Discussion Questions:

1. Partnership in the Gospel

• Pastor Mark reflects on Paul’s deep affection for the church in Philippi despite the hardships he experienced there. What do you think made that relationship so meaningful to Paul?
• Paul describes the Philippians as his “partners in the gospel.” What does true partnership in faith look like today?
• Have you ever experienced a community that supported you spiritually, emotionally, or materially during a difficult season? What made that support meaningful?

2. Vulnerability and Christian Community

• The sermon quotes Brené Brown’s observation that vulnerability is connected to joy, gratitude, and grace. Why do you think vulnerability is necessary for authentic community?
• What risks are involved in loving others deeply or allowing yourself to be known by a community?
• How can churches create spaces where people feel safe bringing their whole selves — including doubts, grief, questions, and struggles?

3. Hospitality and Welcoming Others

• Pastor Mark describes the importance of making room for guests, newcomers, and introverts within the life of the church. Why can this sometimes be difficult for established communities?
• The sermon contrasts two ways of entering a room: “Here I am” versus “Ah, there you are.” What is the difference between those two postures?
• When have you experienced radical welcome or hospitality in a faith community? How did it affect you?

4. Remembering the Outsider

• Paul never forgot what it meant to be an outsider before encountering the love of Christ. Why is it important for churches to remember the perspective of newcomers and outsiders?
• Pastor Mark says that making room for people with different experiences and perspectives does not impoverish a community — it enriches it. How have you seen diversity of experience strengthen a church or community?
• Are there ways churches unintentionally make people feel excluded or unseen? What changes can help create deeper belonging?

5. Beloved Community and Honest Faith

• The sermon reminds us that confession is necessary because “without confession, forgiveness and repair cannot occur.” Why is honesty about our failures important for spiritual growth?
• As RPPC celebrates 125 years, Pastor Mark encourages both gratitude for the past and honesty about the parts of history we might rather avoid. Why is this balance important for communities of faith?
• What does it mean to you to help build “the beloved community” in today’s divided world?

6. Applying the Sermon

• What is one concrete way you can practice hospitality or make room for someone this week?
• How can we become the kind of church community that says, “Ah, there you are” to those who walk through our doors?
• What part of this sermon challenged or encouraged you most personally?

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Discussion Questions:

1. Facing Lent Honestly

• Pastor Mark described Lent as a season many people avoid because it asks us to confront mortality, frailty, and brokenness. What feelings does Lent stir in you? Resistance? Relief? Curiosity?
• How might Lent be less about guilt and more about learning to trust God in difficult realities?

2. Jesus Wept

• In John 11, Jesus knows resurrection is coming—yet he weeps. What does “Jesus wept” reveal about the heart of God?
• When have you experienced God not as a rescuer who fixes everything, but as a companion who stays with you in grief?

3. “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

• Martha expresses belief in a future resurrection, but Jesus speaks in the present tense: “I am the resurrection and the life.” What might that mean for how we live now?
• How does believing that “the worst thing is never the last thing” shape your response to loss or uncertainty?

4. Love That Goes Through Death

• The sermon quoted Andrew Root: “Love is only able to conquer death if it goes through death.” Where have you seen love show up in dark or broken places?
• What does it look like to allow love into the “cracks” of your own life rather than hiding your brokenness?

5. Walking Through the Valley Together

• Pastor Mark said God will not rescue us from all pain, but there is nowhere we can go that God will not go with us. How does that promise challenge or comfort you?
• How can we, as a church community, walk through valleys with one another in tangible ways?
• What would it look like for RPPC to embody resurrection hope in Baltimore right now?

6. Living This Week

• What is one area of frailty or uncertainty you are being invited to entrust to God this Lent?
• Who might need you to simply “come and see” — to sit with them, listen, and embody compassionate presence this week?

The post Sermon Discussion Guide: Were You There? The Resurrection and the Light appeared first on Roland Park Presbyterian Church.

Discussion Questions:

1. Seeing and Blindness

• The disciples assume someone must have sinned to cause the man’s blindness. Why do you think we are often quick to assign blame when we see suffering?
• Jesus reframes the situation entirely. How does his response challenge the way you interpret hardship or injustice?

2. The Power of Listening

• Pastor Mark suggests this passage may be more about hearing than seeing. Where in the story do you notice people refusing to listen?
• The sermon says, “There is no better way to love, no greater gift than to listen.” When have you experienced the gift of someone truly listening to you?
• Who in your life or community may not be feeling heard right now?

3. Ignorance vs. Willful Blindness

• Pastor Mark distinguishes between ignorance (not knowing better) and willful blindness (refusing to see). Where do you see each of these at work in the story?
• When have you had a moment of “once I knew better, I could do better”?
• What helps you stay open to growth rather than becoming defensive?

4. Holy Trouble

• The man born blind refuses to deny his experience: “Though I was blind, now I see.” Why does his testimony cause such disruption?
• When does faithfulness require us to speak truth, even when it creates discomfort?
• How might following Jesus lead us into “holy trouble” in our own context?

5. Seeing God’s Glory in One Another

• Jesus says the man’s life reveals God’s works. How might we see God’s glory revealed in people whose gifts or abilities fall outside what society considers “normal”?
• Do we celebrate the unique gifts of those in our midst? How can we do this more intentionally?

6. Responding to a Hurting World

• The sermon names real suffering in our world — injustice, exclusion, environmental distress. How do you respond emotionally when confronted with overwhelming need?
• Pastor Mark reminds us: “You can’t solve the world’s problems. But you do have something to offer.” What might that “something” be for you this week?

7. Living the Light

• If Jesus is the Light of the World, what does it mean for us to reflect that light?
• What is one concrete way you can practice deeper listening this week — at home, at work, in church, or in the wider community?

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