Love Your Kids | Ephesians 6:1-4

The month of February is a time when love is in the air! "I love you" might be the most sentence in the English language... in any language. For the month of February we're focusing in on love. We're doing a sermon series titled: "I love you". In this series we'll look at four unique relationships: Loving God, loving others, loving our spouse, and loving our kids. It seemed like a great idea to share the small group questions here incase you'd like to study one of these topics more. 

Small Group Questions | Love Your Kids | Ephesians 6:1-4

This month, we’re dedicating our time to exploring Biblical love. On Sunday, we talked  about the role of love in parenting: a calling that requires patience, guidance, and grace. In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul teaches that parenting is about both instruction and nurture, balancing discipline with encouragement. Just as God lovingly leads us, parents are called to lead their children with wisdom, consistency, and a heart that reflects Christ’s love. Parenting can look different for everyone. Our church includes people in various stages of life: parents, grandparents, future parents, and those who support families. As you discuss, please be mindful and sensitive to each person’s experiences.

1) What is one moment from your childhood when you felt deeply loved by a parent or guardian? What specifically made you feel loved? How can we apply those principles in our own parenting or relationships? 

2) Read Ephesians 6:1-3. Paul connects obedience to parents with enjoying long life.  Thinking about your relationship with your parents, how have you seen obedience their instruction in your life lead to blessings in your life?

3) The New Testament offers us a variety of examples of parenting. Read Matthew 3:16-17. At the baptism of Jesus we read about an affirming time for Jesus. Talk about the power of encouraging our children. 

4) Read Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. Paul warns fathers not to exasperate their children. What are some ways that parents (or authority figures) can unintentionally discourage or embitter children?

5) In the sermon we learned about three ways to ruin a child: Being Overbearing, Being Permissive, or Being Inconsistent. How does your parenting impact your children? Have you modeled a consistent parenting style?

6) Read Deut 6:4-9. Moses instructed God’s people to impress these commandments on their children. What are ways we can enter into spiritual conversations this week? What one thing do you want to focus on this week? 

7) In Matthew 17:14-20 we learned about a father who was willing to do anything for his son and desperate for life change. What is one way you can bring your children to the feet of Jesus this week to be in His presence? 

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

Love Your Spouse | Ephesians 5:21-33

The month of February is a time when love is in the air! "I love you" might be the most sentence in the English language... in any language. For the month of February we're focusing in on love. We're doing a sermon series titled: "I love you". In this series we'll look at four unique relationships: Loving God, loving others, loving our spouse, and loving our kids. It seemed like a great idea to share the small group questions here incase you'd like to study one of these topics more. 

Small Group Questions | Love Your Spouse | Ephesians 5:21-33

This month, we’re dedicating our time to exploring Biblical love. On Sunday, we focused on the marriage relationship, which requires submission, sacrifice, and communication—exactly what Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:21-33. This passage can sometimes make people uncomfortable because of its discussion on submission, but when we view it through the lens of Christ’s love, we see that submission isn’t about power, it’s about serving one another with humility and love. Since our church is comprised of people in various stages of life and relationships, some questions may resonate more than others. As you discuss, please be mindful and sensitive to each person’s experiences.

1) The sermon started with a viral story about Otou Katayama who acted extremely childish in his marriage. What are some childish things you’ve seen couples do in their relationship that leaves you shaking your head?  

2) Read Ephesians 5:21. Paul commands married couples to submit to each other out of reverence for Christ. The word submit can get a bad reputation in marriage. How can married couples show a profound respect for each other? 

3) To fully understand the marriage relationship we need to look back to creation. Read Genesis 1:26-27 and 2:20-25. Focusing on these two verses, what do we learn about the way God created mankind in His imagine and the role of marriage?  

4) In Acts we learned about the couple Priscilla and Aquila. Read Acts 18:1-3 and 18-19. What lessons can we draw from this married couple about supporting each other in the gifting God has given to husbands and wives? 

5) Scripture provides us some cautionary tales of marriage. David and Michal’s marriage is one that lacked spiritual unity. Read 1 Samuel 19:10-17 and 2 Samuel 6:16-23. What can we learn from this couple about having a healthy marriage? 

6) Read Ephesians 5:22-33. Paul teaches married couples how to interact with each other in a Godly way. As a group, pull out several examples of what a healthy marriage looks like and discuss how you could move in that relational direction. 

7) For those who are married, come up with a list of several ways you can love and respect your spouse this week. Examples can range from praying for each other, reading Scripture together, or planning a date. 

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

Love God | Mark 12:28-30

The month of February is a time when love is in the air! "I love you" might be the most sentence in the English language... in any language. For the month of February we're focusing in on love. We're doing a sermon series titled: "I love you". In this series we'll look at four unique relationships: Loving God, loving others, loving our spouse, and loving our kids. It seemed like a great idea to share the small group questions here incase you'd like to study one of these topics more. 

Small Group Questions | Love God | Mark 12:28-30 

On Sunday we kicked off a brand-new sermon series called “I Love You.” These three simple words carry incredible power; they can heal wounds, bring comfort, and soften even the hardest hearts. Today we begin this series by looking at the most important relationship in our entire life, our relationship with God. The Bible is filled with reminders of God’s deep love for us, but what about our love for Him? In Mark 12, Jesus has a conversation about the greatest commandment, and it all starts with making sure our love is directed toward the right place. As we dive into today’s discussion, let’s take a moment to reflect on what it truly means to love God with our entire being 

1) We live in a world longing for love. Share a time when you felt fully loved by family, friends, or God. Take some time to describe the details of that situation, experience, or time with your group. What made it so special?  

2) Read Mark 12:13 and 18. While Jesus is teaching in the Temple courts two groups try to trap Him with their questions. How can we approach Jesus more like the teacher of the law looking to learn from Jesus? 

3) Read Mark 12:28-30. Jesus invites us to love God with our entire heart. Read Matthew 6:19-24. What are some things that compete for your heart’s devotion? What steps can you take to realign your heart to love God fully?

4) Jesus taught us to love God with all our soul. Read Psalm 19:7, 42:2, and 119:8. In today’s fast-paced world, what are some challenges that keep us from caring for our soul, and how can we overcome them?

5) Read Mark 12:30 once more. Jesus teaches us to love God with all our mind. Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 and Romans 12:1-2. What are some distractions or thought patterns that pull us away from this? What are three practical ways you can love God with your mind this week?

6) Read Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Loving God with all our strength means using our time, energy, and abilities for His glory. What does this look like in everyday life? How can you love God with all your strength this week?

7) As you look back on the passages we studied this week, what is God speaking to you about loving Him with your entire being?  

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

Serving Others | Matthew 25:31-40

The month of January seems like a great time to get our priorities straight again! For January Coastline Bible Church started a four-week sermon series called; "The Church." In this series we talked about how the church is a living, breathing, organism, on mission for God. We looked what makes the church unique and the role God's people play in the church. We had small group questions for two of the weeks and it made sense to keep sharing them here. 

Small Group Questions | Serving Others | Matthew 25:31-40

Throughout January we’re exploring four key aspects that make the church truly unique. One idea we’ve emphasized in this series is that the church is not merely an organization but a living, breathing organism—a unique community of people on mission for God. This week, we’ll focus on how serving sets the church apart. Think of serving like eating your vegetables: when you’re spiritually immature, you might resist serving because you see life as centered on yourself. But as you grow in your faith, serving others becomes something you eagerly look forward to. Together, we’ll explore an invitation to serve others, our responsibility to serve within the church, and the joy that comes from serving.

1) In the introduction to the sermon Neal gave us an example of how much he disliked eating his vegetables as a kid but learned to eat them as an adult. Thinking of this analogy, how do you feel about serving others? Is it a joy for you or difficult?  

2) Read Matthew 25:31-40. While sitting on the Mount of Olives Jesus taught on several things. One was what would happen when He returned to earth. How does this passage inspire you to live out your faith through serving? 

3) Serving is a practical way to live out our faith. But we live in a fast-paced, schedule paced, world. Take some time as a group to share what holds you back from serving others; it could be time constrains, fears, health issues, or more. 

4) Read Romans 12:6-8. Paul wrote to the church in Rome with this encouragement to serve others. Thinking back on your life, what do you think some of your gifts are to serve the church? Where have people affirmed these gifts in your life? 

5) Look over the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 12. Paul teaches the early church about the different gifts God has given us. What do we learn about deploying our gifts to serve the church in these passages? 

6) Read 1 Peter 4:8-11. Peter taught the early church about the using whatever gifts they have to faithfully serve the church. Where would you like to grow in the understanding and use of your gifts? 

7) As a group, think of several ways you can serve others this coming week or month. Come up with a list to help you have several ideas and commit to doing those. 

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

Sabbatical Update

The past few years have been intense. I’ve led through the loss of my dad and stepdad, my mom suffering a traumatic brain injury, and the challenges of a global pandemic. On top of that, I’ve spent the last seven years helping rebuild a church that experienced a painful split. My soul was weary, and I was exhausted. Thankfully, our elders approved a ten-week sabbatical, providing the rest I desperately needed.

About a week into my sabbatical, a friend texted me, asking how I was doing. I replied, “I’m more tired than I realized.”In those first days, I took more naps, slept in, and yawned more than I ever imagined. My exhaustion ran deeper than I had known or acknowledged.

I wonder if you might feel the same. Maybe a key staff member recently left your team. Perhaps you’ve navigated the tensions of the latest election cycle or carried the weight of your congregation’s struggles. You go home physically, spiritually, and emotionally drained. Like me, you might be more tired than you realize.

Sabbatical forced me to slow down completely. It felt like pulling over on a long road trip, engaging the emergency brake, and shutting off the engine. I’m not naturally good at rest, but three weeks of stopping entirely brought renewal. For the first time in a long while, I started dreaming again—about ministry, discipleship, and reaching our community.

But God wasn’t done. In the weeks that followed, He did some of His deepest work in my soul. As I spent time alone with Him, He revealed my struggle with control. He reminded me to trust Him fully to care for His church. I realized God cares more about me as a person than about my role as a pastor. He shepherded my soul in ways I hadn’t let Him before.

You might not have ten weeks to take off, but you can still rest. Start with a Sabbath day and allow God to speak to you in your deepest need.