Matthew 5:17-37
Lead in: In Matthew 5, Jesus makes demands that seem radical. What Jesus sometimes says is not always meant to comfort us but to lead us to greater conversion in Christ.
Prompt: Where is it in your life that the Spirit is leading you to greater conversion?
Lead in: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5
Prompt: How does what Jesus says about coming to the altar to be reconciled with your brother or sister speak to your life?
Lead in: “You have heard it said, you shall not kill but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” The emotion of anger in itself is not a sin, but simply a feeling. It’s what you do with anger that matters. Our responsibility is to root out the anger in our heart that leads to resentment. With the help of the Holy Spirit, that’s the inner work we’re called to do.
Prompt: If there is anything in your life where you are susceptible to resentment, where would that be?
Lead in: Two of the most powerful emotions that drive us are anger and sexual attraction. There’s no shame in this. It just speaks to how powerful these emotions can be. The challenge is to learn to deal with these powerful emotions so we can channel them correctly.
Prompt: What has helped you handle these strong emotions in a way that is healthy and not
destructive to you or others?
Lead in: To the Greeks, wisdom meant a certain pattern of logical reasoning. In I Corinthians 2, Paul speaks of a wisdom that is far greater. In God’s wisdom, salvation is accomplished not through power but through weakness.
Prompt: Where in your life has God accomplished His purposes through your weakness, not through your strength?
Lead in: In I Corinthians 2, we hear, “What eye has not seen and ear has not heard is what God has prepared for those who love him.” What is heaven like? In effect, Paul may be telling us that heaven is so beyond us, it’s hard to imagine.
Prompt: When you think about heaven, what comes to mind for you?