A New Hope

Sermon Discussion Questions: December 28, 2025 A New Hope Call to Worship: 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 1. In verse 6, Paul encourages the Corinthian congregation to look to him and Apollos as examples. a. Is Paul being prideful? b. Exactly what, per verse 7, did Paul want the congregation to learn from him and Apollos? Sermon: Jeremiah 18:1-10 I. God Is Always Working on Us 1. God asked Jeremiah to observe a real life situation, and drew a spiritual principal from it. a. Give other examples of this in scripture. b. If God has ever enabled you to derive a spiritual application from a real-life experience, please share your experience and what you learned. 2. Pastor Bill said that the potter shapes the clay, giving it beauty, form and function. Yet our life experiences certainly do not always enable us to better survive in this world. How can an event, such as illness, that impairs our ability to work, create, or communicate, enable us to better glorify God? 3. In the sermon passage, what do the potter, wheel, and clay represent? 4. In what way do humans' relationship with God differ from a potter's relationship to the clay? 5. What are two aspects of the creation story that indicate humanity holds a higher place than does the rest of creation? 6. Pastor Bill emphasized that God's plans are not limited to those in ministry. How do secular professions fit into God's plan? 7. Give a scriptural example of a person working a secular job that carried out God's plan. II. God Always Wants What Is Best for Me 8. Benjamin Franklin was probably not a Christian. Yet he demonstrated great respect for Christian doctrines, virtues, and people. How do we share our faith with people like Mr. Franklin? 9. Pastor Bill drew an analogy between cake-making and ____________. He said that the ingredients of a cake are not tasty when eaten separately, yet are delicious when combined and properly baked. What is the point of the analogy? 10. In verses 5-10, God speaks to Jeremiah about judging nations, not people. Are we accountable for the sins of our nation, and can we take credit for our nation's good characteristics? III. God Is Always Willing to Start Over with Me 11. Psalm 19:12 states: But who can discern their own errors? What initiatives can we take to become aware of sinful attitudes and behaviors? 12. Pastor Bill told a story of a boy whose hand could not be removed from a vase because he would not release a penny. What worthless thing did you let go of when Jesus saved you? 13. What encouragement can backslidden Christians take from verse 4? 14. “He does not cast us utterly away; but puts us afresh upon the wheel, and ‘makes us again’…Yield yourself afresh to God. Confess that you have marred his work. Humbly ask that He should make you again.” (Meyer quoted in Guzik) Give an example of this from scripture. Prayer Points: • Ask God to reveal to you how and where in your life He is working, and how you can intentionally grow to be made more like Jesus! • Ask the Holy Spirit to give you patience in difficult times, trusting that God always wants what’s best for you. • When you do struggle, and fail, be open to and look for ways in which God is starting over with you.