Lakeside Church

In this message from Robyn Elliott, we unpack the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and ask whether they actually represent the judgment of God, or the destructive consequences of human empire, violence, greed, and conquest. Revelation’s disturbing imagery doesn’t reveal a bloodthirsty God, but exposes the systems that destroy humanity while pointing us back to Jesus, the slaughtered lamb who rules through self-giving love. Discussion Questions: 1. The Book of Revelation is ultimately about the revelation of Jesus. How does that shift the way you approach the difficult or violent imagery you see throughout the book? 2. Before this message, what did you think the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse represented, and how has that understanding been challenged or expanded? 3. The white horse symbolizes conquest and the endless pursuit of power, the black horse symbolizes economic injustice and systems that crush the vulnerable, and the pale horse symbolizes the death and destruction that follow human violence. Where do you see these realities showing up in our world - or even in everyday life - and why do you think humanity keeps repeating these patterns? 4. The second horseman exposes the lie that violence can create peace. Do you agree? Why or why not? 5. Revelation repeatedly contrasts appearances with reality - what John hears versus what he sees. Where do you see that same tension in your own life or culture today? 6. Robyn said, “The cross is the way God rules and the way God wins.” What does that statement challenge about the way humans normally think about power? 7. If someone’s image of God is primarily angry, punitive, or violent, how might that affect the way they read Scripture, treat people, or understand themselves? 8. This message suggests the judgments in Revelation are less about God inflicting pain and more about humanity experiencing the consequences of its own systems and violence. What do you think about that interpretation? 9. After hearing this message, what part of your understanding of God, power, or judgment feels most challenged or rethought?

Revelation doesn’t give us the God we expect - it confronts and reshapes our understanding of power, victory, and what it truly means for Jesus to reign. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore the shocking moment when John hears about a conquering lion but turns and sees a slaughtered lamb, revealing that God’s power looks nothing like the empires and systems we trust in. The cross isn’t just how Jesus saves; it’s how Jesus rules. Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever expected one thing and gotten something completely different - like thinking you were drinking Coke but it turned out to be Root Beer? How does that experience help frame the message of Revelation? 2. Why do you think Revelation uses strange, symbolic, and apocalyptic imagery instead of straightforward language? 3. What stood out to you most about the image of the lion turning out to be a slaughtered lamb? 4. Robyn suggested that power isn’t just found in governments or empires, but also in churches, families, workplaces, and relationships. Where do you see distorted power operating most clearly today? 5. What does it mean that Jesus has lion-like power but not lion-like character? 6. How does viewing Jesus’ crucifixion as his coronation challenge common ideas about success, strength, leadership, or victory? 7. Robyn said, “The cross is not just an atonement theory; it’s the way God rules.” What do you think that means practically for Jesus followers today? 8. Are there areas of your life where you’ve kept Jesus in the “salvation box” but not allowed him into other areas like politics, control, grudges, ambition, or relationships? 9. Revelation presents a kingdom built through vulnerability, sacrifice, and faithfulness rather than domination. Why is that vision both compelling and difficult? 10. If the Lamb is the clearest picture of who God is, how should that reshape the way we engage with enemies, conflict, politics, and power?

Baptism is more than a ritual - it’s a powerful symbol of death, rescue, and new life. From the chaos of ancient waters to the story of Jesus, this moment tells a bigger story of identity, freedom, and belonging. Following this message from Robyn Elliott, we witness two people step into that story and into a new life. Discussion Questions: 1. What has been your experience with baptism, either personally or what you’ve seen in others? (If you haven’t been baptized yet, what is stopping you?) 2. What part of your “old self” do you find hardest to let go of, and why do you think you hold onto it? 3. Have you ever experienced a moment that felt like a personal before and after? What changed in you? 4. What lies about yourself do you tend to believe when you fail or fall short? And if you really believed your identity was secure and unshakeable, how would your life look different this week? 5. What parts of your life feel like chaos right now, and what would it mean for something new to come out of that? 6. The message describes faith as becoming part of a messy, diverse family. What has your experience of “spiritual community” been like? 7. Why do you think shared rituals (like baptism) matter for building a sense of belonging? 8. Water is described as both chaos and salvation in Scripture. What do you think that tension reveals about how God works? 9. Paul talks about identity being rooted in Christ rather than performance. How does that challenge modern ideas of self-definition? 10. If baptism is a “dress rehearsal” for resurrection, how should that shape how we live now? 11. If your life had a “reset button,” would you press it? Why or why not?

This Easter message from Robyn Elliott explores the resurrection not just as an event to believe in, but as a reality to live in. Through Mary Magdalene’s encounter in the garden, we see that what looked like the end was actually the beginning of a new creation. The resurrection is God’s declaration that hope, healing, and renewal have already begun, and we’re invited to live that future now. Discussion Questions: 1. When you hear “resurrection,” do you tend to think of a past event, a future hope, or a present reality? Why? 2. Mary stayed at the tomb in her grief, looking for a dead Jesus. What does this teach us about how we handle loss and disappointment, and where might we be expecting death when God is actually bringing life? 3. The message suggests we sometimes see God more clearly through sorrow. Have you ever experienced God more clearly in pain or loss? Or do you tend to avoid those places? Why? 4. Why do you think the resurrection story begins in a garden with Jesus showing up as a lowly gardener? What might that symbolize about new creation and what does that say about how God works in the world? 5. Robyn describes the resurrection as a down payment on the future. What does that practically mean for how we live today? 6. If you believe in the resurrection, where in your life does it actually show up? Where doesn’t it? And if the resurrection really means a new creation has started, why do so many of us still feel stuck in the same old patterns? 7. If Jesus is alive right now - not just historically - what would need to change about the way you live this week?

In a world shaped by stories of violent revolt and divine rescue, Jesus offers a radically different way. In the garden, on the night of his crucifixion, when violence seems justified, he heals his enemy and refuses the sword, forcing us to confront which version of Jesus we truly follow. This Lenten message from Robyn Elliott challenges us to examine the competing narratives shaping our faith: the Jesus of the Cross or the Jesus of the Sword. Discussion Questions: 1. What background stories (family, culture, politics, church) have shaped how you imagine Jesus? 2. Why do you think the disciples expected Jesus to lead a revolt similar to Judah Maccabee? 3. Can you think of a time when you felt justified in responding with “the sword” (anger, control, retaliation) rather than Jesus? What happened? 4. Where do you find yourself justifying harshness because you believe your cause is right? 5. When you feel threatened, do you move toward control, withdrawal, or attack? And what would it cost you to respond with mercy in that situation? 6. Jesus’ final miracle was healing an enemy. What does that reveal about the heart of God? 7. Where do you see modern Christians trying to use Jesus to justify violence or division? 8. Why is it so hard to wait for Jesus’ response instead of acting on what we assume he wants? 9. What does it practically look like for you to follow the “Jesus of the Cross” in your daily life? 10. This Lent, what competing vision of Jesus do you need to let go of?

Judas is often reduced to a one-word label: betrayer. But what if his story reveals something uncomfortable about us? As the tension of Jesus’ final week builds, this message, from Robyn Elliott explores the dangerous blind spots of faith - how even those closest to Jesus can miss his heart, justify harmful means for a holy cause, and betray the way of Jesus without realizing it. Discussion Questions: 1. Judas walked with Jesus for three years and still betrayed him. What does that reveal about how easy it is to miss the heart of Jesus, even for sincere followers? 2. The message suggests Judas may have betrayed Jesus not for money but for a cause. Why can believing we’re “on God’s side” sometimes lead people to justify harmful actions? 3. The religious leaders thought eliminating Jesus was necessary to protect their system. Where do we still see systems - religious or otherwise - silencing voices that challenge the status quo? 4. Judas was disappointed that Jesus wasn’t the kind of leader he expected. How do unmet expectations of God shape our faith, either toward deeper trust or toward resentment? 5. Jesus was betrayed through sacred gestures - a shared bowl and a kiss. What are ways Christians today might use sacred language, rituals, or beliefs while still missing the heart of Jesus? 6. Author Brian Zahnd says, “The means are the end in the process of becoming.” How do the methods we choose shape who we become spiritually? 7. Mark’s Gospel consistently refers to Judas as “Judas, one of the Twelve,” and gives almost no explanation for his motives. Why might Mark intentionally leave Judas’ motivations ambiguous while emphasizing his identity as one of the Twelve? What might that suggest about Mark’s message to the early church - and to us - about where betrayal can come from? 8. Lent is described as a season of “sight, not shame.” What blind spots in your life or faith might God be inviting you to see more clearly?

Lent invites us into a wilderness that strips away illusion and exposes our raw desires. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we look at the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4), and see that the enemy doesn’t offer evil outright - he offers shortcuts, comfort, and power without the cross. This season asks us a hard question: are we witnesses to the way of Jesus, or have we quietly become accomplices to a different kingdom? Discussion Questions: 1. Where in your life right now do you feel the ache of the wilderness? What might God be exposing there? 2. The enemy tempted Jesus with good things gained the wrong way. Where are you tempted to justify questionable means for a good outcome? 3. When have you traded faithfulness for influence, approval, comfort, or control? 4. What voices most shape your thinking - Jesus, your political tribe, your social circle, your fears, your wallet? 5. In what ways have you romanticized the cross rather than reckoned with its cost? 6. If the wilderness rescues us from ourselves, what might God be trying to rescue you from this Lent? 7. Where are you most vulnerable right now? How might that be a place of both temptation and transformation?

Life can feel unbearably heavy, and Jesus never denied that reality. In this message from Mike Carmody, looking at a section from the Sermon on the Mount, he shows us that Jesus invites us onto the narrow road - not as a crushing moral test, but as a path of love, presence, and companionship. The narrow road isn’t walked alone; it’s lighter because Jesus walks it with us, offering rest, closeness, and life. Discussion Questions: 1. What feels most heavy in your life right now - personally, relationally, or emotionally? How do you usually respond to that weight? 2. When you hear “the narrow road,” what emotions come up for you - pressure, fear, hope, resistance? Why do you think that is? 3. Who are the voices (online, at school/work, in your friend group) that most shape how you see yourself, and how might choosing the narrow road mean listening to Jesus’ voice instead? 4. In what ways have you seen the “wide road” promise relief but fail to deliver in your own life? 5. How does seeing the narrow road as a relational invitation with Jesus (instead of a moral test) change how you understand faith? 6. Where might Jesus be inviting you to slow down, stay present, or stop instead of rushing past something difficult? 7. Jesus never shamed people for being weary. How does that challenge the way you talk to yourself when you’re exhausted or struggling? 8. What would it look like for you to walk closer to Jesus right now so that his pace becomes your pace? 9. Is there one burden, hurt, or habit you sense the Spirit nudging you to lay down as a next step on the narrow road?

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount reveals a radically different vision of the good life - one where serving comes before leading, generosity overcomes fear, and true treasure is measured by the heart, not possessions. In this message from Jack Ninaber, we’re invited to examine where we place our security and what truly owns us. In a world driven by scarcity and accumulation, Jesus calls us into an upside-down kingdom marked by trust, abundance, and freedom, and shows us that where we place our treasure ultimately shapes who we become. Discussion Questions: 1. Growing up, what did you treasure most? And when you think about your time, money, and energy today, what do they reveal about where your heart is right now? 2. Do you tend to live with more of a scarcity mindset or an abundance mindset? Where do you think that comes from? 3. How does Jesus’ definition of a “blessed” or good life in the Sermon on the Mount differ from how our culture defines success, and where do you feel that tension most in your own life? 4. If someone looked at how you spend your time and money, what picture of “the good life” would they assume you believe in? How does that compare with Jesus’ vision? 5. What fears (loss, security, control) most influence the way you handle money or possessions? 6. How do Jesus’ words about generosity and storing treasure in heaven challenge your current priorities? 7. What would it look like to practice generosity - intentionally and regularly - as a way of reshaping your heart? 8. How do our thoughts and longings - what we dwell on, desire, or envy - reveal where our treasure really is, even apart from money?

The Christmas story doesn’t end with angels and manger scenes - it continues into fear, flight, and forced exile. When Joseph hears the words “escape to Egypt,” God overturns assumptions about safety, enemies, and where refuge can be found. This message from Robyn Elliott explores how Christmas is a story of reversal, vulnerability, and a God who meets us in the wilderness to make something new. Discussion Questions: 1. What words or phrases make your own “blood run cold,” and why do you think they carry so much power over you? 2. Where in your life have you experienced disorientation, when what you believed about God or yourself was shaken? 3. Egypt represented trauma and fear for Joseph. What “Egypts” exist in your story - places or situations you’d never expect to find God? 4. Have you ever found safety, healing, or wisdom in a place or from people you once feared or rejected? 5. How does the idea that Jesus was safer among outsiders challenge your understanding of faith, belonging, or community? 6. When you’re in a wilderness season, do you tend to assume you’ve done something wrong, or can you imagine it as a place of new beginning? 7. In what ways do comfort and familiarity shape where you expect God to work? 8. How does this part of the Christmas story reshape what “peace” really means to you? 9. What might it look like for you to follow Jesus into vulnerability rather than control or security? 10. As we put Christmas back into boxes, what if the real question is whether Christmas has been packed into us? Will we keep choosing love over hate, conversation over confrontation, and relationship over retaliation when the season no longer reminds us?

Be Still and Know: A New Year's Reflection by Lakeside Church

Advent reveals a God who completely redefines power. Instead of arriving with force, status, or spectacle, Jesus comes in humility - born in obscurity, announced to the overlooked, and crowned through self-giving love. In this message from Mike Carmody, we’re invited to surrender the world’s version of strength and discover where God might be reversing power in us today. Discussion Questions: 1. When you think about “power,” what images or experiences come to mind from your own life? 2. Where do you most feel pressure to appear strong, impressive, or in control right now? And is there an area of your life where God might be inviting you to let go of control or status? 3. Mary responds to God with surrender rather than certainty. What would surrender look like for you this Advent? 4. Which part of the Christmas story most challenges your assumptions about success or greatness? 5. Who are the “overlooked” people in your everyday life, and what might it look like to notice or lift them up? 6. As a church community, where are we tempted to chase influence rather than faithfulness? 7. How might our relationships change if we truly believed that greatness in God’s kingdom looks like serving? 8. Why do you think God consistently chooses the least likely people throughout Scripture to carry out His purposes? 9. How does the cross reshape our understanding of victory, authority, and kingship in contrast to Roman - or modern - definitions of power?