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THE FRUIT OF GENTLENESS
Fruit-Full – Part 8
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart

November 17, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofgentleness #gentleness

https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

It’s the one fruit nobody wants. To many, gentleness just sounds like a good way to get run over. I mean, let’s face it, you don’t climb the corporate ladder of gentleness. We think gentleness just can’t cut it in the real world. But what works for God works for life and works for us. When God is looking for the ones who are manifesting His presence, He looks for this quality more than any other. Discover this Sunday why gentleness is God’s way of transforming the world.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you think of or envision when you hear the word gentleness? Is it a positive or negative word for you—why? Recall a time when someone else’s gentleness was a blessing to you. What happened and what difference did it make?

2. Have you ever experienced harshness? Where did it happen? Who did it involve? How did it affect you? Does it still affect you?

3. Why do we tend to equate volume, bravado and threatening language with strength?

4. Would people who know you well say that they see gentleness in you? How do you feel about what their response might be?

5. Are you judgmental or gentle toward those who sin differently than you do?

6. Are my words building up others or are they bruising their sense of worth and dignity as a people created in the image of God?

7. How do you hear this word (gentleness) differently now? What Scriptures stood out to you most today? Isaiah and Matthew used the image of Christ as one who would not break a bent reed or snuff out a flickering lamp. How does that imagery speak to you? Can you think of any New Testament examples of Christ’s gentleness with people? If so, what are they?

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THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS
Fruit-Full – Part 7
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
November 10, 2024

#realspringcreekchurch #god #fruitfull #thefruitoffaithfulness #faithfulness #faithfulhttps://www.springcreekchurch.org/

The writer of proverbs asks the question, “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?” (Proverbs 20.6). Did you know there are studies that indicate we replace half of our social network over a course of seven years and that the percentage of Americans who say that they don’t have a single close friend has quadrupled since 1990? Fidelity seems to be in short supply these days. But God promises a new reality to the believer fully yielded to Him. Faithfulness is a natural outgrowth of a life yielded to the One Who keeps every promise, is there for us when everyone else walks away, and remains faithful even when we’re faithless.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever been in a relationship where trust or promises were broken? What sort of effect did that have on you? Were you ever able to rebuild trust with that person? What do you think are the necessary steps in rebuilding trust?

2. God is a promise-making, promise-keeping God. Throughout Scripture, we are not just reminded of God’s promises but also of the faithfulness of God to keep each and every one of them. What are some of the promises that you see God making and keeping in Scripture? What are some of the promises that God made to all believers that you depend on in your own walk with Christ?

3. The Bible assures us that God is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. What does that tell you about God? How is that different or the same as what you were taught in prior church experiences? Why is disappointment something foreign to God?

4. What is some small way that you demonstrate faithfulness in your daily life? Has God ever asked you to serve Him in a way that would never be noticed by others? If so, what was that? Why does God insist on fidelity in small things before trusting us with greater things?

5. Robertson McQuilken’s story of his love and fidelity to his wife with Alzheimer’s disease is a truly touching and inspirational example of heart transformed by the faithfulness of God. Why are stories like this so rare today? How does this story effect you? In what ways would you like for God to do a similar work in you?

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THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS
Fruit-Full – Part 6
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
November 3, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofgoodness #goodness
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

Goodness been called the most underrated of all the fruit of the Spirit. If you ask the average believer in which area do they most need to grow, many will say patience, self-control or even love. But goodness is hardly ever even mentioned. It seems unimportant. But what if I told you that the goodness of God is no minor league truth about God. Instead it’s literally the lens through which we see all the other attributes of God. Goodness is what you need in God to set you free and goodness is what He wants to pour through your life to transform the world.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Take some time to discuss what you learned about the word “good” and “goodness” today. What were your dominant associations with those words before hearing this message? What are they now? What qualities stood out most as it relates to the Old Testament Hebrew word (Tov) or the New Testament Greek word (Agathosune)?

2. Why is the goodness of God not a minor truth about God? How does God demonstrate His goodness to us? In what ways have you been a recipient of the goodness of God?

3. One practical suggestion to come out of today’s message was to make the phrase “God is as good as Jesus made Him out to be” a daily meditation. Since Jesus told us He was the clearest representation of God we have ever seen or known, how does that shift any misconceptions you may presently have of God? When you read the Bible, do you read through a Christo-centric filter (using Christ as the lens through which you read the rest of the Bible)? In Bible study, it is often taught that clear passages should govern our understanding of unclear passages. If Christ is the clearest representation of God we have ever had, then it is only fitting to see and understand the rest of Scripture through the lens of Christ. Have you ever tried to do this?

4. Pastor Keith clearly laid out God’s plan to support His workers through the generosity of God’s people in Scripture. In fact, goodness literally means to give generously for the good of others. One of the primary ways we do this is by supporting those who minister the Word to our souls. Do you think most people understand this aspect of giving? Why do you think people give to the church? Why has God throughout history placed His workers in a position of forced dependency on the people of God?

5. As with every fruit of the Spirit, all of them are evidence of the fullness of God’s presence in us. When God’s goodness fills our heart and overflows into our lives, people are blown away by the things they see in our life that can’t be credited to anything other than the presence of God. What do you think of the phrase, “Your life may be the only Bible some people read?” Have you ever witnessed that in someone? What were they like? What effect did it have on you? Is your life an example of something that attracts people to the family of God?

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THE FRUIT OF KINDNESS
Fruit-Full – Part 5
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
October 27, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofkindness #kindness
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

With the hotly contested presidential election just around the corner coupled with the toxic cesspool social media has become, many of us find ourselves longing for less hate and more kindness. That’s why you don’t want to miss this Sunday’s message as we explore the Fruit of Kindness. We’re going to explore the kindness of God and why He wants this virtue to set us apart as His followers. The message will both challenge and encourage you, but most of all, instill you with hope that God’s ways are truly the best.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Kindness is other-centered. The Old Testament word (Hebrew - Chesed or Hesed) and the New Testament word (Greek – Chrestotes), both have the same idea of caring for the needs of others. Look at the following definitions again…

“When chrestotes is working in a believer, he seeks to become adaptable to the needs of those who are around him.” - Rick Renner

“Chesed means the ability to get right inside the other person's skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.” - William Barclay, Daily Study Bible commentary on Matthew

“They willingly pour themselves out for the good of someone else.” - Carolyn James

When and in what ways have you experienced this FROM others? When and in what ways have you done this FOR others?

2. God is kind all the time and God is kind to all people. In what ways have you experienced the kindness of God? How does God show His kindness to all people everywhere?

3. What were your biggest takeaways from today’s message?

4. Why did the lawyer try to limit the definition of neighbor? How did Jesus correct his erroneous ideas? Do people today still try to limit the definition of neighbor to those most like themselves?

5. A woman asked Michael Card, “Why won’t you let me be kind to you?” It’s an important question. Additionally, it speaks to this idea of why we resist grace. Do you have trouble receiving kindness from others? Do you struggle with the idea of grace?

6. It’s not our actions but our reactions that are the best barometer of where we actually are in Christ. It’s our reactions that reveal what’s really going on inside us. To use the words of Amy Carmichael, “What fills your cup?” When life knocks you down, bumps you, inconveniences you, how do you react? What spills from your cup when you get bumped?

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SACRIFICE IN SORROW
When Serving Costs You
Dr. Jessica Fernandez, Lead Associate Pastor
October 20, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #sacrificeinsorrow #whenservingcostsyou #sacrifice #sorrow #serving #serve #cost

https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

We will explore the story of the Widow of Zarephath, a woman who faced overwhelming grief and hopelessness. Preparing for what she believed would be her last meal with her son, she was asked by the prophet Elijah to sacrifice what little she had left to serve him first. This act of sacrificial service in the midst of her sorrow came at a cost—but it was through this sacrifice that she encountered God’s miraculous provision and hope.

When we serve others during our seasons of grief, it often feels like it costs us more than we can bear—our comfort, energy, and what little hope remains. Yet, as we’ll see in this story, it is in these moments of sacrificial service that God meets us, sustains us, and provides for us in ways we could never imagine.

This sermon will challenge us to reflect on how God might be calling us to serve, even when it costs us something. When we choose to offer Him the little we have, even in our sorrow, He is faithful to meet our needs and restore our hope.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways do you relate to the widow’s sense of emptiness or lack? How does her story encourage you to trust God?

2. What are some areas in your life where you feel like you have nothing left to give? How might God be asking you to serve despite your lack?

3. How does sacrificial service bring about healing, both for the person serving and those being served? Have you experienced this in your own life?

4. What are some practical ways you can step into serving others, even in a season of grief or sorrow?

How can we encourage each other as a church community to trust God and serve faithfully, especially in difficult times?

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THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE
Fruit-Full – Part 4
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
October 13, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofpatience #patience https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

Few things put our faith to the test like having to wait. We wait to hear the results of a biopsy. We grow impatient with our children. Will they ever learn responsibility and grow up? We are in a relationship with someone with no desire to commit and our patience is all but gone. In practically every area of life, we desperately need more patience. If you’d like more patience but don’t know how to get it, that’s what this message is all about.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways were you challenged or encouraged by today’s message?

2. God is slow to heat up and slow to react – which is what patience is all about. What did you learn about God that makes Him so patient? Why do people often think of God in the opposite terms, given to snap judgments, quick to mete out punishment, and even arbitrarily bringing devastation? Some people today even say the same sort of things when natural disasters strike. How would you answer such a person? Do you think that type of thinking is consistent with God as He is revealed in Scripture?

3. When it comes to things that try our patience, Pastor Keith pointed out the three dominant areas as;

• Waiting – The question is “How long?”

• Suffering – The question is, “Why?”

• People – The question is, “How in the world?”

Have any of these been challenging for you? How and in what ways? What are you learning that might help you better cope with the things that try your patience?

4. It’s tempting to get off in the future trying to solve any anticipated problems with today’s resources. But that makes life difficult because you lack the needed resources to deal with tomorrow’s problems. God gives strength for today. The challenge is to remain in the present moment with God. Why is it so difficult to be off in the future? How can you remain centered on God and live in the present moment?

5. Often times we find the present difficult and lose our patience because we don’t see or understand the bigger picture of what is happening or why it may be happening. Because God loves and because God has a different experience of time than us, how does that help us maintain a more balanced view of what is happening and what might be happening?

6. Take some time to re-read the following passage:

The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near… We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. James 5.7-8, 11

In this verse, James talks about what the farmer must do in order for them to see a harvest. For the things that are beyond their control, James advocates for patience. For the things within their control, He advocates for

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THE FRUIT OF PEACE
Fruit-Full – Part 3
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
October 6, 2024

Who couldn’t use a little more peace in their life, am I right? When our marriages are strained or the kids are more than we can handle or office politics makes going to work draining, how do you find peace in the chaos? Sometimes, the way we go about trying to obtain peace practically guarantees we will never experience peace. This weekend, Pastor Keith will show us God’s peace and how it can be yours.

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofpeace #peace
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Shalom, the Jewish idea of peace, is so much bigger than individual peace. Fundamentally, it’s about a society that flourishes because it is functions as God intended. Why do we reduce big concepts like shalom down to small applications that are only about our personal experience with shalom? In what other ways do we do this to Scripture?

2. Take some time as a group to go back over the differences between the God of peace, the peace of God and peace with God. Have you ever experienced the peace of God in the midst of chaos? If so, what was the situation you found yourself in and describe what the peace of God was like for you. Pastor Keith shared the illustration of the Sawi people of New Guinea and the breakthrough the Richardsons made after watching the exchange of the peace child to end hostilities. How does this story parallel the gospel story of God offering His Son to us?

3. Many settle for pseudo-peace – truces – stalemates – swallowing differences – cold wars. Why do people prefer what is not peace to what actually is? Why is peacemaking such a challenging thing to do? What have been your experiences in this arena with friends? Children? Co-workers? Issues in society?

4. There’s a huge difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking. Can you describe examples of peacekeeping? Have you ever done that yourself? There’s also a big difference between peacemaking and peace-achieving? Why is peace sometimes beyond our grasp?

5. Why do you think peacemaking is so important in the plan of God for our lives? If peacemaking is so vitally important to God, why don’t we see more of it manifested among His followers?

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THE FRUIT OF JOY
Fruit-Full | Part 2
Springcreek Church | Pastor Keith Stewart
September 29, 2024

#god #realspringcreekchurch #fruitfull #thefruitofjoy #joy #habits #attitudes
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/

One of the best arguments for Christianity is Christians when they are seen as people full of joy. And one of the best arguments against Christianity is Christians when they are seen as self-righteous, smug and angry all the time. As we continue to examine the fruit of the Spirit, this week we want to dive deeply into the fountain of joy. In this message, we're going to see God for Who He really is (the most Joyful Being in the universe). We're going to look at the habits and attitudes that rob us of our joy and learn how to have a joy that is impervious to adverse circumstances.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Keith talked about how God is the most Joyful Being in the universe. He gave several examples of this. What other examples can you see, whether practical or in Scripture, of the joy of God? Would you say that the way you see God (your God image) has always incorporated His joy? Why or why not? Are there things about the way you see God that might need healing or correction?

2. How is joy different from happiness? What are the limitations of happiness? Have you ever gotten trapped in a cycle of searching for happiness highs? Describe what that was like.

3. The word joy and rejoice are interrelated words. Joy is derived from being with God and allowing His Spirit to fill our lives and rejoice is something we train ourselves to do repeatedly in life – to return to the source of joy (God Himself). In what ways do we drift from God? How does being in pain or facing adversity shift our focus from God and onto something else? Has this ever happened to you? If you’re willing, share it with the group.

4. Legalism is a surefire way to rob you of joy because with legalism, I don’t feel assured that Christ is enough. Instead I feel compelled to add something to His completed work. So with legalism, it’s always Jesus + something else. Why does legalism rob us of joy? Have you ever known or been a legalist? Pastor Keith talked about having a great week with God followed by a terrible week then asked the question, “Which week did God love you more?” If you felt He loved you more when everything was going right, it’s an indicator that there is some remnant of legalism still holding onto you. On what basis do we know that God’s love is constant and unchanging? Cite Scriptures if you know any that would back up your claim.

5. Gratitude is one of the surest signs of joy. I find such contentment in God and know how He takes delight in me, that I become consciously aware that the evidence of His delight is all around me even when nothing is going right. Have you ever tried the 30-day Gratitude Experiment? How much is gratitude a part of your intentional daily routine?

6. Paul gives us a powerful example of how God worked through his imprisonment in the book of Philippians. So even in the midst of adversity, Paul maintains a type of unshakable joy. In fact, his joy is so great, that it literally becomes the theme of the book of Philippians. How was God at work in Paul’s imprisonment? How has God worked in your life during times of illness, pain, adversity or persecution? Sometimes, we can’t see all that God is doing in the moment, but in retrospect, everything becomes clear. Are there things in your past that you went through that were extremely difficult, but now in looking back, you can clearly see the hand of God? What was that?