Discuss Together
- Ryan shared that there are over 13,000 church denominations in America, each with a slightly different emphasis on what it means to be a solid Christian. If you grew up attending church, what was emphasized? Information? Theology? Sacraments? Something else?
- If someone asked you today what it means to be a solid Christian, what would you say? If someone is new in their faith, what is the goal line to becoming a solid Christian?
- Read together 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Colossians 1:3-5, and 1 Corinthians 13:11-13. What words or phrases stand out to you?
Chase Oaks Church’s founding pastor, Gene Getz, writes about the importance of faith, hope, and love in his book, The Measure of a Healthy Church. Read this excerpt together:
“Those three qualities (faith, hope, and love) form a divine trilogy—a trilogy that jumps off the pages of the New Testament letters and forms a comprehensive perspective for evaluating Christian living. According to Gordon Fee, “These words embrace the whole of Christian existence, as believers live out the life of the Spirit in the present age, awaiting consummation.” And C.K. Barrett refers to faith, hope, and love as “the central, essential, and indefectible elements of Christianity.”… As a community of believers, we are to become like Jesus, reflecting faith, hope, and love—but especially love!”
- How would you define faith, hope, and love? Why do you think the New Testament emphasizes these qualities as measurements of maturity?
- At Chase Oaks Church, our definition of a disciple is a Christ-follower who is maturing in faith, hope, and love. We all have places to grow in these three areas. Ryan asked us to think about how full our tanks are in each of these areas. Which tank do you feel like is the least full for you? Why?
- Ryan shared how faith is something that takes great intentionality to feed. What would it look like for you to feed your faith this summer? What would you need to change in order to do that?
Next Steps
There are two big ways you can take feed your faith this summer at Chase Oaks. The first is to join an Established group if you’ve never gone through it before. Established will help you connect with others and grow in confidence around key areas of Jesus, faith, the Bible, and Christianity. Go to chaseoaks.org/established to find out more.
Chase Oaks is also launching a bunch of digital and on-demand Masterclasses to equip you to take steps in your understanding of the Bible, leadership, gifting, parenting, and financial stewardship. To sign up for one, go to chaseoaks.org/masterclasses.