Discussion questions are below. For the complete guide, click on the button titled, "Full Commentary"

Discussion Questions

1. After several weeks of focusing on Jesus’s teachings about motives, how has God moved in your heart concerning this?

2. Have you fasted before? If so, share your experience with the group. If not, share a reason you’ve chosen not to fast.

3. In Isaiah 58, God issues an indictment of the Jewish people because they attempted to follow religious practices but were inwardly selfish and neglected to care for the people around them. Do you see this same problem in the church today? If you do see it, how do you think the church can do better at caring for people and emphasizing this as much as any religious practice?

4. What does Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 9:14-17 teach you about fasting? How is fasting connected to times of mourning and intensely seeking God?

5. How can we as believers follow the examples of the early church leaders as they spent time in worship, fasting and prayer when they were seeking to set apart people for ministry (Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:21-23)?

6. Sadly, we still battle our human nature and sometimes we put on an outward appearance of righteousness while remaining selfish and sinful inside. How do we fight against this? How would it transform our families, our churches, and our communities if we were more focused on being honest and open with our struggles against sin?