“THE HARD WORK OF BRINGING OTHERS TO MATURITY IN CHRIST”

SERMON APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. In today’s sermon, we learned that church life is lived on the battlefield and not the playground. Discuss why it is imperative that we continually remind ourselves that we are in spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6:11-12)

2. How does “Christ in you, the hope of glory” give you the assurance that you will fight the good fight of faith?

3. Although the toil and labor of teaching and preaching God’s word until the Colossian church comes to maturity in Christ refers to Paul’s own experience in the ministry, how does it apply to the church today? 

4. Pastor Dave mentioned that church-life is hard and is ordained to be hard.  What did he mean by that?

5. In the book of Galatians, Paul likens the work of ministry to a woman in the labor of childbirth. (Galatians 4:19)  If you are not experiencing “birth pains” in your service to others what might be the reason?

6. What is the difference between “teaching” and “preaching” and why are both to be present from the pulpit?

7. What is the goal of “teaching” and “preaching”? 

8. Why is patience important as others mature in Christ?

9. In all our labor and toil in the lives of others, we are reminded in Colossians 1:29 that all our striving will come to nothing if we do not live in dependence upon His power at work in us.  Discuss why it is so hard to get self out of the way and rely upon God’s grace in our service to others.