DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Before diving into this week’s topic, October-18-20 is our All-Call Baptism weekend. Jeff will speak on the meaning of baptism, share the gospel, and invite people to get baptized RIGHT THEN AND THERE. With that in mind, have you been baptized? If so, what led you to get baptized, and if not, have you considered it? Is there someone you are praying for to make the decision to follow Jesus and consider getting baptized?
- Each Group Guide for this series contains ways to grow in the spiritual practice of reading the Bible. From the last time, did anyone try the practice of Lectio Divina, and if so, how was it?
- For this week’s “Record Scratch” statement from Jesus, read Matthew 5:27-30. Is there anything that you remember from the message that you’d like to discuss?
- With Matthew 5:27-30, what leads us to believe that Jesus is not being literal but figurative in his language? How is he exaggerating to communicate a deeper truth?
- Read Isaiah 29:13. How does this passage reflect God’s view of our actions versus our heart? Behavior modification versus soul transformation?
- Ryan shared the deeper truth that Jesus is more interested in our hearts than our ability to keep up with a set of rules. How can this perspective change our approach to following Jesus?
- Read Matthew 6:22-23. When Jesus talks about a good eye filling your body with light and a bad eye filling it with darkness, he’s making a statement about the kind of lens or filter through which you view the world. What’s an area of your life where you need to see things with a fresh vision, a fresh perspective, and a fresh filter?
- After thinking about this message, what’s one action step that you feel called to take? Is there something this group can do to support you in that step?
- Take some time to share prayer requests and pray for one another.
VERSE TO MEDITATE ON AND MEMORIZE
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. -- Matthew 5:27-28
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE (optional)
- During this series on the words of Jesus, we can focus on the spiritual practice of Scripture and grow in our understanding of the Bible. Here are some teachings and activities from Practicing the Way.
- Listen to this teaching on “The Bible as Spiritual Authority”
- For this week’s practice, our goal is to engage the Bible with our minds by learning to study the Bible. Why bother studying the Bible? For followers of Jesus, the answer is simple: Jesus was a student and teacher of the Bible, and he lived with the assumption that the Bible is authoritative.
- This week, we’ll explore a few different exercises that can help us become students of the Scriptures like Jesus. Read about 8 different exercises when it comes to studying the Bible here.
- Pick one approach to Bible study to try this week.