November 3, 2024
The Story | What is Real Friendship Like? | Chapter 9
Beginnings: How God Got Things Started, A Chosen People.
The tiny book of Ruth in your Bible is all about friendship. The name Ruth actually means friendship. Two women lash themselves to each other, wondering what God might do for them during a bleak time in their lives. It’s the story of hard work, courage, and God coordinating the needed pieces behind the scenes.
Songs for this week: Spotify
Chapter 9: Ruth 1:1-22
- What’s the best friendship you’ve ever had or have in your life? What has made it so life-giving for you?
- Reflect on a time you experienced an unhealthy friendship (without naming names!). What attitudes or behaviors have you noticed that can undermine or damage friendships?
- What stands out for you in Ruth’s vows to Naomi? Is making such vows even wise? Explain.
- Can you describe the covenant that Jesus has made with believers? What promises has he made? Is this a covenant that you have entered?
- How might the story of Ruth help you share the hope you have in Jesus with a friend who doesn’t yet believe?
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Recent Sermons
Colossians 3:12-17-Sometimes Christianity gets known for what we don’t do. But Paul points us toward something better: how we live, love, and treat one another. What marks a genuine Christian community? It all starts with who God is and how deeply He loves us.
Colossians 3:5-11-Paul points to two areas that reveal who we are at the deepest level: sex and speech. The path to health and freedom isn’t harsh rules or self-focus, but staying close to Jesus, knowing him and growing in him. Christianity isn’t harsh rules; it’s a vibrant friendship.
Colossians 2:20-3:4 - Religious baggage can pull us in all kinds of directions—from expecting God to fit our preferences to trying to earn His approval. Paul’s message to the Colossians was simple: stop guessing what God wants and get back to the core of Christianity—Jesus.
Colossians 2:13-19 - Humans have a problem that we can’t save ourselves from—not through secular programs or religious systems. The good news of Jesus is that on the cross, Jesus dealt with it all. In him we are alive, forgiven, and free!
Colossians 2:8-12 - Paul warns the Colossian church not to trade the freedom found in Christ for religion or spiritual experiences. Jesus is more than enough.
Colossians 2:1-7-The way forward for the first Christians wasn't always easy. False teachers brought confusion and deception, prompting Paul to point believers back to the truth. Just as the best way to spot a counterfeit is to know the genuine article, the best way to recognize false teaching is to know Jesus.
