In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
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In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
Acts (The Church Gets Messy): God Moves in the Mess
Lakeside Church
28 minutes 17 seconds
4 months ago
Acts (The Church Gets Messy): God Moves in the Mess
When everything goes wrong, or everything falls apart, God still moves in the middle of the mess. In this message, Johanna Kelly walks us through the first verses of Acts 8 where we see how tragedy leads to transformation as the church is scattered and the gospel reaches new people. Even in conflict, division, and messy motivations, God is at work bringing healing, redemption, and hope.
Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a time when everything went wrong or fell apart at once? How did you see (or not see) God at work in the midst of that chaos?
2. Acts 8 shows God moving through scattered people. In what ways have you seen growth, healing, or new direction come out of personal disruption or tragedy?
3. Philip stepped into unfamiliar, uncomfortable places (like Samaria). When have you been invited to step into spaces of division, discomfort, or difference? What did that stretch in you?
4. Simon wanted spiritual power for personal gain. Where do we try to “buy God?” Where is our relationship transactional? Maybe we think if we give generously, God will reward us financially, or if we pray long enough or hard enough, we’ll get what we want. Or maybe we “shop” for God in the church we choose, preferring convenience, comfort, or polished production over truth and transformation.
5. Peter helps Simon see what he couldn’t see on his own. Who in your life has helped you see something important about yourself? How did you respond?
6. Johanna said, “A life together is a life of conflict.” Does this ring true for you in your experience with church, family, or friendships? How do you usually respond to relational messiness? Do you lean in, or pull away?
Lakeside Church
In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
