Luke 21:5-19
Lead in: One day, people were standing around the temple. They were talking about how beautiful it was, the splendor of the stonework and precious jewels. Jesus said to them, “All this you’re admiring so much. There’ll come a time when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.” Luke 21:6
Prompt: What is it that you see in life today that is so admired by our culture but someday won’t be here? Give three examples.
Prompt: These things of today’s culture that people are so impressed by, if you’re honest, you know that includes you. Yet, you know these things will someday be gone and won’t bring you lasting happiness. How do you not let the lure of status pull you away from a mindset that values humility and simplicity of lifestyle over prestige and success?
Lead in: As Jesus converses with the people about the temple he told them, “Watch out for the doomsday prophets. Many are going to show up claiming, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. So, don’t panic.” Luke 21: 9 It’s true, every age has had its doom and gloom predictors who claim the end is near. What is probably more on our minds is, “How much time do I have left? When is the end of my life here on earth?” None of us know. All we know is that our time here on earth is short.
Prompt: If our time on this earth is short, how accepting of your inevitable death are you? On a scale of one to ten, if one is not ready to accept and ten is at peace with accepting, what number would you give yourself?
Lead in: In Luke 21, Jesus goes on to say, “Nation will fight nation. Rulers will fight rulers. There will be earthquakes and famines, and you’ll think the sky is falling.” You may be thinking, “Sounds like today!” And it’s true. There are many today who would agree that life seems worse than ever.
Prompt: If that is true, that things seem worse than ever, what gives you hope for the world? What gives you hope as you go about your life today?
Lead in: In Luke 21, Jesus says in effect, “In this dog eat dog world with everyone at each other’s throats, you will be called on to testify to what you believe. But don’t worry. I’ll give you the words to say.”
Prompt: Can you think of a time when you were put on the spot, but to your surprise and without knowing where they came from (some call that the Holy Spirit), you were given just the right words to say?
Lead in: In all of Luke 21:5-19, Jesus is saying to us, “No matter how bad things get, hang in there. I know even the number of hairs on your head. So, don’t worry. I am with you.”
Prompt: We’ve all had to plow through the hard times and we hear that God is with us no matter how bad things get. How easy is that for you to believe?