THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. Have you heard? Ada Bible Church is offering multiple opportunities to celebrate Christmas this year. Our CHRISTMAS SERVICES offer a warm, inviting atmosphere with music, a message of hope, and friendly faces. This is the perfect opportunity to invite that friend or family member who doesn’t know Jesus or a great reason to gather the whole family to celebrate Jesus’s birth. Come as you are—there’s no need to dress up unless you’d like to! Find a time that works best for you and bring your family, friends or simply yourself. Service times are listed HERE.
GROUP VALUES. This December, we’re focusing on SPIRITUAL PRACTICES. Christians have been doing these activities for centuries in concert with the Holy Spirit to train themselves to be godly. One of these activities is to meditate on God’s Word. As a group, share what verses or stories from the Bible you most often return to as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
GROW AS A LEADER. One of our core values for small groups is PURSUE GOD. We accomplish this together in the small group setting. However, our pursuit of God in community must be accompanied by our pursuit of him individually. A great way to pursue God is through a daily devotional. Consider Beyond the Weekend, Ada Bible’s daily devotional that unpacks Sunday’s sermon throughout the week. For more information, click HERE.
PLEASE NOTE: No Sermon Discussion Guide will be available for December 21/22 and 28/29. It will resume for our weekend of January 4/5. We hope you find creative ways to celebrate with, encourage and pray for each other. Please also note that services on December 25, 28 and 29 will be online only.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the third week of our sermon series, ANCESTORS OF THE KING. This week, we explore how the inclusion of women in Jesus’s family tree reveals God’s heart for the world.
ICEBREAKER
What’s the most embarrassing or funny family story that gets told at family gatherings?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read Matthew 1:1-6 aloud.
What stands out to you from this passage?
Who are you most surprised to see in Jesus’s genealogy? Explain why.
What might Matthew be communicating by including these specific women in Jesus’s family tree?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
Pastor Aaron continued our sermon series, ANCESTORS OF THE KING, by exploring the significance of women being included in Jesus’s genealogy.
How do people in our world today marginalize or devalue certain groups of people?
Contrary to common misconceptions today, the Bible is filled with stories of God elevating and seeing the vulnerable. How does the inclusion of the vulnerable in Jesus’s genealogy communicate the kind of Messiah he is?
Matthew’s inclusion of women intentionally communicated Jesus’s heart for the world. How does Jesus’s approach to people differ from the cultural norms of his time and our current culture?
How can we practically demonstrate Jesus’s heart for people to a culture desperate for acceptance and truth?
Reflecting on the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, how does God’s grace transform seemingly hopeless situations?
The stories of the women in Jesus’s genealogy reflect our own stories. We all need to turn to Jesus for mercy and rescue. What parts of your story demonstrate God’s mercy and his rescue?
Jesus intentionally sought out the Samaritan woman (John 4). Where might God be calling you to seek out and show grace to someone who has been marginalized or has a difficult past?
How can you demonstrate Jesus’s grace and care in practical ways to that person during this Christmas season?
WRAP UP
Jesus’s interaction with the adulterous woman is a redemption story. All redemption stories have two parts: grace and repentance. Reflect on Jesus’s words: “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” How can you live in the freedom of grace this week?