“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” –Matthew 24:1–3 Context: There are three different lenses by which people interpret prophecies about the end: • Near Sighted View • Far Sighted View • Fully Sighted View There are two realities of the end that we live in: • The “NOW” Reality • The “NOT YET” Reality There is one sign that makes clear the end is near: • The “NOT YET” Signs • The one “NOW” is the time sign Prepare: Are We Living in the End Times? | Joel K. Johnson | September 20, 2020Want to go deeper? Check out the attached discussion questions to engage more with the sermon. Bible Reading Plan Reading the Bible every day is a great way to grow in your faith. After you read, take time to journal or reflect on these questions: What does it say? What does it mean? How can I live this out today? On our website, under Publications, you can find online resources for reading through the Bible in one year: westwoodcc.org/publications Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 20 at 12:45pm at the Chanhassen Campus. It is your opportunity to vote on matters important to the future of Westwood. We will ratify new members, approve church goals, ratify Leadership Board and Nominating Committee members, approve an amended and restated Constitution, and approve the Fiscal Year 2021 budget. Members can vote in person or online. Learn more on our website. Two Ways to Grow Your Faith This Fall Next month, we are offering two next steps to grow your faith. Group Connect Community is important, now more than ever. Group Connect is a fun gathering where you can get to know others and begin a group together. We’ll give you everything you need to get going. Chanhassen: Saturday, October 3, 9:00–11:30am Bush Lake: Sunday October 4, 11:15am–12:45pm Online: Tuesday October 6, 7:00–9:00pm Discover Your Gifts Discover Your Gifts will help you understand your spiritual gifts, personality type, and talents, and how to use them in fulfilling ways. Whether you are a new grad, in a job transition, or just wanting to learn more about yourself, this class is for you! Tuesdays, October 6-20, 7:00–8:00pm on Zoom Register online. September 20, 2020Seize the Moment Are We Living in the End Times? Sunday, September 20, 2020 1. If you knew your next meal was going to be your last, what would you eat? 2. How do you want to be remembered? 3. Were you alive as we entered Y2K? What do you remember about that time? 4. What do you know about End Time prophecy? 5. Read Matthew 24:1-3 as a group. What are the “things” that Jesus and the disciples were looking at? What future event is Jesus referring to? 6. End times and prophecy throughout the Bible can be interpreted 3 different ways. Discuss as a group. • They were fulfilled in the past o Near sighted prophets that believe all of the prophecies in Matthew 24 and the rest of the New Testament have already happened • They will be fulfilled in the future o Far sighted prophets believe the prophecies in Matthew and elsewhere are things that will be fulfilled in the distant future and look for signs of the End. • They are fulfilled in the past, present and future o Fully Sighted prophets believe that there are events that have been fulfilled in the past, are being fulfilled in the present and will be fulfilled in the future. 7. God is at work in the past, present and future. Discuss this as a group. Have you witnessed God at work in all three areas? 8. How you understand the End impacts not only your understanding with God, but also your experience with God. Discuss this statement as a group. 9. Our experience of life as Christians in the present is both “already” and “not yet”. We may have tasted and experienced the goodness of God, yet we still are living in a broken world. Some things feel blessed and others feel cursed. Share how you navigate this reality personally. 10. Read Matthew 24:4-8. When we look for signs, what do we need to be careful about? What does Jesus say we should do when we hear of wars? 11. Read Matthew 24:9-14. Jesus gives only one “already” sign. What is it? See verse 14. 12. Christians are meant to be the ultimate sign, the sign that is pointing to Jesus. Where can you seize the moment and bring hope by pointing people to Jesus? Next >