jesus arrived? What did they think they were going to get from him?
3. When was the last time Jesus asked you to do something that didn’t make sense? What makes those moments difficult and how can you learn to say yes?
4. Why do you think it’s so hard to admit we need saving?
5. What is God inviting you to lay down today?
6. What area of your life right now needs a “Hosanna” prayer? How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

The Two-fold Great Commission
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20

The Call: (while you are going)

The Mission:

The Promise:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The Who: will be my witnesses

Witnesses to what?

• Depth of human compassion
• Onset of godly hope
• Joy of transformation

You have a on your life to be God’s witnesses.

The of the Great Commission is not multiple choice!

For a follower of Jesus, participation in the
The Great Commission is not .
It’s a biblical .

Isaiah 61:1–4,6
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
     because the LORD has anointed me
     to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
     to proclaim freedom for the captives
     and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
     and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
     ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
     instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
      instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
      instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
     a planting of the LORD
     for the display of his splendor.
⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
     and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
     that have been devastated for generations.
⁶ And you will be called priests of the Lord,
   you will be named ministers of our God.

Small Group Questions

1. What is the most exciting adventure you have ever been on?
2. What is the call God has placed on your life?
3. How have you participated in the Great Commission?
4. Read Isaiah 61 out loud. What part of that scripture speaks to you? Why?
5. How can you participate in the mission of Jesus this coming week?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Tommy Manay, CTK Global Director

Isaiah 61:11
For as the soil makes the sprout come up
     and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
     and praise spring up before all nations.

– Isaiah 61:1-3
…to proclaim freedom for the captives
     and release from darkness for the prisoners… Isaiah 61:1

– Isaiah 61:4-7
…to bestow on them a crown of beauty
     instead of ashes… Isaiah 61:3

– Isaiah 61:11
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
     a planting of the Lord
     for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3

Ivan’s Story
Seed: street beggar, no home, no name in a family
Sprout: first day on campus, learning to read the Bible at 18
Growth: preacher of the gospel to thousands

Christine’s Story
Seed: red light worker, The Chosen, woman at the well, something cracked open
Sprout: daughter in our family, home is where we water
Growth: sent to prostitution centers across the Philippines

She didn’t just get her story redeemed.
She became the answer for someone else’s.

We planted in grief. God grew a family.

Small Group Questions:

1. CTK is part of a global family of churches making impact around the world. What does it mean to you to be part of something bigger than your local church?
2. Read Isaiah 61:1-3 out loud. Who are the broken, the captive, the poor in your city? In the nations?
3. Isaiah 61:4 says the broken become the builders. Where, locally or globally, have you seen God build something through someone’s brokenness?
4. The farmer plants and waters but God causes the growth. What is your role in what God is doing through CTK Global this month?
5. Ivan and Christine’s stories began with someone who didn’t leave. Who in your life needs someone to stay?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor
& Tommy Manay, CTK Global Director

5 Elements that Make a Home

1. and

2. and

3.

4. and

5. and Experiences

Isaiah 32:18
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
      in secure homes,
      in undisturbed places of rest.

Psalm 84:3-4
Even the sparrow has found a home,
      and the swallow a nest for herself,
      where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
      O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
      they are ever praising you.”

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teachings. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Small Group Questions

1. What’s your favorite spring activity?
2. Where do you find comfort when the world spins out of control?
3. What comes to mind when you hear the word home? How would you characterize the home you grew up in?
4. Read Isaiah 32:18, Psalm 84:3-4 and John 14:23 out loud. What is God saying to you about his desire to make a home within your heart?
5. What excites you the most about heaven–your heavenly home?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

How do we run ?

Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

How do we run ?

Psalm 63:1-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
O God, you are my God;
      I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
      my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
      where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
      and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
      how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live,
      lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
      I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you,
      meditating on you through the night.

If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
– African Proverb

How do we ?

Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Small Group Questions

1. What’s the hungriest you’ve ever been?
2. Have you ever experienced a season where you were genuinely hungry for more of God? What was different about that season and what did you do to satisfy that hunger?
3. If running after Jesus is the goal, what’s currently hindering your ability to race after him? What’s one step you could take to change that?
4. Do you personally know someone who has followed Jesus faithfully over time? What stands out about their life and what’s one way you could follow their example?
5. What’s holding you back from investing spiritually in others, and what would it take to move past it?
6. Who’s one person you could intentionally encourage or invest in this week?
7. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Exodus 14:19–22
¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
      ²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, ²² and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The presence of God is and your life.

Moses and Aaron began leading this movement in their !

Practical Application from Habakkuk 2:2–3
Then the Lord replied:
      “Write down the revelation
          and make it plain on tablets
          so that a herald may run with it.
      ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
          it speaks of the end
          and will not prove false.
      Though it linger, wait for it;
          it will certainly come
          and will not delay.

what God is saying to you

Make it

it

Psalm 77
I cried out to God for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
² When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
    at night I stretched out untiring hands,
    and I would not be comforted.

³ I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
⁴ You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.
⁵ I thought about the former days,
    the years of long ago;
⁶ I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷ “Will the Lord reject forever?
    Will he never show his favor again?
⁸ Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

¹⁰ Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

¹³ Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.
¹⁵ With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶ The waters saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;
    the very depths were convulsed.
¹⁷ The clouds poured down water,
    the heavens resounded with thunder;
    your arrows flashed back and forth.
¹⁸ Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
    your lightning lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.
¹⁹ Your path led through the sea,
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰ You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

If you don’t see what God is doing,
at what he has already done!

Small Group Questions

1. Easter is coming! What are you most looking forward to?
2. How have you experienced God guiding and guarding you?
3. What does it mean to you to live your spiritual life on the offense and not from a defensive posture?
4. Read Psalm 77 out loud. What is God saying to you through his Word?
5. Have you had a Red Sea moment? What faith step did God ask you to take?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

“God, show me.”

Mark 10:17–22
¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
      ¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
      ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
      ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
      ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 

¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Mark 10:17–23
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Small Group Questions

1. What excites you the most about the approaching spring?
2. Where do you go to meet with Jesus? What does your time together look like?
3. What is the one thing you know you need to lay down so that you can draw near?
4. What is your key takeaway from the story of the rich young ruler?
5. What do you talk about when it’s just Jesus and you?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

Colossians 1:15–17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together

Psalm 8:3–4
When I consider your heavens,
      the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
      which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
      human beings that you care for them?

3 Prayers That Changed My Life

1. me
2. me
3. me

Luke 18:9–14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
      “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
      “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.
John F. Kennedy

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
      And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Small Group Questions

1. On a scale of 1–10, how good are you at communicating what’s actually going on inside you?
2. Who in your life do you communicate most easily with and why them? What makes that relationship feel safe?
3. Which of these three prayers (Save me, Shape me, Send me) do you find most natural to pray? Which is most difficult? Why?
4. Are most of your prayers inviting God to change the world around you or the world in you? Why do you think that is?
5. What are you most afraid of if you actually said, “Here am I, send me”?
6. How could you practically step into God’s call this week?
7. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?