Series Resources

sermon-based study guide

This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.

What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.

Sermon Study Guide | Weird Church | Math Problems: Understanding the Trinity

Sermon Study Guide | Series: Weird Church | Sermon: Math Problems: Understanding the Trinity | Text: John 14:16–20 and Matthew 28:19

Date: May 11, 2025

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CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

At some point in life, we all wrestle with the question: “Who is God, really?” For many, the idea of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—feels more like a math riddle than a relationship. But what if the Trinity wasn’t meant to be a problem to figure out, but a beautiful mystery to draw us in? Reflect on your own perception of God growing up. Has He felt more like a distant judge, a gracious Savior, or a mysterious force? How does that shape your view of Him today?

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ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read John 14:16–20 and Matthew 28:19 together and discuss:

What do these verses teach us about how God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit?

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Which is hardest for you to believe right now: that God the Father delights in you, Jesus forgives you, or the Spirit of God lives within you? Why?

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Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you” (John 15:9).
What does it mean to you that the love God offers is the same love shared within the Trinity?

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How does the Trinity push back against the idea of God as distant or emotionally detached? What personal implications does that have for your relationship with Him?

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APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

Come closer, not just clearer: Instead of striving to “solve” the mystery of God, take time this week to sit with Him relationally. Journal or pray using the simple question: “God, who are You?”—and be open to what He reveals.

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Remember each Person of the Trinity: Try praying to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in turn this week. Notice how each conversation draws out different aspects of God’s love and character. How does this deepen your relationship?

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Live like you’re deeply loved: If the Father loves you the way He loves Jesus (John 17:23), what needs to change in how you see yourself? Choose one habit or mindset to shift this week to reflect that truth.

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Invite someone to the table: Communion reminds us that we’ve been invited to share in God’s life. Who in your life might need to hear that there’s a seat for them too? Pray for them and be open to having that conversation.

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PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

“Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we praise You not for being a mystery to solve, but for being a love that invites us in. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us, for welcoming us to the table, and for drawing near through Your Spirit. Help us not just to understand You better, but to know You more. May we live today as people fully known and fully loved by the God who is love. Amen.”

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GOING DEEPER - “Further Study & Reflection”

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[STEP ONE: Know the Triune God – Read John 17:20–26]

Jesus prays for unity among His followers—but it’s grounded in the perfect unity of the Trinity. What stands out to you about how Jesus describes His relationship with the Father and how He includes us in that same love?

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[STEP TWO: Reflect God’s Love – Reflect on 1 John 4:7–12]

John reminds us that we love because God first loved us. How can your understanding of God as Trinity shape how you love others this week? How does it push you toward community instead of isolation?

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[STEP THREE: Rest in the Spirit – Read Romans 8:14–17]

Paul writes that the Spirit testifies we are God’s children. When you’re feeling anxious, unworthy, or alone, how can you return to this truth? Write a short prayer declaring your identity as God’s beloved child.

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