Discussion Questions:

1. Like-Hearted vs. Like-Minded

• Pastor Mark suggests that Paul’s call to “be of one mind” may be better understood as being “like-hearted” rather than “like-minded.” What differences do you see between those two ideas?
• Have you ever experienced a community where people didn’t agree on everything, but still deeply loved and supported one another? What made that possible?

2. Walking in Sync with Jesus

• Pastor Mark shares the image of the older couple walking perfectly in sync. What stood out to you about that story?
• In what ways does following Jesus require practice, patience, and walking together with others rather than striving for perfection alone?
• How might spiritual growth happen through companionship and shared experience rather than uniformity?

3. Power, Humility, and the Way of Jesus

• The sermon contrasts worldly power based on domination and force with the power revealed through Jesus’ humility and self-emptying love. Where do you see these competing visions of power in today’s world?
• Why do you think humility is often misunderstood as weakness? How does Jesus challenge that assumption?
• What does it mean to trust that “God does not work by force, but by attraction”?

4. Diversity and Faithful Disagreement

• Pastor Mark highlights the Presbyterian belief that “people of good conscience can disagree.” Why is that idea important in communities of faith?
• How can Christians remain united in love while holding different political, theological, or personal views?
• What practices help create healthy disagreement without division?

5. Living the Sermon

• Pastor Mark asks: “How little faith in God does it take to force our way on others?” What emotions or thoughts did that question stir in you?
• How can we become a community where “love and generosity and compassion rule, not power and force”?

What is one practical way you can walk more intentionally in the way of Jesus this week?

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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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