Bethany Community Church

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, June 20, 2010.

Genesis 1:31 & Hebrews 11:13–16
There is tension between the world that is and the world that ought to be. Understanding this tension is essential to knowing what God is offering us, as well as what our calling is, as individuals, families, and churches.

Discussion Questions:
Pastor Nancy Eckardt

1. Where do you see brokenness in your life and surroundings?  Where do you see hope?

2. Can you think of a time when you have witnessed brokenness and hope coexisting?

3. In what ways do you feel like an exile on earth?

4. Can you think of a particular time that you wanted to never end?

5. How have you seen or experienced denial as a response to discouragement?  What was the outcome?

6. When has cynicism crept into your worldview?

7. What do you see God doing in your life, despite failure?

8. How dependent on God to you feel you are?

9. When have you felt your self-sufficiency come to an end?

10. In what areas of your life do you need to see yourself as on a journey?

11. What do you see as the next step in your journey?  Will it be an easy step or a difficult one?

12. How will your next step be a blessing to others?

13. Who is accompanying you on your journey?  Who are you accompanying on their journey?  What roles are you playing in each others’ journeys?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, June 13, 2010.

As the summer begins, we finish Paul’s letter to the Romans with his life example of the most important truths he’s articulated. I pray and trust that these truths will guide you in the days ahead as we scatter around the globe for His purposes and glory.

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, June 6, 2010.

This is an important message because we live in a time of an increasing sense of tribalism. It’s political; it’s theological; it’s economic; it’s generational; it’s racial. The “all people” of Romans 1:16 means that God is calling people to do what they can to testify that God’s kingdom transcends race, class, political parties, and every other barrier. God is creating a new community. A word to all of us, but especially our honored graduates: I wonder if there is anything you can do that is more marvelous than making God’s reign visible by loving people outside your sphere.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1. In what ways do you see tribalism in your experience? How do you see this as divisive?

2. In Romans 1:16, Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” How could you reword the phrase “I am not ashamed of the gospel” to a positive? Does it cast light on the significance of this verse?

3. As believers we are called to make God’s reign visible. What does that look like to you, in your own sphere of influence?

4. Can you name someone you love outside your sphere? How do you know them? What keeps you loving them?

5. In what way in your life do you have an opportunity to care for someone that is weaker than you? What makes caring for them easy or difficult?

6. What opportunities do you see in your life to bless someone you don’t know well?

7. What opportunities do you have in your life to bless someone you don’t agree with?

8. How can you make your love of Jesus the basis of your conversation with those your don’t agree with?

Richard taught that in order to maintain unity, we need revelation, perseverance, and encouragement.

10. How has God revealed himself to you in scripture? What little steps can you take to provide an opportunity for God to reveal himself to you in scripture? What barrier do you need to overcome?

11. In what area do you need perseverance this week or month? What keeps you from wanting to endure?

12. How do you find encouragement in scripture? What is encouraging in the verses below:
John 3:16
Romans 8:31
Ephesians 1:7, 8 (look through the whole chapter for encouragement!)
Colossians 2:10

13. Richard said, “Little steps, not big steps, build a life.” What little steps can you take this week to bless others? Who will you bless this week, and how will you bless them?

14. We are each a unique expression of Christ, with something unique to offer. What unique offering do you have and who is blessed by it?
Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Joe Springer, May 31, 2010.

To access the full text of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” that was mentioned in the sermon, please click here.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1. In Romans 1:1, Paul describes himself as a slave of Christ. What does having Christ as your master look like to you?

2. How does your national citizenship affect your daily decisions? Your goals? Your worldview?

3. How do you live into being a citizen of the kingdom of God? How does it affect different areas of your life?

4. In Exodus 18:17-23, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, establishes a governing order that will facilitate community among the Israelites. How do you see government as facilitating community at Bethany? In your neighborhoods?

5. What does it mean to you to come under and lift up the community of Bethany? What does willfully submitting to Bethany look like?

6. In Matthew 5:41, Jesus encourages us to go the second mile when asked to go the first mile. When has your submission to God caused you to go the second mile with someone?

7. How do you express love to your community? To Bethany?

8. How do you use your resources and power to bless and empower others?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher:  Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, May 23, 2010.

The end of Romans unpacks our calling to live fully awake, combating the demons of apathy, boredom, and familiarity that creep in—because the reality is that they creep in slowly. And when they creep in, they switch the price tags.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1. Can you think of a time in your life when you have felt fully awake?

2. Can you think of a time when you were just going through the motions and not engaged?

3. Read Romans 13:12  – 14.  What are we to lay aside?  What are we to put on?  What does that mean to you?  In other words, what do you need to lay aside in order to put on something better?

4. How much do you think about the end times?  How does it impact the way you live and think now?

5. How does your hope in Christ color your sense of the future?  How does it color your present?

6. What might be some substitutes in your life?

7. Do you see the Christian life as more of a taking off or a putting on?  Do you see more clearly the list of “don’ts” or the list of “dos”?  Is it easier for you to follow the list of “dos” or the list of “don’ts”?

8. What does the grace of living well look like to you?  What are areas of your life where you need to experience more grace?  Or where you need to impart more grace?  What makes this difficult?

9. What is one thing you can do this week to be an agent of Christ through actions of grace and light?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, May 16, 2010.

Romans 12:9-21
Our transformation is always the byproduct of response to revelation. This last section of Romans 12 is where we receive specific instructions about how we’re to respond.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1. How have you experienced brokenness?

2. How have you been saved by Christ’s life? Out of what brokenness have you been saved?

3. Into what have you been saved? How do you live into the solution found in Christ?

4. Romans 12 through the end of the book is filled with exhortations – “you need to do this, in order to live into the life for which you have been created.” How do you respond to the mandate of obedience?

5. When have you blamed the exhortations, when it is really your lack of endurance in obeying the exhortations?

6. What are points of discouragement or of slipping where you have needed endurance?

7. A Rule of Life is the incorporation of spiritual practices into our lives to prepare our hearts for God to work in and through us. How does a Rule of Life help you develop endurance?

8. What do you need to let go of in order to cling to what is good?

9. What does breaking the cycle of violence look like on a personal level? On a community level? On a global level?

10. Can you think of a situation where you have excluded those who harmed you from the community of humans, and in so doing, excluded yourself from the community of sinners? How has harboring bitterness harmed your well-being?

11. Who do you need to forgive? What will it take for you to extend forgiveness, so that you may be set free?

*A section of this sermon includes a video clip in Rwandan. Please find the transcript here.

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, May 9, 2010.

A seminary teacher once said, “The Christian life hasn’t been tried and found wanting as much as it’s been untried at all, and judged as ineffective.” If you’d like to give the real thing a try, Paul’s basic exhortation in Romans 12 is a rich summary of what it means to follow Jesus.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1.      Can you think of a movie that you started watching, only to realize partway through that you had already seen it?  Did you continue watching it or stop?

2.      What has God been saying to you through the first 11 chapters of Romans?  What are some recurring themes?

3.      In Romans 12, verse 1 and 2, Paul uses a word which expresses great urgency, as if what he is saying is of utmost importance in their life.  What is most urgent in your life right now?

4.      What is Paul begging, or urging his listeners to do?

5.      In Matthew 23:27, Jesus uses that same word, translated “long.”  What does Jesus beg us to do?

6.      What makes it difficult for us to respond to Jesus, to recognize him as our satisfaction, our bread of life?

7.      In order for us to be transformed, we must offer ourselves.  What makes it difficult to offer ourselves?

8.      Can you think of situations in your life where it is difficult for you to forgive?

9.      When have you been the giver of or recipient of forgiveness and it  has brought reconciliation?

10.  What area of your life needs God’s plan of restoration?

11.  How easy is it for you to see God as a nurturer?

12.  God chooses the weak, ie. we are called by the mercies of God, not our qualifications.  Is this good news or bad news to you?  How honest can you be about your weaknesses?

13.  What steps are you taking to renew your mind?  What spiritual practices are you incorporating into your life?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher:  Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, May 2, 2010.

God is revealing some vital and unchanging principles regarding how He deals with His people, and about our truest identity—an identity that runs deeper than Jesus clothes and bumper stickers.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

1. How close are you to your ethnic roots?  How do they shape (or not shape) your family traditions?

2. Are you a geek about a certain topic?  Technology?  Clothes?  Theology?  Knitting?  Fishing?

3. What is something that you have strived for?  What is worth all the hard work?  In what way?

4. When have you worked harder for something than you needed to?

5. How does the idea of working hard fit in with your understand of your Christian faith?

6. A key principle of this week’s text is that only those who are rooted in grace will be able to attain God’s plan and calling – which wasn’t simply to be chosen, but to be fruitful – not simply to be the recipients of blessing – but to be a blessing.

7. How easy is it for you to see yourself as a blessing to others?  What would make that easier?  Or what makes it easy?

8. How does grace impact your sense of being blessed?  How does it affect your ability to be fruitful, ie. a blessing to others?

9. If you look at Jacob and Joseph as two ends of the continuum, as recipients of blessing, do you tend to be more anxious about receiving the blessing, or complacent?  How does being an agent of blessing affect your response to receiving blessing?

10. What do you see as your gifts to those around you?  In your church community?  In your workplace? Your home?  How does your receipt of God’s saving grace through Christ impact your gift-giving to others?

11. Can you think of a time when you failed to be a blessing to someone?  How long did it take before you realized it?  How did you respond?

12. How easy is it for you to relax?  How often does inadequacy play into your sense of self?  How responsible do you feel to change the world?

13. How easy is it for you to exhale, to see yourself as an agent of blessing, and put yourself in situations where you can be a blessing?  What makes this easy or difficult for you?

14. Read John 15:1-6.  What does it mean to abide in Christ as the vine, the root of our lives?  What does fruitfulness look like for you?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher: Pastor Richard Dahlstrom, April 25, 2010.

Romans 10:9–11 (The Message)
It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God— “Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.”

Discussion Questions
Nancy Eckardt

1.  Are you more likely to root for the champion or the underdog?

2.  When have you felt like the underdog?

3.  Can you think of an example when someone mistook being chosen for being privileged? How do we see this in our society today?

4.  What are you tempted to base your sense of belonging to the faith on? How does that impact your impression of others?

5.  It is the wrong starting point for redemption when we focus on externals rather than internals. “Woe you scribes – you tithe all the way down to your spices, have neglected the weightier provisions of the law .” What externals block your focus on the internals? What does focusing on the internals look like to you?

6.  Romans 10:4 “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.”  Paul is saying that there isn’t anything we can do to be made righteous.  How important are your works in helping you feel righteous? Redeemed?

7.  Fibonacci Faith – How do you respond to “You must be born again”? What does this mean to you? What is your story of being born again?

8.  Read the parable in Matthew 22:1-14. What does this mean to you? What does it mean to wear the wedding garment?

9.  What area of your life would you like God to pour resurrection life into? Can you name an area where you would like to pray for God to redeem and transform?

10.  Read Psalm 19. How has God revealed himself to you through creation? Through friendship? Through his word?

Sunday’s Bulletin

Teacher:  Joe Springer, Director of Small Groups, April 18, 2010.

Discussion Questions:
Nancy Eckardt

Romans 9:14-24

1. How do you reconcile the concept of predestination and the concept of free will?  How does the sovereignty of God fit into this?

2. What has been lost in your faith in an effort to “tidy things up” theologically?  What is hard for you to grasp?

3. What makes up the lens with which you view scripture?  What experiences have you had that shape the way you read scripture?  How has your lens changed over time?

4. What are you doing to marinate in scripture?  How does it make a  difference in your perspective? Your life? Your relationships?

5. How does your sense of being blessed reflect in your desire to be a blessing?  In what ways are you giving?

6. What shall we say?

1. Say less – don’t make predestination more important than it is.
2. Listen more – engage the mystery
3. Let our message be that God is for us.

7. What would incorporating these three things into our lives look like for us?

Sunday’s Bulletin