Read Matthew 13:1-23. What is God’s Word saying to you in this passage? What is God’s heart for His people?
1. Why do you think Jesus spoke in parables?
2. The parable of the sower describes 4 different types of ground/ soils, that the seed (God’s Word of the Kingdom) can fall in our lives. If you were to look at your spiritual life this last week or month, what kind of ground would you say your heart has been?
3. What steps can a believer take to make their heart the “good soil?”
In the sermon, it was said that being dynamic involves stretching like a rubber band. How is God stretching you these days?
4. The Christian life is a life of faith, joy, and thanksgiving. Out of those 3 things, what comes most naturally for you, and what is the most difficult?
From the list on the lesson of “7 Traits of a Dynamic Christian,” what 2 traits are you asking God to make you more dynamic?
**All inclusive: Have everyone in your group share one moment they can recall of Jesus being dynamic, AND… also share one way we all can be more dynamic in our faith this week.
DYNAMIC
Matthew 13:1-23
February 17, 2019 • Jason Carson
GRACIOUS
May 19, 2019 • Jason Carson
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS Read Matthew 18:21-35. What is God’s Word saying to you in this passage? What is God’s heart for His people? What is your natural inclination if someone personally offends or sins against you? How do you respond? In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the servant owes 10,000 talents (over $17 Billion today in Orange County). The point is that there is an impossible debt that he could never repay. Discuss in great detail the debt you have to God because of your sin. What danger do you see in holding someone in unforgiveness? After reading Matt. 18:21-35, what makes you upset about how the forgiven servant treats his fellow servant? In what ways do you do the same thing in life? Who do you need to get right with? Who do you need to forgive? How can you cancel their debt of their offense to you? Moving forward, what are some ways we can all be more gracious in our relationships, especially in conflict?
RELENTLESS
May 5, 2019 • Jason Carson
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS Read Matthew 18:10-14. What is God’s Word saying to you in this passage? What is God’s heart for His people? In the parable, the one sheep goes astray. What are some reasons you see today that cause believers to go astray? Describe a time or season in your life where you felt you went astray for a while. Looking back, can you see how God pursued you and brought you back? Read Psalm 23. What makes the Lord the Good Shepherd? How do you see Him leading, guiding, protecting, loving, and caring for you as a sheep? If Jesus is “relentless” in His pursuit of us when we go astray, the Way of Jesus would say that we should care about others going astray as well. Who is one person in your life that you would love to see come back to Jesus? And what are a few things you could do to reach out to them? In addition to the last question, how could you point them toward Jesus? How can you forgive them if they’ve hurt or offended you? How can you pursue them without giving up? How will this discussion change the way you love (difficult) people?