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Strong Women Strong World
Why Do A Series Like This? | Part 1
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
June 29, 2025

This Sunday marks the start of a brand-new series built around the women God has used throughout Biblical history to change the world. It’s going to be an exciting time in God’s Word. To kick it off, Pastor Keith is going to dig into two different Bible passages that are often used in an attempt to silence women and their gifting. It’s vitally important that we address the confusion around what the Bible actually teaches. You don’t want to miss this message.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In the first part of the message, Pastor Keith mentioned numerous women who were prophets, teachers, and leaders in God’s Word. Take some time and try to make a more exhaustive list of these women in Scripture making note of who they were, how God used them and what you learn from their example. Which women in the Bible stand out to you the most and why? What do you learn from them? How is their example an encouragement for us all to live out our God-given purpose?

2. Some of us grew up in different faith traditions and others with no religious background whatsoever. What were you taught about female leadership in church? Have your perceptions changed over time? Have you ever had a female pastor, leader, therapist, or spiritual director whom you credit for significant spiritual growth? Share what you can about that experience.
3. One of the keys to effective Bible study is always anchoring our interpretation in the context of the verse we’re studying. Apart from that, it is far too easy to make the Bible say what we want it to say. This is especially true as it relates to these two problem passages that are frequently used against women. What did you learn about the context of these verses? What stood out to you as significant? What were some of your most important learnings today?

4. We have several female pastors on staff at Springcreek who face a barrage of critical remarks from outsiders on social media anytime a clip of them speaking or leading in church is played. Obviously, we’re not going to convince everyone about what the Bible actually teaches and won’t ever be able to stop all criticism. But knowing what they frequently face, what can we do as a church to better support them and encourage them in their giftedness?

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Because The Lord is My Shepherd | Psalm 23:1
Guest Speaker | Kevin Bullard
June 22, 2025

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need. | Psalm 23:1

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:11-15

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Healing The Father Wound
Senior Pastor Pastor Keith Stewart
June 15, 2025

The National Center for Fathering asked troubled teenage daughters, “Where do you go for comfort?” The number one response was music. Number two was girlfriends. Three was television. And Dad? He came in 34th place. The relationship we have with our father can be one of the most formative of all our relationships for good or bad. But when our Dad is absent from the home, addicted, emotionally distant, or even abusive, it leaves a wound that can affect us for the rest of our lives. This Sunday’s message is all about how to heal what we are powerless to change. It’s a message that prevents the past from continuing to impose itself on the present – a message that can set you free.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What special memories do you have about your childhood? How did you get along with each of your parents? What were they like? What did you like and dislike about your parents? What were your hurts and disappointments as a child? Did you like yourself as a child? Why or why not?

2. Take some time to look over the chart on the developmental needs of children as it relates to mothers and fathers. It’s important to remember that these are generalizations and there are always exceptions to any rule. But in light of this chart, where did you have strong modeling and where were there weaknesses? What did your parents do well? What did they do poorly? Can you see any evidence in your present life and relationships where this has played out for good or bad?

3. Father absence has a dramatic and profound effect on our spiritual life. Have you ever struggled with experiencing God as He reveals Himself to be in His word? Where and how have you struggled? Have you experienced any healing around parental wounds that helped you better connect with God?

4. Do you ever practice positive, Biblical affirmations in your life (which is a form of meditation)? Take some time either during your small group gathering or later at home, to look up as many Scriptures as you can find that describe our new standing in Christ. Write them down and make it your practice this week to read through the entire list at least 5 times a day.

5. Pastor Keith said there are four messages every child needs; I love you, I believe in you, I’m proud of you and I am sorry. Did you hear these messages growing up? What effect did that have on you? Do you regularly communicate these messages to your own children (even as adult children)?

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Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace | How Sweet The Sound
Pastor Jerrid Fletcher
June 8, 2025

This message invites us to move beyond familiarity with the hymn and into a fresh encounter with the depth, power, and beauty of God's grace. With vivid storytelling, generational faith, and a compelling walk through Romans 1-3, we are reminded that grace isn't just a lyric or doctrine - it's the rescue mission of heaven for every soul who has fallen short. And according to Romans 3:23-24, that is all of us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Where has grace met you in your own story? Think about a time in your life when you were at your lowest, weakest, or most lost—how did God's grace show up? How did that experience shift your understanding of who God is and how He loves?

2. Which form of pride has threatened your ability to receive or extend grace? There are many: thinking we can earn grace, believing others don’t deserve it, or trying to “pay God back.” In what ways has pride crept into your relationship with God or others? What would it look like to surrender that pride and rest in grace instead?

3. Can you recognize grace in your everyday moments? Grace isn’t just something we receive at salvation—it follows us into kitchens, boardrooms, text messages, and traffic jams. What everyday graces might you be overlooking right now? How could growing in gratitude help you become more aware of it?

4. Forgiveness is one of the hardest expressions of grace—but also one of the most Christ-like. Is there someone you’ve withheld grace from because you believed they didn’t deserve it? How might your extension of grace reflect the grace God has extended to you?

5. What does Romans 3:23–24 reveal about our identity and our worth? This verse declares both the truth of our brokenness and the beauty of our justification. How does knowing you’ve been "justified freely" change how you view yourself? Does it impact how you approach others, worship, or even failure?

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ISMS that Poison the Soul
Pessimism | Part 6
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
June 1, 2025

The late Sam Shoemaker once said, "Everyone has a problem, is a problem, or lives with a problem." But what if I told you that your problem is not nearly as problematic as what you tell yourself about your problem. More often than not, what defeats us in life is the thinking that lies beneath our behaviors. Call it our explanatory style. It’s the things we tell ourselves when things don’t turn out right or go as expected. This final ISM has sabotaged more relationships, defeated more initiatives, and ruined more lives than practically all the other ISMS combined. This Sunday we take on pessimism along with God’s remedy for the negative outlook that robs us of so much in life.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Keith defined pessimism (or the grasshopper mentality) as anytime we allow problems, attitudes, or circumstances to cause us to doubt God and believe that we will lack the resources, ability, or strength to do what He wants done. Have you ever fallen victim to pessimism? What situation were you dealing with? How did it affect you? What if any resolution did you ultimately have?

2. There are three defining characteristics of pessimistic thoughts. A belief that our problems are permanent, pervasive and personal. Go back and review this part of the message or the notes you took. The attitudes define our explanatory style – the things we tell ourselves about our problems. What were your biggest takeaways from this portion of the message? Have you ever personally struggled with one or more of these ways of thinking? When we use these as an explanation for our problems, they become a type of self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, we find what we’re looking for. Have you ever known anyone like this or been this way yourself? What would you suggest to a person caught up in this way of thinking?

3. What did we learn from Caleb’s life and example? How was he able to choose faith over pessimism?

4. Is your faith weak? Then feed on the Word of God. Like John Piper reminded us, “Faith feeds on the word of God, without a steady diet it gets weaker and weaker. If you are dissatisfied with your Christian courage and joy and purity of heart then check the way you’re feeding your faith.” Try to name as many ways as you can that the Word of God builds your faith. What has been your personal experience with God’s Word as a faith-builder? What stories have impacted you most? What promises? What precepts? Or what do you see in the character of God that encourages your faith?

5. This week, make a list of promises from God’s Word that can help keep your eyes focused on God during whatever difficulties you may encounter. If you’re not sure how to do this, talk about it in your small group. Better yet, as a group or among your friends, have everyone make a contribution regarding their favorite promises to claim. Once you have made a list of verses or references, type them up to keep in your notes on your phone, or print them up and post them where you will see them frequently. Commit to memorizing as many as you can.

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ISMS that Poison the Soul
Legalism | Part 5
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
May 25, 2025

Legalism is a trap that’s far too easy to fall into. Its beginnings are so subtle and seem absolutely benign. But legalism in any form is not just toxic to our souls, it’s downright dangerous. John Piper once said, “Legalism is more dangerous than alcoholism.” He’s right. Few things will strip you of your love, joy and peace with God more quickly than legalism. But do you know the early warning signs of legalism? Are you aware of the sort of thinking that leads us into this deadly trap? Join us this Sunday, May 25th, as we delve into legalism and God’s remedy.

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1. What has been your experience around legalism? Were you ever in a church that was legalistic? Have you ever known Christians who were legalistic? What stood out most to you in those environments? How were they perceived by outsiders?

2. Obviously, legalistic churches exist and sometimes attract large numbers of people. Why do you think that is? What attracts people to this sort of thinking?

3. Was there anything in today’s message that challenged the way you think? Or encourage you in something you have always thought? Or do you find it helpful in evaluating what is healthy spirituality versus what is not?

4. Pastor Keith said there are only two religions - There is FAITH religion and there is WORKS religion. What is the difference between the two? Which do you think is more prevalent in the world? How is Christianity’s approach different from most other religions in the world?

5. In the final point, Pastor Keith contrasted two Greek myths, Ulysses versus Orpheus as it relates to the siren’s song. It’s a good analogy for temptation. Ulysses was bound to the mast of the ship. His story represents those who use rules to defeat temptation. Orpheus chose a different path. He played his lyre so that the sailors were all drawn toward more beautiful music. The siren song of the world is practically irresistible. Some use rules and struggle against them in the face of temptation and others have heard a new song, the love of Christ that draws them to a better way of living. Which do you like more and why?

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ISMS that Poison the Soul
Escapism | Part 4
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
May 18, 2025

Let’s face it. Life can be tough and sometimes the challenges we face seem unrelenting. More than anything we crave a little reprieve from the stress and losses we’re facing. So we escape. We distract ourselves. We do something that gets our mind off our current problem. Our distraction might be binge-watching a Netflix series, playing video games or even just scrolling through our phone – really just about anything other than facing the problem. But when does a harmless distraction become a harmful habit? How do you know when a little break from the stress has become a practiced way of avoiding reality? That’s what this message is all about and more importantly, how to be set free.

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Discussion Questions

1. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being very little and 10 being a lot), how much do you personally struggle with perfectionism? When you think back to the pressures of society and the influence of parents and other authority figures, what messages did you internalize that contributed to the problem of perfectionism?

2. What has perfectionism cost you professionally, physically, psychologically, relationally and spiritually? Can you think of any other ways your life has been adversely affected by perfectionism?

3. People with perfectionistic tendencies often struggle with forgiving themselves. Has this ever been an issue for you? What did you learn today that might be useful in the future as an alternative to beating yourself up over and over again?

4. What were some of the things that stood out most to you in today’s message? Any new learnings about perfectionism or yourself? How will you take what you learned today and incorporate it into your life?

5. Discuss the ideas of progress not perfection and the willingness to do things poorly.

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ISMS that Poison the Soul
Materialism | Part 3
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
May 11, 2025

Materialism is not about the amount, it’s about our attitude. When Jesus addressed materialism in the Sermon on the Mount, He spoke of necessities not luxuries. He also gave us the surest sign of materialism and that’s worry. This Sunday, we’ll learn how to be set free from this toxic “ISM”.

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Discussion Questions:

1. Some Christians define sin in terms of sinful acts (observable external behaviors). In this way, we are much like the Pharisees who did the same. But Scripture has always been careful to define sin primarily as desires gone awry – that our internal want is broken. So whether you’re talking about lust, greed, or coveting, before we ever commit an external act, we crave something internally first. Why do some Christians define sin in terms of external observable acts alone? Why are we so reluctant to admit that our desires are the real problem? Why do we try to justify our coveting or explain it away? Why do we only deal with the fruit instead of the root?

2. Rate yourself as a worrier. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “not worried at all” and 10 being debilitating worry. Where would you put yourself on that scale? What tends to be your biggest worries? What, if anything, did you learn in today’s message that might help you better deal with worries when they arise?

3. Real wealth is determined not by our houses, cars or money in the bank but by our character, contentment, generosity and relationships. Why do these things matter more than the other things? Have you known people who were rich in one or more of these areas? What were they like? What did you learn from them? How do they inspire you to be rich where it counts?

4. To be truly rich in relationships is to be rich in our friendships, marriage and with God. Where are you strongest? Where are you weakest? What practical steps can you begin to take to make incremental improvements in all of your relationships?