Stu Quackenbush // Rockford Campus // November 9, 2025
SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
THIS WEEK’S KEY PASSAGE: Ephesians 4:17-24
REMINDERS
Christmas Kids
Christmas Kids Program rehearsals has begun! Please check out this link to get your child(ren) registered to participate. Invite your family members and friends to have their kids join in, too!
Father/Son x Mother/Daughter Events (Nov. 20, 6:30–8:30pm)
If you have a 5/6 grader, this is YOUR NIGHT!
Together, we will be hosting an event for intentional connection between you and your child.
Sign up for FREE below!
MOTHER/DAUGHTER: https://magnifychurch.org/event/5-6-mother-daughter-craft-night-rockford/
FATHER/SON: https://magnifychurch.org/event/5-6-father-son-game-night-rockford/
You can keep up with all our current news and events through our online bulletin.
See the events page on the website for more updates.
TOGETHER IN LIFE
What is something that took you a long time to learn to do well?
What helped you learn it? What made it so difficult or take so long to learn?
TOGETHER IN THE WORD
Read Ephesians 4:17-24 aloud together.
KEY QUESTION: What do you need today to walk in the newness of life with Christ?
- Characteristics of the old life apart from Christ are:
- Futility of the mind: A pattern of powerless and apathetic thoughts that lead us further away from God.
- Hardness of heart: A prideful unwillingness to be corrected and lead to life change through Christ.
- Darkened thinking: A blindness to the power and effects of sin that leads to further darkened thoughtlife.
- Callousness: A dulled feeling and lack of sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading, to the guilt of our sin, and the needs of others.
- Characteristics of the new life in Christ are:
- New Learning, Hearing, and Thinking: Turning to the Scriptures to hear the Truth from God and His promises.
- Renewed Spirit of Mind and Heart: The center of our being that comes to life when we place our trust in Jesus to rescue us. God gives us new allegiances, desires, priorities, and instructions for living different from those we used to have.
- Growth in the Spirit: the trial-and-error process of living the fruits of the Spirit and receiving them from the Lord.
- Walking in Newness of Life: Taking step-by-step, moment-by-moment direction from the Lord to live our lives differently than we had before.
QUESTIONS
- What did it look like for you to live apart from Christ?
- When are you tempted to walk in the “old self”?
- Which of the areas of the “Old Life” resonate with your story?
- What makes it hard to walk in the newness of life?
- Were you ever shown the pathway to walk in the newness of life?
- How does learning new truths about God and life from Scripture impact how we live with eyes open to new life in Him?
- What is one way that you feel like you’re struggling to walk in the newness of life in Christ?
- How can this group help you improve in this?
TOGETHER IN PRAYER & ACTION
- Consider the 3 steps from the Sermon this week and do them:
- Confess and Repent of Sin (Put to death the old self)
- Renew your mind by the truths found in Scripture
- In faith, do the work of daily obedience to God by loving others (Put on the new self)
- Pray for your brothers and sisters and encourage them to walk in the newness of life that they can have in Jesus.
