Here are some family-friendly table discussion starters based on the sermon. You can pick just a few for one meal, or spread them over the week.
1. Sin & Its Seriousness
- In the sermon, Dave said sin is “lawlessness” – deciding “I’ll just do what I want.”
- What does that look like in everyday family life (school, work, home)?
- Can you think of an example (from news or stories) where someone’s bad choice had consequences for years?
- Why do you think we often treat some sins as “small” when the Bible says all sin is serious?
2. God’s Command to Love
- Jesus summed up all God’s commands as:
- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength
- Love your neighbour as yourself
What might that look like for: - A child?
- A teenager?
- A parent?
- Is there an area where it’s easy for you to love God and people?
Is there an area where it’s really hard? - Imagine a world where everyone truly loved God and each other all the time.
- What would be different at school, work, streets, the news?
3. Abraham’s Story & Trusting God
- God told Abraham, “Do not be afraid…I will protect you.”
- What kinds of things make you afraid or worried right now?
- How could remembering God’s promise help with that?
- Abraham asked, “How can I be sure…?”
- Is it okay to ask God questions and admit we struggle to trust him?
- When have you felt like Abraham, wanting some reassurance from God?
- Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous.
- What’s the difference between just knowing about God and trusting God?
4. The Covenant & Sacrifice
- The covenant with Abraham involved cutting animals in half – a very serious promise. Why do you think God used something so dramatic to show his commitment?
- In the vision, only God (not Abraham) passes through the pieces.
- What does that say about who carries the main weight of the promise: God or Abraham?
- How is that similar to how God saves us in Jesus?
- Abraham offered three-year-old animals—the most valuable.
- What does that teach us about the costliness of dealing with sin?
- Are there things we find hard to “give up” to obey God?
5. Jesus as the Final Sacrifice
- The sermon said animal sacrifices never truly took away sins; they pointed to Jesus.
- Why do you think God wanted so many “pictures” of sacrifice before Jesus came?
- Jesus said no one took his life from him; he chose to lay it down.
- How does it change the way we see the cross if we remember Jesus went there willingly?
- If the “wages of sin is death,” what does it mean that Jesus took those wages for us?
- How should we feel and live knowing that “God took the punishment on himself” instead of putting it on us?
6. Confession, Forgiveness & Self-Forgiveness
- What’s the difference between:
- Feeling guilty and staying stuck in shame
- Confessing sin to Jesus and receiving forgiveness?
- Dave asked: If God has forgiven us, who are we to refuse to forgive ourselves?
- Is there anything you find hard to forgive yourself for? (Share at a level you’re comfortable with.)
- What might it look like to start agreeing with God’s forgiveness?
- As a family, how could we make it easier to admit when we’re wrong and to offer each other forgiveness?
7. Living “Be Holy as I Am Holy”
- “Be holy as I am holy” – or in Dave’s words, “Be like Jesus.”
- If we chose one thing Jesus did to copy this week, what would it be? (e.g., kindness, generosity, truth-telling, patience)
- How can we show sacrificial love at home – giving up our comfort or preferences for someone else, like Jesus did?
- What is one small, practical way each of us could:
- Love God more with our time or attention this week?
- Love our neighbour (or classmate/colleague) better this week?
8. Bringing It Together
- Which part of the sermon sticks with you most:
- The seriousness of sin
- God’s covenant with Abraham
- Jesus taking the punishment himself
- The call to live like Jesus
Why that part?
- If you could ask God one question after hearing this sermon, what would it be?
- Let’s each complete this sentence:
- “Because of what Jesus did, I want to…”
You could end your discussion by briefly praying together, for example: thanking Jesus for taking our punishment, asking for help to love God and others more, and asking for courage to confess and receive forgiveness.
ADULT QUESTIONS
How does understanding the seriousness of sin change the way we view our daily choices and relationship with God?
In what ways do we see ourselves walking in lawlessness, doing what we want without considering the consequences to ourselves or others?
What does it mean practically to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength in the context of your everyday life?
How does the image of God walking through the blood of the sacrifice instead of Abraham reveal the nature of God’s love and commitment to us?
Why do you think God chose such a graphic and costly method of covenant-making rather than simply forgiving sins without sacrifice?
How should the reality that Jesus voluntarily took our punishment affect the way we worship and serve Him?
In what areas of your life do you struggle to extend the same forgiveness to yourself that God has already extended through Christ?
How does the connection between Adam’s sin bringing death and Christ’s sacrifice bringing resurrection help us understand the complete story of the Bible?
What would our world look like if Christians genuinely loved their neighbors as themselves with the same commitment God shows in keeping His covenant?
How can we move from simply knowing about Jesus’ sacrifice intellectually to living with deep gratitude that transforms our daily actions?
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