GBC | Big Three

What is the significance of a ram, bull and goat as the sacrifice in vs 15. What was this combination of animals used for? Is the structure of a psalm always important? How do we know when to pay attention to it? Do you think that the author of Psalm 66 knew about psalm 73 or vice versa?

If Peter’s readers were Gentiles would they have recognised and understood the Old Testament references? Rox mentioned emperor worship. Was this just propaganda or more? Peter says that those who rejected Jesus were destined to do so. Is this referring to predestination?

How does the context of John 9 (the man born blind) influence the good shepherd imagery? Why don’t we follow the lectionary all the time? Is there any relationship between Psalm 23 and John 10? 

You mentioned the four cups of Passover. What are those 4 cups and where are the scriptures that explain these? How are vows and oaths different from making a deal with God and why is deal-making frowned upon? You said something about no hope of heaven or fear of hell, was there a belief in the afterlife in the Old Teatament?

Matthew quotes Zechariah 9:9 as a prophecy being fulfilled. Apart from the textual differences, was Zechariah 9:9 ever a prophecy, as it doesn't read that way? Is It more of a parallel?  Is every detail of a biblical story important? When is a detail just a detail?  What do we do with the differences between the gospel accounts? 

How do we live urgently in the light of the long delay of Jesus’ return? How do we navigate conversations and discourse with Christians of different denominations? For example, a relative saying they would never step foot in a Baptist church. If Paul was writing this letter to Gymea Baptist Church, what problems would he be asking us to fix?

Can you discuss how verse 2 instructs our ‘minds’ being changed to align with Gods will, rather than majority of scripture suggesting a ‘heart’ change? Given the letter’s Jew–Gentile relational focus and differing Roman/Jewish sacrifice views (transactional vs atoning), why assume verse 1 refers to Jewish sacrifice? Why don’t we talk much about spiritual gifts if they’re mentioned so often in the New Testament?

Does this scriptire suggest that we should not fight government corruption or protest policies that do not align with Jesus' teachings? What examples are there in the New Testament of justified disobedience to the governing authorities? How can we discern when we should not obey?

What might a disputable matter be today? Where is the line between disputable matters, and something, presumably more serious, where another believer needs to be corrected? Should unity inlcude gay brothers and sisters as volunteers?

Is there any significance to the Jews coming first and then the gentiles? is it simply someone has to be first? How does this impact the Money Gentiles sent the Jews? Why does Paul care about not building on someone's foundation? It comes across as ego (Also 2Cor 10:16). Why not water someone else's seed? (1Cor 3:6) If Romans 15:27 says Gentiles owe sharing material blessings with Jews, is that putting a price on the Gospel? Something that Paul has strong views against.

Why haven’t you preached through Romans before?What does Paul mean when he says to be wise about the good and innocent of evil? In the church context especially.Every divisive person recommends unity, just agree with me. Paul does the same, and rejects the Heterodox. Is this real unity or just uniting against something?

GBC does many things to bring hope to a dying world, but I don't feel like a dear friend of them. How can we make them a collective mission for our community?You mentioned we should not argue or grumble. At times, this is hard for those abused by others, both verbally and physically, to stand up for their safety.Philippians 2:12 calls for active working out (katergazomai) your salvation (sōtēria). How broad is the full scope of this Greek word for "Salvation" used by Paul?

I struggle with sermons on “getting on.” They can feel simplistic after real hurt. Forgiveness doesn’t always require restored relationship.Can you speak to that?If Paul was concerned at not receiving support "with strings attached", why do we take government funding which has strings attached including proclaiming the gospel? When we’re told to "work out or salvation”, in what sense work? Our salvation is not dependent on works. 

Does the Bible give encouragement on us giving attention to things we don’t want to? For example tough relationships, studying, our health.Not to be black and white, but is social media sinful?The culture, theology, and gospel framework was helpful. Can you give another example of its use?

What are the red lines for religious freedom in terms of speech?Can you say more about Niebuhr’s framework?You noted the history of Baptists and then mentioned in passing the Pentecostal movement and how it was different. How was it different? What about other denominations?

What’re your thoughts on the kind of ‘empathy’ which considers words or ideas or faith based beliefs to be violence?Can you comment on any relationship between toxic empathy & tough love? Can we love toughly but with empathy? Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭11Is toxic empathy a cynical invention to divert Christian voters from feeling they should act and vote compassionately?

By the wording of his letter, which of the fruit of the Sprit is Paul implicitly asking Philemon to exhibit?Why didn’t Paul (or Jesus) call for the abolishment of slavery?Is there any other evidence that Onesimus did get set free?

This week's questions:-1. Given joy is somewhat experiential - how can we know that the joy we experience is from the spirit?2. What does it mean that the Joy of the Lord is our strength?3. What did James mean when he said we should count it all joy when we encounter trials? 

Is it noteworthy that love is the first on the list?Why does Paul only mention love for others and not love for God in Galatians 5:14 like Jesus does in the parable?God’s love in sending Jesus is easy to recognise. In the Old Testament it’s much harder. How is God’s love expressed before Jesus?

Could Paul’s letter to the church be a passive aggressive response to the sins the church could have done? For example, they might have acted with hatred.We’ve looked at the same text for two weeks and haven’t addressed Paul’s interest in the law. What does the law have to do (or not)with the fruit of the Spirit?The vices are obvious, except in us. No one thinks they're in a faction, idolatrous or sexually immoral, yet we know these exist in the church. How do we do better? 

How do the gifts of the Spirit contribute to our fruitfulness?How is the Trinity involved in our fruitfulness?Was fruit part of the Holy Spirit’s role in the Old Testament?

Does the fruit of our lives have to be public? Can’t we do these things in private or is ‘public’ about how it eventually affects others & therefore relational?Can you say more about how and why our fruitfulness is connected to God’s purposes and glory?Matthew 7:20 fits with people seeing God through our fruit, but what does it mean when we see what looks like good fruit from non-believers or bad fruit from believers.

Does God always follow judgment with grace throughout the entire Bible? If there is a time without grace, why might that be?Why did Abram feel he had to lie to protect himself. Why couldn't he just trust God to look after him?Historically many churches have chosen to either a focus on the effects of sin or prosperity doctrine. Why does this either/or behaviour happen?

Who were the people supposed to be representing God to if their role was to be image-bearers of God?Why did Noah curse Canaan? He was the son of Ham and wasn’t even directly mentioned as being involved, so why? And how do we see the curse working out?What has influenced your re-thinking of the Sunday School version of the stories in Genesis 1-11 to focus on God’s purposes rather than where Cain found a wife?

If the flood didn't fix mankind's sinning, what did it achieve? Was God just grumpy but now he's got it out of his system and has promised not to do it again?God promises not to destroy the earth again but isn’t Isaiah 65:17 creating a new earth a different way to say destroy the earth again?Why is Noah first told to take two of every type of animal into the ark but later to take seven of every kind of clean animal? How would he know the difference?

Who are the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4, and who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6:2?How can Jubal be the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes, Genesis 4:21, if his descendants were wiped out in the flood? Doesn't Lamech's lineage end?When Adam & Eve sinned, why didn't God just start over?

Does the phrase ‘Cain brought some fruits of the soil' but Abel brought from the 'firstborn', indicate anything regarding the quality of or heart inclination of the offerings?You mentioned a commentary that said we are too hard on Cain but should be harder on God-how can we do this appropriately? Why would the Bible at such an early stage of knowing God, contain both Eve and Cain’s ways of misrepresenting him. How do we know what’s right or wrong about God?

If the snake does not represent the devil, then why is it important that Jesus is the one to crush his head? Does the snake represent evil more generally? Or…If God made Adam and Eve equally in their vocation, why does God only curse Adam’s work on the ground?Why has this excerpt from the bible been used by so many preachers to emphasise the hopelessness of the human condition and the burden of sin?

If the Genesis record of God's instructions to Adam and Eve is literal, why should we regard their dialogue with the serpent as a parable?Was the interaction with the snake ordained/allowed by god as a way to give us a choice to follow him or not? If Eve and Adam didn’t have the knowledge of good and evil, how could they know that the serpent was lying, or that what they were doing was wrong? 

To what degree did the original audience interpret Genesis as scientifically factual about creation vs a message about the creator?If Adam was not actually giving the creatures names, what was the significance of Adam's naming? Couldn't God have just given the names to Adam?If Genesis does not mention evangelism, how did it evolve from Genesis to how beautiful are the feet that share the good news,  go and make disciple? 

Can you re-explain more about the connection between sexuality and creation. Are you talking about the days of creation?Why would God invite the gods to share their images in creating humankind? Isn't it more likely that "us" is a preview of the Trinity?How should being made in the image of God affect how we live and our faith?

Amos’ famine of the Word was a judgment, sometimes we find the Word dry. Is that a judgment or is something else going on?The two sermons went in quite different directions. As someone who teaches preaching can you comment on the different approaches?What are your recommended rules for hermeneutics, e.g. top 5.

What is the lectionary and why are we only following it now? Did the Israelites believe that the other “gods” were real? Psalm 82 call us to defend the vulnerable and Luke 10 shows embodied mercy. Are we too comfortable in giving money than offering ourselves in the work of love? 

The New Testament presents Jesus’ death and resurrection as separate but connected events. Both play a part in our salvation. What does each achieve? Was His death sufficient?We don’t seem to talk about sin as much today? Why not? Is this a compromise of the gospel?In John 10, Jesus says “My sheep know my voice” Do moments like Mary and disciples after the resurrection, hearing Jesus is something divine/revelation of this?

What other costs are there to following Jesus?In the book of Mark, James and John ask Jesus but in the book of Matthew their mother asks Jesus. Is there a difference? Does it change what we take from it?Rox mentioned what happened to Peter, James and John. Do we know what happened to the other disciples?

Should we encourage people to ask for a demonstration of Jesus’ power? If so, how do we do that to foster faith?What is the relationship between Jesus’ miracles and faith in the gospels?The sermon wove the four stories together. Are there other lessons in these stories that weren’t picked up?

Rox mentioned that this command is not for everyone. How do we know if he is calling us to “sell everything” and follow him?What are the signs of heart that is being choked by wealth?How do we treasure Jesus?

This week's questions:-The exclusion of the leper seems to be primarily religious (I.e., uncleanliness) rather than medical. Why wasn’t health the focus?This healing is also recorded in Mark and Luke. Why is each account a little different?Why would Jesus tell the man not to tell anyone what had happened to him? Would that even be possible?

Jesus was travelling to gentiles. Is Luke 8:22-25 foreshadowing/preparing for when they reach the other side? Including comparing verses 25 and 39, saying Jesus is God. There are unexpected situations where we find Jesus - in the calmed storm - and Jesus does unexpected things. What are those unexpected things he does?Unexpected suffering can wash our faith overboard or strengthen it. How do we prepare ourselves to face storms and mature? 

John 3:5 If we do not need to be baptised to enter heaven (eg Criminal on cross) what does Jesus mean by “born of water” to enter kingdom of God?Jesus teaches the Spirit is “like the wind”, doing what it likes in regards to people being born again. How do we reconcile this with fallen man and his will?Nicodemus was a religious seeker. Does Jesus encounter non-religious seekers? 

Karl talked about the miraculous and how we often respond with cynicism. How can we foster a greater openness to the supernatural? What do you think has contributed to the changed attitudes towards religion and spirituality? How can we help those who have had a negative past with god/the church to encounter Jesus, especially those who may be triggered by worship? 

Making disciples is business as usual for the church. But what are we not doing? Or perhaps more interestingly, what should we stop doing that we are doing?We can encounter Jesus in different ways from reading the Bible to miraculous events. How can we navigate the mess of disciple making when it's so vast.To what extent would you say Christ is present in communion?

We often read to be prepared to give an answer, but can you say more to do with gentleness and respect. How is this how Jesus wants us to speak to others about him?Verse 9 says don’t repay evil but verse 12 says the Lord is against evildoers. So, we can’t turn our back on God’s will or we will receive punishment, but can God do it to us?When is it reasonable not to call out someone’s sin?

This week's questions:1 How does the parable's implication that we can lose our forgiveness if we don't forgive well, fit with the sufficiency of the cross?2. If the perpetrator has no interest in being forgiven, does Christian teaching allow for forgiveness to be a silent, internal act rather than a spoken one?3. Is the saying “Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die” compatible with Christian teaching on forgiveness?

What does it mean to be biblically repentant regarding salvation? Is it the same use as in Isaiah?You referred to Revelation and blasphemy. Can you say morSabbath is practiced from a place of rest from the claims of our world, how does that shape what we do (or don’t do) on our Sabbath?

This week's questions:1. Joseph's dreams, Samuel's call, and Belshazzar's writing on the wall. How do you decide if it's God speaking or just your own fears and desires?2. We have the cannon of Scripture and it is authoritative and complete and through this God speaks. Why seek experiences outside of this?3. What does the prophetic word of God look like now compared to prophets in the bible?

This week's questions:1.What would you say to Christians who argue that baptism is essential to be saved?2. Is there any situation where you can baptise yourself? If you were compelled to and no other Christians around3. I except by faith that my “old self” has died and been buried. But the struggle against this “self” can still be strong. Please explain. Newness of life. How?

This week's questions:1. Does prayer really work? If we didn’t pray would God’s work not get done?2. What are the reasons not to pray for a parking space? (And other similar “small” prayers)3 Prayer is one of the spiritual practices we picked as one to lean into as a church. What are we doing in that space?

This week's questions:1. How do we weigh the risk of interpreting scripture to fit our wants or needs, by the way its preached, social influences, our upbringing. How do we know the truth?2. "Hard Work" you spoke of skills and competencies. How do we develop those in ourselves, and within our community of faith?3. What are the other letters of the alphabet that you didn't choose?

This week's questions:-1. You said Paul uses other examples in his letter. Are there other biblical examples of this sort of service?2. As a leader how does serving others fit with the task of leading?3. How do share Jesus in our serving? Should we?