Group Guide

June 25th, 2023

This Week's City 7:

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

Ice-Breaker:

Ever buy the cheap knock-off version of something and end up regretting it?

Discussion Questions:

Have someone read Luke 19:45-48 aloud.

In Luke 19:45, Jesus enters the temple to find it overrun with moneychangers. A place that was meant for worship had become something different. The people had turned it into a place to rip people off and line their own pockets. In other words, they were taking advantage of peoples' desire to worship God. This is one rare instance where we see Jesus angry. But Jesus didn't sin, so this was a righteous anger. Have you ever felt an anger like this in your own life? What are some things we encounter that might lead us to righteous anger?
Had the money changers known that God incarnate was on His way to the temple, they might have taken some time to straighten up a bit. They may have hurried to put away the evidence of their wrongdoings. But they were busted! Think of YOUR life and heart as a temple. What kind of business is going on inside? What tables have you set up? Would there be any that Jesus would flip? If you knew He was on His way, are there things you would put away and try to hide?
We can't hide what's in our temple forever. Eventually, whatever is in there is going to come out. What comes out is the fruit of your life. We all produce fruit. Some good and some not so good. What are some actions, habits, tendencies (fruit) in your life that you're not proud of that might be a sign of an inner table you've been protecting? How can you go about taking the initiative to flip over and remove the tables yourself? What do you need to repent of?
Mark's account includes the story of the fig tree that Jesus cursed. The tree looked good from a distance, but when it was inspected closely, it bore no fruit. It was worthless. Our lives can be this way. From a distance, things look neatly put together and everything is in its proper place. But upon closer inspection, our priorities can be out of order and our lives might not be producing the kind of fruit we would want. Is there a difference in your life between what people see from a distance and what God sees when He takes a look inside?
What do you think God might be saying to you through this message? What are one or two takeaways or changes that you can make to put these truths into practice in your everyday life?

Prayer Topics:

That we would make sure our temples are in order.
That we would be mindful of the kind of fruit our lives are producing.
That we would be quick to flip tables in our lives that are offensive to God.

No Comments

Add Your Comment