What to Keep, What to Leave

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Scriptures: Acts 15:1-21

• Sermon Summary

  In this message, Bobbi looks at how the early church navigated messy organizational and cultural shifts. The Christian community faces internal friction over whether new Gentile believers needed to adopt old customs to truly belong. This tension forced the leadership into a time of rethinking who salvation is for an how to step forward in grace. Bobbi argued that the church always has to innovate, even now, and that innovation and the expansion of salvation often happens through conversation and compromise as we widen the circle of belonging to include everyone.

• Discussion Guide

  Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.
  
  Summer Discussion Guide 2026

  If your group is meeting this summer and wants to talk about the sermons, here are a few questions that you could use to engage with our teaching. 

  • What specific part of the message resonated with you the most? Why do you think that particular part, or idea, or story caught your attention? 

  • Did the sermon speak into a particular struggle or question in your life or your faith journey right now?

  • How did the message challenge or encourage you personally?
    And what do you think the application could be for our church community? Was there anything that could strengthen or stretch us as a church? 

  • How did the exposition of the scriptures used in the sermon provide you with a new perspective of deeper understanding?

  ——
  It is good to remember that the conversation experience in the group is shaped by the personal stories of those who participate in it and how willing the people are to be open and vulnerable in the group.

  So if you’re leading the discussion, feel free to model and encourage person-centred and story-centred sharing by reflecting on how some parts of the sermon resonate with you personally.
  ——

  Additionally, what contributes to a more authentic group discussion is when people can share not about the abstract and theoretical applications, but one or two practical things they are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion. 

  So, you can end your time together with this question: 

  • What is one thing you are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion we’ve just had?

• Service Songs & Prayers

  CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 13

  MUSIC Curated by Kevin B.
  John Mark McMillian - Ancient Love
  Commons Worship - Be Thou My Vision
  Brooke Ligertwood - Looking
  Hillsong Worship - What A Beautiful Name
  
  PRAYER OF CONFESSION
  Written by Alexandra Chubachi
  
  God of grace,
  We confess the ways we have grasped and scrambled to hold on to the things in our lives. We become so desperate for experiences, control, relationships…
  that we miss out on your gentle invitation to trust and release.
  
  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us
  
  We confess the times we have chafed against generosity. It requires something of us to share our energy, our time, our care, our resources… and sometimes we’d just rather keep it for ourselves.
  In our clutching, we miss chances to participate in the ways that your Divine Love is redeeming us, and redeeming our world.
  
  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us
  
  We confess the times when we have responded out of fear when curiosity was needed.
  In our responses to others when they offend or confuse us.
  In our response to ourselves when we act out of shame or self-preservation.
  In our response to the Divine when we simply do not understand.
  
  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us
  
  When we call on you, faithful God, you answer us. You hear our prayers.
  Show us the wonders of your great love, protect us in the shadow of your wings.
  
  Amen.
  
  SERIES BUMPER
  The Way Forward: Wider World Series