Harris Creek Baptist Church

Real love doesn’t start with us trying harder, it starts when we finally grasp how deeply God loves us through Jesus, even in our sin. When that love takes root, it changes everything: healed people love people, and a life transformed by grace becomes a life poured out for God and others.The command and capability to love Is from GodThe proof and purpose of God’s love in JesusRemember your sin to rekindle your loveLife Group Discussion:What “environmental inputs” (community, media, habits, worship, Scripture) are currently shaping your heart—for better or worse?Where might God be inviting you to love someone this week by laying down comfort, convenience, or control?How have you seen gratitude for God’s forgiveness deepen someone’s love, joy, or obedience (maybe even in your own life)?

JP taught that access to God’s Kingdom means little if we don’t truly love Him. From 1 John 2:15–17, he showed that pleasure, possessions, and position apart from God pull our hearts away from loving Him.The pursuit of pleasure apart from GodThe pursuit of possessions apart from God The pursuit of position apart from GodLife Group Discussion:What desires or habits are shaping your appetite right now, and how are they affecting your love for God?What is something you want right now, and how can you tell if that desire is rooted in gratitude or coveting?In what situations do you find yourself most concerned with how others see you?

Love always changes your life, and Jesus says the most important thing about you is not what you believe, but who you love, starting with God and flowing out to others. This year’s invitation is simple but weighty: sit in God’s love, let it reorder your priorities, and watch your love for Him grow into real, tangible love for people.This Command Is the BenchmarkThis Command Is a BlessingThis Command Comes with a BarometerLife Group Discussion:What areas of your life (time, money, habits, relationships) most clearly reveal what you love the most?Where do you notice restlessness or dissatisfaction in your life, even when things are “going well” on the outside?Who is the hardest person in your life to love right now, and what makes that difficult?

Pastor John Elmore reminded the church to grasp the gravity of Christmas, that Jesus, fully God and fully man, humbled Himself to come for us. He called listeners to receive Christ as the servant who willingly came to die and save sinners. Finally, he challenged believers to live transformed lives that glorify Jesus in everything we do and offering back to Him all that He has first given us. Do you grasp the gravity of Christ?Have you received the gift of Christ?How will your life glorify Christ? Life Group Discussion:What practices or rhythms help you slow down and truly reflect on the significance of the incarnation?Is there anything that makes it hard for you to ask Jesus for help or surrender control to Him?This week, what is one practical way you can “play your best for Him” in your everyday life?

True joy isn’t fragile happiness, it’s a settled gladness rooted in Jesus, often born out of waiting and disappointment. Psalm 98 shows that joy comes when we receive salvation, grows as Christ reigns in our lives, and lasts because God rules with righteousness. Because Jesus is the solution to our deepest brokenness, we can live with unshakable joy and hope, knowing how the story ends.Joy comes when we receive salvationJoy grows where Christ reignsJoy lasts in righteous rulingLife Group Discussion:What’s a season or “well” Jesus has pulled you out of, and how does remembering that shape your joy today?Who is someone you know that consistently lives with joy, and what do you notice about how they order their life?How does trusting God with justice and fairness change the way you respond when you’re hurt or wronged?

Christmas isn’t just a nostalgic routine, we’re being reminded of the greatest announcement in history: the King has come, the King is Lord, and the King came to save us. Don’t tune out the miracle; respond, trust Him, and share the announcement that changes everything.The Announcement: The King is Here! The Announcement: The King is LORD!The Announcement: The King came to save us!Life Group Discussion:If Jesus showed up in your everyday life today, at work, school, or home, how would you honestly respond to His arrival?Where do you struggle to trust Jesus’ authority, and what lies or fears make that hard?What’s one area of your life right now, stress, sin, fear, or pressure, where you need to turn to Jesus for rescue instead of trying to fix it yourself?

Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22–23, Isaiah 9:2, Luke 1: 78–79, Haggai 2:7, Isaiah 2:4, and Ephesians 2:14–17Jesus has already come, He’s with us right now, and yet we still feel the ache of wandering, darkness, and chaos in a world that’s not fully restored. Advent reminds us to hold onto hope in that tension, trusting that the same Jesus who came once will come again to make everything whole.Jesus is with us in the wandering Jesus is with us in the darknessJesus is with us in the chaosLife Group Discussion:How does remembering Jesus’ first coming give you confidence and hope while you wait for His return?What kinds of darkness, personally or in the world, make you long for Jesus’ light the most?What would it look like for you to “wait, watch, and hope” for Jesus in the middle of the chaos you’re experiencing right now?

JP compared spiritual growth to physical therapy, most of us “get by” but don’t put in the work to get healthy. Galatians 6 shows what real disciples do: help others, confront sin, stay in the Spirit, and keep showing up. The ideal follower of Jesus prioritizes Him above everything else.Deliver the distressedImprove without comparison Support the mission Confront sinInfluenced by The Spirit Persevere in discipleship Love all people, especially those hereExalt Christ aloneLife Group Discussion:How do you balance helping others without taking on their burdens entirely?What habits or practices help you focus on your own growth?How can confronting sin bring freedom instead of guilt?

Nate reminded us that we’re all being led by something, and following the flesh only leads to anxiety, chaos, and ultimately destruction. But when we choose to walk with the Spirit, He grows real fruit in us, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Real change doesn’t happen overnight, but through daily steps of surrender as God builds roots that eventually produce fruit.The Spirit and the flesh are in conflictActs of the flesh lead to deathWalking with the spirit leads to fruitLife Group Discussion:Where do you most feel the “tug-of-war” between what your flesh wants and what the Spirit wants?When you look at the list of “acts of the flesh,” which ones tend to show up in your life, and how do they impact you?Nate said spiritual growth is often slow, like the bamboo tree building roots. Where do you think God might be growing “roots” in you right now?

Nate shared how he got scammed chasing a “free trip to Hawaii,” comparing it to how the Galatians were tricked into thinking they had to earn God’s approval. Paul reminds us there’s only one way to true freedom, trusting Jesus, who already paid our debt. When we grasp that, we stop striving and start loving others out of gratitude.There is only one way to pay for freedomThere are many distractions to keep us enslavedLove is the only way to respond to freedom Life Group Discussion:Nate compared good works to worthless currency. What are some “currencies” you find yourself trying to use to earn God’s love?How can you tell the difference between a good thing that’s from God and a distraction that keeps you stuck?Who in your life could experience God’s love through your actions this week?

JP reminded us that our hope isn’t in how well we perform for God but in the promise, He’s already kept through Jesus. From Abraham’s story, we see that those who live by performance become slaves to it, but those who trust God’s promise live free. So, stand firm, not in what you can do, but in what Christ has already done for you. Performers become slaves to performancePeople of the promise live freeStand firm in Christ’s performanceLife Group Discussion:How have past experiences—like family expectations, school, or church—shaped the way you view performance and worth?How does trying to control outcomes—like Abraham and Hagar—keep us from trusting God’s promises?What are some ways you’re tempted to rely on your own effort instead of Christ’s finished work?

John Elmore teaches from Galatians 4:8–20 that we all face a daily choice: turn back to old habits and empty religion or turn toward Jesus. Real change doesn’t come from checking spiritual boxes but from knowing Christ and letting others call us back when we drift. The people and influences in our lives are shaping us, so choose the ones that lead you closer to Jesus, not back to bondage.What are you tempted to turn back to?Do you resent those who call you to repent?Are your influences zealous for Christ?Life Group Discussion:Have you ever found yourself doing a lot for God but drifting from a real relationship with God? What did that look like?Who in your life loves you enough to tell you the truth when you’re drifting, and do you listen to them?What voices, environments, or habits are currently shaping who you are becoming, music, friends, social media, podcasts, culture?

Without Christ we were slaves, trying to earn God’s approval, but Jesus redeemed us and adopted us as sons and daughters. Now we don’t come to God by fear or performance, we come as family. Through the Holy Spirit, we get to enjoy access to our Father. Without access to the Father, we are slavesThe Son has given us access through adoptionThe Spirit enables us to enjoy our access Life Group Discussion:Where do you personally feel tempted to drift back into “slave mentality” in your walk with God?What experiences with earthly fathers or authority figures might affect how you view God as Father?What does it practically look like to enjoy God instead of just obeying Him from obligation?

The story of God has always been about faith. The covenant is permanent, the law gave perspective, and Jesus fulfilled the promise so we could be made right with God by faith alone. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. The covenant is permanentThe law gave perspectiveThe Son was the promise fulfilled Life Group Discussion:What’s an area of your life where you need to trust that God’s promises are still true today?In what ways does God still use His “law” or truth to protect and guide us today?What does it mean to you personally that faith, not performance, makes you right with God?

Every person is under something, either the curse of relying on ourselves or the blessing of being under Christ. Jesus took the curse we deserved so we could be made right with God. To be under Christ is to live in freedom, grace, and the power of the Spirit. Under CurseUnder ChristUnder Blessing  Life Group Discussion:Why do you think it’s so tempting to rely on our own good works to feel “right” with God?How does understanding that Jesus became the curse for us change the way you see the cross?What are some of the blessings we experience when we are “in Christ”?

John Elmore showed how faith in Jesus changes everything, your eternity, your holiness, your everyday life, and even your identity. From Galatians 3, he reminded us that it’s not about working harder but trusting the Spirit to transform us. Just like Abraham, we’re fully blessed when we walk by faith.Faith in Christ Changes Your EternityFaith in Christ Changes Your SanctityFaith in Christ Changes Your RealityFaith in Christ Changes Your Identity Life Group Discussion:Why do you think people still try to “earn” their way to God instead of resting in faith?In what ways do we try to “fix ourselves” instead of relying on the Spirit?Have you ever seen God do something you’d call a miracle? How did it affect your faith?Why is it freeing to know your identity comes from faith, not performance?

Fear of people keeps us trapped, but faith in Christ sets us free. Our worth isn’t earned by performance; it’s secured by His grace. When you rest in His approval, you can finally stop pretending and live free.Fear of man prevents freedomFaith in Christ provides freedom Life Group Discussion:Where in your life do you feel the pressure to “just act like you belong,” and how does that affect your faith?In what ways do you find yourself trying to “earn” God’s love instead of resting in Christ’s finished work?

JP reminds us that following Jesus means going all in. From the rich young ruler’s story, he shows that control, love of the world, and thinking we’ve “given up enough” hold us back. Real faith is letting go and trusting that Jesus offers something better. A need to control will keep you from going all in Loving the world will keep you from going all in Believing you have will keep you from going all in Life Group Discussion:Where in your life are you tempted to hold on to control instead of trusting Jesus?How do you see love for the world showing up in culture today?How does knowing the reward of eternal life change your perspective on sacrifice now?

September 7, 2025John Elmore Galatians 2:1-10 Pastor John reminded us that the Gospel that saves and transforms is unchanging, and we must be careful not to “paint over” grace with the law or our own efforts. True freedom and lasting impact come not from our striving, but from abiding in Christ and faithfully living out the role He’s entrusted to us. Do you run in vain?Do you have freedom?Do you run in your lane? Life Group Discussion:In what ways are we tempted to “paint over” the Gospel with rules, rituals, or personal effort?What areas of your life might still lack freedom, and how can the Gospel transform those places?Why do you think it’s easy to compare our calling to others instead of focusing on the lane God has given us?