HOPE FOR EVERYONE | October 6, 2024
Sermon Title: Hope Forged
Key Principle: God is still welcoming the hopeless home.

CONNECT

Reflect on a time when you experienced a deep need or lost something valuable, such as a relationship, an opportunity, or hope. How did you respond? Did you search for restoration, or were you tempted to give up? How did it feel when you found redemption or healing?

Now, consider how we, as a church, are called to be part of God's work in welcoming people back home. How does this impact your commitment to pray, serve, and give in ways that support God’s mission through the Hope for Everyone campaign?

ENGAGE

Read Luke 15:11-32 as a group and discuss:

1. What does this parable teach us about God's grace toward those who are distant from Him? How does it reflect His commitment to welcome everyone home?
2. In what ways do the actions of the father (running to meet his son, restoring him, and celebrating his return) challenge us to pursue others with grace and generosity?
3. How can we relate to the younger son’s journey? Have you ever been in need of God’s forgiveness and found yourself welcomed back? How did that impact you?
4. The older brother’s response reveals a heart of entitlement and pride. How can self-righteousness or a reluctance to share God’s blessings hinder our ability to experience and extend grace?
5. Jesus’s parable challenges both the wanderer and the self-righteous. Who do you resonate with more, and why? How does this understanding motivate you to participate in God's work of restoration?
6. How does this parable tie into the Hope for Everyone campaign? How can creating spaces of welcome, generosity, and grace through our church reflect the heart of the father in this story?

APPLY

1. Pray: Spend time this week praying for those who may feel far from God, that they would experience His welcome and grace through our community. Pray for Menlo Church’s Hope for Everyone campaign and the role it will play in reaching people across the Bay Area.
2. Serve: Reflect on how you can serve in ways that contribute to the mission of welcoming others home. Whether through volunteering your time at Menlo Church, serving in your community, or inviting someone into a deeper relationship with God, how is He calling you to take action?
3. Commit Financially: How can you invest in the Hope for Everyone campaign? Consider the resources God has given you—whether time, energy, or finances—and how you can sacrificially give to create spaces of hope and restoration. What step of faith is God calling you to take in your financial commitment?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who runs toward us with open arms, welcoming us home even when we feel unworthy. Help us to reflect that same heart of generosity and grace in our lives. We pray for Menlo Church’s Hope for Everyone campaign, that You would guide our steps as we pray, serve, and commit financially to building spaces where Your love can reach those who are lost or searching. Give us the courage to step out in faith and trust that You will use our prayers, our service, and our resources to make a lasting impact for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

‍