GretnaLife’s Sunday Gatherings

Big Idea of the Series: This four-week series explores the story of Esther. Through understanding the book’s backstory and context, we can see that the story is not a fairy tale but an understanding of how God can work behind the scenes with imperfect people in a hostile environment.
 
Week 1
Text: Esther 1:1–3; 2:5–8
Topic: Esther, Sovereignty, Providence
Big Idea of the Message: Esther tells the story of God working behind the scenes to raise a Jewish girl to be queen in ancient Persia.
Application Point: We will let God work behind the scenes in our lives.

Text: Deuteronomy 6:1–9Topics: Shema, Love, CovenantBig Idea of the Message: Love for God is the central command of the Christian faith.Application Point: We must learn what it means to love God because it is the foundation of ourfaith and the key to building healthy relationships with those around us.

Text: 1 John 2:7–11
Topics: Love, Friendship, Community
Big Idea of the Message: Our love for one another is the test of our relationship with God. If we do not forgive one another as God forgives us, then our love for God is in question.
Application Point: As Christians, we must evaluate our love for one another based on our actions - including our capacity to forgive.

Text: John 15:9–17
Topics: Love, Relationship with God, Friendship
Big Idea of the Message: Jesus commands us to love one another, and he shows us how to do this by giving up his life for us.
Application Point: As Christians, we must model our love for one another on Christ’s self-sacrificial love.

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Topics: Love, Virtue
Big Idea of the Message: Love is the supreme virtue in the Christian faith. It is the basis of our relationship with God and others.
Application Point: If we want to develop healthy relationships with God and others, we must learn what it looks like to love the way God intends us to love.

Text: John 18:33-40
Topics: Kingdoms, Jesus as King, Politics, Truth
Big Idea of the Message: No matter the season, Jesus challenges the rule of the day. When we are called to consider the person of Jesus, our decision affects all that we hold to be important in life.
Application Point: Like people in the first century, we are called to give an answer to the questions of who Jesus is and what he means to us. The question “Are you King of the Jews?” is as critical today as it was then.

Text: Mark 12:13–27Topics: Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees, Jesus, DisciplesBig Idea of the Message: Jesus’s message will bring even the most hardened enemies together as they try to keep the kingdom from moving forward.Application Point: Jesus’s words and actions will push us to make difficult decisions. When we seek him out, we may find that he calls us to abandon some ways of thinking that we hold as sacred. Jesus will reward our obedience, even if it looks to others like our sacrifice was foolish.

Text: Mark 11:27–12:12Supplemental Texts: Mark 3:1–6; 11:1–26Topics: Trust, Big Idea of the Message: We really struggle to trust - people, motivations, and even God himself.  There are many reasons why it's hard for us, but Jesus is worthy of all the trust we can muster - and then some.Application Point: Jesus’s message will challenge everyone, but especially thereligious. It is the religious—even his own followers—who will struggle to accept the truth of the person of Jesus. The call to trust is the same today as it was two thousand years ago.