2025 "The Five Solas of the Reformation"

Week 1

Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone

Our theme for 2025 at First Wesleyan Church is "Maintaining Our Moral Compass." In the month of February, we will focus on "True North Fundamentals." Simple and yet comforting, the five Solas are the foundation for helping us hold on to the truth and counter false teaching. We must remain committed to staying focused on what is true, in spite of what the culture may embrace.

  • Main Idea

    The Bible contains all we need to know about God for our salvation and to follow Him.

  • Head Change

    To understand that God's Word has supreme and ultimate authority over the church and our lives as believers.

  • Heart Change

    To draw delight and direction from the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient Word of God.

  • Life Change

    To consider the Bible as the defining principle of our lives and the biblical worldview as the unchanging truth of God.

Week 2

Solus Christus: Christ Alone

  • Main Idea

    Salvation is found in Christ alone.

  • Head Change

    To understand that Christ is the ultimate prophet, priest, and king who ends our hostility and enmity with God because of our sin.

  • Heart Change

    To grow in our intimacy with Christ and experience His transforming power and grace.

  • Life Change

    To believe, articulate, and defend Christ's sufficiency and exclusivity.

Crucifixion scene with dramatic red sky.

Week 3

Person walking across a cross-shaped bridge.

Sola Gratia: Grace Alone

  • Main Idea

    We are saved by grace, a freely offered but costly gift from God.

  • Head Change

    To know that nothing we do or say plays a role in the grace freely offered by God to us.

  • Heart Change

    To appreciate the cost of grace and accept the gift freely given.

  • Life Change

    To live under grace and walk in the freedom that grace gives.

Week 4

Sola Fide: Faith Alone

  • Main Idea

    Christ's righteousness is credited to us due to his completed work on the cross, and we receive this righteousness only by faith.

  • Head Change

    To understand that God's righteousness belongs to Him; we cannot attain righteousness by our good works.

  • Heart Change

    To rest in the assurance that we are sinners justified by God's grace through faith alone in the righteousness of Christ alone.

  • Life Change

    To live our Christian lives righteously, justified solely through faith.

Family and cross at sunset.

Week 5

Sunrise over clouds with golden light.

Soli Deo Gloria: To the Glory of God Alone

  • Main Idea

    All five Solas make perfect sense when we can practice them with the purpose of Soli Deo Gloria—giving God alone the glory.

  • Head Change

    To realize that whatever we do, the ultimate goal is to glorify God through it.

  • Heart Change

    To be motivated to live faithfully to glorify God.

  • Life Change

    To intentionally examine our motives and ask ourselves if our actions glorify God or ourselves.

Galatians Will Be Our 2026 Small Group Study

Timothy Two for Believers Wanting to Grow

You can access this material in the attached file below for the ten lessons of the one-on-one discipleship material originally provided by Navigators, Dr. John Maxwell, and The Wesleyan Church, 1981.

We Welcome You to Join Our Next Small Life Group Focus

Small Life Groups

Host Homes

Our goal is to host a small life group in every zip code in Cumberland and Salem Counties. Our purpose is to form healthy relationships both inside and outside our church communities.

Host Homes

Our goal is to host a small life group in every zip code in Cumberland and Salem Counties. Our purpose is to form healthy relationships both inside and outside our church communities.

Volunteer Facilitators

We have a short training for the recruitment of facilitators. The lessons will be presented on DVDs or streamed, but the facilitator will encourage each of the group participants to move forward in the area of weekly focus.

Volunteer Facilitators

We have a short training for the recruitment of facilitators. The lessons will be presented on DVDs or streamed, but the facilitator will encourage each of the group participants to move forward in the area of weekly focus.

Future Small Group Focus

We have used material from College Wesleyan Church, Hamburg Wesleyan Church, Saddleback, and others. Past topics include "The Purpose Driven Life," "Fault Lines," "Every Day Matters," "40 Days of Prayer," "Soul Shift," "Work as Worship," "Timothy II," "Right Now Media," and many others.

Future Small Group Focus

We have used material from College Wesleyan Church, Hamburg Wesleyan Church, Saddleback, and others. Past topics include "The Purpose Driven Life," "Fault Lines," "Every Day Matters," "40 Days of Prayer," "Soul Shift," "Work as Worship," "Timothy II," "Right Now Media," and many others.

Sunday Messages

Pastor Doug provides a message each Sunday to introduce each theme. The small group discussions are taken from the messages and the weekly DVD or streamed lessons from Right Now Media.

Sunday Messages

Pastor Doug provides a message each Sunday to introduce each theme. The small group discussions are taken from the messages and the weekly DVD or streamed lessons from Right Now Media.

Notebooks

A notebook is usually introduced and made available. Groups will also include daily reading and a weekly note guide.

Notebooks

A notebook is usually introduced and made available. Groups will also include daily reading and a weekly note guide.