Salt and Light Fort Worth

December 12, 2021 - John 1: 9-13 - Jesus Is With Us

The light (Jesus) that John introduced in his opening words, came into our world — Jesus dwelled as a fully human man, with similar thoughts, feelings, and temptations as other humans face. He and engaged the very real brokenness that surround us, and wasn’t even received by the people he made, in the world he made. This week can zoom out to include other passages that help prove Jesus to be fully man, and should help us see why it matters that Jesus was fully, 100% human — but a perfect one.
 
December 12, 2021 discussion on John 1: 9-13
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

December 5, 2021 - John 1:1-5 - Jesus Is God

John’s gospel starts by showing readers that Jesus, clearly, is indeed God. As such, he is our creator, sustainer, and king — he is life and light, and the darkness will not overcome his light. This week can zoom out to include other passages that help prove Jesus to be fully God, and should help us see why it matters that Jesus is the one true, transcendent, eternal, perfect, good, righteous, holy God, in general.
 
December 5, 2021 discussion on John 1: 1-5
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

November 28, 2021 - Luke 22:14-20 - Prayers of Thanks and Praise

On Thanksgiving, we end this series seeing that if God is the source of all good things, & is the power behind all answers/direction/fruit/salvation/provision/etc, our rite response in prayer is thanks/praise. While thankfulness and praise might be a common form of prayer taught today, for many it can become rote or routine; we can merely say words without giving God true (& his due) thanksgiving and praise. Looking over past weeks, we seek to reclaim our awe and wonder of God, and grow in true thanksgiving and praise as we close our consideration of prayer this Fall.
 
November 28, 2021 discussion on Luke 22:14-20
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

November 7, 2021 - John 17:22-26 - Prayers for Others

In part of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer (which we saw Oct 24) Jesus prayed for his followers. From this passage and others in the Gospels, we can learn from Jesus what and how to pray for our fellow Christians. The big themes in Jesus’ prayers for others are unity, togetherness, holiness, love, and (above all) God’s glory.As Jesus’ followers pray for others, we’re reminded of God’s ability over ours and theirs; we’re pointed to God’s power and control — he alone can reconcile the greatest brokenness and he alone is more worthy of celebration than the greatest joy. He’s the source of any goodness/fruit/etc. So we rely on him, for others.
 
November 7, 2021 discussion on John 17:22-26
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

November 21, 2021 - Luke 22:39-46 - Prayers of Wrestling

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, we get a glimpse of an all-to-real aspect of prayer for us, but one we don’t think of Jesus praying: He wrestled with God, struggled with God’s will, & ultimately was not granted his request. What do we do when God doesn’t answer? Where is God if evil and even death seem to win?This week we consider how to pray in the midst of suffering and anguish, and against temptation to trust our way over God’s. We’ll learn from Jesus “the kind of prayer that gives [us] the courage and fortitude to resolutely insist on God’s will, even [over our own, and even] in the face of persecution and death” (Catherine White).
 
November 21, 2021 discussion on Luke 22:39-46
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

November 14, 2021 - Luke 6:12-16 - Prayers Of Listening

Jesus spent a night in prayer before choosing his disciples, aligning his will with God the Father’s. There isn’t a decision in our lives that God doesn’t care for and reign over. So this week we consider Jesus’ example of listening to God — and actually trusting that God will answer! This may be the hardest form of prayer in our hurried, self-reliant world. But biblical prayer is not a one-sided monologue; it’s a conversation. As we learn to make time and space to dwell with God, we grow in attentiveness to him, and increasingly know how to hear him and obediently follow his direction.
 
November 14, 2021 discussion on Luke 6:12-16
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

November 11, 2021 - John 17:22-26 - Prayers for Others

In part of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer (which we saw Oct 24) Jesus prayed for his followers. From this passage and others in the Gospels, we can learn from Jesus what and how to pray for our fellow Christians. The big themes in Jesus’ prayers for others are unity, togetherness, holiness, love, and (above all) God’s glory.As Jesus’ followers pray for others, we’re reminded of God’s ability over ours and theirs; we’re pointed to God’s power and control — he alone can reconcile the greatest brokenness and he alone is more worthy of celebration than the greatest joy. He’s the source of any goodness/fruit/etc. So we rely on him, for others.
 
November 7, 2021 discussion on John 17:22-26
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

October 24, 2021 - John 17:6-17 - Prayers for the World

On the night Jesus was arrested, He prayed the longest-recorded prayer we have from Him. This week (Plant FW’s Church Planting Sunday & the week before we don’t gather but send folks to bless neighbors for Halloween), we focus on Jesus’ prayers for the world. Jesus declares his own role in displaying & declaring the gospel to unbelievers. Then He prays for His disciples as they follow His example, for God’s protection as they do, and also for those who don’t know Him. We follow Jesus example as we pray for the world around us too, and as we boldly go into the world He sent us into, when He prays for His followers as we obediently go.
 
October 24, 2021 discussion on John 17:6-17
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/
 
 

October 17, 2021 - Luke 3:21-22 - Prayers for Kingdom Empowerment

At Jesus’ baptism, we see his anointing, commissioning, and empowerment for ministry - but while often missed, that all happens as Jesus prays. Jesus invites God’s power, to fulfill God’s mission. The Holy Spirit descends, fills Him and empower Him for ministry. Later, after the apostles pray in Acts 1, the Spirit similarly descends in Acts 2, fills them, and empowers them for ministry. Different than simply praying for our needs or desires, this week focuses on asking God to do what he wants, and to give us his strength to fulfill his call on our lives. Do we pray for God to guide us, lead us, and open doors? Do we ask him to carry out his will through us, or even trust that he’d want to?
 
October 17, 2021 discussion on Luke 3:21-21
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/

October 10, 2021 - Matthew 6:5-13,16-18 - Prayers for Personal Needs

We kick off our Fall discussions by looking at Jesus’ most famous prayer. In “The Lord’s Prayer,” we see Jesus teach his followers to rely on God: Jesus declares that God alone (in his holiness, purpose, and provision) will meet both tangible and spiritual, needs. “Asking God for things” is, perhaps, the most familiar form of prayer today — but as we discuss prayer for personal needs, we also start the series following Jesus’ caution against hypocritical prayer (looking holy but not actually depending on God) vs. authentic prayer, as well as the role of fasting.
 
October 10, 2021 discussion on Matthew 6:5-13,16-18
https://www.saltandlightfw.com/