Sermon Guide

January 4: Matthew 7:24-29

What stood out to you most from the sermon? Why? 

Key Takeaway:

1. Hearing vs. Doing - The difference between admiring Scripture and obeying it is the foundation of spiritual maturity.
2. Biblical Listening (Shema) - True listening means hearing God's Word and allowing it to change our behavior.
3. Obedience Flows from Love - Jesus doesn't expect perfection; He desires affection that naturally leads to obedience.
4. The Danger of Familiarity - The greatest risk isn't failing to read the Bible, but reading it without being transformed by it.

Discussion Questions:

1. We love the Bible "like inspirational quotes" - short, encouraging, and easy. Why do you think we struggle when Scripture challenges how we live, speak, spend money, or treat others?
2. Read Matthew 7:24-29 together. What's the difference between the wise builder and the foolish builder? What does Jesus emphasize as the key distinction?
3. In Matthew 7, we see that both builders heard Jesus' words. Why is hearing alone not enough? What does this reveal about the nature of true faith?
4. Which of Jesus' commands from the Sermon on the Mount do you find most challenging?
• Love your enemies
• Keep your word
• Don't worry
• Forgive those who wrong you
• See all people as image bearers
5. The pastor described our internal "lawyer" that makes excuses when we hear God's Word. What excuses do you find yourself making most often when Scripture convicts you?
6. Think about the four questions we're encouraged to ask when reading Scripture. Which question do you think will be easiest for you? Which will be most challenging?
   
• What does this reveal about God?
• What does this show about people/me?
• Where's the good news of Jesus?
• What should I do with this today?
7. How would you explain the difference between legalism (earning salvation through rule-keeping) and obedience that flows from grace to someone new to faith?
8. Jesus' expectation isn't perfection but affection. How does understanding this change your approach to obedience? How does it change how you respond when you fail? How does the example of teaching a child to ride a bike help you understand God's heart toward you as you learn to obey Him?
   

Practical Applications:

1. Commit to the Every Word Reading Plan: Read one chapter of the New Testament each weekday (Monday-Friday) and use the four questions after each reading. You can download resources and sign up for daily text reminders at utown.org/everyword
2. Partner Up: Find people to check in with throughout the week about your reading.
3. Share One Thing: At the end of each day, text your partner one thing God showed you or one way you applied what you read.
4. Identify Your "Bike": What's one specific area where Jesus is calling you to obedience that feels scary or uncomfortable? Share it with your group and ask for prayer.
5. Family Application: Parents, identify one way you can walk through Scripture with your children this week using the resources at utown.org/everyword.

 Sermon Guide

January 11: Matthew 5:1-12

What stood out to you most from the sermon? Why? 

Key Takeaway:

1. Spiritual bankruptcy is the entry point to God's kingdom - We bring nothing to the table that earns us acceptance with God.
2. Mourning over sin leads to comfort - When we grieve our brokenness and the brokenness of the world, God meets us there.
3. Meekness is strength under control - Humility means using our gifts and abilities to serve others, following Jesus' example.
4. Hunger and thirst for righteousness - Our craving for God should be as desperate and undeniable as our need for food and water.

Discussion Questions:

1. In Matthew 5:3, what does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? How is this different from just having a bad week or feeling discouraged?
2. "Real blessing isn't when you have more. Real blessing is when you finally admit you have nothing." Why is this so difficult for us to accept?
3. Think about the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). Which character do you naturally relate to more? Why? In what areas of your life are you still trying to hand God your resume instead of admitting your need for Him?
4. In Matthew 5:4, how is the mourning Jesus describes different from typical grief over loss?
5. Mourning over sin should produce spiritual compassion, not spiritual pride. What's the difference? When was the last time you genuinely mourned over your own sin? What about mourning over the brokenness you see in the world?
6. How can mourning over sin actually prepare us to engage with broken people rather than withdraw from them?
7. Read Matthew 5:5 and Philippians 2:3-8. How does Jesus redefine the way our culture typically views meekness?
8. Jesus is described as the ultimate example of meekness - having all power but using it to serve. What would it look like for you to practice "strength under control" this week?
9. Where in your life are you tempted to use your strength, abilities, or influence for your own benefit rather than for serving others?
10. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus uses hunger and thirst - basic, urgent, demanding needs - to describe how we should pursue righteousness. Is your pursuit of God that desperate? Why or why not?
11. What typically distracts you from hungering and thirsting for God? (Success, comfort, entertainment, busyness, etc.) "If you crave him like that, he's going to feed you." Have you experienced this? Share a time when desperately seeking God led to being filled by Him.

Practical Applications:

1. Write down all the things you typically use to feel "good enough" for God (church attendance, good deeds, moral behavior, etc.) Spend time in prayer, symbolically handing this "resume" to God and confessing your spiritual poverty. Journal about what it feels like to come to God with empty hands.
2. Set aside 15 minutes to pray through Psalm 51. Ask God to show you areas of sin you've been minimizing or ignoring and then confess specifically and receive His comfort and forgiveness.
3. Identify one way you can use your strength, skills, or resources to serve someone else this week. Do this act of service without telling anyone about it (except perhaps your accountability partner).
4. Evaluate your daily schedule: What gets the most urgent attention? Create a plan to prioritize time with God that reflects the urgency of physical hunger. Consider a short fast (food, social media, entertainment) to cultivate spiritual hunger.

 Sermon Guide

January 18: Matthew 8:1-17

What stood out to you most from the sermon? Why? 

Key Takeaway:

1. Jesus embraces people before they become "one of us" - He didn't wait for Matthew to clean up his act; He called him immediately.
2. Jesus sees people differently than religious people do - Where others saw disease, contamination, or enemies, Jesus saw people worth rescuing.
3. The Kingdom of Heaven includes people we never expected - People who don't share our background, values, or voting habits may be seated at the great banquet.
4. Grace goes to the undeserving - That's what makes it grace. We all need rescue, not reward.
5. We must remember our own stories - "Such were some of you" (1 Corinthians 6:11) - We cannot forget where we came from.

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Matthew 8:1-17 together. What stands out to you most from these three healing stories (the leper, the centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law)?
2. Why was Jesus' physical touch of the leper so significant? What social and religious boundaries did this break?
3. What amazed Jesus about the centurion's faith? What can we learn from how the centurion understood authority?
4. Every single one of us has a “them." Who is your "them"? What group of people do you find yourself most uncomfortable around or judgmental toward?
5. Have you ever felt like the leper - too broken, too far gone, or too unworthy for Jesus? What does this passage say to those feelings?
6. We forget our own stories. Share your own story of rescue. What were you rescued from? How does remembering this impact how you view others?
7. Read Jonah 4:1-11. How do you relate to Jonah's attitude? In what ways might we be angry that God shows mercy to the "wrong people"?
8. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, which scandalized the religious people. Who would scandalize your church or Christian community if Jesus brought them to your dinner table?
9. Are there people in your life you've been avoiding or keeping at arm's length because they make you uncomfortable? How might Jesus be calling you to engage differently?

Practical Applications:

1. REMEMBER YOUR STORY: Write out your testimony - specifically focusing on what you were rescued from. Share your story with one person this week who needs to hear about God's grace
2. BREAK DOWN BARRIERS: Intentionally have a conversation with someone different from you (politically, socially, economically, culturally). Invite someone to coffee or lunch who others might avoid or overlook
3. EXAMINE YOUR HEART: Make a list of your "thems" - people groups you struggle to see as Jesus sees them. Pray specifically for one of these groups each day this week and ask God to show you where your attitude needs to change.
4. EXTEND GRACE: Identify one person you've been judging or keeping at a distance, and take one concrete step toward reconciliation or connection this week
5. PRACTICE PRESENCE: Look for the invisible people in your daily routine (cashiers, janitors, service workers). Make eye contact, learn names, show genuine interest in their stories

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