Say What? Go To Your Room

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Say What? Go To Your Room

March 24, 2024 • Garry Firth • Matthew 6:5–8

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Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8)

1. If you were sent to your room as a kid, what led to you being sent there?

2. “And when you pray…” Jesus is assuming that those listening & following him (back then and today) are praying. When do you find you tend to pray? Regularly? Mostly as a last resort?

3. How does the idea of rewards influence your motivation for prayer? How can we ensure that our motivations for prayer are aligned with seeking God's will, rather than seeking personal rewards?

4. Garry described how the conversations he and his wife had during the chaos of the day were different from the conversations they had when they were alone with no distractions or interruptions. Discuss the idea of prayer as a personal and intimate conversation with God. How does the truth that you are able to talk with God (the creator of everything, including you!) anytime, anywhere, without an appointment impact you?

5. How does hearing someone pray using big fancy words and phrases make you feel? “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” Garry told how those words of Jesus took the pressure off because he came to the realisation that he didn’t have to use big words or fancy phrases when he talked with God. He could just be himself. How do those words of Jesus impact you?

6. How does knowing that God already knows what you need before you ask him, change your understanding of prayer? We heard in the message that the important part of prayer isn’t the requests, it's the relationship. Do you agree or disagree, and why?

7. What else stood out for you in this message? Take time this week to reflect on these words from Jesus and look at what changes or adjustments you might make in your own prayer practices to make them better.

Say What? So What Are You Going To Do?

May 26, 2024 • Garry Firth • Matthew 7:24–27, John 16:33

Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. What is the most memorable speech you have ever heard? What made it so memorable? 2. Open your Bible or Bible app to Matthew chapters 5-7 and read some of the paragraph headings. What are some things that Jesus taught that apply to your life now? How do these closing verses connect to the previous teachings in chapters 5-7? 3. What does it mean to "build your house on the rock" in your own life? What are some ways that you can apply this principle in practical, everyday terms? 4. Read Matthew 7:24-28. What stood out for you and why? 5. Jesus says we are wise if we put into practice the things he taught. Why do we often choose not to?

Say What? Won't Get Fooled Again

May 19, 2024 • Russ Smith • Galatians 5:22–23, James 2:14–17, John 10:9, Matthew 7:13–23

Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. That old saying goes: Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me. (or according to George W. Bush: can’t get fooled again) Are you fooling yourself about anything in your life these days? What is it? 2. Check out again the spiritual fruit mentioned in the message that’s found in Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT): But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 3. In the message, Russ said: “Legitimate spiritual fruit comes from following Jesus. So if you’re a Jesus-follower and there’s no sign of fruit in your life, you might want to ask God why that is. Otherwise, you might just be fooling yourself.” So if you’re a Jesus-follower: Got any fruit? How’s your fruit? 4. Matthew 7:21-23 has some troubling words from Jesus: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” What do you think about that? 5. There’s that scene from the movie Prince Caspian where Caspian says he doesn’t think he’s ready to be a king and then Aslan responds “It’s for that very reason, I know you are.” How do you think that’s similar to our relationship with Jesus?

Say What? Ask, Seek, Knock

May 12, 2024 • Peter Bird • Matthew 7:7–11, Luke 18:42

Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. What are your first thoughts about prayer? Read Matthew 7:7-11. 2. What are your first impressions of Jesus' words in these verses? 3. How do you make sense of unanswered prayer? How has it or does it affect your trust in God? 4. What has your experience been with prayer? Do you find it easy or difficult? Why? 5. What do you think it means that “prayer is not a task of expediency, but a practice of intimacy”? How does this idea change the way you pray?