The Return of Jesus

In one paragraph

This was the final week of a series called "Hanging Your Hat on God's Truth," with Brian Hunter walking the Tribe fam through what Jesus himself said about the events leading up to his return. The conversation format meant the congregation shaped the message alongside Brian, and the whole thing moved from anxiety about end-times passages toward confidence and expectation. The series had been built...

Read together

1. Matthew 24:1-43 read aloud in sections by congregation members as the main text for the sermon on the return of Jesus
2. Colossians 3:2 quoted by a congregation member about setting your mind on things above, not on things of the earth
3. Daniel 9-11 referenced as the source for the seven-year tribulation timeline and the abomination of desolation
4. Ezekiel 38-39 mentioned alongside Daniel as a passage describing the season of tribulation
5. 1 Thessalonians / 2 Thessalonians referenced as where Paul discusses the abomination that causes desolation midway through tribulation
6. Revelation 3:10 cited to support the idea that the saints will be protected through days of great anguish
7. Matthew 25 a congregation member referenced the parable of the ten virgins and lamp oil as a word received during worship
8. Hebrews 12:27-28 a congregation member quoted it about God shaking earth and heaven so only the unshakable remains, and receiving an unshakable kingdom
9. Revelation 22:17 and 22:20 quoted at the close of the sermon, the Spirit and the bride saying come, and Jesus saying he is coming soon

Talk about it

1. Brian described the 'principle of the biggest hook' as the most compelling narrative being the one most likely to get your belief. What narratives have you found yourself hanging your hat on, not because you examined them carefully, but simply because they were the loudest or the most repeated in your life?
2. April used to avoid passages about the end times because they brought her anxiety, but working through them brought her clarity and even joy. Have you tended to avoid certain parts of Scripture, and if so, what has kept you away from them?
3. Brian drew a distinction between only reading earthquakes and wars literally versus only spiritualizing them, and said we need to hold both in tension. How do you personally decide when a biblical image is meant literally, symbolically, or both?
4. Brian said that during tribulation the gospel will be advancing, not hiding, and that being hated, arrested, or even killed for following Jesus will be an honor. How does that sit with you honestly, and what would it take for you to genuinely feel that way?
5. The woman who shared during the sermon said the Lord told her she was not ready, that trials and lies had put her lamp oil low and numbed her gifts. What do you think has been numbing you, and what would it look like practically to get your lamp oil full again?