God Was One of Us

God Was With Us...

Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Matthew 1:18-23 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

1. ...to be my SUBSTITUTE . (Hebrews 2:9-10)



2. ...to be my SANCTIFIER . (Hebrews 2:11-13)



3. ...to be my SYMPATHIZER . (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Hebrews 2:9-18

1. Why is it necessary that Jesus be fully God AND fully human? Would he be able to be a substitute/sanctifier/sympathizer if He wasn't fully God AND fully human? Why or why not?
    
2. What have you done with this good news? Have you offered this gift to anyone else?

Breakout Questions:

Who do you know that needs to know the life of Christ? Pray for that person by name.

The Power to Heal

God Can Still Heal. And Here's What I Can Do:

1. I can STOP and show COMPASSION. (Acts 3:1-5)



2. I can MINISTER in the name of Jesus to people. (Acts 3:6-7)



3. I can BRING people to worship. (Acts 3:8-10)

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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 3:1-10

1. Why doesn’t God heal people today in the manner He did in the 1st Century?
    
2. What are some reasons God may choose to NOT heal someone?
    
3. What would you say to someone who is discouraged, “I have been praying for this for a long time, and God doesn’t seem to be answering my prayers…”

Breakout Questions:

Pray for one another.

The Power of Fellowship

5 Things Said of a Church with a Godly Reputation:

1. "That church is UNIFIED !" (Acts 2:42)


2. "GOD is doing things in that church!"(Acts 2:43)


3. "That church is GENEROUS !" (Acts 2:44-45)


4. "That church is JOYFUL !" (Acts 2:46)


5. "I can't say anything BAD about that church!" (Acts 2:47)

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Sermon Discussion with your Children:
What does it mean to be generous?
How can you and your family be generous in and with the church?

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 2:42-47

1. Why is unity so important to the reputation of the church? What does church membership say about unity?
    
2. Without Apostles, how does awe come upon souls today (Acts 2:43)?
3. How does God add to a church (Acts 2:47) that strives for excellence in these areas?

Breakout Questions:

Of these 5 areas, what is most lacking at HBCPN? How can we seek the Lord for better in that/those area(s)?

The Power Explained - Part 3

Five Ingredients of True Conversion:

1. Heart-felt CONVICTION . (Acts 2:37)



2. Sincere REPENTANCE . (Acts 2:38)



3. Godly MOTIVATION . (Acts 2:39)



4. Radical SEPARATION . (Acts 2:40)



5. Public PROFESSION . (Acts 2:41)

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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 2:37-41

1. How can you tell if someone is truly "cut to the heart", that is, they are genuinely sorry for their sins? (Acts 2:37)
2. How would you answer someone who asks, "Why should I get baptized? What does it mean?" (Acts 2:38)
3. Is Acts 2:38 teaching that "you can't get saved unless you are baptized"? Why or why not?
4. What are wrong motivations to come to Christ? (See Acts 2:39 for the right motivation)
5. What did Peter mean by, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation"? (Acts 2:40) 

Breakout Questions:

Pray for one another.

The Power Explained - Part 2

Four Proofs that Jesus is the Christ:

1. We witnessed God's POWER in Jesus' life. (Acts 2:22)
   


2. We witnessed God's SOVEREIGNTY in Jesus' death. (Acts 2:23)
   


3. We witnessed God's VICTORY in Jesus' resurrection. (Acts 2:24-32)



4. We witnessed God's PROMISE in Jesus' exaltation. (Acts 2:33-36)
   

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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 2:22-36

1. Explain Acts 2:23. If this was God's plan, according to His foreknowledge, can those men who crucified Jesus be held guilty? Why or why not?
2. Why does Peter spend so little time on Jesus life and death, and so much time on Jesus' resurrection?
    
3. The original purpose of Peter's sermon was to explain the coming of the Holy Spirit. Why, then, did Peter preach about Jesus?
    
4. What promises are attached to the exaltation of Christ (Acts 2:33-36)? What do these promises mean for you and the church? 

Breakout Questions:

Pray for one another.