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THE HEART GOD FORMS
After God’s Own Heart | Part 2
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
October 4, 2026

David and Goliath is the story everybody knows. But Goliath wasn’t the battle that formed David. Goliath was the battle that made David famous. Saul was the battle that made David ready. For years, David lived on the run—betrayed, hunted, hiding in caves, and waiting for a promise from God that seemed no closer to fulfillment. Yet those wilderness years were not wasted years. They were the place where God formed David’s heart. What if the delays, opposition, and wilderness seasons we desperately want to escape are actually some of the places where God does His deepest work in us?

Join us this weekend as we discover what David learned in the wilderness—and what God may be forming in us through ours.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The message makes the distinction: “Goliath was the battle that made David famous. Saul was the battle that made David ready.” What do you think that means? Why might prolonged adversity form us in ways that a single victory cannot?
2. David was anointed king long before he actually became king. What is difficult about trusting God when you believe He is leading you somewhere, but circumstances seem to be moving in the opposite direction?

3. The message describes patience as more than simply waiting—it is learning to live faithfully and fully in the present moment. What makes us so eager to escape uncomfortable seasons? What might God want to teach us while we are there?

4. “The wilderness exposes what’s really inside our hearts.” What has a difficult season revealed to you about yourself—your fears, priorities, attachments, strengths, or relationship with God?

5. David's wilderness could have made him bitter, but instead much of his pain became prayer. The message distinguishes lament from grumbling: lament honestly expresses pain while continuing to move toward God. What would it look like for you to turn more of your complaints into lament?

6. When Saul unexpectedly entered David's cave, David had the perfect opportunity to end his suffering and accelerate God's promise. Discuss this statement: “A God-given promise does not justify a God-forbidden shortcut.” Where are we most tempted to justify questionable means because we believe the desired outcome is good?

7. David had the power to harm the person who had repeatedly tried to harm him—and refused to use it. What does the way we use power reveal about what God has formed in our hearts?

8. The message says, “There may come a time when you have the power to personally destroy someone who has hurt you. And that is precisely when the heart God has formed in you is revealed.” Without sharing anything inappropriate or confidential, have you ever faced a situation where retaliation was possible and even understandable? What made choosing grace difficult?

9. David refused to retaliate against Saul, but Jesus takes this even further: He responds to His enemies with sacrificial love. How does Jesus change the way Christians should think about enemies, retaliation, self-protection, and forgiveness?

10. The conclusion describes Christians as “surprising people”—people whose grace is unexpected in a culture accustomed to retaliation and self-interest. Which of these challenges you most right now: forgiving when retaliation is expected, relinquishing an advantage you could exploit, or loving someone you have reason to consider an enemy?

Closing question: If your present circumstances are part of God's formation of your heart, what might God be forming in you right now that you could not learn as easily under different circumstances?

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THE HEART GOD CHOOSES
After God’s Own Heart | Part 1
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 27, 2026

This Sunday, we begin a new series on one of the most fascinating, celebrated—and complicated—people in the Bible: David. He was a shepherd, warrior, poet, king, worshiper and giant-slayer. But he was also deeply flawed. He made terrible decisions, hurt people he loved, failed spectacularly and lived with the consequences.

And yet, remarkably, David is the one person Scripture describes as “a man after God’s own heart.” How can that be? Maybe we’ve misunderstood what God is looking for.

We tend to evaluate people from the outside in—appearance, accomplishments, credentials, success. But when God chose David, He made something unmistakably clear: “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” —1 Samuel 16:7

If you’ve ever wondered whether your failures, weaknesses, background or imperfections could keep God from using your life, I hope you’ll join us. Because David’s story reminds us that God has always done extraordinary things through remarkably ordinary—and imperfect—people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Read 1 Samuel 16:6–13. Samuel initially assumed Eliab must be God’s choice because of what he saw on the outside. What are some of the outward qualities our culture tends to associate with significance, leadership, or success? How can Christians fall into the same trap?

2. David was overlooked even by his own father, yet God saw something in him that others did not. Have there been seasons when you felt overlooked, undervalued, or forgotten? How might knowing that God sees differently change the way we experience those seasons?

3. The message describes David as having “a heart like a shepherd.” Much of his character was developed while doing an ordinary, largely unnoticed job. What might God be developing in us through responsibilities that seem insignificant or unimportant?

4. One of the sermon’s statements is, “Character is always built in faithful obscurity.” Why can obscurity actually be valuable? What becomes dangerous when recognition or opportunity arrives before character has been developed?

5. David and Saul both failed seriously, but the message emphasizes a difference in how they responded when confronted. What is the difference between being sorry about consequences, defending ourselves, and genuinely repenting? Why is defensiveness such an obstacle to spiritual growth?

6. The message says, “Being a sinner is not what disqualifies you from leadership. Pretending that you aren’t is what dooms you.” What does healthy ownership of our failures look like? How can a community of grace make honesty and repentance easier rather than harder?

7. David also had “a heart that was centered on God.” The sermon suggests that work, busyness, efficiency, schedules, and even ministry can gradually move into the center of our lives. What tends to compete with God for the center of your life? What practices help you continually re-center yourself on God?

8. The message summarizes the heart God chooses as a heart willing to serve when nobody is watching, a heart capable of breaking when confronted with sin, and a heart that continually re-centers itself on God. Which of those three qualities do you most want God to develop in you right now, and why?

9. David’s story reminds us that we are both saints and sinners—people genuinely loved and used by God who remain deeply imperfect. How does that truth challenge either perfectionism on one side or complacency about our failures on the other?

10. The message ends by saying that when David’s story is told rightly, we see Jesus—and that God wants Jesus to become visible through our imperfect stories as well. What might it look like for someone to see Jesus through your life, including through the places where you are still unfinished?

Closing prayer prompt: Ask God to show you where you are concentrating too much on the outside while He wants to work on the inside, and invite Him to form in you a heart that serves faithfully, repents readily, and continually returns to Him.

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THE LEAST OF THESE
SENIOR PASTOR KEITH STEWART
Matthew 25:31-46

Thirty-six years ago, we planted Springcreek Church. Over the years, God has been changing the church we planted-expanding our vision, softening our hearts, and teaching us to see Jesus in unexpected places.

In this message, Pastor Keith shares powerful stories from Kenya, Brazil, and Guatemala, and unpacks what Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 about the surprising ways He shows up "incognito" among the poor, the hurting, and the forgotten. This isn't just a message about helping others. It's an invitation to encounter Jesus, to live with compassion, and to become more fully the church He's calling us to be.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Keith described his encounter with Oliver as a moment when he realized, “He was rich. I was poor.” What do you think he meant? In what ways can someone possess material wealth and still experience another kind of poverty?

2. Read Matthew 25:31–46 together. What stands out to you most about the criteria Jesus uses to distinguish the sheep from the goats? What, if anything, makes you uncomfortable or challenges the way you have thought about following Jesus?

3. The message says, “The way you respond to ‘the least of these’ demonstrates where your true identity lies.” Why are acts of compassion evidence of genuine faith rather than a way of earning salvation?

4. Both the sheep and the goats seem surprised by Jesus’ verdict. Neither group realized that their treatment of vulnerable people was actually their treatment of Jesus. What does that suggest about the kind of life Jesus expects His followers to live?

5. Keith said, “Jesus is constantly showing up in our lives incognito.” How might believing that change the way you see someone who is poor, homeless, imprisoned, addicted, lonely, sick, an immigrant, or otherwise vulnerable?

6. One of the strongest warnings in Matthew 25 concerns sins of omission—not merely the wrong things we do, but the right things we fail to do. Where are you most tempted to see a need but assume someone else will take care of it?

7. Jesus mentions remarkably ordinary acts: feeding someone, offering a drink, welcoming a stranger, providing clothing, caring for the sick, visiting a prisoner. Why do you think Jesus places such significance on things almost anyone can do? What is one simple act of compassion that is realistically within your reach right now?

8. In both the Oliver and Gabriel stories, Keith went into impoverished communities assuming he had something to give and discovered that he was also the one who needed to receive. What can we learn from people whose life circumstances are very different from our own? How does this keep Christian service from becoming paternalistic?

9. Keith concluded, “Thirty-six years ago, we planted a church. Somewhere along the way, God began changing the church we planted.” What kind of church do you believe God is continuing to form Springcreek into? What would it look like for us—not merely church programs or staff—to become more fully that church?

10. Personal challenge: Who is one person or group of people you may have been overlooking, avoiding, judging, or simply failing to notice? What would it look like this week to approach that person not merely as someone who needs something from you, but as someone through whom you might encounter Jesus?

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THE POWER OF “AND”
Pastor Jerrid Fletcher
September 13, 2026

"The Power of 'And'" unpacks one of the smallest words in the English language to make one of the largest points in Scripture: God rarely erases what's hard — He joins Himself to it. Anchored in Luke 8, the message follows Jairus, a synagogue ruler whose dying daughter puts him at Jesus' feet carrying faith and fear in the same breath. When word comes that she has died, Jesus doesn't deny the report — He speaks over it: "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." From there the message builds two convictions: fear may be real, but it doesn't get the final word, and a report may be true, but it isn't the whole truth. It closes with a personal testimony of a season marked by repeated loss, and the "ands" that followed — closer family, deeper presence, real grief that didn't cancel real grace. The invitation is simple: stop putting a period where God has placed a comma.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Read Luke 8:40–56 slowly, once for the story and once just watching for the word "and."

2. Where has a report — a diagnosis, a rejection, a hard season — been given more authority in your mind than it should have?

3. What voice needs to be "put outside" before you can believe again?

4. Finish this sentence honestly: "I'm tired, and ___." / "I don't understand, and ___."

5. Write your own list of "ands" from a hard season — what did God do in the middle of it that you might've missed if you only looked at the loss?

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MAKE ROOM
Dr. Jessica Fernandez
September 06, 2026

In 2 Kings 4, the Shunammite woman did something simple but significant: she made room for the presence of God. Long before she received a promise, experienced a miracle, or saw her deepest desire fulfilled, she intentionally created space for God to dwell.

In Make Room, we’ll discover what her story teaches us about the crowded places in our own lives. Our schedules can be full, our minds overwhelmed, and our hearts guarded by disappointment—yet God continues to meet us in those places. Sometimes the question isn’t simply, What am I carrying? but what am I making room for?

Whether you’re standing between disappointment and hope, exhaustion and renewal, or what has been and what could be, God is still speaking in the doorway. Maybe it’s time to clear the clutter, reopen some rooms, and make space for God to move again.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The Shunammite woman recognized something sacred in Elisha before anyone told her what to do. What helps you recognize where God is at work in your life?

2. She served without asking for anything in return. Where do you notice yourself becoming transactional with God—obeying, serving, or giving mainly because you hope to receive something back?

3. When Elisha spoke to her deepest desire, her response revealed guarded hope. Is there an area where disappointment has made you cautious about trusting God again?

4. She lived in a compromised culture without allowing the culture to compromise her devotion. What pressure are you currently facing to conform, stay silent, or drift spiritually?

5. What is one specific way you can create space this week for God to speak, correct, restore, or redirect you?

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LEARN TO LAUGH AGAIN
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 30, 2026

Sometimes life becomes so heavy that we forget what it feels like to laugh.

Laughter doesn’t deny our pain or pretend that everything is okay. Sometimes it is one of the first signs that healing has begun—that we are regaining perspective, reconnecting with others, and rediscovering the joy God never intended us to lose.

This Sunday at Springcreek, we’re going to laugh together and explore God’s gift of joy in a message called LEARN TO LAUGH AGAIN.

If life has gotten the better of you lately, this message is especially for you.

Discussion Questions

1. Who is someone who consistently makes you laugh? What is it about that person or your relationship that creates laughter?

2. Read Ecclesiastes 3.1–4. Why do you think Scripture places “a time to laugh” alongside experiences such as weeping and mourning? What does this suggest about the place of laughter in a healthy spiritual life?

3. The message described laughter as power, perspective, and perseverance. Which of these have you experienced most clearly? Can you share a time when laughter helped you endure something difficult?

4. Read Luke 6.21: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” What kind of hope is Jesus offering to people who are suffering? How is this different from simply telling someone to cheer up?

5. Jesus used exaggeration and absurd imagery—such as a plank in someone’s eye or swallowing a camel—to expose uncomfortable truths. Why can humor sometimes help us recognize something about ourselves that we might resist if it were communicated through criticism?

6. “Laughter is the shortest distance between two hearts.” How has shared laughter helped you connect with someone, reduce tension, or feel less alone?

7. Read Proverbs 14.13. How can laughter become a mask that conceals sadness, fear, or pain? How can we create relationships in which people feel safe enough to let others see what is behind the laughter?

8. What is the difference between humor that heals and humor that wounds? What warning signs tell us that a joke, sarcasm, or teasing has crossed the line and become harmful?

9. Paul wrote repeatedly about joy while living through suffering and imprisonment. What is the difference between happiness based on circumstances and joy rooted in God’s presence?

10. Is there an area of your life that has become so heavy that you have lost some of your capacity for joy or laughter? What might returning to the source of your joy—God Himself—look like for you this week?

Closing Reflection

Pray for those in the group who are carrying especially heavy burdens. Ask God to help everyone face sorrow honestly, receive the support of others, rediscover the joy of His presence, and recognize the moments when healing allows them to laugh again.

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OUR LONELINESS EPIDEMIC
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 23, 2026

You can be surrounded by people and feel completely alone. You can share a home, a workplace, even a bed with someone—and still feel disconnected.
That’s because loneliness isn’t really about being alone. It’s about not feeling connected.

This Sunday at Springcreek, we’re talking about OUR LONELINESS EPIDEMIC—why loneliness affects people of every age and stage of life, how it can pull us into a downward spiral, and what we can do to break the cycle.

Loneliness isn’t shameful evidence that something is wrong with you. It may simply be telling you, “Pay attention. Something needs connection.”

And when it does, there are two directions we need to move:

Reach up. Reach out.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Keith said, “Loneliness is about not feeling connected, not about being alone.” What is the difference between loneliness and simply being alone? Have you ever experienced loneliness while surrounded by other people? Conversely, have you experienced being alone without feeling lonely?

2. Read Psalm 142:4–5 and Psalm 25:16–17. What do David’s words teach us about loneliness? Why is it important to recognize that spiritually mature people can still experience profound loneliness?

3. The message described a downward spiral: Pain → Passivity → Pity Parties → More Pain. Which part of that cycle do you think is easiest to get trapped in? How can pain cause us to withdraw from the very relationships we need? What are some ways our thoughts and behaviors can unintentionally reinforce our loneliness?

4. “You may not have chosen your loneliness, but you can choose how you respond to it.” What does taking responsibility for our response look like without blaming ourselves for being lonely? What is one healthy action someone could take when they recognize they are becoming isolated?

5. Discuss the idea of “bids for connection.” What are some small ways people make bids for connection that we easily overlook? Think about your closest relationships: do you tend to turn away, turn against, or turn toward? What might “turning toward” look like this week?

6. One of the surprising claims in the message was that solitude can actually be a remedy for loneliness. How is solitude different from isolation? Read John 8:29. How did Jesus’ relationship with His Father affect His experience of being alone? What practices help you experience solitude as time with God rather than simply time away from people?

7. The message compared loneliness to physical pain—an early warning system telling us that something needs attention. How might thinking about loneliness this way change the way we respond to it? Instead of merely trying to escape the feeling, what might loneliness be telling you about your relationships with God or other people?

8. The message ended with two simple directions: “Reach Up. Reach Out.” What would each of those look like practically in your life right now? Identify one way you can intentionally reach up toward God and one way you can reach out toward another person this week.

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RELENTLESS
When God Changes The Messenger
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 16, 2026

What if the greatest obstacle to God’s mission isn’t the people we’re trying to reach—but the parts of us God must change before we can reach them?

In Acts 10, God sends Peter to a Gentile Roman officer named Cornelius. But before God changes Cornelius’ life, He begins changing Peter—challenging lifelong assumptions, dismantling old prejudices, and expanding his understanding of just how far God’s grace reaches.

Nineveh wasn’t God’s only project. Jonah was.
Cornelius wasn’t God’s only project. Peter was.
And the people God wants us to love aren’t His only project. We are.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The message distinguishes between a technical challenge (“What do I need to do?”) and an adaptive challenge (“Who do I need to become?”). Where have you experienced God asking you not simply to do something differently, but to become different?

2. Peter had beliefs and practices he sincerely thought represented faithfulness to God, yet God challenged some of those categories. Why is it particularly difficult to change when we believe our existing position is faithful to God?

3. Before Peter ever arrived at Cornelius' house, God was already at work in Cornelius' life. How might it change the way we relate to people if we approached them believing God may already be doing something in their lives that we cannot see?

4. Peter eventually crossed a literal threshold and entered the home of someone he once would have considered an outsider. What kinds of “thresholds” still separate Christians from people today? Which ones might Jesus be asking us to cross?

5. Both Jonah and Peter were sent toward people they had been conditioned to regard as enemies or outsiders. Jonah resisted God's heart; Peter eventually allowed God to change his. Where do you see yourself in these two stories?

6. The message says, “Sometimes the greatest obstacle to God's mission isn't the people we're trying to reach. It's the parts of us that God must change before we can reach them.” What might God need to change in us—fear, prejudice, assumptions, discomfort, judgment, resentment—in order to love people more like Jesus does?

7. The Museum of Tolerance illustration assumes that none of us is completely free from prejudice. What are some subtle ways we pre-judge people based on appearance, politics, lifestyle, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, religion, or other differences?

8. The message concludes, “Nineveh wasn't God's only project. Jonah was. Cornelius wasn't God's only project. Peter was. And the people God wants us to love aren't His only project. We are.” What do you sense God may currently be trying to change, enlarge, or heal in you?

Closing prayer: Ask each person to quietly identify one person or group they find difficult to understand or love. Then pray the prayer from the message together: “God, heal my heart. Expand my vision. Help me to see people the way You see them, so I can love them the way You love them.”