ANGEL FINSRUD, CONNECTIONS PASTOR

Matthew 7:24–27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When the storm comes, what matters most is what we .

Two things necessary to be like the wise builder:

1. We have to
2. Put them

When we tune into God’s words, we learn where we can confidently anchor our hope.

God’s and
(Psalm 25:3,5 & 21, Psalm 31:24, Psalm 33:20, Psalm 37:9, Psalm 39:7, Psalm 42:5, Psalm 62:5, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 49:23, Micah 7:7, Matthew 12:21)

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16–18

God’s
(Psalm 33:18 & 22, Psalm 130:7, Psalm 147:11, Lamentations 3:21-25, 2 Thessalonians 2:16)

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
     Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
     They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
     I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
     The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him…
Lamentations 3:21–25

God’s word — his
(Psalm 119:74, 81, 114, 147, Psalm 130:5, 1 Timothy 5:5, Titus 1:2, Titus 3:7, Hebrews 6:19)

If you want to build your life on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ,
you can’t just listen to good teaching. You have to .

Angel’s CaringBridge: ctk.link/angel

Small Group Questions

1. Have you ever tried to learn something new in a high-pressure moment? How did that go?
2. Is there something you’ve put your hope in that led to disappointment? What was it?
3. What’s one thing you know to be true about God’s character based what you’ve read in scripture?
4. When it comes to God’s unfailing love for you, on a scale of 1-10, how easy is it for you to truly believe you are loved?
5. What is one thing you will do this week to put this learning into practice so you can build on a firm foundation?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

GRANT FISHBOOK, LEAD TEACHING PASTOR

My personal plan to “hope-fill”

1. Be , not

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
     to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
     so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. Proverbs 25:2-3

2. Stay

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

“Do not call conspiracy
     everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
     and do not dread it. Isaiah 8:12

3. Embrace

• hupomone – ὑπομονή

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11

4.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5–6

Shouts of joy and victory
     resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
     the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
     and will proclaim what the Lord has done. Psalm 118:15–17

A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in their heart, and an evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up in their heart. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

The tongue has the power of life and death,
     and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

We’ve covered the how, but what about the why?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Small Group Questions

1. What seeds of hope have you seen this past week?
2. Have you ever learned a piece of wisdom from a TV show? What was the wisdom and how have you applied it to your life?
3. Which of the four practical applications from the message is the hardest for you? Why?
4. Do you know someone who embodies hupomone? Describe them and the role they have played in your life.
5. How are you intentionally filling your heart with hope this coming week?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

GRANT FISHBOOK, LEAD TEACHING PASTOR

James 2:14–17
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Matthew 25:35, 40 — Our Mandate from Jesus
“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…’
     ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

James 2:18-24
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
     Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
     You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

James calls us to get both oars in the water.

If your is dwindling, then you need to purposefully .

If your are dwindling, then you need to purposefully .

“Your Bible should be bound in shoe leather.”
DL Moody

James 2:25-26

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

If you want to “hope-fill” your heart, see where God is working and .

John 5:17, 19-20
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working…”
     Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

Small Group Questions

1. Where do you see a sign of hope in Whatcom County?
2. How you do “hope-fill” when your heart gets discouraged?
3. What does it mean for you to put your faith in action?
4. Read the story of Rahab in Joshua 2. How does her faith in action change her world?
5. Where do you see God working and how can you join him there?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

JOSH LEASE, STUDENT MINISTRIES PASTOR

Romans 7:18-19
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

In and through Jesus:

We saved

We’re saved

We saved

“Salvation is God’s way of dealing with what is wrong with the world and with us.”
– Eugene Peterson

We Have Been Saved 
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

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4

The debt you couldn’t pay has been .

We Are Being Saved
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

And we all…are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16

If you’re lost, you cannot find yourself. You need to .

The true story of who we are is that we are !

We Will Be Saved
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:12–13

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:1–4

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:3-4

What story are you living,
and is it the one Jesus is telling about you?

Small Group Questions

1. Besides the Bible what is one of your favorite storybooks?
2. What do you think about the idea that you’ve been saved, you’re being saved, and you will be saved? How do you understand salvation?
3. What are some ways God is redeeming and healing you even now? 
4. Who do you believe you are according to Jesus? What is the most true story about who you are?
5. Have you experienced God inviting you to live into the truth of who he says you are instead of lies? In what ways?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

“I have spent more than 42 years as a defense trial lawyer appearing in many parts of the world and am still in active practice. I have been fortunate to secure a number of successes in jury trials and I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.” – Sir Lionel Luckhoo

Luke 24:13–24
¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 
      ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.
      ¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 
     ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
      ¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.
About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” 

…but we …

“And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

Luke 24:1–6
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen!”

Luke 24:25–29
²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
      ²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 
      ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32

Small Group Questions

1. What was the greatest moment of joy in your Easter celebration?
2. What is the greatest disappointment you have encountered in your life so far?
3. Read all of Luke 24 again. What does God speak to you through the resurrection?
4. In what area of your life do you need to invite Jesus to enter? What does that look like for you to give God access?
5. How does the resurrection of Jesus change your coming week?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

In Mark 10, Jesus teaches…

A Master Class on

⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6–9

A Master Class on

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13–16

A Master Class on

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.
     ²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
     ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
     ²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
     ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:17–27

And then…
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Mark 10:32a

Jesus is modeling:

Commitment, Faith, Devotion

Again, he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.” Mark 10:32b–34

“…three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:34b

Small Group Questions

1. Which do you like to hear first: the good news or the bad news? Why?
2. Read Mark 10: 1–31. How do you respond to Jesus’ teaching about divorce and marriage?
3. How do you respond to Jesus’ teaching about childlike faith?
4. How do you respond to Jesus’ teaching about godly devotion?
5. What is your proximity to Jesus right now? How are you doing in the areas of commitment, faith and discipline?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

In the past of Mark 9…
² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
           ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
           ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Mark 9:2–7

When it comes to my past, I have three prominent responses:

Healthy

Unhealthy

In the present of Mark 9…
⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant…
           ¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
           ¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
           ¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” Mark 9:9–18
           ¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
           ²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
           ²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
           ²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
           ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
           ²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
           ²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
           ²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
           ²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Mark 9:9–29

In the future…
³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. Mark 9:30–32

Small Group Questions

1. What are your plans for Holy Week and Easter this year?
2. What are some words that you would use to describe your past? Your present? Your future?
3. Which of the three common responses to your past (humble gratitude, unhealthy pride, or shame) do you tend to get caught in? What would it take for God to reframe your past for you?
4. Read all of Mark 9. What does God speak to you as you see the past, present, and future of Jesus all in one chapter?
5. What do you believe your response would have been to the statements of Jesus in Mark 9:30-32? You know the end of the story now, but what if you didn’t? Do you believe you would have responded differently?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

BRIAN BEHRENDS, CREATIVE PASTOR

Mark 8:27–35
²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
      ²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
      ²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
      Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
      ³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. ³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
      ³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. 
      “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
      ³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 

Who is Jesus?

He’s over everything

Christ is the image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. Colossians 1:15 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

He’s of everything

…for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

He’s in everything

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. ¹⁸ He’s the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. Colossians 1:17–18 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

What’s he inviting us to do?( Mark 8:34)

yourself

Take up your

him

Small Group Questions

1. If you had to tell a true story from your life that would surprise most people, what would it be?
2. Why do you think Jesus starts by asking, “Who do people say I am?” before asking, “Who do you say I am?”
3. Read Mark 8:31-33. Why do you think Jesus responds so strongly to Peter and says, “Get behind me Satan?” What was it about what Peter said that was so offensive to Jesus?
4. Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves. What does that look like in your daily life? Where is that hard for you?
5. When you reflect on the “I was…” part of your story, what’s one lie you once believed about yourself that Jesus has replaced with truth? How has that shifted the way you live today?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

GRANT FISHBOOK, LEAD TEACHING PASTOR

“Sent one” is the English translation
of the Hebrew word shaliach (שָׁלִיחַ)
which means or .

Ekklessia = of sent ones

In the Gospel of John alone, the word sent occurs 55 times

This is my challenge:
Be like Ernie and to that opportunity.

The Mission and Heart of Jesus

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Luke 4:18–19

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16–17

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world… pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:18–21

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

God never sends us to a place.

God only sends his children to places.

Small Group Questions

1. It’s finally spring! What excites you the most about this season?
2. Has God ever sent someone to you with a message? Were you skeptical about the content? How did you receive it?
3. Read Luke 4:18-19 out loud. What part of Jesus’ mission resonates with your spirit? What are you going to do with that prompt?
4. When God prompts you to do something, what are the most common obstacles or excuses that get in the way? How can you become more obedient to his voice?
5. Where do you believe God is sending you right now?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

Psalm 67:1–2 English Standard Version
May God be gracious to us and bless us
       and make his face shine on us,       Selah
so that your ways may be known on earth,
       your salvation among all nations.

Selah: .

Numbers 6:24–26
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 
the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Ephesians 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…

Ephesians 2:4–6 English Standard Version
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

is not the currency of .

John 20:21
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 

Small Group Questions

1. Can you think of a time when you didn’t realize how good you had it until later? What changed your perspective?
2. What are some ways God has blessed you spiritually, relationally, materially, or otherwise?
3. Read Psalm 67:1–2. What does this passage teach us about why God blesses his people?
4. Jesus tells his disciples in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” How does this connect to the idea that we are sent to bless others?
5. If we truly understood how good we have it in Christ, in what ways do you think our daily lives would look different?
6. What’s one practical way you can shift from only receiving God’s blessings to actively sharing it with others?
7. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?