Series Resources

sermon-based study guide

This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.

What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.

Hope Is Born | Hope for Everyone: The Fulfillment of Promise

Date - December 24, 2024

Series - Hope is Born

Title- Hope for Everyone: The Fulfillment of Promise

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CONNECT

What is the most meaningful or surprising gift you’ve ever received? What made it special?

This week’s message shared a story about timing. Can you think of a time when something happened at just the right moment in your life? How did it change your perspective?

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ENGAGE

Read: John 1:9-14

Imagine you’re among the people living in the world when Jesus came—seeing the Creator walk among His creation without being recognized. What would it feel like to know the true light had arrived, but so many were unable or unwilling to see it?

John describes Jesus as the light that gives life to everyone. Yet, some rejected Him while others received Him and became children of God. What emotions do you think people felt as they encountered this offer to become part of God’s family?

The passage contrasts the glory of Jesus’ divine identity with the humility of His arrival. How does this reflect the way God reaches out to us—not with force, but with love and invitation?

APPLY

God sent Jesus as the perfect gift to bring hope to the world. What “unopened gifts” in your life—such as peace, forgiveness, or community—might God be offering you right now?

The message encouraged us to trust God’s timing, even in seasons of waiting. What is one area of your life where you need to trust His timing more deeply?

Read Galatians 4:4-7 (“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son…”). How does this passage deepen your understanding of God’s perfect timing and His desire for you to live as His child?

This Christmas, how can you intentionally share the hope of Jesus with someone who may need it?

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PRAYER

Thank God for the hope we have in Jesus and His perfect timing.

Pray for hearts to be open to receiving the “gift” of God’s love, grace, and purpose.

Lift up any personal requests for areas where group members need to trust God’s timing or experience His presence.

Ask God to help us reflect His light and hope to others this Christmas season.

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GOING DEEPER

Menlo Midweek Podcast
Listen to further insights and practical applications from this week’s sermon.

Outreach Opportunities
Explore ways to serve and bring joy to others in your community this Christmas.

Online Service December 29, 2024

Join us at 10am ONLINE ONLY for service!

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