A sermon on the suffering king in Psalm 10 by David Camera.

Application questions:

• Psalm 10 opens with a question we have all asked, Why Lord?
• What is the Psalmist confused about here?
• What type of Psalm is this? (What is the Psalmist doing in the Psalm?)
• In Psalm 10, who is the cause of injustice?
• What has led to his oppression?
• What particular beliefs of the oppressor have encouraged his unjust actions?
• Who are the oppressed and why are they oppressed?
• When we are facing oppression or injustice, what are we tempted to do or think in response?
• In the Psalm, what do the oppressed do in response to their suffering injustice?
• How has prayer answered the Psalmist’s original question? (v. 16-18)
• Look up Isaiah 53:7-9, which speaks of the suffering of Jesus. What comfort can we draw from Jesus’ own experience of injustice and oppression?
• Read 1 Peter 2:18-23. How should we respond to suffering injustice as Christians?

A sermon on Psalm 2 by Dr. Ben Shaw.

Application questions:

• How do we plot against the Lord, even unintentionally?
• In what ways do we consider the word of the Lord to be bondage?
• How do we demonstrate in our daily lives that we serve the Lord and subject ourselves to the reign of Christ?
• Do we pray for the coming of his kingdom, recognizing that that coming includes both blessing and judgment?
• Reflect on this quote from the English poet and preacher John Donne: "Kiss the Son." That is, embrace him, depend upon him all these ways: as thy kinsman, as thy sovereign; at thy going, at thy coming; at thy reconciliation, in the truth of religion in thyself, in a peaceable unity with the church, in a reverent estimation of those men, and those means, whom he sends.

A sermon on the "amor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-24, by Greg Lanier.

Application questions:

• Why does Paul end this letter by discussing spiritual warfare and the “schemes of the devil”?
• How often do you think about spiritual warfare? Do you see Satan and power of darkness as a real enemy in your day-to-day?
• Read Isa 59:14-20. How is God depicted as a mighty warrior? Where do you see elements of this description in the text of Ephesians?
• Walk through the elements of armor that Paul describes. Assess your own armor’s condition. Where do you need to strengthen your armor to be able to stand firm in the fight?
• Spend time praying for each other to be able to stand firm in spiritual conflict.

A sermon on Paul's teaching on servants/masters and vocation by David Camera.

Application questions:

• Do people have a generally positive or negative view of work today?
• What are some unhealthy and even sinful ways we can view work?
• How are we to serve those in authority over us according to Paul?
• Look up Leviticus 25:39-46; Deut. 15:12-18 and 1 Timothy 1:10.
  • How is the slavery mentioned here different than slavery in general in the historical context of the Bible?
  • Identify the statements Paul makes that undermine slavery.
• Whom are we ultimately serving as Christian workers?
• What is our motivation to work and to serve according to the passage?
• What is to be the manner and motive behind our work?
• Paul says “masters do the same.” Does he mean that masters are to serve their servants?
• How did masters normally ensure obedience from their slaves?
• How does Paul motivate masters (those in authority) to treat their servants (employees fairly?)
• Paul maintains a distinction between slaves and masters (i.e. becoming a Christian doesn’t eradicate all roles) yet he does assert the equality of all Christians before God. How does he do this in the passage?
• What principles would you apply from this passage to the modern work place?

A sermon on obedience to parents by David Camera.

Application questions:

• Describe your home-life growing up.
• What was most important to your parents?
• How did they discipline, or not?
• What did you learn from their example, either positively or negatively?
• Were you an obedient or rebellious child and how did your parents deal with you?
• How do you see the influence of your parents on you today?
• What is the command given to children here, and what are the reasons/motivations provided?
• How are we to understand and apply the promise attached to the fifth commandment?
• Look up Romans 1:28-32; 2 Timothy 3:1-5. How important is the fifth commandment and why according to Paul?
• What can we infer about our children from the fact that Paul addresses children in the church at Ephesus?
• Look back to Ephesians 5:15-21. How is the order of the Christian home connected to Paul’s overall point in this section?
• What are the commands given to fathers in this section?
• How can fathers provoke their children by their parenting?
• What are to be the priorities of Christian parenting? (nb. “bring them up” is the same verb translated “nourishes” in 5:29)
• Read Deut. 6:4-8. What does Paul mean by the discipline and instruction of the Lord?
• How has this passage impacted your view of the importance of family for the church and society?
• If you are a parent, what changes can you make to your parenting in light of this passage?
• How is obedience to parents and act of faith on the part of children?

A sermon on biblical submission by Cody Brobst.

Application questions:

• How does the idea of “submission” as a positive thing affect your view of difficult texts in Scripture? Where did the negativity around this come from?
• Why does Paul go out of his way in v. 22 to name your “own” husbands?
• As Christ humbly yields to the church, so she submits “in everything” to her husband. What does this not mean?
• If one’s husband is the “head” (leader, authority for provision and protection), what practical things often come to mind for how this can work out in a household?
• Where does Paul go with it? Where does this Christ/husband analogy fall short?
• How does a husband’s sacrifice play a role in sanctifying his wife? Doesn’t she play a role in sanctifying him? What’s Paul trying to say about the Gospel (hint: Christ’s giving up of himself makes something possible for the church)?
• In verse 29, nourishes & cherishes can also be translated feeds & cares. What is the opposite of this?
• How can authority & submission be misused? If you had knowledge that someone in your circles was being explicitly (not just debatably) abused in their home, what might you first say or do?
• In light of v. 31, flip to Genesis 2:18-25 together where this is being quoted verbatim. What all do you observe in the passage? What institutional patterns are set forth at creation in the first wedding so to speak.
• What mystery is profound? What is mysterious?
• Since Christ & the church are not made one the same way a husband & wife are made one, in what sense is Christ our “Husband” (Isaiah 54, Hosea 1-3, Rev. 21) and in what sense is He not?
• In C.S. Lewis’ “Four Loves” he talks of the Greeks naming
• With this summary statement, Paul ends how he begins—love & respect. Why do you think respect is the particular word for wives & love for husbands? Think about Genesis 3:16-17 and where our various temptations may lie.
• How can we at River Oaks encourage struggling married couples well? Those who are single, widowed or divorced? Children looking to the future?

A sermon on Paul's exhortations about mature Christian "walking" by Pastor Greg Lanier.

Application questions:

• Where are you most allured by what the world has to offer? How does Paul’s statement, “the days are evil,” correct this temptation to put hope in the world?

• Some English translations (rightly) render v16 as “redeem the time.” Why is Paul's word choice interesting? What does it mean that time is a resource/commodity that can be spent, invested, or wasted?

• Take stock on your relationship to time. Where are you most prone to waste time in unhelpful/un-restorative ways? How can you work on “buying back time” from the world that constantly wants your attention?

• What are some practical ways you can grow in “understanding the Lord’s will” (v17)? How can other Christians be a helpf here?

• Why is singing a valuable way to grow in walking a Spirit-filled life? Where can you improve your listening habits so that you are putting in Scripturally-sound singing?

• Why is “submitting to one another” an important part of growing in Christian maturity?

A sermon on the Christian walk by David Camera.

Application questions:

• How would you explain your identity to someone? (Who are you?)
• What has the Apostle been teaching about since 4:1? To whom are these verses directed?
• How is 5:1 connected to 4:32?
• How does Paul describe Christians in this section? How should our identity impact our activity?
• Why should Christians imitate the character of God?
• What specifically is Paul teaching we should emulate?
• How would you summarize the way Christians are to relate to one another according to vs. 1-6?
• Look at verse 6. In light of verses 3-5, what could the deception Paul warns against be about?
• How is it possible that some people were saying God doesn’t care how we live? How would you summarize the way the church is to relate to the world according to verses 7-14?
• How does the world typically react when the church pursues holiness?
• Should people outside the church expect Christians to live differently?
• Are there ways in which your life imitates the world more than God? How will you practically pursue holiness in those areas?