Adulting Videos & Discussion Guides

"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:37-39

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW TO GROW IN LOVE

1. THE BEST USE OF LIFE IS LOVE.

•  LOVE VALIDATES MY FAITH

"But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:8

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:35

•  LOVE MOTIVATES MY PURPOSE

"...Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him." John 21:15

•  LOVE COMPENSATES FOR SIN

"Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

•  LOVE REVERBERATES FOREVER

"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Discussion: What are some specific ways I can show the love of God?

2. THE BEST EXPRESSION OF LOVE IS TIME.

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." 1 John 3:18

"Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Ephesians 5:2

Discussion: Why do you have to spend time to really show love?

 3. THE BEST TIME TO LOVE IS NOW.

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." John 13:34

Discussion: Why is it the best time to love now?

Growing spiritually is growing to be like God. God made us in His image, but sin marred man. That is why Christ came and died to restore His creation. God is just and merciful, but fallen man is not. The good news is that God has given the believer His Spirit so we as His church can reveal His goodness. In this sermon Pastor Beau shares four biblical truths to help us show His justice and mercy to a broken and hopeless world.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

HOW I CAN GROW IN JUSTICE AND MERCY

1. LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

"Therefore you are inexcusably, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things." Romans 2:1

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:8-9

Discussion: How does recognizing my need for God’s mercy help me be merciful to others?

2. ENGAGE THE HEART.

"I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises." Psalm 101:1

"Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast." Psalm 36:5-6

Discussion: Why is whether or not one shows mercy a condition of the heart?

 3. OPEN MY EYES.

"Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down." Psalm 146:7-9

Discussion: Does God’s goodness influence how I live in tangible ways?

4. ENJOY THE FLOW.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7

"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over..." Luke 6:36-38

Discussion: Does my personal relationship with Jesus make me a stream of God’s blessing?

"You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." Psalm 46:10

We live in an instantaneous culture where we want everything now. We have instant coffee, instant online shopping, there is even instant information available at our fingertips on the web. But maybe the most defining aspect of our instantaneous lives is instant gratification. Growing in faith is not like that. Learning about the character of God and understanding His truth takes time. God wants to know us personally, and this takes time. The Bible as God’s truth is often foreign to human thinking. It takes study and meditation to know it. Pastor Beau will reveal five truths from Scripture to teach us that growing spiritually is slow.

1. PRIORITIZE TIME IN GOD'S PRESENCE.

"O God, You are my God; Early I will seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" Psalm 122:1

Discussion: Why is it important to make time alone with God one of my top priorities?

2. TUNE OUT TO TUNE IN.

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." Psalm 46:9-10 (The Message)

Discussion: What are the distractions that keep me from spending quality time with God?

 3. WELCOME TIMES OF WAITING.

"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act..." Psalm 37:7

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Discussion: Why does God sometimes take so long to reveal His will to me?

4. MEDITATE ON WHAT MATTERS MOST.

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on in day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." Psalm 1:1-3

"I will mediate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles." Psalm 145:5

Discussion: Do I take the time to create the environment I need to focus totally on God?

5. PAUSE OFTEN FOR PRAYER, PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING.

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discussion: Why does knowing God relationally require my prayer, praise, and thanksgiving?

"You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

Pain is a normal part of life, and how we deal with pain is important. Will we allow pain to make us bitter, or will we look to God for help? As Christians, we understand that our faith is grown out of the Lord’s pain. The Lord suffered because he thought we were worth it. Pain can teach us a lot about ourselves, and it can make us stronger. This week Pastor Beau talks about five ways that we can grow through pain.

5 WAYS I CAN GROW THROUGH MY PAIN

1. I CAN USE IT TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD.

"...We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Discussion: Why does pain drive us to God?

2. I CAN USE IT TO DRAW CLOSER TO OTHERS.

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:3

"He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief." Isaiah 53:3

Discussion: Why is it that pain can be eased through sharing it with others?

 3. I CAN USE IT TO GROW MORE LIKE JESUS.

"Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which the distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart." 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (The Message)

Discussion: Explain how enduring pain makes us more merciful.

4. I CAN USE IT TO HELP OTHERS.

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer." 2 Corinthians 1:4-6

Discussion: How can my pain be a means through which I can help others?

5. I CAN USE IT TO WITNESS TO THE WORLD.

"And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News." Philippians 1:12

Discussion: Talk about how pain inspires us to be better witnesses.

"'A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!' When he had said this, he called out, 'Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'" Luke 8:5-8 (NLT)

"'This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.'" Luke 8:11-15 (NLT)

Growing spiritually requires spiritual food. God’s Word is sustenance for the soul. This is why it is so important that we spend time regularly reading and studying the Bible. It is like what Peter told Jesus, “You have the words of life” (John 6:68). In Scripture we find love, hope, and peace, but we also find practical wisdom that helps us to be emotionally healthy and blessed. Today’s message is about how we mature spiritually through Scripture.

1. WE ENGAGE WITH SCRIPTURE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.

"'This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word.'" Luke 8:11

"'...Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'" Luke 8:8b

Discussion: Why does spiritual growth require that we hear and understand God’s truth?

2. WE APPLY THE SCRIPTURES TO OUR EVERYDAY CIRCUMSTANCES

"'And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it...'" Luke 8:15

Discussion: What happens when the Christian understands Scripture but does not apply it?

 3. WE CAN ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF A LIFE BASED ON SCRIPTURE.

"'Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!'" Luke 8:8a

"'...good-hearted people who hear God's word...and patiently produce a huge harvest.'" Luke 8:15b

Discussion: What are some of the benefits you enjoy through living a life based on Scripture?

Application: Pray for God to teach you one truth that you can apply to your life this week.

"You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

"So encourage each other and build each other up..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER GROW

1. BY AFFIRMING EACH OTHER'S WORTH.

• WITH ACCEPTANCE

"Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory." Romans 15:7

• WITH AFFECTION

"Love each other with genuine affection..." Romans 12:10a

• WITH APPRECIATION

"...and take delight in honoring each other." Romans 12:10b

Discussion: How does affirming each other help us mature spiritually?

2. BY ADMITTING OUR OWN MISTAKES.

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16

Discussion: What part does confession play in my spiritual growth?

 3. BY PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER'S GROWTH

"Epaphras...always prays for you that you will grow to be spiritually mature." Colossians 4:12 (NCV)

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit." Ephesians 3:16

Discussion: How do I mature by praying for others?

4. BY ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER'S COMMITMENT

"When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours." Romans 1:12

Discussion: Why do we all benefit from others spurring us on?