Kernan Community Groups
Sermon Discussion Guide
January 18, 2026
Church: What it is, and why it matters
If you’re comfortable sharing, did you grow up attending a church? If so, what kind? What was it like?
1. What church is:
a. a People
Ephesians 2:19-22
[19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
It’s easy in today’s world to think of church being a physical building, but here in Ephesians 2, Paul shows that we are a people, but uses a building metaphor. Why is this building metaphor helpful?
How can a local church show that Jesus is their cornerstone?
b. a Body
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Look closely at verse 13. This question is twofold: Who unites us and what action incorporates us into the Body of Christ?
What does the rest of verse 13 tell you about the kinds of people church is for?
Ephesians 4:16
[16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
How does this body metaphor encourage you as a member of Kernan?
c. a Family
Galatians 4:4-6
[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
For a church our size, it’s impossible for you to get to know every other church member on a personal level. So that’s why we have Community Groups. Community Groups function as microcosms of the greater church family. How should our Community Group function like a family?
d. a Bride
Revelation 19:6-7
[6] Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
[7] Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
“If you want to understand how committed Jesus is to the church, here’s your answer. He doesn’t just create it and let it be. He marries it. He is not just our almighty King; he is also our perfect Husband. That’s how much concern he has for every member of his church. That’s how much he cares about the local church.” ~ Sam Allberry
What did Jesus do to make us a pure and radiant Bride?
2. Why church matters
With this timeline in mind, why does the church matter at this point in history?
Name one specific reason you are grateful for Kernan Church and what God is doing here.
