Grow Group Questions • Salt & Light • Life According to Jesus
Conversation Starter/Questions (10 minutes)
What food do you crave the most?
Sermon Based Questions (15-20 minutes)
- Read Matthew 5:3-12
- What do you see as the purpose of the Beatitudes? Why do you think Jesus started with them in this sermon on the mount?
- What does this tell us about how God wants to work in our lives for both change and blessings?
- How do these promises in the Beatitudes compare to what culture tells us what we should value most? How do they compare to what YOU value most?
- Read Matthew 5:17-20
- Why do you think Jesus said this? How does this tell us to see Righteousness through the lens of both the Old and New Testament (Covenant)?
- Look at verse 19: What do you think Jesus means in this verse?
- What role does Jesus play in helping us be righteous? What role do we play in living righteously, as Jesus commanded?
- How does this speak to the difference between legalism and spiritual discipline?
- Why do you think Jesus said this? How does this tell us to see Righteousness through the lens of both the Old and New Testament (Covenant)?
Digging Deeper (20-25 minutes)
- Jesus describes us as a light that shines and should not be hidden in Matthew 5:13-14: How do you feel your “light” is shining for others to see if it’s based only on what you do and how you treat people?
- Read James 4:7-10. Pastor David used James 4 to give us a way to cultivate in us a move to “Hunger and Thirst for righteousness” How do we practice this in our lives every day?
- Pastor David shared that “Legalism starts with behavior. Jesus starts with the heart. A Changed heart leads to changed behavior.” How does this speak to the practice of James 4 and the call to hungering and thirsting for righteousness?
- How do we tell the difference in ourselves between legalistic behavior and behavior from a changed heart?
Challenge and Prayer (10-15 minutes)
- Take time to reflect on where you might have some legalistic tendencies, or where you might need to obey out of a changed heart, and share with the group.
- Using James 4:7-10, share one area in that list that you would like to grow in.
- Take time to pray as a group over these reflections.