FIRST PREZ SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSION Questions AND SPIRITUAL STEPS OF THE WEEK

(THE QUESTIONS for aug 18 to sept 8 ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE TRUST BOOKLET. CLICK HERE.)

FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 

TRUST SERMON SERIES: “What Are You Seeking?” by Tim Fearer

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:25-34

HEAD (KNOWLEDGE)

1) What is the basic command Jesus begins this teaching with? And what does he focus in on when he refers to “life”? (See v. 25)

2) What does he call on his hearers to “look at,” in order to reduce their worry? Discuss all the angles he takes, all the reasons he provides in making his case (vv. 26-30).

3) What did the pastor say about how invested God is in the material creation? What examples can you recall he appealed to, in order to make the point?

4) Talk as a group about how much people are more important to God in comparison with other parts of the created order. (Some “green” movement groups want to place us on the level of an animal at best, and according to their narrative perhaps even lower because they see us having no constructive role.)

5) What was the repeated and reassuring point about “the Father knows that you need these things”? (See also Matthew 6:8.)

6) What exactly does Jesus mean when he commands us to “strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness (6:33a)?” Give specific examples.

7) And what should we expect (and what is our part, if any) in the promise, “and all these things will be given to you as well (6:33b)?”

HEART (TRANSFORMATION)

1) Who in the group has taken time this week to take a good, long look at birds and flowers and consider what they can teach us about worry per Jesus words?

2) How much do you worry about basic life needs (food, clothing, shelter) . . . on a scale of 1 (little) to 10 (a lot). What do you worry about most these days?

3) How does worry get in the way of being available to Kingdom-of-God things?

4) What in the passage / sermon / current discussion have you found most helpful to you in taming your worry?

 

HANDS (MISSION) / Spiritual Steps of the Week:

Prayer of Self Examination

1) Take simple inventory 2x a day (before lunch / before dinner or bed)

2) Ask:

  a) “In the past several hours, when have I worried?”

  b) “Has my worry taken me away from God or taken me to God?”

3) Ask Jesus what he wants you to do with each specific worry. Do what he says.

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FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 

(THE QUESTIONS for aug 18 to sept 8 ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE TRUST BOOKLET. CLICK HERE.)

TRUST SERMON SERIES – “Who Is Your Master” by Pastor Timmy Fearer

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:24

HEAD (KNOWLEDGE)

1) Jesus does not see us as free people per se. He sees everyone in the service of something or someone we have submitted ourselves to. What all is required of you when you make something or someone your master? Make a list.

2) When Jesus says you either “love” the one and “hate” the other, or are “devoted to” one and “despise” the other, what is he trying to say by using these extreme terms?

3) What does Jesus mean with the word “money?”

4) If you are putting your trust in the accumulation of wealth:

  • What all are you trusting it to do for you?

  • What all does prioritizing the accumulation wealth require of you?

  • In what specific ways does all this prevent you from loving, serving, and being devoted to God?

5) What are your further reflections on the passage?

HEART (TRANSFORMATION)

1) What is your view of how America is doing in the struggle between serving God and serving money? (It does say on our coinage “In God We Trust.”)

2) And how is the American church at large doing in this struggle?

3) How do you think First Prez is doing in this struggle?

4) Based on what Sunday’s message and the previous messages in this series, how are you doing in this struggle? Whom or what are you serving? Take some time on this one.

5) Just curious – did you grade yourself better than First Prez? And yet you are First Prez!

HANDS (SPIRITUAL STEPS OF THE WEEK)

1) Ask God to show you (specific examples) where you rely on and trust in money and building up wealth as a substitute for relying on and trusting in him.

2) Ask God to show you what simple next step he wants you to take to shift your love, service, and devotion away from wealth and more toward him.

3) And then take that step.