Discussion Guides For Gulf Coast Community Church

✨ Group Discussion Guide

Cultivating Peace: A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

Title: How Do We Pursue the Unity of the Spirit?

Text: Matthew 18:15–20; Ephesians 4:1–16

📖 Sermon Structure & Core Points

1. Bear With Each Other Lovingly

2. Value the Gifts of Others Properly

3. Speak the Truth Lovingly

4. Build One Another Up Lovingly

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🌿 Opening Reflection

Begin by reading this quote aloud:

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Then reflect as a group:

• What stood out most to you from this week’s message?

• Why is unity worth “every effort”?

• What are some barriers to unity in the body of Christ?

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📖 Read Aloud – Ephesians 4:2–3 (NIV):

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

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🔹 Point 1: Bear With Each Other Lovingly

Key Quotes:

“Jesus knows the human heart better than any of us know our own hearts and his instruction is going to be wiser than human invention.”

“Bearing with each other lovingly is not the same as putting up with someone.”

“Patience can change the world.”

Discuss:

• What’s the difference between “putting up with” someone and “bearing with” them in love?

• How have you experienced the power of patience in a relationship?

• How might impatience damage unity?

Group Action Step:

Identify one way to show patience toward someone in your life this week. Share your plan with the group.

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📖 Read Aloud – Romans 12:4–5 (NIV):

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

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🔹 Point 2: Value the Gifts of Others Properly

Key Quotes:

“Recognizing that each one of us has been given gifts is a great preventative to conflict.”

“Christ thought more highly of others than himself.”

“When we value gifts in others properly, we will seek to understand them.”

Discuss:

• How does recognizing the Spirit’s gifts in others change the way we see them?

• What is one gift you’ve observed in someone else in the group?

• How can affirming others’ gifts strengthen unity?

Group Action Step:

Go around the group and affirm a specific gift you’ve seen in each person.

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📖 Read Aloud – Proverbs 20:5 (NIV):

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

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🔹 Point 3: Speak the Truth Lovingly

Key Quotes:

“Genuine love is a desire to understand what they’re thinking.”

“Speaking the truth lovingly requires us to go to them and not to others about them.”

“The selection of others is not for the purpose of building a case. Its goal is reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration.”

Discuss:

• Why is it so tempting to talk about someone instead of to them?

• What practical steps can we take to approach someone directly and lovingly?

• How do we prepare our hearts for a hard conversation?

Group Action Step:

If there’s a strained relationship in your life, commit to praying and preparing for a face-to-face conversation this week.

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📖 Read Aloud – Ephesians 4:29 (NIV):

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

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🔹 Point 4: Build One Another Up Lovingly

Key Quotes:

“We will build one another up through our words.”

“Our gifts differ, but we are all needed and must be valued.”

“Jesus promises to be present with us in this peacemaking process.”

Discuss:

• How can our words either strengthen or weaken unity?

• What’s one way you can intentionally “build up” someone this week?

• How does knowing Jesus is present in peacemaking encourage you?

Group Action Step:

Write an encouraging note or message to someone in your church family this week, pointing out a specific way they’ve built you up.

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🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

Read aloud:

“Just as there is a third party stalking our conflicts, there is a much greater third party that joins us in making every effort toward unity.”

Pray Together:

Lord Jesus, thank You for promising to be present when we seek peace. Teach us to bear with one another lovingly, value the gifts in each other, speak the truth with gentleness, and build up with our words. Let our unity be a testimony to Your grace. Amen.

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💬 Final Reflection Question

• What is one relationship where God is calling you to “make every effort” this week?

• How will you take a step toward peace before the group meets again?

🙌 Group Discussion Guide

Sermon: What If Peace Isn’t the Safe Option

Series: Cultivating Peace: A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

Text: Matthew 10:34 to 39

🧭 Sermon Structure

Vulnerability

Aversion

Venturing

📖 Opening Scripture

Matthew 10:38 to 39 (NIV)

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

💬 Icebreaker

Share a time when pursuing peace in a relationship or situation felt costly or risky. What happened?

🔹 Section 1: Vulnerability

“Peace is born when someone dares to cross enemy lines not with weapons, but with open hands.”

“Real peace requires someone to be vulnerable, risk rejection and exposure, knowing that they might be misunderstood.”

“True fishers get wet. You can’t stay dry and clean fishing for people.”

Read Aloud: Romans 12:18 (NIV)

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Discussion Questions:

Why does vulnerability feel so risky when pursuing peace?

How does Jesus model this vulnerability in His ministry and death?

Where is God calling you to move beyond safety into openness or reconciliation?

Group Action Step:

Write down one relationship where peace has felt blocked. Pray as a group for courage to make the first move. Follow up next week.

🔹 Section 2: Aversion

“What are the trenches that feel safer to us than the peace that Christ calls us to?”

“We coddle people into the Kingdom and keep them the same way we called them in. We offer a gospel that requires no change, no cost. That’s not the gospel of Jesus. Cheap grace is grace without the cross, grace without the living incarnate Jesus Christ.”

“The path of safety and security does not bring peace. It brings the church losing its candlestick.”

Read Aloud: Luke 9:23 (NIV)

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Discussion Questions:

Where do you see the church or yourself tempted by comfort instead of cross shaped discipleship?

What is cheap grace and how does it show up in Christian culture?

Why do you think Jesus links true peace with self denial?

Group Action Step:

As a group, brainstorm a few ways your community can practice peace that is not rooted in comfort. Choose one to do together this month.

🔹 Section 3: Venturing

“Choosing safety never leads to carrying a cross, but it can never lead to resurrection either.”

“If we want the peace of Christ, we can’t cling to safety.”

“You don’t need to be fearless. You just need to follow the one who went first.”

Read Aloud: Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Discussion Questions:

What would it look like to venture peace in your current relationships or work?

What stops us from stepping out of the trench?

How does knowing Jesus went first help us live with courage?

Group Action Step:

Take 10 minutes to write anonymous encouragement notes to someone in your church who may be weary, overlooked, or carrying a burden. Deliver them together this week.

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

Invite group members into a quiet moment, then read this prayer aloud together:

Lord Jesus, you ventured peace all the way to the cross. Teach us to follow you with courage. Give us eyes to see where we are hiding in comfort and call us forward. Let us not be known for safety, but for faithfulness. Make our church a community where peace is lived and risked and seen. Amen.

✅ Group Commitment Challenge

Choose one of the following to do together this week:

Reconcile with someone through a call, message, or meal

Practice sacrificial generosity as a group for someone in need

Spend time listening to someone you often avoid

Encourage another group to join in peacemaking efforts

🔁 Share your experiences next week when you regroup.

🙌 Group Discussion Guide

Sermon: Let the Peace of Christ Rule Among You

Series: Cultivating Peace: A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

Text: Colossians 3:12 to 17

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📖 Opening Scripture

Colossians 3:15 (NIV)

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

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💬 Icebreaker

What is one recent situation where you felt ruled more by panic or reaction than peace? What was the outcome?

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🧭 Sermon Structure

• The Peaceable Rule of Christ

• The Peaceable People of Christ

• The Peaceable Apparel of Christ

• The Peaceable Message of Christ

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🔹 1. The Peaceable Rule of Christ

“Peace is not a feeling; it is a governing reality among God’s people.”

“Let Christ’s message dwell among you richly. Christ’s peace must rule in your hearts.”

📖 Scripture: Colossians 3:15, Isaiah 55:12, John 14:27

Discuss:

• What does it mean for peace to rule your heart instead of merely reside there?

• What voices in our world often compete with the peace of Christ?

• How do we discern between false peace and Christ's peace?

🛠️ Group Action:

Write down three voices that tend to disturb your inner peace. Now write a response from Jesus' teaching that replaces each one with truth. Share a few aloud.

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🔹 2. The Peaceable People of Christ

“We have a serious case of mission drift.”

“The church is to be the model of peace so the world might know it.”

“Far too often, the church listens more to the spirit of Pan than to the voice of Jesus.”

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 4:1 to 3, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 12:18

Discuss:

• How have we drifted from our calling to be a people of peace?

• What does it practically mean to be a peaceable people in your community?

• In what ways can peace within the church become a witness to the watching world?

🛠️ Group Action:

Brainstorm one collective act of reconciliation or peace your group can do for someone in your church, neighborhood, or even within the group.

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🔹 3. The Peaceable Apparel of Christ 👕

“These garments are not made of thread and fabric. They’re woven from Christ’s own character.”

“Don’t leave the house without putting humility on.”

“Are you wearing kindness in your relationships?”

“Forgiveness means releasing others from what they owe us, even legitimate grievances.”

“Put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

📖 Scripture: Colossians 3:12 to 14, Philippians 2:1 to 8

Discuss:

• Which garment do you struggle most to put on? Why?

• How do these character qualities shape how we engage conflict or misunderstanding?

• What is the difference between forgiveness and forgetting? How does real forgiveness reflect Christ?

🛠️ Group Action:

Pass out index cards. Invite group members to write one person they need to forgive or show compassion toward. Pray silently over these and commit to one step toward peace this week.

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🔹 4. The Peaceable Message of Christ 📖

“You can’t follow Christ and ignore His message. Christ’s peace can’t rule where Christ’s message doesn’t dwell.”

“Love without truth becomes hollow. Truth without love becomes harsh.”

📖 Scripture: Colossians 3:16, Matthew 5:9, Ephesians 4:15

Discuss:

• What does it mean for Christ’s message to dwell richly among us?

• In your community, how do we tend to separate peace from truth or truth from love?

• What practices can help the message of Christ live among us more deeply?

🛠️ Group Action:

Choose a passage from the Sermon on the Mount. Read it aloud, then reflect together on how to live it out as a group this month.

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🙏 Group Prayer Prompt

“This is not weakness. It’s witness.”

“Let’s not be another echo chamber of the world’s panic.”

Prayer Together:

Jesus, you are our peace. Forgive us when we clothe ourselves in pride or division. Teach us to wear your compassion, humility, and forgiveness. Let your message dwell richly among us. Make us people of peace in a world of outrage. We submit to your rule in our hearts, in our homes, and in our church. Amen.

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✅ Group Commitment Options for the Week

Choose one to do together:

📜 Memorize Colossians 3:12 to 17 and recite it aloud next week

☕ Set up a coffee with someone you need to reconcile with

💌 Write encouragements to people in your church who may feel overlooked

🌳 Serve together in a peace promoting ministry (homeless care, racial reconciliation, peacemaking workshops, etc.)

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🔁 Final Reflection Round

Go around the group and share your answer to this question:

➡️ What would change in your life if the peace of Christ truly ruled your heart this week?

✨ Group Discussion Guide

Sermon: The Power of Peace

Series: Cultivating Peace: A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

Main Texts: Acts 9, Ephesians 2, John 17, Colossians 1

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📖 Opening Scripture

Ephesians 2:14 (NIV)

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

Opening Quote to Read Aloud:

💬 “Peace is the foundation of the gospel that you and I believe.”

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💬 Icebreaker

What is one conflict (small or large) where someone responded with peace and it surprised you? What effect did it have?

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🧭 Sermon Structure

1. The Power to Reconcile Enemies

2. From Uniformity to Unity

3. A Witness of Reconciliation

4. Living Peaceably in a Divided World

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🔥 Point 1: The Power to Reconcile Enemies

💬 “You have rage from Saul… and fear from Ananias… but the gospel made them brothers.”

💬 “Persecution against God's people is persecution against God because we are his body.”

Read Aloud: Acts 9:17

“Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul…’”

Discussion Questions:

• Why is Saul’s story so foundational for understanding reconciliation?

• What do you think it cost Ananias to call him Brother?

• Who in your life feels too far to be reconciled?

Group Action Step:

Each person writes down one name, someone who feels hard to love. Commit to praying for them by name this week and consider a step toward peace.

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🌍 Point 2: From Uniformity to Unity

💬 “We are more diligent to preserve uniformity over unity.”

💬 “Be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

💬 “The gospel reconciles entirely different ethnic groups into one body.”

Read Aloud: Ephesians 4:2 to 3 (NIV)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Discussion Questions:

• What is the difference between uniformity and gospel unity?

• In what ways do we avoid unity because it feels uncomfortable?

• How can your group model unity across differences?

Group Action Step:

🤝 Brainstorm a way to serve with another group or ministry made up of people from a different background. Schedule a shared project or prayer time.

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🕊️ Point 3: A Witness of Reconciliation

💬 “Our reconciled witness is prophetic.”

💬 “The church is called to be the pilot project of a new humanity.”

💬 “If we cannot learn to handle micro level conflict… how are we ever going to help the world in big macro level conflicts?”

Read Aloud: John 17:21 (NIV)

“…that all of them may be one… then the world will know that you sent me…”

Discussion Questions:

• Why does Jesus stake His witness to the world on our unity?

• What kinds of division does our culture expect to see in churches?

• What would it look like for our group to become a preview of the new humanity?

Group Action Step:

🌳 Choose a local peacemaking opportunity. Volunteer at a reconciliation based nonprofit, visit a multicultural church, or support a ministry addressing division in your community.

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🙏 Point 4: Living Peaceably in a Divided World

💬 “It is your glory to overlook a transgression.”

💬 “Love does not mean silence. It means we speak what is true in gentleness.”

💬 “When you are behaving or acting as if you love someone, you will presently come to love them.”

Read Aloud: Romans 12:18 to 21 (NIV)

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Discussion Questions:

• Where in your life is the Spirit prompting you to say, It ends with me?

• What is the difference between passive peace and gospel peace?

• How can truth and gentleness coexist in your relationships?

Group Action Step:

📝 Write anonymous encouragement notes to people in your church who may be experiencing conflict, division, or weariness. Deliver them together as a group.

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💡 Final Questions for Reflection

• Which of these quotes challenged your view of peace the most?

• What would change in your relationships if you lived like peace was your spiritual calling?

• Where is God asking you to stop contributing to division and start cultivating healing?

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🙏 Group Prayer Prompt

Begin with a moment of silence. Then pray aloud together:

Jesus, You are our peace.

You reconciled enemies and called us brothers and sisters.

We confess where we have clung to pride, resentment, and fear.

Make us ministers of reconciliation.

Teach us to overlook offenses, speak truth in gentleness,

and reflect Your love in a world that has forgotten how to live at peace.

Let the circle of violence end with us. Amen.

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🏁 Weekly Group Challenge

Choose one of the following together:

🤝 Invite someone unlike you to a meal or conversation this week.

💬 Role play a difficult conversation. Practice listening, truth, and gentleness.

🧽 Ask forgiveness from someone you have been in conflict with, even if it was not all your fault.

✨ Memorize John 17:21 together and pray it daily.

🔁 Next Week Check-In:

How did you practice peace this week? What surprised you?

🤝 Group Discussion Guide

The Aroma of Gentleness: A Witness of Peace in a World of Division

Text: Matthew 11:28–30, Galatians 5:22–23, 2 Timothy 2:22–26

Series Theme: Cultivating Peace

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📖 Sermon Structure

1. Gentleness and the Heart of Christ

2. Gentleness and the Work of the Spirit

3. Gentleness and the Way of Leadership

4. Gentleness and the Witness of the Church

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💬 Opening Quote for Reflection

“Gentleness is the embodiment of humility.”

Begin with silence, then read the quote aloud. Invite group members to reflect:

• How does this quote shift how you view gentleness?

• Where do you see gentleness lacking in our world today?

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🧠 Orthodoxy – Right Knowledge

📖 Read Philippians 2:3–5 and Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

“That’s how we know someone has been crucified with Christ — their violence has been replaced with gentleness.”

“Self-control speaks to what we stop. Gentleness speaks to what we replace it with.”

Questions:

• What do these verses teach us about the nature of gentleness?

• How does Jesus define and model gentleness?

• How does the fruit of the Spirit contrast with the world's values?

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❤️ Orthopathos – Right Heart

📖 Read Matthew 11:28–30 and Colossians 3:12–14 (NIV)

“There is great rest and a light yoke when we cease trying to be the king of whatever hill lies before us.”

“The burden of loving others is much lighter than the burden of loving ourselves.”

“You’re never free to love others when you’re too busy trying to love yourself.”

Questions:

• What is Jesus inviting us into emotionally and relationally when He says, “I will give you rest”?

• Where in your life do you feel exhausted from striving to be in control?

• How does viewing others “more highly than ourselves” create an atmosphere for gentleness?

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🙌 Orthopraxy – Right Practice

📖 Read 2 Timothy 2:24–25 and Romans 12:17–21 (NIV)

“We need the secret weapon of gentleness in an age of us against them.”

“Let your gentleness be what people see most when they see you.”

“The most countercultural thing that you can do may be to answer with a gentle word, a patient spirit, and a humble heart.”

Questions:

• When was the last time you gave or received a gentle answer during a hard moment?

• What role does gentleness play in evangelism and leadership?

• Where is the Spirit calling you to embody gentleness this week?

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💡 Group Action Steps

Choose one of the following this week as a group:

🧺 Clothe Yourselves

Choose a day to “clothe yourselves with gentleness” in practical, visible ways.

Ideas:

• Write a kind note to someone who’s difficult to love.

• Invite someone you’ve drifted from to coffee.

• Serve a neighbor without expecting thanks.

🔁 Reflect Before Reacting

Commit as a group to practice pausing in moments of tension or conflict this week.

• Use a “breath prayer” (e.g. “Jesus, make me gentle”) before you speak.

• Journal the results and share next time.

✉️ Community Witness Project

Work together on a small initiative to reflect gentleness in your community.

Examples:

• Visit a local nursing home with handwritten encouragement cards.

• Create a “gentleness challenge” for your workplace or small group.

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🙏 Group Prayer Prompt

Read this quote aloud:

“We don’t have to carry the burden of being right all the time.”

Let it guide your prayer:

🕊️ Jesus, teach us the unforced rhythms of grace. We come to You weary from the striving. Help us learn Your way of gentleness — with our words, our leadership, our responses, and our relationships. Holy Spirit, grow in us what the world cannot give: patience, humility, and peace. Let our gentleness be visible. Let it be contagious. Let it point to You. Amen.

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❓ Closing Group Reflection

Go around the circle and share:

• What’s one specific area where you will seek to practice gentleness this week?

• What’s your biggest obstacle to living gently — and what would it look like to surrender it to Jesus?

Bind Your Feet

A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

Text: Isaiah 8:6 to 8, Isaiah 52:7, Luke 1:76 to 79, Acts 10:36, Ephesians 6:14 to 15

📖 Opening Scripture

“Stand firm then with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6 verses 14 to 15 (NIV)

“He will guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Luke 1 verse 79 (NIV)

💬 Icebreaker Question

What is one time in your life you felt completely unprepared, either physically or spiritually, for a challenge? What would have helped you be ready?

🧭 Sermon Structure

1. Detours in the Path of Peace

2. Differences and Peace

3. Desperately Needing Preparation

🛑 1. Detours in the Path of Peace

“They had rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloh and had embraced security and safety in the military powerhouse.”

“Jesus came to guide our feet into the paths of peace, but we often find we are being detoured.”

📖 Read Aloud

Isaiah 8 verses 6 to 8 (NIV)

“Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloh therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates”

💭 Discussion

What mighty floodwaters does our culture often choose over the gentle waters of Jesus?

What does it look like when Christians place their trust in worldly power instead of gospel peace?

How can peace be a form of resistance to the powers of this age?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Reflect together on a cultural or political issue where Christians are tempted to use worldly tactics. How could your group practice a countercultural form of peace there?

🤝 2. Differences and Peace

“Peace is not about ignoring problems. It addresses them.”

“We show the power of the gospel when we pursue peace despite our differences, disagreements, and discomforts.”

📖 Read Aloud

Acts 10 verses 34 to 36 (NIV)

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”

💭 Discussion

How did Peter experience discomfort and growth in Acts 10?

In what areas of church life do we often avoid hard conversations under the name of peace?

How can disagreement be handled in a way that cultivates deeper unity?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Name one interpersonal tension in your church, workplace, or community and brainstorm how your group could engage it with grace, courage, and reconciliation.

🥾 3. Desperately Needing Preparation

“Bind your feet with the preparedness that belongs to the gospel, whose innate quality is peace.”

“If we are going to perform the faith, we cannot wait until the day of the performance.”

📖 Read Aloud

Hebrews 5 verse 14 (NIV)

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

📖 Also Read

Ephesians 6 verse 15

Luke 1 verse 79

💭 Discussion

What does it mean to have your feet bound with peace?

What is the difference between wishing for peace and being trained for peace?

How can we practice peace in daily ordinary ways?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Pick one peace training habit to do together this week

Praying for your enemies

Speaking truth in love

Writing a note of encouragement to someone weary

Addressing a conflict with gentleness

Check in next week on how it went

🙏 Group Prayer Prompt

Open with silence. Then invite group members to reflect on this quote:

“We need to bind our feet with the gospel of peace, or we will walk in all sorts of ways we ought not walk.”

Prayer Together

Jesus, bind our feet with your gospel of peace. Let us not walk barefoot into battle. Train our hearts, our mouths, our reflexes in the ways of gentleness and justice. May we love beyond comfort, forgive beyond instinct, and walk in a way that makes your kingdom visible. Amen.

✅ Final Challenge

As a group, commit to one peacemaking action this week

📝 Write anonymous encouragements to people in conflict

🤝 Host a reconciliation conversation between two estranged individuals with their permission

🧺 Serve someone with whom you disagree

📚 Read the Sermon on the Mount together and reflect on how it trains us in peace

🌀 Final Reflection Question

What would it look like in your life if the gospel of peace were tied to your feet and could not come off?

More group questions you can use:

📖 Orthodoxy: Right Knowledge

Questions that help participants reflect on what is true according to Scripture and the gospel message of peace.

1. What does Scripture mean when it says the gospel is a gospel of peace?

2. How does understanding the cross as the end of hostility shape our theology of reconciliation?

3. Why is it important to see peace as central to the gospel and not just a personal feeling or personality trait?

4. In what ways does trusting in the “weapons of the world” reveal a faulty understanding of Christ’s kingdom?

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❤️ Orthopathos: Right Heart

Questions that help participants evaluate their emotions, motivations, and desires in light of God’s character.

1. Where do I feel resistance to practicing peace, and what might that say about my trust in God?

2. How do I respond emotionally when I’m misunderstood, wronged, or uncomfortable with someone in my church community?

3. Do I genuinely desire reconciliation, or am I more comfortable holding on to division?

4. What internal narratives or fears keep me from binding peace to my feet?

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✋ Orthopraxy: Right Practice

Questions that help participants live out what they believe and feel with intentional obedience to Jesus.

1. What does it look like for me to practice “binding peace to my feet” in my home, workplace, or church?

2. What is one relational step of peace I could take this week that would reflect the gospel of peace?

3. How can our group practice confrontation in a way that is truthful, gentle, and restorative?

4. What rhythms or habits would train me to make peace a reflex instead of a reaction?

✨ Group Discussion Guide

Cultivating Peace: A Witness of Reconciliation in a World of Division

This guide is designed to help your group reflect on the message, explore Scripture together, and actively begin cultivating gospel-shaped peace in community. Each section includes Scripture, group questions, a key sermon quote, and practical action steps you can take together.

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📖 Sermon Structure & Core Points

1. Why do we need peace?

2. How does peace transform our warfare?

3. What has God done to create peace?

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🌿 Opening Reflection

Begin by reading this quote aloud:

“Peace describes a state or a result of right relationships where there is wholeness, reconciliation and the absence of hostility.”

Then reflect as a group:

• What stood out most to you from the sermon?

• Did anything surprise or challenge you?

• How would you define “peace” before and after hearing the message?

📖 Read Aloud – Romans 12:17–21 (NIV):

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Discussion Questions:

• In what ways do we see the world shaped by retaliation rather than reconciliation?

• How do you think retaliation shows up subtly in your own life?

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🔥 Point 1: Why Do We Need Peace?

“If we can't learn to handle micro level conflict… how are we ever going to help the world in big macro level conflicts?”

📖 Read Aloud – Ephesians 2:13–14 (NIV):

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace...

Discussion Questions:

• Where do you most often experience conflict: family, work, church, social media?

• Why do you think small-scale peace is so difficult — and so necessary?

• How can a group like ours create a “peace-first” culture?

Group Action Step:

📝 Choose one ongoing conflict (personal or local) and brainstorm peaceful, Christ-centered responses together.

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🛡️ Point 2: How Does Peace Transform Our Warfare?

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.”

“Our weapons—our endurance in hardship, purity, understanding, kindness… sincere love even for our enemies.”

“Being peaceful is not being passive.”

📖 Read Aloud – 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NIV):

Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does... We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Discussion Questions:

• What does “spiritual warfare” look like from the perspective of peace and reconciliation?

• How does the cross reframe what “winning” looks like?

• Which of these weapons — endurance, kindness, sincere love — do you struggle to use in conflict?

Group Action Step:

💬 Role-play a conflict scenario (from real life or imagined) and practice responses using the weapons of peace. Debrief how it felt and what shifted.

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✝️ Point 3: What Has God Done to Create Peace?

“The cross says it ends with me.”

“All of our hostility toward God and man was poured on Jesus on the cross.”

“The circle of violence ended with Jesus.”

📖 Read Aloud – Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV):

For God was pleased… to reconcile to himself all things… by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean that Jesus absorbed violence rather than returning it?

• How does the cross shape how we handle being wronged?

• Where do you feel tempted to let the “circle of violence” continue?

Group Action Step:

🔁 Each person identify one relationship where they can say: “It ends with me.” Share your plan with the group and commit to praying for one another.

________________________________________

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

Take a moment of silence and open with this prayer together:

“Lord Jesus, You are our peace. You broke down the wall of hostility and invited us into a kingdom that doesn’t mirror this world. Transform our hearts. Teach us to lay down our weapons of pride, sarcasm, and self-defense, and take up the tools of peace. Let the circle of violence end with us. Amen.”

________________________________________

✅ Group Commitment & Ongoing Practice

As a group, commit to doing one of the following together this week:

• 💌 Write encouraging notes to people experiencing conflict or loss.

• ☕ Invite someone from church or work to coffee to reconcile or build peace.

• 📚 Study more Scripture on peace (Romans 12, Matthew 5, James 3).

• 🌳 Serve together in a ministry that builds peace in the community (e.g., foster care, addiction recovery, racial reconciliation, etc.)

________________________________________

💬 Final Reflection Question

Before ending your session, go around the group:

➡️ What would it look like in your life if the circle of violence ended with you?

🙌 Group Discussion Guide

“IF We Love One Another” (John 13:34–35)

Main Points from the Sermon:

1. A New Command

2. A Distinctive Witness

3. A Church the World Can’t Ignore

________________________________________

📖 Opening Scripture

John 13:34–35 (NIV):

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

________________________________________

💬 Icebreaker Question

What’s one way someone in your life has shown you sacrificial love—love that cost them something?

________________________________________

✨ Discussion Section 1: A New Command

• “We are loved unconditionally by God, but the condition of the world knowing we are his disciples is this—if we love one another.”

• “Love, church, it's not just your duty—it is evidence.”

🧠 Discuss:

• What makes this commandment from Jesus “new”?

• How does Jesus raise the bar for love here?

• In what ways do we struggle to love as He loved?

📖 Supporting Scripture:

1 John 4:11 (NIV):

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

🛠️ Group Action Step:

Choose one way your group can serve a person or family in your church who might feel unseen or burdened. Assign roles and set a timeline.

________________________________________

🌎 Discussion Section 2: A Distinctive Witness

• “Our witness is not automatic. It's actually conditional.”

• “I don’t think the problem is people don’t want Jesus. I think they’re having a hard time seeing Jesus because of us.”

• “If our doctrine really, truly is sound, we will love one another.”

🧠 Discuss:

• What stood out to you about the “if” in this verse?

• How is love more convincing than knowledge, programs, or even worship styles?

• How can love be a powerful apologetic in our culture?

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Matthew 5:14, 16 (NIV):

“You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

🛠️ Group Action Step:

Brainstorm one simple but visible way to show love in your neighborhood, school, or workplace—then do it together this week (e.g., adopt-a-block, host a neighborhood meal, visit a senior).

________________________________________

🩹 Discussion Section 3: A Church the World Can’t Ignore

• “The kind of love Jesus is calling you and me to is an unconditional commitment to imperfect people.”

• “The church shoots its wounded instead of seeks to heal their wounded.”

• “It’s possible to simultaneously be doctrinally sound and relationally cold.”

• “Let’s not just attend church—be a local church the world can’t ignore.”

• “They love one another. I don’t know what else they’re about, but I know this—they love one another.”

🧠 Discuss:

• Why do you think churches often drift from love to judgment or cliques?

• What does it look like to love someone who’s hurt you—or disappointed you—in church?

• In your honest opinion, what would it take for your group/church to become “a church the world can’t ignore”?

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Colossians 3:12–14 (NIV):

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people… bear with each other and forgive one another… And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

🛠️ Group Action Step:

Take a moment together to write anonymous notes of encouragement to people in your church who may be wounded, weary, or overlooked—pastors, volunteers, elders, or members.

________________________________________

💡 Questions for Personal & Group Reflection

• Do I tend to prioritize being “right” over being loving?

• Where in my life has truth become harsh without love—or love become hollow without truth?

• Who are the “imperfect people” in my life I’m called to love like Jesus?

• What does my love say to the watching world about the Jesus I follow?

________________________________________

🙏 Group Prayer Prompt

Invite group members into a time of quiet, then prayer. You may wish to read the quote aloud:

“Knowledge has informed me. It’s never transformed me. Love has transformed me.”

🕊️ Prayer Together:

“Jesus, thank You for loving us to the end. Teach us to love not just in word, but in action. Holy Spirit, search our hearts. Root out pride, offense, division, and anything that holds us back from loving like You. Make our church a community of deep grace and visible love. Let the world see You in us.”

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🏁 Final Group Challenge for the Week

As a group, choose one relationally difficult thing to do this week in love:

• Forgive someone

• Reach out to someone you've avoided

• Serve someone who’s nothing like you

• Start a conversation that speaks truth in love

🔁 Check in with each other next week on how it went.

Group Discussion Guide: No Greater Love💗

Key Text: John 15 : 1-17 (NIV)

Sermon Points:

• God in the Garden
• A Thriving Garden
• A Boundless Garden

1️⃣ Welcome & Opening Prayer

Invite someone to read John 15 : 1-8 aloud.

Pray briefly, asking the Spirit to help you listen, share honestly, and respond obediently.

2️⃣ Quick Recap

Use these quotes to refresh the main ideas:

• “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
• “God does what is best for the garden, so it thrives.”
• “Pruning is good. It's what the garden needs to be more fruitful.”

🗣️ Prompt: In one sentence, share what most challenged or encouraged you from Sunday.

3️⃣ Digging In – Point by Point

🌱 God in the Garden (John 15 : 1-4)

How does Jesus’ claim to be “the true vine” reorder our view of religion versus relationship?

“It starts with his love for us, and then we love him.”

• Where have you recently experienced God’s initiating love?
• What keeps you from receiving it fully?

Read Genesis 2 : 8-9; 3 : 23-24.

• How does John 15 echo Eden?
• What does this reveal about God’s long-term plan?

✂️ A Thriving Garden (John 15 : 2, 5-10)

“A healthy church can't be mass produced, and our lives can't be shaped by cheap substitutes for growth.”

• What “cheap substitutes” (hurry, image-management, comfort) tempt our group or church?

“Pruning is good. It's what the garden needs to be more fruitful.”

• Share a time God trimmed something away and later produced new fruit.

What might He be pruning now?

• Jesus links abiding to obedience (v. 10). How does love-based obedience differ from legalism?

🌎 A Boundless Garden (John 15 : 11-17)

“His love is boundless, his care for you is boundless. It’s endless. It’s pouring over.”

• How does this limitless love motivate mission and service?

“You are my friends if you do what I command.”

• Friendship with Jesus sounds intimate—what practices help you stay relationally close?

Read Revelation 21 : 1-5.

• How does the “new Eden” fuel hope when ministry feels slow?

4️⃣ Connecting Scripture & Jesus

📖 Read Colossians 1 : 15-20 together.

• Discuss how Jesus as Creator-Redeemer deepens the gardening imagery of John 15.

• Where do you see His reconciling work in your city, workplace, or home?
• How can your group join Him there?

5️⃣ Group Action Steps

🌟 Practice: Abide Hour

🫱How to Do It Together: Choose a one-hour block this week when everyone in the group will separately silence phones and meditate on John 15. Text the group afterward with one insight. ⏲️🕝When: Agree on a day before leaving.

🌟 Practice: Serve & Prune Hour

🫱 How to Do It Together: Identify one collective activity to release (an over-busy meeting, extra event) and replace it with a simple service project that blesses your neighborhood.

🕝 When: Decide tonight; schedule within 30 days.

🌟 Practice: Scripture-Share

🫱How to Do It Together: Memorize John 15 : 5 as a group.

🕝When: Next meeting, open by reciting it and sharing one fresh application. Review daily.

🙏 Prayer Prompt

Ask: Where do we need deeper attachment, courageous pruning, or wider love?

Pray:

• Thank Jesus for inviting us to be His friends.
• Confess areas we rely on “cheap substitutes.”
• Intercede for lasting fruit in our families, church, and city.
• Finish by reading John 15 : 16 aloud as a commissioning blessing.

6️⃣ Looking Ahead

💬 Before next gathering, each member:

• Journals one pruning insight and one place of fresh fruit.
• Shares it with a prayer partner from the group.

“Apart from me, you can do nothing.” As you leave, carry this reminder—and the boundless love that makes every branch thrive. THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE.

KNOW YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED. 😊

Group Discussion Guide

Sermon Title: The Liberating Power of the Spirit

Sermon Series: Isaiah – A New Understanding of Everything

Main Text: Isaiah 61 | Supporting Texts: Luke 4:18–19, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 2:14

Sermon Outline:

1. A Liberating Power

2. A Liberating Prince

3. A Liberating People

________________________________________

🔥 Part 1: A Liberating Power

📖 Read Isaiah 61:1–3 (NIV)

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me… to proclaim good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted… to comfort all who mourn… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…

Discussion Questions:

• What kind of freedom does Isaiah 61 describe? Who is it for?

• How is this different from how our culture defines freedom?

• How do we see emotional, physical, and spiritual healing in these verses?

💬 “The total transformation of a person from grief and loss to comfort and restoration—this is freedom.”

💬 “Paul did not mean everything the word freedom could mean.”

Personal Reflection:

• Where do you personally long for the Spirit’s liberating work in your own life?

Group Action Step:

✅ As a group, brainstorm ways to bring comfort or healing to someone in mourning or pain this week. Choose one action to do together (e.g., write encouragement cards, prepare a meal, visit someone, or support a local shelter).

________________________________________

👑 Part 2: A Liberating Prince

📖 Read Luke 4:18–19 (NIV)

The Spirit of the Lord is on me… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners… to set the oppressed free…

Discussion Questions:

• How does Jesus embody the prophecy of Isaiah 61 in Luke 4?

• What does it mean that Jesus brings total freedom—spiritually and physically?

• Where in the Gospels do you see Jesus demonstrating this?

💬 “For Jesus, spiritual and physical freedom were all of a piece.”

💬 “The liberating power of the Spirit is about total human liberation and pursues the restoration of the totality of God’s creation to Shalom—peace, wholeness, completeness.”

Connection to Jesus:

• How does this picture of Jesus challenge or affirm how you see Him?

• What areas of brokenness in our world is Jesus calling us to speak into or act upon?

Group Action Step:

✅ Identify a local cause (homelessness, addiction recovery, mental health support, refugee care, etc.) where your group could volunteer or donate time/resources. Make a plan to participate in the next month.

________________________________________

🌍 Part 3: A Liberating People

📖 Read Acts 1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.

📖 Read 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession…

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean to be “a liberated and liberating people”? How do we live that out?

• What might it look like for you or your group to be “captives in Christ’s triumphal procession”?

💬 “We are a liberated and liberating people.”

💬 “The Spirit empowers us to be a liberating people.”

💬 “The Spirit not only set them free, but he will now send them to set others free.”

💬 “We must also be willing to be led captive in Christ’s triumphal procession, taking up our cross for the comfort and freedom of others.”

💬 “Not only did the Spirit anoint Christ to proclaim your freedom and free you—Christ calls and empowers us to proclaim his liberating power and to liberate.”

💬 “Paul and his team were willing to suffer to bring freedom to others.”

Personal Reflection:

• Is there a sacrifice God may be calling you to make for the sake of another’s freedom?

• Are there people or groups that God may be leading you to serve, comfort, or speak truth to?

Group Action Step:

✅ Choose a way to proclaim freedom together. That could be hosting a prayer night, starting a support group, writing stories of God’s liberation, or planning a justice-oriented project. Commit to one practical next step together.

________________________________________

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

Invite someone to lead this prayer out loud:

Holy Spirit, come.

Fill us afresh with Your liberating power.

Let us not only receive freedom but become those who carry it to others.

Help us follow Jesus—the Liberating King—who laid down His life for the freedom of many.

Make us bold witnesses and humble servants in Your mission.

Amen.

________________________________________

💡 Final Questions to Consider as a Group:

• What stuck with you most from this message?

• How did it challenge the way you think about freedom?

• What would it look like if our whole group lived out Isaiah 61 in our community?

• Where is Jesus calling you personally to be part of someone else’s liberation?

🌍 Group Discussion Guide

Sermon Title: A World Transformed

Series: Isaiah: A New Understanding of Everything

Text: Isaiah 55

Sermon Points:

1. What Are You Buying and Eating?

2. What Is It Costing You?

3. Are You Transformed and Transforming?

________________________________________

🎯 Opening Prayer Prompt

Invite someone to begin your time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to:

• Help each person hear God’s voice clearly

• Give courage to be honest about the ways we think and live

• Empower your group to reflect Jesus and be agents of transformation

________________________________________

📖 Scripture Read-Aloud (Isaiah 55:1–13, NIV)

Have one or two members of the group read Isaiah 55 aloud.

Then take a moment of silence (30–60 seconds) to reflect on a phrase or word that stood out.

________________________________________

1️⃣ What Are You Buying and Eating?

📌 Key Quote:

“God's measure of value isn't money. It's mercy. It's grace. It's forgiveness. It's patience. It's humility. It's love.”

📖 Isaiah 55:1–2 (NIV)

“Come, all you who are thirsty... Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”

🔍 Discuss:

• What kinds of things do we “buy” into that don’t satisfy?

• How can our group identify where we are still living by worldly values?

• How might we as a group pursue God’s value system together?

❓ Questions:

• What are the "breads" of the world that you’re tempted to pursue?

• How did Jesus redefine what is truly valuable in His ministry (consider Matthew 6:19–21 or Luke 12:15)?

• What does “without money and without cost” teach us about grace?

👣 Group Action Step:

Brainstorm together 2–3 ways the group could collectively reflect God's values this week.

Example: create a gratitude list, pool resources to bless someone in need, or commit to a shared fast from entertainment or spending.

________________________________________

2️⃣ What Is It Costing You?

📌 Key Quotes:

• “It isn't about what we say we value, but about the daily decisions we make.”

• “You can't just add a commitment to the Lord to all your other commitments. Something has to go away.”

• “God invites us to exchange our logic for how to live, for his logic for how to live.”

• “You must be a slow cooker when it comes to anger.”

• “That isn't a calculator for Christ's return, but a calculator for how long we should endure others.”

• “We are to share what we have beyond our daily provision until all of us have our daily provision.”

• “The real issue in the world is not the unequal distribution of wealth, but the unequal distribution of sacrificial love.”

• “God will abundantly provide you with resources to distribute to his people when you realize that's the purpose of them.”

•

📖 Isaiah 55:6–9 (NIV)

“Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts... ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.’”

📖 James 1:19–20 (NIV)

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

📖 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NIV)

“God is able to bless you abundantly... so that you will abound in every good work.”

🔍 Discuss:

• What is one way you've experienced the cost of trying to follow Jesus while still holding onto the world’s logic?

• In what situations do you feel the tension between your logic and God’s ways?

❓ Questions:

• How does Jesus demonstrate God's higher ways?

• What in your life might need to “go away” to make room for obedience?

• Are we seeing our resources—time, energy, money—as tools for generosity?

👣 Group Action Step:

Commit as a group to practice patient listening this week. Pair off and commit to checking in with each other midweek with one question: “How have you chosen to listen instead of speak or react this week?”

BONUS: Plan a future group project to give sacrificially—either time or finances—toward a shared mission need or someone in your community.

________________________________________

3️⃣ Are You Transformed and Transforming?

📌 Key Quotes:

• “Isaiah's invitation is not about an altar call, but about a living sacrifice.”

• “Before Creation is renewed, hearts must be remade.”

• “Signs of Eden begin to appear.”

•

📖 Isaiah 55:12–13 (NIV)

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace... Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper... This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign.”

📖 Romans 12:1–2 (NIV)

“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice... Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

🔍 Discuss:

• What does it mean for transformation to begin with us before we expect to see it in the world?

• How can we be “signs of Eden” in our neighborhoods, workplaces, or families?

❓ Questions:

• In what ways have you seen joy or peace grow in your life lately?

• What would it look like for your group to “go out in joy and be led forth in peace”?

• How does Jesus' way of living reshape what kind of “army” we are meant to be in the world?

👣 Group Action Step:

Plan a "Peace + Joy Week"—commit as a group to bless your neighbors or coworkers in simple ways. Examples:

• Write encouraging notes

• Deliver baked goods

• Offer prayer or help where there is need

➡️Report back the next week on the “signs of Eden” you saw.

________________________________________

🙏 Closing Prayer Time (10 minutes)

Have each person name:

• One area they want to surrender this week

• One area they hope to grow in joy, peace, or generosity

Pray together, thanking God for His mercy and asking Him to help your group embody His higher ways.

Discussion Guide

“God’s Satisfying Solution to Humanity’s Rebellion”

from the Isaiah series: A New Understanding of Everything

✝️ Isaiah 52:13–53:12 | 📚 Sermon Structure: Shocking • Atoning • Transforming & Expanding

________________________________________

🙌 Welcome + Opening

Begin with introductions if needed. Invite each person to share one word or phrase that stood out to them from Sunday’s message.

📖 Opening Scripture (read aloud together)

Isaiah 53:4–6 (NIV)

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

________________________________________

🧠 Part 1: Shocking

“Isaiah 53 is God's answer to the deepest human problem.”

“God's way of bringing about a solution to the perpetual rebellion of his people is shocking.”

“The real scandal of the cross is not that God saves us, but how he does it.”

Discussion Questions:

• In what ways is God's solution to sin unexpected or even offensive by human standards?

• How did the image of a disfigured, rejected servant challenge your expectations of what a savior should be like?

• Read Isaiah 52:13–15. What does it mean for kings to “shut their mouths” because of this servant?

🔍 Go Deeper:

“God came in weakness, was killed by his enemies, told us to love those enemies, and willingly suffer, suffer for their good.”

• How does the cross overturn our ideas of strength, success, and leadership?

• What does “power in weakness” mean for how we treat others, especially our enemies?

________________________________________

✝️ Part 2: Atoning

“What we mistook as guilt was grace. What we thought was shame was actually salvation.”

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.”

“We don't have a category for someone being afflicted because they're doing things right. But Scripture does.”

Discussion Questions:

• What stood out to you from Isaiah 53 about how the servant suffered?

• Why do we often assume someone’s suffering is a sign that they’ve done something wrong?

• How does this chapter challenge the way we understand affliction and righteousness?

“God is not satisfied with merely a legal fiction. He's seeking... real righteousness.”

• What’s the difference between being declared righteous and being made righteous?

• How is the atonement meant to both cleanse and transform?

________________________________________

🌱 Part 3: Transforming & Expanding

“This solution shatters our rebellion. It satisfies God's justice. It meets our deepest longing for Shalom.”

“The servant came not with spectacle, but with scars—not to seize power, but to carry our wounds.”

“He died to raise up a people who would carry his way into the world.”

“We become those wise ones who lead many to righteousness and shine like the stars in the sky.”

“He didn't call a myriad of angels to destroy his enemies, but he loved them.”

“Let’s step into the wisdom of the cross. Let’s live justly and love sacrificially and shine like stars in the sky.”

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean to live out “the wisdom of the cross” in your daily life?

• How do scars—your past wounds or Christ’s—play a role in ministry and witness?

• How can the Church carry forward the servant’s mission today?

Read Philippians 2:14–16 and discuss:

How does “shining like stars” relate to justice, humility, and compassion?

________________________________________

🤲 Group Action Steps

As a group, choose 1–2 ways to live out this message together this week:

1. Compassion Walk: Walk through a local neighborhood or park, praying for the people and places you see. Ask God to make you carriers of healing.

2. Justice in Action: Identify a need (supporting a foster family, helping someone in financial distress, volunteering together) and plan one tangible way to serve.

3. Silence + Prayer: Set aside 5 minutes each day this week in silence—no asking, no noise—just reflecting on Christ’s suffering love for you.

________________________________________

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

Spend time praying as a group. Invite group members to pray short, honest prayers. Consider this prompt to guide you:

“Jesus, thank you for bearing our rebellion, not with retaliation but with mercy. Transform our hearts, and lead us into lives of justice, compassion, and humble love. Teach us to walk in the wisdom of the cross.”

________________________________________

📌 Final Reflection Questions (Optional to send out or discuss via message during the week):

• Where am I resisting the wisdom of the cross in my life right now?

• Who in my life needs to see the shocking love of Jesus lived out?

• How can our group become a people who “shine like stars” in our city?

👥 Group Discussion Guide

Sermon Title: The Servant & The Conqueror

Text: Isaiah 42:1–9 | Matthew 12:15–21 | Romans 5:6–11 | Philippians 2:3–11

Main Theme: Jesus redefines conquering through mercy, gentleness, and restorative justice.

________________________________________

📌 POINT 1: A New Old Way to Conquer

Text: Isaiah 42:1–4 (NIV)

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight... A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

🗣️ Opening Question:

• What do you normally think of when you hear words like conquer, victory, or justice?

• How does Isaiah’s vision of the servant challenge or reshape that?

💬 Quote Reflection:

“Followers of Jesus, you are going to conquer, but it’s not going to be severed heads.”

“He doesn’t do it with shouting. There are no loud sounds of battle in the streets.”

“The servant moves among bruised reeds without breaking them.”

“This is restorative, conquering accomplished by the servant.”

🧠 Discussion Prompts:

• What makes the servant’s approach to justice so radically different from the world’s?

• How does gentleness relate to strength in this passage?

• Where in your life have you seen God conquer not through force, but through restoration?

✍️ Group Action Step:

As a group, identify someone in your extended circle (a neighbor, friend, or acquaintance) who is “bruised” right now. Pray for them together. Choose one tangible way to show gentle care or support for them this week.

________________________________________

📌 POINT 2: The Servant and His Conquest

Text: Matthew 12:18–21 (NIV)

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen... In his name the nations will put their hope.”

💬 Quote Reflection:

“Be fruitful. Multiply. Have dominion over Creation—dominion not to oppress, but to bless.”

“The servant is destroying enemies and creating sons.”

“We the church are to take up the mission to expand his justice, his mercy, his blessing.”

“The people of the kingdom carrying out the commands of the king are inextricably linked to the justice of the king.”

🧠 Discussion Prompts:

• What does it mean that Jesus is the Servant in Isaiah’s prophecy?

• How does his conquest look in your life or community right now?

• In what ways are you personally participating—or resisting—his invitation to join this conquest?

🔗 Connecting to Scripture:

Read Romans 5:10–11 (NIV):

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son…”

• What does it mean that reconciliation is a form of conquering?

• What kind of community is formed when enemies become sons and daughters?

✍️ Group Action Step:

Plan a group “Blessing Walk” through your neighborhood. As you walk, pray silently or out loud for people and homes you pass—asking for God’s mercy, justice, and restoration. Consider how your group might “expand Eden” to your city.

________________________________________

📌 POINT 3: Healed Hands for Conquering

Text: Philippians 2:5–11 (NIV)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

💬 Quote Reflection:

“The work of taking God’s justice to the end of the earth is not some feel-good internal quiet alone spiritual experience.”

“This conquering needs effective hands.”

“Jesus is healing us—our hands metaphorically—to be effective in the work that he is called for us to do.”

“We will see his victory being filled up with the justice of the Kingdom of God, if we are only close enough to the action to be there.”

🧠 Discussion Prompts:

• Where do you feel “withered” or ineffective in carrying out God’s mission?

• What might it look like for Jesus to “heal your hands” today?

• How can your group stay “close to the action” of God’s justice in your city?

🔗 Connecting to Scripture:

Read Matthew 12:13 (NIV):

“Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored.”

• What does this healing teach us about God's desire to restore us for service?

• What are some “hands-on” ways you feel God calling your group to serve?

✍️ Group Action Step:

Organize a service project together. It could be helping a family in need, visiting a shut-in, cleaning a community space, or preparing food for a neighbor. Serve as healed hands—restored to do justice and extend God’s mercy.

________________________________________

🙏 Prayer Prompt (For Group Conclusion)

Father, thank you for sending your Servant. Thank you that Jesus conquers not with violence, but with mercy. Heal our hands, shape our hearts, and guide our steps as we follow the pattern of the Servant King. Give us eyes to see bruised reeds and smoldering wicks—so we might walk gently, boldly, and faithfully into your mission. May your justice reach the coastlands, and may we be close enough to see it. Amen.

________________________________________

✅ Final Wrap-Up Questions:

• What is God showing you about conquering through servanthood?

• Where is your next faithful step toward expanding justice, mercy, and blessing?

• How can our group support one another in living out this mission?

🌱 Group Discussion Guide 🌱

🌳 Sermon Title: Eden in Unlikely Places

Series: Isaiah: A New Understanding of Everything

Text: Isaiah 35

Structure:

• The Wonder of the Lord
• The Water of the Lord
• The Way of the Lord
• The Wanted of the Lord

💬 Group Welcome

Begin by reading Isaiah 35 aloud together.

Invite each person to share one word or phrase that stood out to them from the passage.

✨ 1. The Wonder of the Lord

Key Quote: "We have been lost ever since we left Eden, wandering the world, looking for home and getting mighty dirty in the process."

Discussion Questions:

• Where do you see the theme of longing for Eden in your own life or in the world around you?
• Isaiah describes beauty springing up in the wilderness. How does this image shift your expectations of where and how God works?

Scripture Connection:

"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom." — Isaiah 35:1 (NIV)

Reflection:

"Only a God who can create glory in a waterless desert... can say blessed are the poor in spirit." What does this reveal about how God views weakness and hardship?

Group Action Step:

As a group, identify a "desert" in your community (e.g., a school, neighborhood, or ministry area) and commit to pray for it weekly together.

💧 2. The Water of the Lord

Key Quote: "When we walk in his ways, water will gush forth in our waterless lives."

Discussion Questions:

• What areas of your life feel dry or lifeless right now?
• How does God’s promise of "streams in the desert" give you hope?

Scripture Connection:

"Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." — Isaiah 35:6 (NIV)

Quote for Reflection: "Do you expect the water of the Spirit to be poured on the dry ground of our community?"

Group Action Step:

Brainstorm and write down one practical way your group can bring spiritual refreshment to someone this week (e.g., hospitality, encouragement, service).

Prayer Prompt:

Holy Spirit, pour your living water over our lives, our homes, and our city. Soften the hard places and bring fruit from the dry soil.

🚤 3. The Way of the Lord

Key Quote: "When we can see the glory of a crucified king, we can see God at work in the most improbable people, in the most improbable circumstances."

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean to walk the "Way of Holiness" as described in Isaiah 35:8?
• How does Jesus’ life and death redefine how we understand strength, leadership, and victory?

Scripture Connection:

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness." — Isaiah 35:8 (NIV)

Reflection:

"A new way of understanding everything is to do so by the wisdom of the cross."

Group Action Step:

Pair up and check in weekly about a spiritual practice (prayer, generosity, forgiveness) that reflects "the way of Jesus."

❤️ 4. The Wanted of the Lord

Key Quote: "The Lord redeemed and ransomed us, not to dehumanize us, but to rehumanize us."

Discussion Questions:

• How does it impact you to know that "He redeemed us not because he needed us, but because he wanted us"?
• In what ways have you experienced God making you more fully human—more whole, more alive?

Scripture Connection:

"And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads." — Isaiah 35:10 (NIV)

Quote to Consider:

"We were in bondage... but the Lord wanted us and paid the ransom to free us."

Group Action Step:

Plan a "Zion celebration" evening as a group. Share testimonies, sing, and celebrate God's goodness in your lives.

🌈 Final Reflection and Prayer

Quote: "God makes a garden in the most unlikely of places."

Prayer Prompt:

Lord, make our lives gardens of your grace. Grow something beautiful where there has been pain, something fruitful where there has been failure. Thank you for wanting us, redeeming us, and restoring us.

Closing Question:

What unlikely place in your life are you asking God to make into a garden?

Reminder for Leaders:

Keep space open for sharing and listening. Encourage one another with grace. The journey back to Eden is forward through the wilderness—and we walk it together.

“Every time we gather, we enter Zion in a joyful assembly.”

🌱 Group Discussion Guide 🌱

Series: A New Understanding of Everything

Sermon: Can You See the Lord (Isaiah 6)"

Sermon Points: 1. Wisdom Impossible 2. Holy Impossible 3. Mission Impossible

🙏 Opening & Prayer

Leader: Invite everyone to share briefly a time they felt misunderstood or “blind” to someone else’s perspective.

Opening Prayer:

“Father, open our eyes to see Your glory, our ears to hear Your voice, and our hearts to understand Your wisdom. Amen.”

📖 1. Wisdom Impossible

Scripture:

“Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’”

— Isaiah 6:9–10 (NIV)

Key Quote:

“Healing is found in seeing what we cannot see, hearing what we cannot hear, and understanding what we cannot and have not understood.”

💭 Discussion Questions

• In what ways are we “ever hearing but never understanding” in our personal lives or as a church?
• How does this speak to our need for Christ’s revelation, not just Bible knowledge?
• Read Jesus’ warning in Mark 4:23–24. How does He challenge you to “hear” differently?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Listening Lab: Pair up. Take turns for five minutes sharing a challenge you’re facing. The listener may only ask clarifying questions—no advice. Then switch. After both have shared, each partner reflects back what they saw and heard about the other’s heart.

🙏 Prayer Prompt

“Lord, give me ears to hear Your voice amid all the noise. Help me to see others through Your eyes.”

🔥 2. Holy Impossible

Scripture:

“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand… ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’”

— Isaiah 6:5–7 (NIV)

Key Quotes:

• “When anyone’s eyes are opened and they have a revelation of the Lord, there is a sense in which they are ruined and undone.”
• “This coal… is pointing us to that future sacrifice.”

💭 Discussion Questions

• What does Isaiah’s reaction teach us about our own response to God’s holiness?
• How does the “coal from the altar” point to Christ’s sacrifice?
• In what areas do you still try to “clean up” before approaching God?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Symbolic Cleansing:

• Provide small papers and a candle or bowl of coals (real or symbolic).
• Invite each person to write one area of hypocrisy or sin.

One by one, place the paper briefly in the flame/coal (or drop into a bowl of water if safer) as a sign of God’s cleansing work.

🙏 Prayer Prompt

“Holy God, I acknowledge my unclean lips. Thank You for Christ’s sacrifice that makes me clean. Purify me by Your fire.”

✉️ 3. Mission Impossible

Scripture:

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

— Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

“The wolf will live with the lamb… a little child will lead them… for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

— Isaiah 11:6–9 (NIV)

Key Quotes:

• “Isaiah’s mission is hard to swallow. Much like our own mission.”
• “What kind of wisdom has wolves living with lambs?”

💭 Discussion Questions

• Why is Isaiah’s assignment described as both necessary and seemingly doomed?
• How did Jesus take up this same “mission impossible”?
• 
  
• What “wolves” and “lambs” exist in your community that need Christ’s reconciling wisdom?

🛠️ Group Action Step

Community Cross-Walk:

• Identify a local need (loneliness, hunger, isolation).
• In small teams, plan a simple act of service—deliver meals, write encouragement cards, pray at someone’s door.
• Gather afterward to share experiences and how it felt to “go” despite uncertainty.

🙏 Prayer Prompt

“Send me, Lord—into places of fear and need. Fill me with Your cross-shaped courage to bring Your peace.”

🙏 Closing & Commission

Summarize: We’ve seen that

• God’s wisdom is hidden in weakness,
• His holiness both exposes and cleanses us,
• His mission sends us into the impossible—yet resurrection hope remains.

Final Challenge: “Have you seen what Isaiah saw?” Let that vision shape your ears, lips, and steps this week.

Closing Prayer:

“Father, keep us undone before Your glory, purified by Your grace, and courageous in Your mission. May our lives reflect the suffering-servant King, until Your kingdom fills the earth. Amen.”

🌱 Group Discussion Guide 🌱

Seeing the Kingdom Clearly (Matt. 16:28 - 17:27)

"Right Vision, Right Reliance, Right Respect in the New Reality"

This week's sermon challenged us to embrace the reality of Jesus' Kingdom and align our lives accordingly. Let's explore this together as a group:

👓 Discussion: Right Vision in the New Reality

"The Kingdom of God is flipping everything back right side up, but it demands a renewed worldview."

Read Together: Matthew 17:1-8 (NIV)

Questions:

1. What stands out to you about the disciples' experience with Jesus on the mountain?

2. How does their experience remind us of our own need to see the world differently through Christ?

3. How can we cultivate a daily practice of viewing situations with a "renewed worldview"?

🙏 Discussion: Right Reliance in the New Reality

"Critically, it is not an orphaned faith. It requires the Lord's presence to be an effective faith."

Read Together: John 15:1-8 (NIV)

Questions:

1. What does relying on Jesus practically look like in your daily life?

2. Share an experience where you felt deeply reliant on God's presence. How did it affect your actions?

3. How can our group encourage one another to remain connected to Christ throughout the week?

💡 Discussion: Right Respect in the New Reality

"Many American Christians...might be investing far too much worry...in politics and leaders...instead of the ways of the Kingdom."

Read Together: Matthew 5:3-10 (NIV) – The Beatitudes

Questions:

1. How does Jesus redefine "success" or "victory" compared to our cultural expectations?

2. Where do you struggle most in aligning your perspectives with Christ's Kingdom rather than cultural or political viewpoints?

3. How can practicing humility and peacemaking change our relationships and witness?

🛠️ Group Action Steps:

To put these discussions into practical action, choose at least one step to do together:

• Vision: Commit as a group to intentionally notice and share where you see God's kingdom at work during your week. Share these sightings at your next meeting.

• Reliance: Set aside time for group prayer, either virtually or in person, once during the week, focusing specifically on inviting God's presence into everyday situations.

• Respect: Plan an intentional act of peacemaking together, such as volunteering, serving someone in need, or engaging respectfully with someone of a different viewpoint.

🙏 Group Prayer Prompt: Take time to pray together, asking God specifically:

• For eyes to clearly see the reality of Christ's Kingdom.

• For deeper reliance on His presence daily.

• For humility and grace-filled interactions, especially in difficult conversations or situations.

Pray that God would make your group a living example of His Kingdom values.

📖 Weekly Reflection for Further Growth:

• Consider journaling or noting down throughout the week:

o Where did I see God’s kingdom clearly today?

o How did I experience reliance on Jesus?

o Did my actions reflect kingdom respect, humility, and peacemaking?

Review these at your next group meeting to encourage one another and celebrate spiritual growth.

🌿 CLOSING ENCOURAGEMENT: REMEMBER, WE AREN'T EXPECTED TO LIVE OUT THIS NEW KINGDOM REALITY ON OUR OWN. JESUS EMPOWERS AND EQUIPS US THROUGH HIS PRESENCE AND HIS SPIRIT IN COMMUNITY TOGETHER. LEAN ON HIM, AND ON EACH OTHER, AS YOU JOURNEY DEEPER INTO KINGDOM LIVING THIS WEEK.

🗣️ Group Discussion Guide

The King and His Kingdom: Follow the Breadcrumbs

This guide is designed to help your group reflect deeply on the sermon, connect Scripture to your daily lives, and encourage practical action steps together.

📖 Opening Scripture & Prayer

Read Together:

Matthew 14:27-31 (NIV)

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

🙏 Prayer Prompt:

Begin by praying together, inviting the Holy Spirit to open your hearts to deeper understanding and transformation. Ask God to reveal how this Scripture and sermon speak to your lives today.

🌟 Discussion: Sermon Reflections

1️⃣ Clashing Kings and Kingdoms

Read Aloud: "Herod wields power and fear. Jesus wields bread and healing. One takes life. One gives life."

Discuss:

• In what ways does Jesus’ response to opposition (feeding and healing) challenge your typical reactions when facing conflict or hostility?
• How might you be tempted to fight cultural or political battles in ways that align more with Herod’s kingdom rather than Jesus’ kingdom?

Connection to Jesus & Scripture:

Revisit Matthew 14:13-21.

• How does Jesus’ compassion for people reflect His true nature as King?
• How should understanding Jesus as a compassionate King reshape our daily actions?

2️⃣ Pure or Defiled Worship

Read Aloud: "We cannot have pure worship when it is defiled by our greed."

Discuss:

• How do you understand the difference between genuine struggle in faith and true hypocrisy (as Jesus describes the Pharisees in Matthew 15:7-9)?
• Can you think of religious habits or traditions today that might mask selfish motives or greed?

Connection to Jesus & Scripture:

Read Matthew 15:8-9.

• What does Jesus desire most in our worship?
• How does Jesus’ teaching challenge you personally to move toward authenticity in worship and practice?

3️⃣ Soaring and Sinking Faith

Read Aloud: "Our lives are often caught in the ebb and flow of soaring and sinking faith."

Discuss:

• Share about a time when your faith felt strong (soaring) and another time when you felt yourself sinking. What was different about those experiences?
• In what ways do you find yourself believing in who Jesus is but resisting the ways He chooses to work in your life?

Connection to Jesus & Scripture:

Read Matthew 16:24-25:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

• What does taking up our cross practically look like today?
• How does this connect to Peter’s experience of walking on water?

🚶 Practical Group Action Steps

As a group, choose one or more of these practical steps to practice together this week:

Serve Together 🍞:

Plan to provide a meal or groceries to someone in need as a group. Reflect afterward on how serving shaped your understanding of Jesus’ compassionate kingdom.

Examine Your Worship 🎚️:

Individually reflect this week on your motivations behind worship and generosity. Share your reflections together at the next gathering and encourage authentic accountability.

Encourage Faith 🌊:

Pair up in the group and share honestly about areas of soaring or sinking faith. Commit to praying daily for your partner, encouraging them regularly, and checking in with each other throughout the week.

❓ Reflection Questions to Consider Throughout the Week:

• Where might Jesus be calling me or our group to "feed" or "heal," even when we feel like we don't have enough?
• How can recognizing Jesus’ kingdom as one of compassion rather than fear change how we approach current struggles or relational conflicts?
• How can we ensure our worship and service to God remain pure and free from self-interest?

🙌 Closing Prayer Prompt

End your time by praying specifically for:

• Grace and courage to follow Jesus' example of compassionate living.
• A deeper awareness of any self-serving motives or hypocrisy in your worship.
• Strength and perseverance during seasons of both soaring and sinking faith.
• Ask the Lord to lead your group into genuine transformation, bringing His Kingdom to life in your community.

🌿 Final Encouragement:

Jesus calls us not just to acknowledge Him but to actively follow Him in ways that transform us and our communities. As your group moves forward, seek to become people who embody His kingdom of compassion, authenticity, and courageous faith.

🌟 Group Discussion Guide: A Severed Head and Abundant Bread

📖 Sermon Structure Overview:

Title: A Severed Head and Abundant Bread

• Point 1: The Anxious Kingdom - "I won't have enough."

• Point 2: The Abundant Kingdom - "All I have has been given to me."

• Conclusion: Living in God's Kingdom

________________________________________

🗣️ Opening Discussion:

• Read Matthew 14:1-21 together as a group.

• Share initial reactions or insights from the passage.

________________________________________

🌩️ Discussion Point 1: The Anxious Kingdom

Quote for Reflection: "Fear seems to run the world. It controls us, and it's our culture."

Scripture for Reference:

• Matthew 14:1-12

• 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) – "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."

Questions:

• How do you see fear driving Herod’s actions?

• In what ways do you see our current culture reflecting similar fears?

• Where do you personally see anxiety or fear influencing your own life?

Action Step (Together):

• Identify a shared fear or anxiety the group has in common. Commit to praying collectively against this fear daily this week.

________________________________________

🌿 Discussion Point 2: The Abundant Kingdom

Quote for Reflection: "The abundant Kingdom is led by a king who gives abundantly."

Scripture for Reference:

• Matthew 14:13-21

• John 10:10 (NIV) – "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Questions:

• How does Jesus demonstrate abundance in the feeding of the 5,000?

• What does Jesus’ abundant provision reveal about His character?

• Share a moment when you've experienced God's abundance in your life.

Action Step (Together):

• Plan a practical way to express abundance this week, such as pooling resources to bless someone in need or hosting a meal together.

________________________________________

🙌 Discussion Point 3: Living in God's Kingdom

Quotes for Reflection:

• "Holding onto our own comforts, our security, our dreams of how we think our Kingdom should be built can cause us to withhold stepping into the mess."

• "Citizens of God's Kingdom enter the suffering of this world alongside others."

• "Let's not wait to have more before we start giving."

Scripture for Reference:

• Matthew 14:16-18

• Galatians 6:2 (NIV) – "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Questions:

• What prevents us from stepping into the messy realities of others' lives?

• How do Jesus' actions and teachings challenge you to live differently?

• What small steps can our group take to enter compassionately into the suffering of others around us?

Action Step (Together):

• As a group, identify someone within or outside your community who is suffering or in need. Take a tangible step to practically support this person or family this week.

________________________________________

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt:

Spend time in prayer, asking God to:

• Free your group from anxiety and fear.

• Give your group courage and compassion to enter others' suffering.

• Grow generosity in your hearts to trust His abundant provision.

________________________________________

🚀 Weekly Challenge:

Commit to living out the actions discussed this week. Schedule a follow-up to discuss how God used your group's intentional acts of generosity, compassion, and faithfulness.

Group Discussion Guide: "The King and His Kingdom"

📖 Introduction to the Session: Welcome, everyone! Today, we're diving into a discussion based on the sermon "The King and His Kingdom," which reflects on Matthew 13 and Jesus' teachings on the nature of God's Kingdom. We'll explore how these teachings impact our personal lives and our community practices.

Discussion Outline:

1. Reflections on the Sermon

Discussion Question:

• What aspects of the sermon on "The King and His Kingdom" were most impactful for you
• Why?

Biblical Connection: Read Matthew 13:31-32 together.

• How does the parable of the mustard seed reflect what was discussed in the sermon?

2. Understanding Kingdom Values

Discussion Question: The sermon quotes, "We must value the Kingdom of heaven as of greatest worth."

• How does this statement challenge your current priorities and life choices?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:44.

• Discuss how this parable of the hidden treasure can be applied in our daily lives.

3. The Role of Obedience and Service

Discussion Question: Reflect on the quote, "Jesus doesn't tell the disciples to build big churches to become attractive to the world. He tells us to be faithful and obedient."

• How does this shape our understanding of success in ministry or personal spiritual growth?

Action Step: As a group, identify a community service project you can engage in together to practice faithfulness and obedience.

4. Patience in Spiritual Growth

Discussion Question: Discuss the implications of the quote, "To be fruitful as sons of the Kingdom, we must be willing to wait for our reward, and meanwhile, we must be willing to appear small, hidden and insignificant, often until we die."

• How does this perspective affect your approach to spiritual disciplines or ministry efforts?

Scripture Reading: James 5:7. What does this verse teach us about patience and expectation in our spiritual life?

5. The Identity and Mission of Kingdom Citizens

Discussion Question: How do the characteristics and roles of Kingdom citizens, as described in the sermon, resonate with your own spiritual journey?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:23. In what ways are you striving to be 'good soil' that produces a fruitful crop?

Reflection: Kingdom citizens are called to live by the fruits of their actions, often in ways that aren't immediately visible or recognized.

• Reflect on times when your faithfulness to God's commands felt hidden or unrecognized.

Action Step: Discuss how you can support each other in your roles as Kingdom citizens.

• Plan a specific way to encourage or partner with one another in a new ministry initiative or personal spiritual discipline this month.

6. The Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel

Discussion Question: In the sermon, the parable of the wheat and the darnel was used to illustrate how true and false believers can coexist unnoticed until the end times.

• How does this parable influence our approach to community and discernment?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-30. Discuss the challenges of distinguishing between 'wheat' and 'darnel' in our own lives and communities.

Reflection: Consider how we can ensure that our actions align with being 'wheat'—true followers of Christ—without prematurely judging others who may seem like 'darnel.'

Action Step: As a group, consider undertaking a study or a series of devotions that focus on discernment and righteous judgment according to biblical standards.

Practical Application:

Action Step: Based on today’s discussion, let’s commit to one personal action this week that reflects our understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. Share your commitment with the group for accountability.

Group Activity: Organize a day to serve at a local shelter or food bank as a practical outworking of the sermon's teachings on service and humility.

Closing Prayer:

Prayer Prompt: Let's pray for the grace to value the Kingdom of Heaven above all else, for patience in our spiritual growth, and for the courage to live out Kingdom principles in every aspect of our lives.

Guided Prayer: "Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing the true nature of Your Kingdom through Jesus' teachings. Help us to internalize the lessons of the mustard seed and the hidden treasure. Instill in us a heart that seeks Your Kingdom first, prioritizing it above our own desires and ambitions. Grant us patience as we grow and serve in seemingly small ways, knowing that You see and value every act of faithfulness. Empower us to live out the gospel boldly, reflecting Your love and justice in our community. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen."

Group Discussion Guide: Living the "Foolish" Kingdom Life

📖 Main Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23 (NIV)

"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed...'” (Matthew 13:1-3, NIV)

🎯 Discussion Goals

• To understand the contrast between the world’s wisdom and God’s wisdom.
• To reflect on how we are responding to the Kingdom message in our daily lives.
• To commit to tangible actions as a group to embody the teachings of Jesus.

💬 Icebreaker Question

Share a time when you did something that seemed foolish to others but later proved to be the right decision. How did you feel in that moment?

🌱 Discussion Questions

1. Understanding the Sermon

The sermon mentioned: "The idea that God would conquer death by dying in short, seems foolish."

• Why do you think God’s ways often seem foolish to the world?
• How does the cross challenge human expectations about power and victory?

Read 1 Corinthians 1:21-27 (NIV):

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe… But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

• How does this passage reinforce the sermon’s message about the “foolishness” of the Gospel?
• How does this challenge the way we live out our faith?

2. Connecting Scripture to Jesus

The sermon said: "It's the message about how the Kingdom of heaven can be entered into right here, right now by submitting to a new King, Jesus."

• What does it mean to submit to Jesus as King in our everyday lives?
• How does Matthew 4:17 (“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”) show Jesus’ call to live differently?

Read James 1:22 (NIV):

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

• What are some common ways we hear God's Word but fail to live it out?
• What specific habits can help us apply Jesus' teachings consistently?

3. Living the Kingdom Message

The sermon asked: "Are you willing to live foolishly and be considered foolish by the world in order to be fruitful for Christ?"

• In what areas of life do we hesitate to live out Kingdom values because of fear of what others might think?
• How can we encourage each other to boldly live out our faith?

Read Matthew 13:23 (NIV):

"But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

• How can we cultivate “good soil” in our hearts to ensure we are growing spiritually?

🙌 Group Action Steps

• As a group, commit to taking practical steps this week:
• Prayer Walk 🚶‍♂️ – Go on a prayer walk together, asking God to open doors for conversations about the Kingdom.
• Radical Generosity 💰 – Choose a cause, family, or individual to bless as a group. Pool resources to provide for someone in need.
• Live Out the Word ✍️ – Each person writes down one specific action they will take this week to live out the message of the Kingdom. Share your commitments with the group and hold each other accountable.

🙏 Closing Prayer Prompt

“Father, we thank You for calling us into Your Kingdom. Help us to embrace the wisdom of Christ, even when it seems foolish to the world. Give us boldness to submit to Jesus as our King and to live in radical obedience to Your Word. Transform our hearts so that we may bear fruit for Your glory. Amen.”

May this discussion deepen your faith and challenge you to live fully for the Kingdom! 🌟

Bonus:

QUOTES: (explain what these quotes mean and what you think about them)

• "The idea that God would conquer death by dying in short, seems foolish."
• "It's the message about how the Kingdom of heaven can be entered into right here, right now by submitting to a new King, Jesus."
• "It is not a model for efficiency, but a model for displaying the character of the Kingdom."
• "Are you willing to live foolishly and be considered foolish by the world in order to be fruitful for Christ?"
• "If it doesn't form us, we're wasting our time."

Small Group Discussion Guide: The King’s Restoration Mission

Restoring the Lowly, Restorative Lambs, and the Restorative Lord

Series: The King and His Kingdom: If Jesus really is Lord… Then What? – Week 7

Scripture: Matthew 10-12

📖 Purpose of This Discussion

This guide is designed to help your group dive deeper into the sermon, process Jesus’ mission together, and take tangible action steps to live it out. We will discuss the key themes of restoration, humility, and Jesus as the Lord of the Harvest and Sabbath. Through Scripture, reflection, and group application, we will learn how to embody Christ’s mission in our daily lives.

🌍 Opening Question (Icebreaker)

Think of a time when someone’s kindness or compassion deeply impacted you. How did it change your perspective or situation?

📜 Read Aloud: Key Scriptures (NIV)

Matthew 9:36-38

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Revelation 21:5

"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

🔍 Sermon Reflection Questions

1️⃣ Restoring the Lowly

"Jesus isn’t building a private social club, but he thrusts his followers into a broken world in desperate need of restoration and calls them to begin that work, even at great risk to themselves."

• What does it mean that Jesus sees the crowds as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”?
• How does Jesus’ mission contrast with how the world often operates?
• In what ways can the church be more than just a community for itself but a force of restoration in the world?
• Who are the “lowly” in our community that we might be overlooking?

2️⃣ Restorative Lambs

"When Jesus wanted something to take the world, he didn’t send in the tanks, he sent in the meek, the lowly, the humble."

• Why do you think Jesus chose to work through humility and meekness rather than power and dominance?
• What does it look like for us to go into the world as “lambs among wolves”?
• How can we embody humility while still boldly proclaiming the gospel?
• Share a time when you saw humility make a bigger impact than force.

3️⃣ The Restorative Lord

"To survive the mission, we have to accept Jesus' summons to come to him, the Lord of the Harvest and the Lord of the Sabbath, so that he can rest us, renew us."

• What does it mean for Jesus to be both the Lord of the Harvest (mission) and the Lord of the Sabbath (rest)?
• Why is it important to find rest in Jesus even while actively doing his work?
• How can we encourage one another to not burn out while serving?

🙌 Prayer Prompt (Group Prayer Time)

• Thank God for calling us into his mission and for allowing us to be part of his work of restoration.
• Ask for eyes to see those who are hurting and the courage to engage with them.
• Pray that the group remains humble and dependent on God rather than human strength.
• Ask God to provide renewal and strength for those who feel weary in their mission.

(Encourage each person to pray aloud or silently.)

🚀 Group Action Steps (Living It Out Together)

1️⃣ Identify the Lowly in Your Community

As a group, brainstorm who the “harassed and helpless” in your city or neighborhood might be (e.g., the homeless, single parents, refugees, lonely elderly).

Choose one tangible way to serve them this month (volunteering, providing meals, acts of kindness, etc.).

2️⃣ Practice Humility Together

Challenge the group to intentionally practice humility for one week.

Each person commits to one act of selfless service—something that may go unnoticed but reflects Jesus’ love.

Next week, share how this act changed your perspective.

3️⃣ Rest in Christ as a Group

Plan a group Sabbath or time of renewal together. This could be a night of worship, a prayer retreat, or a simple gathering to rest and encourage one another.

Discuss ways to integrate weekly rhythms of rest into your personal lives.

💭 Final Reflection Question (Closing the Discussion)

What is one thing you feel God is asking you to change or take action on based on today’s discussion?

Encourage group members to share their thoughts and commit to holding each other accountable for the action steps.

🙏 Closing Prayer

“Lord, thank you for your mission of restoration. Thank you that we are not just saved individuals but part of a bigger story of renewal. Give us eyes to see where you are working and hearts willing to join you, even when it is difficult. May we walk humbly, love deeply, and rest in your presence as we serve. Amen.”

Quotes:

• "Jesus isn’t building a private social club, but he thrusts his followers into a broken world in desperate need of restoration and calls them to begin that work, even at great risk to themselves."
• "When Jesus wanted something to take the world, he didn’t send in the tanks, he sent in the meek, the lowly, the humble."
• "The church is the only hospital in which the patients are trained to be doctors, nurses, orderlies, even janitors and kitchen staff needed for the restoration mission."
• "To survive the mission, we have to accept Jesus' summons to come to him, the Lord of the Harvest and the Lord of the Sabbath, so that he can rest us, renew us."
• "Jesus’ methods remain the same: love your enemies, even when it costs you everything."
• "Not only were they going to go and tell people about a king who gave himself up for them, they were to embody that same sacrificial spirit in how they approached the mission."
• "If this is true, if the gospel is more than an individual experience and is really about God reclaiming his rule over creation, the church then is God’s newly restored people sent to bring that same renewal to all humanity, even to creation itself."

Small Group Discussion Guide: The Generous Economy of the Kingdom

Series: The King and His Kingdom – Week 6

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1-11; 5 - 7

Opening Discussion 🏡

• What stood out to you from the sermon?
• How does Jesus’ mission challenge the way we think about leadership?
• What does it mean for Jesus to be both fully God and fully human in the context of His mission?
• How does the sermon challenge or affirm your current understanding of the Kingdom of God?

Scripture Focus 📖

Read Matthew 4:1–11 and discuss:

• How do Jesus’ temptations reflect common struggles today?
• Why do you think Jesus rejected each of these temptations?
• What does this reveal about the kind of Kingdom Jesus came to establish?
• How does Jesus’ reliance on Scripture during His temptation shape our view of the Bible’s authority?
• What does Jesus’ response to temptation teach us about obedience and dependence on God?
• How does this passage connect to Jesus’ role as the second Adam (Romans 5:18-19) and Israel’s testing in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)?

Applying the Message 🛠️

“Anything to get a following—shortcuts to success—has never been the mission.”

• What are ways we can be tempted to seek influence, power, or comfort over faithfulness?
• What does the world value in leadership versus what Jesus values?
• How does the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) expand on the kind of Kingdom Jesus calls us to live in?
• In what ways does the sermon challenge how we live out our faith in everyday life?
• How can we resist the temptation to compromise our faith for personal gain or security?
• What practical steps can we take to live out Jesus’ methods of humility, servanthood, and trust in God?
• How does Jesus’ example of justice challenge our own actions in our communities?

Group Action Steps 🤝

✅ Serve Together: Identify a local need and commit to serving together as a group (e.g., helping a family in need, supporting a local mission, or mentoring someone).

✅ Encourage One Another: Choose a partner within the group to check in with throughout the week, encouraging them to live out Jesus’ message.

✅ Pray for Justice: As a group, pray for areas of injustice in your community and ask God to show you how to be His hands and feet.

✅ Study Scripture Together: Choose a passage from the Sermon on the Mount to study and apply together this week.

✅ Challenge Each Other: Hold each other accountable to rejecting worldly shortcuts and walking in Jesus' ways.

Closing Prayer 🙏

Lord, help us follow Jesus’ mission, methods, and message. Give us the courage to reject worldly power and trust in Your ways. May we reflect Your justice and love in our daily lives. Amen.

Quotes to spur on further discussion:

1. “The problem isn’t that the devil offered Jesus a kingdom—it’s the kind of kingdom he was offering.”
2. “God’s justice isn’t just about fixing broken systems; it’s about healing broken people.”
3. “The world clamors for signs and wonders, but Jesus calls for faith and obedience.”
4. “If we are to follow Jesus, we must embrace His methods, not just His mission.”
5. “True power in the Kingdom comes from surrender, not dominance.”
6. “Jesus does not build His Kingdom the way the world builds kingdoms.”
7. “Satan wasn’t trying to keep Jesus from the kingdom; he was trying to redefine it.”
8. “The Kingdom of God grows not through force, but through faithfulness.”
9. “Who gets your allegiance? There are many options, but only one true King.”
10. “The world clamors for signs and wonders, but Jesus calls for faith and obedience.”
11. “God’s justice isn’t just about fixing broken systems; it’s about healing broken people.”
12. “The cross is the way, not just for salvation, but for how we live.”
13. “Jesus is not bringing justice by force but by self-sacrificing love.”
14. “We must be careful not to replace Jesus’ methods with the world’s shortcuts."
15. "Jesus is building his kingdom not by taking power, but by giving his life."
16. “Jesus’ reliance on Scripture in the wilderness shows us where our strength comes from.”
17. “The temptations were not just about Jesus proving He was the Son of God; they were about what kind of Son He would be.”
18. “If we are to follow Jesus, we must embrace His methods, not just His mission.”
19. “The temptation to take shortcuts to glory is as real today as it was for Jesus.”

Small Group Discussion Guide: The Generous Economy of the Kingdom

Series: The King and His Kingdom – Week 5

Scripture: Matthew 6:25–34, 7:1–6

📖 Opening Reflection

Begin by reading Matthew 6:25-34 aloud together. Let the words of Jesus settle in before discussing.

➤ Warm-Up Question:

If you had to sum up Jesus’ teaching in this passage in one sentence, what would it be?

💡 Key Thought:

"Anxiety, which is distrust of God, is the source of greed."

1️⃣ The Call to Radical Trust

➤ Discussion Questions:

Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life” (v. 25). What are some common worries that keep people from living generously?

• Why do you think Jesus used the example of birds and flowers to illustrate God’s provision?
• What is the difference between saving wisely and hoarding selfishly?
• How can worry about future provision prevent us from seeking first the Kingdom?

📌 Key Quote:

"Worry keeps us from seeking first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness."

2️⃣ Judgment vs. Generosity

Read Matthew 7:1-6 together.

➤ Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think Jesus warns us about judging others right after speaking about generosity?
• How does a judgmental heart make us less generous?
• When have you felt the tension between “helping” and “enabling”? How do we wisely practice generosity without enabling harm?
• Jesus speaks about logs and specks in our eyes. What are some “logs” (personal biases, fears, judgments) that could be blocking our ability to be generous?

📌 Key Quote:

"Judging the needy will blind our generous eyes, making them greedy."

3️⃣ Formative Practices: Living with Generous Eyes

Jesus calls us to generosity not just in finances but in all of life. Below are practical ways to cultivate a generous heart this week:

✅ Generosity Challenge: Find one intentional way to be generous—whether financially, with your time, through encouragement, or in another creative way.

✅ Practice Seeing the Good: Each day, write down one way you saw God provide for you or someone else.

✅ Fast from Judgment: Each time you catch yourself judging someone’s situation, pause and pray for them instead.

✅ Secret Giving: Bless someone in a way that they can’t repay you or even know it was you.

📌 Key Quote:

"If we spend too much time deciding who deserves our generosity, we may never actually be generous at all."

4️⃣ Ways to Live This Out as a Community

Generosity is most powerful when practiced together. Here are some ways your group can live this out as a community:

🏡 Host a “Blessing Meal” – Plan a group meal where each person brings extra to invite someone in need or a neighbor who could use encouragement.

🎁 Start a Giving Fund – Set aside a small amount as a group to meet practical needs in your community (groceries for a struggling family, gas money for a single parent, etc.).

🛒 Grocery Outreach – Next time your group meets, pool funds together and provide groceries for a family in need or pay for a stranger’s groceries.

🧺 Adopt a Family or Individual in Need – Identify someone in your church or neighborhood struggling financially and commit to helping them for a season (meals, childcare, small financial gifts).

🤝 Group Service Day – Serve together at a local shelter, food bank, or community project to embody generosity as a lifestyle.

5️⃣ Praying Together

🙏 Spend time praying through these themes as a group.

➤ Prayer Prompts:

• Trust Over Anxiety: Lord, help us trust in Your provision so that we may live freely and generously.
• Freedom from Judgment: Jesus, remove any logs from our eyes that keep us from seeing others with Your love.
• A Generous Heart: Father, teach us to reflect Your generosity to those around us.
• For the Needs Around Us: God, show us specific ways we can be Your hands and feet this week.

📌 Key Quote:

"With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2)

🚀 Final Encouragement

"Whoever is faithful in little will be made faithful over much." The way we live now is preparation for the Kingdom fully realized. Let’s live generously, reflecting the radical trust and love of Jesus.

🙌 Close in prayer together.

Small Group Discussion Guide: The Generous Economy of the Kingdom (Matthew 6:19-24)

Opening Prayer (5 min)

Take a moment to pray and invite the Holy Spirit to guide the discussion, open hearts, and inspire action.

Icebreaker (10 min)

• Share about a time when you experienced unexpected generosity, either as a giver or a receiver.
• How did that experience impact you?

Scripture Reading (10 min)

Read Matthew 6:19-24 together:

• "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
• "No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money."

Discussion Questions (30-40 min)

1. Where Are You Storing?

• What does it mean to store treasures in heaven instead of on earth?
• How does our culture influence where we store our treasures?
• What are some practical ways we can invest in the Kingdom of God?

2. How Are You Seeing?

• Jesus describes the eye as the lamp of the body. What does it mean to have a ‘healthy’ or ‘generous’ eye?
• How do greed and generosity shape the way we view the world?
• What areas of our lives might need a ‘spiritual vision correction’ to align with Jesus’ teaching?

3. Who Are You Serving?

• Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money. What are some signs that money might have too much control in our lives?
• How does trusting God’s provision free us to be more generous?
• What are some specific ways we can serve God with our financial and material resources?

Application & Reflection (10-15 min)

(also see “Formative Practices” below)

• What is one practical step you can take this week to be more generous?
• Who in your life might need your help or support right now?
• How can you shift your mindset to see your possessions as tools for God’s Kingdom rather than just personal security?

Closing Prayer & Commitment (10 min)

(Jesus invites us into a life of generosity not as a burden, but as a joyful participation in His Kingdom!)

• Ask for God’s guidance in aligning your heart with His Kingdom values.
• Pray for a deeper trust in God’s provision and the courage to be radically generous.
• Lift up any specific needs or concerns from the group.

Formative Practices

(consider these and discuss any that may fit your group)

1. Practicing Generosity Together

• Set a collective giving goal as a group to support a specific need in your church or community.
• Choose an organization or individual to bless financially or with acts of service this week.

2. The Gratitude Challenge

• Each person writes down five things they are grateful for related to God’s provision.
• Share one of those things with the group and discuss how gratitude fosters generosity.

3. Declutter and Give

• Encourage members to identify unused possessions they can donate to someone in need.
• Share next week how this practice impacted their view of possessions.

4. Prayer Walk for Needs

• Go on a short walk as a group (or individually) around your neighborhood, praying for visible and invisible needs.
• Discuss any insights or people God places on your heart to help.

(Feel free to use any or all of the following guide to help you in your time together with others)

Summary

This discussion guide is based on the sermon titled "What Is Your Why?" from the series "The King and His Kingdom." The message focuses on Matthew 5:13-20 and explores what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

It challenges believers to understand their purpose as followers of Christ and to live transformative lives that reflect the values of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The sermon highlights how Jesus calls His disciples to be active agents of change, bringing peace, generosity, and righteousness to the world through their actions.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You today seeking wisdom and understanding. Open our hearts to Your word as we explore what it means to be salt and light in the world. Guide our discussion, and help us apply Your truth in our daily lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one way you have recently influenced someone positively,

even in a small way?

Key Verses

Matthew 5:13-20

Acts 17:6

Isaiah 2:2-5

Colossians 1:19-20

Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world?
2. How does Jesus redefine power and influence in this passage?
3. In what ways can we be transformative in our communities?
4. How do good deeds contribute to God’s mission on earth?
5. What are some worldly ways we might be tempted to use power, and how do they compare to Jesus’ teachings?
6. What are practical ways we can shine the light of Christ in our daily lives?
7. What are some obstacles to living as salt and light, and how can we overcome them?

Life Application

This week, identify one area in your life where you can be salt and light—whether in your workplace, neighborhood, or personal relationships. Take one intentional step toward reflecting Christ’s love and righteousness in that situation.

Key Takeaways

• Being salt and light means actively engaging in the world to bring transformation.
• Jesus calls His followers to influence through love, generosity, and righteousness.
• Good deeds are a way to glorify God and reflect His Kingdom on earth.
• True power lies in serving others and resisting corruption, rather than in worldly control.
• Each believer has a purpose in bringing God’s light into dark places.

Practices

Testimony Sharing

• Invite group members to share personal experiences where they’ve seen someone be salt and light.
• Ask: Have you ever been impacted by someone’s kindness or faith? How can we do the same for others?

Blessing Exchange

• Each participant writes down one way they want to grow as salt and light in their life.
• Pair up or form small groups and pray for each other, encouraging each other in their commitments.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for teaching us what it means to be salt and light. Help us to live lives that glorify You and bring transformation to those around us. Give us courage to stand for righteousness and wisdom to reflect Your love in all we do. In Jesus' name, Amen.