NOTE: FOR A PDF COPY OF THIS LESSON'S DISCUSSION GUIDE PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE -DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL USE

LESSON SUMMARY:

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, as both God and man, sets forth the foundational truths and principles of kingdom living. It was intended to turn our world upside down. The standard is so lofty it appears unattainable and many have written it off as just an ideal. Yet Jesus offers Himself as the door into this new kingdom and the way to live this truth and this life. Yet our flesh resists. All of us will fall short of this mark. It is a standard He knows none of us are able to keep. So He kept it for us perfectly and then went to the cross to die for our violations of His standard. When we trust in Jesus and are saved, He also gives us His power to be able to live out the standard. When one life is radically changed because of Jesus Christ and His Word – there is revival! May we live out His words in His power and may there be revival in our hearts and homes!

DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL USE

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time you have provided for us to come together to hear from you and have fellowship in your Word and to learn and apply your Word to our hearts. We need you, Lord. We need your grace all the time. We praise you for your goodness and your love and mercy. Please open our hearts to you and to one another and lead our discussion. Help us not to fear, but to put all of our hope in Christ. Help us to remember there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. May you be glorified in all our thoughts and words and deeds. In Jesus’ name, Amen

I. LECTURE- Will someone share how the Lord used the lecture to speak to your heart? Did anyone have any questions or concerns about the lecture? If you ever have a question or something is unclear, please let us know. We want to serve you in any way we can!

II. QUESTIONS FROM THE HOMEWORK- Go through the homework, occasionally calling on women. Read scriptures aloud. After asking a question, remember to allow a brief period of quiet “wait-time” to give women a chance to think before answering. After pausing, if no one shares, go ahead with your answer, rephrase question, and/or move on.

DAY ONE- Devotion: On the Mount

1. What spoke to your heart the most from reading the Devotion?

DAY TWO

2. Read Luke 6:17-20. Who was there? Who would truly hear His words? How would they respond?

3. Would someone choose one of the beatitudes to share and the definition they wrote?

DAY THREE

4. Have you had anyone cast insults at you or spurn your name as evil for the sake of the name of Christ? What was it like? What do you feel now? If you haven’t been persecuted for the name of Christ, what comes to your mind when you think about it happening to you?

5. Will someone vulnerably share where you struggle with one of the topics from the Sermon on the Mount?

6. Read John 9:39-41. In your own words, what was Jesus saying?

DAY FOUR

7. Would someone please share the short prayer they wrote from the Morning Quiet Moment?

8. Again will somebody vulnerably share where you struggle with one of the topics from the Sermon on the Mount?

9. As you have listened to Jesus, what areas in your heart has He addressed? Remember there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!!

DAY FIVE

10. How do we respond to those who are our enemies? What do you feel like doing or tend to do? What does Jesus say we are to do?

11. Which command or standard was the most surprising or shocking to you? What was surprising?

12. As you read the last few verses of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, what does He emphasize? What is He driving home?

13. Where are you doing the most new construction? Your home on the earth (or sand) or your home on the rock? What additions or updates have you added recently?

III. PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR HOMEWORK ACCOUNTABILITY CARDS

IV. PLEASE RECITE YOUR SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES TOGETHER

V. TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART TIME

We will now focus on taking God’s truth to our hearts and bringing it to life. James 5:16a states; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” And 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Please turn to your Taking the Truth to Heart Review page. We will each have 3 minutes so that every woman will have a chance to share. Please record one another’s confessions on the Taking the Truth to Heart Guide on the following page so you can pray for one another throughout the week. Leaders please set the example by going first.

VI. PLEASE CLOSE IN PRAYER