Creekside Community Church
Love Your Neighbor - Sermon 11 - Loving Your Immigrant Neighbor
Love Your Neighbor November 18th, 2018 Jeff Bruce, Lead Pastor
Locations & Times
Creekside Community Church
951 MacArthur Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94577, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
1.How God Cares for the Immigrant
“[He] loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18)
“[He] loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18)
2.How We Care for the Immigrant
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)
For further thought and discussion:
Getting Started
1.What was helpful to you in this week’s sermon? What didn’t you understand?
2.Reflect on a time when you felt like a stranger. When have you felt culturally homeless or displaced? Where were you? Why did you feel this way? Share your experience with the group.
Going Deeper
3.When the Old Testament writers speak of “sojourners” and “foreigners”, to whom are they referring (e.g. Genesis 23:4)? How do Old Testament stories (e.g. the stories of Abraham, Joseph, Ruth) shed light on the plight of immigrants? How does God meet their needs? In what way are “sojourners” in Scripture similar to modern day immigrants? In what ways are they different?
4.What laws did God put in place to protect immigrants (see Exodus 12:45-49; 20:20; 23:12; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 24:17-18; 24:19-22; 27:19)? What makes these laws unique in the ancient world?
5.In the sermon, Jeff offered three Christian lenses for viewing immigrants; the mission lens, the family lens, and the growth lens. Which of these stood out to you? Why?
6.Read Ephesians 2:11-23. As followers of Jesus, what is our fundamental motivation for welcoming and loving immigrants (see also Leviticus 19:33-34; Deuteronomy 10:18-19)? Read Philippians 3:20 and 1 Peter 2:10-12. Why are followers of Christ sojourners in this present age? How do you think this spiritual reality should impact our day-to-day lives?
Application:
7.Read Hebrews 13:2. In the New Testament, what is “hospitality”? Think of some ways your group might show biblical hospitality to the immigrants in your midst.
8.What’s one way you can apply this passage this week?
3.When the Old Testament writers speak of “sojourners” and “foreigners”, to whom are they referring (e.g. Genesis 23:4)? How do Old Testament stories (e.g. the stories of Abraham, Joseph, Ruth) shed light on the plight of immigrants? How does God meet their needs? In what way are “sojourners” in Scripture similar to modern day immigrants? In what ways are they different?
4.What laws did God put in place to protect immigrants (see Exodus 12:45-49; 20:20; 23:12; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 24:17-18; 24:19-22; 27:19)? What makes these laws unique in the ancient world?
5.In the sermon, Jeff offered three Christian lenses for viewing immigrants; the mission lens, the family lens, and the growth lens. Which of these stood out to you? Why?
6.Read Ephesians 2:11-23. As followers of Jesus, what is our fundamental motivation for welcoming and loving immigrants (see also Leviticus 19:33-34; Deuteronomy 10:18-19)? Read Philippians 3:20 and 1 Peter 2:10-12. Why are followers of Christ sojourners in this present age? How do you think this spiritual reality should impact our day-to-day lives?
Application:
7.Read Hebrews 13:2. In the New Testament, what is “hospitality”? Think of some ways your group might show biblical hospitality to the immigrants in your midst.
8.What’s one way you can apply this passage this week?