Discussion Questions:

1. Encountering Jesus at the Well

• In John 4, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman in the bright light of day—unlike Nicodemus who comes to him under the cover of night in the previous chapter. What does this contrast reveal about how people come to faith?
• What strikes you about the way Jesus interacts with the Samaritan woman? How does he show relational power instead of dominant power?

2. Relational Power

• Pastor Mark referenced a BUILD gathering where relational power was described as “power with” rather than “power over.” How do you experience these two kinds of power in your daily life?
• How might we as a church live more fully into relational power, especially in the way we welcome others or advocate for justice?

3. Testimony and Transformation

• The woman leaves her water jar behind and rushes to tell her community about Jesus. Why do you think she was so compelled to share?
• Have you ever had a moment when you felt truly seen or known, like the woman at the well? How did that change you?

4. Our True Identity

• The sermon quoted Rev. Joanna Adams: “There are so many voices that would tell us who we are… but all of that is a lie. We are first and last the beloved of God.” What are the voices in your life that try to define your worth?
• What helps you return to your identity as God’s beloved?

5. Applying the Sermon

• What’s in your well? What sources of living water—grace, love, justice—are bubbling beneath the surface of your life right now?
• As you go into this week, how can you leave behind your own metaphorical “water jar” and live out your testimony with joy?

The post Sermon Discussion Guide: What’s in Your Well? appeared first on Roland Park Presbyterian Church.

Discussion Questions:

1. Silence and Spiritual Growth

• Zechariah is struck mute after expressing doubt. How do you interpret the role of silence in his story? Was it a punishment, or something more?
• Have you ever experienced a time when silence—chosen or imposed—deepened your faith or changed your perspective?

2. Doubt and Divine Encounter

• Zechariah questions the angel’s message due to his and Elizabeth’s age. What does this reveal about the human response to divine promises?
• How do you navigate doubt in your own faith journey? What does this passage teach us about God’s response to doubt?

3. Reflection on God’s “Severe Mercy”

• Pastor Mark referenced Robert Dykstra’s phrase “God’s severe mercy” to describe Zechariah’s silence. What might this mean in the context of Advent and waiting?
• Can you think of a time when something difficult or unexpected in your life became a space for spiritual growth or clarity?

4. Listening for God

• Silence can be unsettling, yet it may also make room to hear God more clearly. In what ways might our noisy lives be drowning out the voice of God?
• What practices help you listen for God during this Advent season?

5. A Community of Waiting and Witness

• Zechariah’s muteness may have impacted the whole community. How do our personal experiences of faith affect those around us?
• How can we, as a church, embrace both silence and speech in ways that prepare us for Christ’s coming?

6. Applying the Sermon

• What is one concrete way you can create space for silence or reflection this week?
• How might your story—like Zechariah’s—shift from doubt to declaration as you prepare for Christmas?

The post Sermon Discussion Guide: Voices of Advent: Zechariah appeared first on Roland Park Presbyterian Church.

Discussion Questions:

1. Exile and Context

• Jeremiah’s letter was addressed to a people living in exile. How do you think this message would have felt to the original hearers?
• Are there ways you feel “in exile” in your own life—disconnected, uncertain, or far from where you want to be?
• How does God’s command to “build, plant, seek the welfare of the city” speak to your current season of life?

2. Hope and God’s Plans

• Jeremiah 29:11 is often quoted as a message of comfort. How does understanding its original context change or deepen its meaning for you?
• What does it mean to you that God’s promises may unfold over generations, not immediately?
• In what ways do you see “hope” as an active practice rather than passive waiting?

3. Community and Collective Faith

• Pastor Mark highlighted that “you” in this passage is plural—“all y’all.” How does thinking of God’s promise in communal terms change its impact?
• How can our church embody a shared sense of future and faithfulness together?

4. Trusting God Over Time

• Jeremiah’s message invites a kind of trust in God’s future that sustains even without full knowledge of the outcome. How easy or hard is that for you?
• Can you share a time when you had to trust God without knowing what would happen?

5. Applying the Sermon

• What small, daily actions can you take to cultivate hope and faith, especially in challenging circumstances?
• How can we as a church support one another in trusting God’s long-term vision and embodying active, rooted hope in our community?

The post Sermon Discussion Guide: God’s Plans appeared first on Roland Park Presbyterian Church.

Discussion Questions:

1. Prophetic Imagination & Hope

• Isaiah 9 was originally written for a coronation in ancient Israel, likely during a time of war. How does understanding this historical context shift or deepen your appreciation for the text?
• Pastor Mark shared that prophets aren’t fortune-tellers but people with “supreme trust in God’s future.” What does it look like to trust God’s future in our world today?

2. Language About God

• The sermon reminded us that all language about God is metaphor. How does that affect how you engage with titles like “Father,” “Son of God,” or “Prince of Peace”?
• What are some new or different metaphors you’ve used—or might be open to using—for God? How do these reflect your lived experience?

3. Jesus as Metaphor and Meaning

• Pastor Mark explored how calling Jesus the “Son of God” expresses theological, not biological, truth. How does that shape your understanding of Jesus’ relationship to God—and to us?
• Which metaphors or descriptions of Jesus feel especially relevant or powerful in your faith right now?

4. Inclusive and Evolving Faith

• The sermon emphasized that it’s not only okay to use new images and language for God, it may be essential. How do we balance tradition and innovation in faith language?
• How can the church model this openness while honoring diverse spiritual experiences?

5. Practicing Hope and Light

• Isaiah speaks of light shining in darkness. Where do you see glimpses of that light today?
• What does it mean to live with “imperfect tense” hope—believing God’s vision of peace is already completed, even if it hasn’t happened yet?

6. Applying the Sermon

• How might you explore or introduce new God-language in your own prayer or spiritual practice this week?
• As a church, how can we better reflect a community that welcomes evolving understandings of God, rooted in justice, hospitality, and curious faith?

The post Sermon Discussion Guide: An Idea Is Born to Us appeared first on Roland Park Presbyterian Church.