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RELINQUISH SLAVERY
Less $tress | Part 3
Dr. Jessica Fernandez
February 16, 2025

#realspringcreekchurch #financialfreedom #stressfree #godandmoney

Debt is more than just a financial burden - it’s a form of modern day slavery that can control decisions, emotions, and even our faith. In this sermon, we explore what the Bible says about debt, financial bondage, and true freedom in Christ. Many of us unknowingly live under the weight of financial oppression. How does debt keep us enslaved? How can we break free and step into God’s provision and peace?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean to be enslaved to debt, and how can financial burdens affect your ability to fully trust and serve God? Read Proverbs 22:7 and Matthew 6:24. How do these verses relate to financial bondage and our relationship with God?

2. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). How does the spirit of Mammon influence people’s financial decisions, and how can we resist its pull? What are some lies that Mammon tells us about money? How do they compare to God’s promises in Scripture?

3. The Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10) was a time when debts were canceled and slaves were freed. What does this tell us about God’s heart for financial freedom? How does this principle apply to our lives today, and how can we walk in financial freedom as believers?

4. In what ways does debt impact relationships, marriages, and families? Have you ever experienced or seen financial stress create tension in your relationships? How can biblical financial wisdom bring peace and unity?

5. What practical steps can you take today to begin the journey toward financial freedom? Read Philippians 4:19 and Proverbs 4:7. How does trusting in God’s provision and seeking financial wisdom help us break free from financial bondage?

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ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES
Less $tress | Part 2
Pastor Keith Stewart
February 9, 2025

This second installment in our series, Less $tress, is all about the steps you can take in your life to immediately begin relieving financial stress. In a message both personal and practical, Pastor Keith will share with you the three proven principles for getting out and staying out of financial distress It’s a message you don’t want to miss.

#lessstress #establishingpriorities #realspringcreekchurch #livingstressfree #putgodfirstfinancially


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just let go of our financial worries and stress over running our business and managing our mortgage and struggling with our student loan? What if I told you the key to a more peaceful and productive life is a 2000-year-old recipe in God’s Word that teaches us that we’re not owners, we’re merely managers of the things that belong to God. That one reality has the power to release burdens we carry that belong to God and not us. I hope you can join us in this first installment in Less $tress living.

1. Describe a time in your life that was financially distressing, past, or present? What happened? How did you deal with it? Were there ways you might have contributed to the problem? What did you find most helpful? Where are you now in regard to this issue?

2. Regarding the practice of frugality, Pastor Keith offered two guiding principles. One was to practice doing a regular inventory of your life. This keeps hoarding in check, makes sure that the things we have make an actual contribution to our life and allows us to see if there are things we have that might be better used by others or sold to produce a benefit for others. Have you ever engaged in such an inventory? Has God ever moved your heart to give something away or sell something to be a blessing? Describe what happened and whatever outcome you may be aware of.

3. Pastor Keith also suggested in regard to frugality, that we reconsider purchases. Sometimes, we are too quick to go buy the things we want without ever considering if God might want to bless us in another way; to receive something for free, or at a reduced cost or even have it loaned to us. Has this ever happened to you? If so, what was it? How did you respond? Have you ever delayed purchasing an item so you could consult with God whether that was the proper course? Have you ever blessed someone with something they needed? If so, what was that like?

4. When it comes to establishing priorities that will lead to greater freedom and less stress, we need to stop the bleeding. In other words, we must step off the endless debt cycle. The misuse of credit has gotten many individuals and families into trouble. Too often, we think only in terms of the affordability of the payment without considering the cumulative effect of long-term debt or how that payment might erode our margin. What has been your personal experience with using credit for homes, cars, major purchases or credit cards? If you have managed to get credit usage under control, what were the things that helped you most? If you could have a talk with the younger you, what advice would you give as it relates to the use of credit?

5. One of the most practical principles in getting money managed and moving toward a less stressful experience is involving God in your finances. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous promises from God about taking care of our needs IF we prioritize Him in our finances. For those of you who make a regular habit of giving, how have you seen God’s faithfulness in providing for your needs? If someone was a new believer and struggling to trust God with their finances, what would you say to encourage them?

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Less $tress
Settle Ownership | Part 1
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
February 2, 2025

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just let go of our financial worries and stress over running our business and managing our mortgage and struggling with our student loan? What if I told you the key to a more peaceful and productive life is a 2000-year-old recipe in God’s Word that teaches us that we’re not owners, we’re merely managers of the things that belong to God. That one reality has the power to release burdens we carry that belong to God and not us. I hope you can join us in this first installment in Less $tress living.

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1. Pastor Keith made some comparisons between renters and homeowners. Ultimately, it’s the homeowner who bears the responsibility for major repairs that are a part of the normal upkeep of a home. What has been your experience in this area as an owner or a renter?

2. What, if anything, did you learn from the parable of the unjust steward that you didn’t know before? What are some of your key learnings from this parable?

3. In drawing lessons from this story, Jesus reminded us, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16.10). The implication is money is a really SMALL issue loaded with HUGE implications. There are riches that are far greater than money. But whether or not God will ever entrust them to us is dependent on whether we can first pass the money test. How are you personally doing in this area of your life? What have been your greatest learnings? Where have you struggled the most? What comes naturally to you today and why?

4. Jesus made money into a very intensely personal and spiritual matter by giving money the name Mammon. Why is money a spiritual matter? In what ways does money take on God-like qualities in our life? Why did Jesus reduce our choice to God and Money versus God and Satan?

5. Pastor Keith’s final illustration about playing the game of monopoly speaks to our obsession with money and acquisition. What do you know about the game of monopoly and especially its parallels with economic realities? What does it say to you that in the end, it all goes back in the box?

6. What decision or decisions will you make as a result of today’s message?

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| RECONCILERS |
Pastor Jessica Fernandez
January 26, 2025

The world is fractured by conflict, injustice, and division, leaving people longing for peace, healing, and unity. As followers of Christ, we are called to step into this brokenness and become reconcilers, reflecting God’s heart for restoration. In this sermon, we will explore how God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. We will unpack the biblical call to bridge divides, heal relationships, and share the message of hope and unity in a divided world. Together, we’ll discover what it means to live as ambassadors of Christ, actively building bridges and restoring what’s broken through His love and power.

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1. Are there people in your life that you need to reconcile with? What steps can you take this week to move toward forgiveness and restoration?

2. Where do you see division in your home, family, community, workplace, or church? How can you personally act as a bridge-builder in those spaces?

3. Reconciliation often requires humility, courage, and sacrifice. What might you need to let go of—pride, comfort, or resentment—to pursue reconciliation in your relationships?

4. How does understanding that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28) challenge the way you view and treat others?

5. Paul took an active role in mediating between Philemon and Onesimus. Who in your life might need an advocate or someone to stand in the gap for them? How can you reflect Christ in that situation?

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Beautifully Gifted
Deploy Your Gift | Part 3
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
January 19, 2025

You are beautifully gifted - created on purpose and for a purpose. It’s been said,“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” That’s what this series has been all about; discovering the unique blend of gifts God has placed in you, developing them to their maximum potential, and finally, deploying those gifts in service to God and others. It’s time for your gifts to shine!
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Where did God challenge you most through this message? What did you learn from the Parable of the Talents that you hadn’t known before or made you think about it in a new or different way?

2. Do you know what your gifts are? Do you have a clear understanding of your purpose? Why or why not? For those of you who lack clarity, share with the group what things get you excited, motivated or you can talk about easily? What qualities do others affirm in you? Have you had any “God moments” – times when you think God was especially at work through something you did or said?

3. Have you ever sensed a nudge from the Holy Spirit prompting you to say something or do something but you resisted it? What was the thing you felt compelled to do or say? What held you back? How much of a factor was it that you were afraid of looking stupid or your old wounding was discouraging you or was it something else?

4. One of the keys to discovering and refining our sense of who we are and why we are here is simply to make a beginning by using what we have at our disposal to service others. What are some natural talents that you have, areas of experience, or even work-related skills that might be useful to other people? Have you ever put those skills to work outside of your job?5. What are some needs you have noticed in the church? Your community? The world? What is it about this need That moves your heart?

6. In what ways have you learned the importance of consistency in the way you serve? What habits or disciplines have helped you become more consistent? In what ways have you made progress, even incremental changes in the way you serve or operate in your gifting?

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Beautifully Gifted
Part 2 | Develop Your Gift
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
January 12, 2025

Many of our gifts come to us in seed form. They are literally bursting with potential. But you and I have a role in the development of our gifts. Like a seed, your gift must be nurtured and grown into what God designed it to be. Think of it like this. God has gifted you in many wonderful ways. Your gift to God is what you make of your gifts. That’s what this message is all about.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Dr . Marilyn Ann Murphree made the observation, “We have garages at our homes where we store worthless junk and protect it from the weather and lock it up at night and then we leave our $40,000 new cars sitting out in the driveway to rust.” Our gifting is a treasure that is often neglected like the car sitting out in the weather while less important things get our attention, protection and occupy the most space in our life. What are some things in your life that deserve more attention? What are some things that deserve less? What practical steps can you take today to make sure that what’s important is not sacrificed for lesser things?

2. Paul encouraged Timothy by saying, “…the special gift of ministry you received…keep that ablaze!” 2 Timothy 1.6. Why does the fire of our gifting smolder? What can you do to fan the flame of your gifting? Have you ever felt “on fire” for God or the things of God? What was that like? What were you doing to nurture your relationship with God during that time?

3. Our gifting may include possibilities we have never even considered as in the case of Grandma Moses and Elizabeth Leyton. Have any of you discovered even more gifting in your life that you never knew you had before? What was it? How and when did you discover it?

4. Why are you doing what everyone else could do while you leave undone what only YOU could do? Are you focused on your unique gifting? What have you chosen or could you choose to fail at in order to succeed in your gifting?

5. Do you have a Paul (mentor), a Barnabas (spiritual friend) and a Timothy (mentee)? If so, how have those relationships contributed to your life? If someone asked you how to find a Paul, Barnabas or Timothy, what would you tell them?

6. Our brokenness, especially the false self, is a saboteur of our gifting. It distorts our gifts into a self-serving tool and turns them into selfish ambition. Jesus had to deal with this in His disciples and their obsession with being the greatest. What were your takeaways from this part of the message? What stood out most? Why is true servanthood the remedy for selfish ambition?

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Beautifully Gifted
Discover Your Gift | Part 1
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
January 5, 2025

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once prayed, “Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” Dr. King's desire is a perfect encapsulation of this Sunday's message. God has a wonderful purpose for your life and you will discover it once you understand how He has uniquely formed and equipped you to be. This is the perfect beginning to the new year and you don't want to miss it.

#Realspringcreekchurch #spiritualgifts #beautifully #gifted #discoveryourgift

1. Take some time individually or as a group to read the various lists of spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Peter 4:9-11; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:11-13). Do you know what your spiritual gift or gifts are? They say that two tests of the spiritual gifts are fruitful and fulfilled. In other words, when you are exercising your spiritual gift, it is fruitful - that is, other people express appreciation for your gift, it is helpful, beneficial, healing or instructive to them. And secondly, you are fulfilled in exercising your gift. In other words, you find satisfaction and deep connection to God as you put your gift into practice. In what ways have you experienced being both fruitful and fulfilled?

2. Our heart represents our loves - our strongest and most persistent desires. What are the things you most love to do? How has pursuing the things you love been a factor in your life in school, your career and personal life? In what ways could God’s kingdom benefit by sharing your passions with others? If you’ve already found a way of doing that, describe what that experience was like and explain how others can do the same.

3. Abilities are those strengths and aptitudes that we are born with. We develop our abilities and perfect them throughout life, but there is an inclination that already exists in one or several areas to excel. Sometimes, we are unaware of our abilities because we dismiss them too easily thinking that everybody can do what comes naturally to us. What abilities have you discovered in your life? What strengths have you always been aware of? How do you use your abilities in your personal life? Professional life? Spiritual life?

4. Our personalities also constitute the unique gifts God has given us. Pastor Keith highlighted two aspects of personality, introversion versus extroversion and preferred learning styles in affective, reflective or substantive. In these two categories, do you know which terms best describe you? If so, which ones do and explain how that plays out in your life. It is also vitally important that we be aware that not everyone is constituted as we are. Personality can help us relate powerfully to those most like us, but God wants us all to gain an appreciation for all the personality styles and the contribution we can make to one another. Take some time to contemplate how each personality style has strengths and weaknesses.

5. The experiences we’ve had in life for good or bad can be used by God to help others who find themselves in similar situations. What good things in your life experience has God used to help others? What bad things in your life has God redeemed and worked to the benefit of others? Is there anything that you once never wanted to talk about but now do so freely because of the healing and forgiveness that God has helped you to experience?

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THE SHEPHERD
Pastor Jerrid Fletcher
December 29, 2024

#god #theshepherd #psalm23 #psalm22 #realspringcreekchurch

Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved and comforting passages in all of Scripture, offering a timeless reminder of God’s love and care for His people. In this sermon, we will explore the beautiful imagery of God as our Shepherd—a guide who provides, protects, and restores. Just as a shepherd knows each sheep by name and cares for their every need, our God leads us beside still waters, refreshes our souls, and walks with us through life’s darkest valleys.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In what moments this past year have you felt a sense of abandonment or silence from God, similar to David in Psalm 22? How did you navigate those feelings?

2. Reflecting on Psalm 23, how has your understanding of God as a shepherd influenced your perspective on personal trials, and in what specific ways have you witnessed His provision
in your life?

3. After considering the different labels attributed to David throughout his life, what labels have you accepted for yourself, and how do you reconcile those with the identity God has ascribed to you?

4. Who has God been to you this year? Share a specific instance that embodies His presence or guidance during a challenging moment in your life.