Know Grow Show

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Passage: Isaiah 53:4-6 The One Thing: Fall guy Jesus Is your faith more of a simple faith (like the blind man in John 9:25 who said "One thing I know, I was blind but now I see") or are you someone who likes to look under the hood of the faith and try to figure out out how it all works? Which "Theory of atonement" resonates the most with you: Moral Influence Theory (Jesus is our example, 1 Peter 2:21), Ransom Theory (Jesus is our ransom, 1 Tim 2:25), Christus Victor (Jesus is our hero / victor, Heb. 2:14) or Penal Substitution (Jesus is our substitute, Isaiah 53:6)?  Is there one you struggle with? Why do you think there are so many ways in scripture of understanding what went on at the cross? Wouldn't it be easier just to have ONE? Scot McKnight talks about how each theory is like a golf club in a golf bag - each with its own use. Can you think of a situation or scenario in which you would emphasize one A

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Passage: Isaiah 53:1-3 The One Thing: Next door Jesus What did God say to you through the sermon or the communion?  Dan shared about how the voice of Bart Simpson is a 63 year old woman. Have you ever had a moment where someone didn't look how you imagined they'd look? Why was this?  Talk about the idea that the Cross is the linchpin that connects faith and prayer? Explain why the cross is so vital to (a) faith and (b) prayer? Think about what prayer or faith would look like without the cross?  Does your theology of God have room for an ugly Jesus, or at least an unforgettable Jesus?  Why did Jesus keep His glory under wraps (except for the rare occasion like the transfiguration)? 

Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 The One Thing: Enduring by faith Church 414 Discussion starters 1. Why is endurance so important to the Christian life? 2. What is at stake if you don't endure? 3. Out of these four "truths to endure on" from 2 Cor 1:8-11, which one is most important to you right now? * Life is hard * Heaven is real * God is good * I am not alone. 4. Read 2 Corinthians 4:16​. How could Paul call the sufferings he endured (see 2 Cor 1:8 and 2 Cor 11:23​-27) "light and momentary troubles"? How would you have referred to them? 5. Reflect on Henk and Irene's testimony. What struck you? What might God be saying to you through them? 6. In what way has this series on faith challenged you, grown you or encouraged you?

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ The One Thing: Giving by faith Share your thoughts on the following phrase: "Going by faith happens when God relocates us from our normal for the sake of the gospel"  Reflect on your life, when have you been "relocated from your normal for the sake of the gospel"? Maybe it was a mission trip, or a conversation, or an act of kindness. Share about it with the others.   We are all naturally fearful in sharing about Jesus. What enables us to march past this fear and do what God is calling us to?  Share your thoughts the interviews: with Matt + Nary, and with Kelsey.   Imagine God told you 100% clearly to serve overseas for Him, given your skillset, what kind of work do you think you would do?  What does living life on mission mean?  This week consecrate your home for the kingdom of God. Here is a suggested script: ““Jesus we dedicate this home to you. This is your space. We acknowledge that this home is now an out

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Guest speaker: Josh Wallis  Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 The One Thing: Giving by faith In heaven, who will you thank for giving that helped you in your journey to Jesus or with Jesus?   Read 2 Corinthians 9:6. What might the "reaping" look like? What did you make of Julianna's story? Share your thoughts. Read 2 Corinthians 9:7. In light of this verse, do you think we should ever give through obligation or a sense of duty? Read 2 Corinthians 9:8. Dan talked about God's "Septuple God blessing". What characteristics of God are coming through in this verse? How does this verse make you feel? Take some time this week by yourself or with your spouse or family, read 2 Cor. 9:6-12 and ask God "What would you have us give by faith and where would you have us give it?" 

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario. https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Guest speaker: Josh Wallis  Passage: James 5:17; Matthew 14:23; Acts 6:4, 2:42​, 16:25​-26; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Chronicles 7:14 The One Thing: Put faith back into prayer 1. What did they Holy Spirit impress on you or speak to you through the sermon? 2. George Mueller recorded over 50,000 answers to prayer in his journal. What do you make of that? 3. Process a little the DL Moody story about Marianne Adlard's prayers transforming an ordinary sermon into a sermon that transformed 400 lives. 4. Why aren't we seeing Mueller or Moody answers to prayer? 5. As we head into Lent this week, what do you sense God telling us that we need to do differently as a church? Set up a time with Dan to tell him what you sense the Spirit is saying to us. 6. Before you go, take time to pray together for God to move in and through our community.

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Passage: Psalm 46, Revelation 5:6-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 The One Thing: Put faith back into prayer 1. What did the Holy Spirit say to you through Josh's message? 2. What are the obstacles / mindsets that most stop us from praying? 3. Josh said that having a high view of God installs in us faith to pray. Why is reminding ourselves of God's greatness such an important part of praying by faith? 4. Josh talked about the prayer bowl in Revelation 5:8 (read it). What does it signify to you that your prayers are PRESERVED in a GOLDEN BOWL right in front of the THRONE? 5. Share your thoughts with your group about Josh's testimony. 6. What's your one wish, the one prayer you wish God would grant?

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Passage: Mark 9:17-29, Matthew 7:14-20  The One Thing: Let God speak louder than your doubts (Optional Icebreaker: What's going to be your first holiday after Covid?)  Review from last week: Did you send a card? How did it go?   What did the Holy Spirit say to you from the message or Sarah's story?  Where are you on the continuum between "Lord I believe" and "Help my unbelief"  Read Mark 9:22-24. What do you make of this prayer that Jesus said cast out the demon? How would you grade it (out of 10)? How can this encourage you?   Read Matthew 17:20-21. What is the difference between LITTLE faith and SMALL faith?   What’s something you doubt about God or that He can do? Pray anyways. Tell God your situation and your doubts.  

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  https://www.knowgrowshow.ca/ Church 414 Discussion Starters 1. What did the Holy Spirit say to you through Jeff and Julie’s testimony or Dan’s message? 2. How is God calling you to live by faith? 3. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:3: “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”. Ask yourselves what work, labour and endurance look like without faith, hope and love. Look at the verbs: “produced, prompted and inspired”. Why are these so vital? 4. Go to your local post office and choose a PO box. Remember the box number. Write a card to them as God leads you, including in that card whatever the Spirit prompts you to. Put a stamp on that card and mail it to “The occupants” with PO Box and the address. Include your contact info or not, it’s up to you. And pray for the recipient. Tell your church 414 group when you’ve done it. #northgowercorne

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Hebrews 10:23-25, Lamentations 3:19-24 The One Thing: God was faithful first.  What did the Holy Spirit say to you through the message or Sharon’s story?  Read Lamentations 3:19-24. Identify the turning point in this passage. What does it mean to "call to mind"?   Share one story of God's faithfulness, either in cleansing you, keeping you or commissioning you.  Scheme one thing to do to “spur someone you know on to love and good deeds”. Be creative. 

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Hebrews 11:1 The One Thing: What is faith?  How would you define faith?  Would you say that your faith right now is healthy or is it suffering?  Share one short story from your personal library of faith.  

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch https://www.brookhavenwesleyan.org/leadership.html   Guest speaker: Rev Emily Hines Pastor Emily Hines serves as Discipleship and First Impressions Pastor at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church, Indiana. She savors faith and theology discussions over coffee. Her calling is to shepherd, equip, innovate, and lead. Pastor Emily loves doing life and ministry alongside her husband, Pastor Dave Hines, whom she married May 2015. Together, they enjoy theological and biblical discussions, hiking, photography, and playing board games. Pastor Emily graduated in 2014 from Indiana Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Christian Ministry and Biblical Literature. In 2019, she earned her M.Div. from Wesley Seminary.  Pastor Emily joined the staff in 2015.  

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: John 3:1-21 The One Thing: True belief induces new birth  What words can you think of that have “lost their meaning” through overuse in the church (known as “semantic satiation”)? What are the consequences of this?  Imagine telling someone who’s never heard of Jesus the idea of being born again. How would you explain it to them? What objections might they raise?  Regarding being “born again”, Dan said that “the shock and absurdity of the physical image is supposed to reflect the shock and absurdity of the spiritual image”. How did being “born again” change from being a radical / offensive idea to being so boring? Was there any way to avoid this?  Ask God to show you if you’ve been born again. If not, ask Him to give you this new birth.  

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Isaiah 40:1-6 The One Thing: Joy transforms praise into proclamation Why do you think so many of us are afraid of “proclaiming” Jesus to others?  How might joy be the missing component in transforming us from loving God IN HERE (privately) to loving others OUT THERE (publicly)?  Should we share the gospel if duty or guilt it our only motivation? (Use scriptures to support your answer)  Have you ever had an experience of God that has led to you not caring what others think of you? If so, share what that was like?  Look at the “evangelistic message” of the woman at the well in John 4:29 (“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”) How does this differ from the stereotypical evangelistic message? Why do you her message was compelling? If you were to take this message as a template for you, how would you complete it: “Come, see a man who told me /

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Romans 5:1-8 The One Thing: Look back. Look down. Look ahead.  G1 Romans 5:1 talks about having “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. If Jesus is our route to peace with God, what is our status with God outside of Jesus Christ?  Why do we need peace with God? What is peace with God?  G2 Rom 5:2-3 “And we kauchaomai (boast) in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also “kauchaomai” (glory / boast) in our sufferings”. The same word (kauchaomai or “boast”) is used to describe how we respond to the “hope of the glory of God” and how we respond to “suffering”. How can this be?  G3 Rom 5:3-4: “suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope”. In the context of this verse, imagine a world without suffering? What would that world look like? How can these verses be a solid encouragement for someone who is suffering?   G4 Why is the Holy

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Isaiah 40:1-5 The One Thing: A special kind of year needs a special kind of Advent What does comfort mean to you? What is the scene?  Where are you? What’s around you? How are you feeling? What are you holding? What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell?   In what ways could Advent / Christmas 2020 be considered a blank canvas? Is this a positive or negative thought for you?   What are some ways that we could fill this Advent with (a) nostalgia and (b) noise? Explain how these would lead to an unsatisfying Advent / Christmas experience?  Schedule some time this Advent to "go into the wilderness" and start building a highway for God into your life. What are some things that you need to repent of? Are there any mountains of pride that need to be levelled, or valleys of insignificance that need to be raised? Bring these to Jesus at the cross.  If you don’t have an Advent

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://bit.ly/recentchurch   The Passage: Psalm 133-134 The One Thing: A song to lead you into whole-life worship Dan said this: '"God’s message to you through Psalm 133 is “Your contribution is so valued. So precious.” And then in 134 He says “You’re not essential. My worship continues regardless”' Why do you think both emphases are important aspects of worshipping God? Which is more important: that we are valued or that we are not essential? Why?  Psalm 133 is about unity. What is it about unity that makes is so important? What are some ways that we can misunderstand unity or get it wrong?  Dan said that unity should never be our goal. It should only ever be a by-product. What did he mean by this? Do you agree with him?  In what way is God with us when we're together (Psalm 133)? When we're apart (Psalm 134)? Think of scriptures to back up your answer.  Think back over the series, "Journey Songs". Flick back through Psa

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://knowgrowshow.online.church/   The Passage: Psalm 132 The One Thing: A song to lead you into God's presence Is God central in your life or is He on the shelf? How can you tell?  David vowed to build God a “house” (a temple). God said “no” (1 Chron. 28:2) and instead built David a “house” (a dynasty, a lineage). What does this tell us about the relationship between God and David?  Kiriath Jearim (“Jaar”) is only 15km from Jerusalem. What prevented the people bringing God (the Ark of the Covenant) home? Why was he sidelined here for 20 years?  When God came “home” to Jerusalem, David danced before God with “all his might” (2 Sam 6:14). Why did dance like this? And why did Michal (his wife) despise David in her heart (6:15)? What do we learn about David and Michal through this scene? Are you a David or a Michal?  Acts 7:48 tells us that God does not dwell in buildings – He is too “big”. Yet 1 Cor 6:19 tells us that W

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://knowgrowshow.online.church/   The Passage: Psalm 131 The One Thing: A song to lead you into contentment Would you say that you are content? Share what areas of life you are least content in?  Why do you think the Psalmist suggests that the opposite of pride (131:1) is contentment (131:2)?   When following Christ, does WHO I AM flow out of WHAT I DO, or does WHAT I DO flow out of WHO I AM?  What is your response to hearing about “the Mother heart of God”? Can you think of any other verses that describe God in mother-like or feminine terms?  Listen to Kate’s words about her weaned son: “I’m still kind of his gateway to everything else in the world and he interprets his world through the way I react to him”. How might her words be useful in helping us relate to God? 

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Church, North Gower, Ontario.  www.knowgrowshow.ca https://knowgrowshow.online.church/   The Passage  Psalm 130  The One Thing  A song to lead you into gospel hope  414 Cluster Discussion Starters  1. Psalm 130:1-2 paint a picture of extreme desperation. Psalm 130:3-4 reveals a deep confidence. How can these opposing emotions of desperation and confidence both be true of the believer?  2. Psalm 130:4 in the ESV says: “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared”. How does God’s forgiveness of the sinner lead to the sinner’s fear of God? Identify different types of fear we see in the Bible / in life.  3. Can you be a Christian without asking God for forgiveness? What is it about today’s society that seems to resist this idea of “accepting forgiveness”?   4. Discuss this idea of forgiveness being WITH God (verse 4), unfailing love being WITH God (v7) and full redemption being WITH God (v7). Why are these things pictured as being WITH God? How do they inter