Matthew 7

verses 1-6:

verses 7-11:

verse 12:

verses 13-14:

verses 15-20:

verses 21-23:

verses 24-29:

  • In Jesus’ model prayer, what 3 concerns related to God did he pray about first? What personal concerns follow? What is the relationship between forgiveness & prayer?

  • If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why pray? How is fasting of Jesus’ disciples to contrast with that of the religious leaders? Why? What is the purpose behind fasting for each group?

  • What are some of the “religious disciplines” valued in your circles? IN what way can they be misused as a way to impress others? When have you given in to that temptation? Why?

  • What bad habits have you picked up in prayer? What do you want to do to grow past this habit?

Read Matthew 7:

  • This chapter continues to reveal the attitudes and actions kingdom people are to have. In Jesus’ day, who were the “pigs” and “dogs”? What are the “pearls”? What is the difference between the type of judgement Jesus forbids (v 1-2), and the implied evaluation required (v6)?

  • What is the point of the two gates, roads, destinies, and crowds? How might verses 13 define what Jesus means by the “narrow gate”? Why is that road less traveled?

  • How would you sum up the attitudes Jesus is encouraging in this chapter? Why are these requried for “kingdom people”?

LOOKING INTO THE SCRIPTURE/20 minutes

  • PERSONAL WEATHER REPORT: Today’s forecast in my life is for:

    • clear

    • partly cloudy

    • overcast

    • scattered showers

    • rain

    • thunder storms

    • hurricane

  • Who is Jesus describing in this passage?

    • housing developers

    • people with hearing problems

    • a crowd faced with a big decision

    • nobody I know

  • The rock Jesus recommends as a strong foundation is:

    • the truth of the Gospel

    • faith in Jesus

    • faith expressed in action

    • blind obedience

    • Jesus himself

  • The sand Jesus refers to is:

    • agnosticism

    • wishy-washy commitment

    • weak doctrine

    • the world’s values

  • The point of this story is that:

    • everybody builds a house somewhere

    • everybody will experience storms

    • survival depends on the kind of house you build

    • survival depends on choosing the right foundation

    • if you don’t follow Jesus, the spiritual disaster will follow

MY OWN STORY/25 minutes:

  • The theme song at my “house” these days is:

    • “What Kind of Fool Am I?”

    • “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”

    • “Rock of Ages”

    • “Stormy Weather”

    • “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

  • When it comes to house-building, I am:

    • getting ready to settle down

    • pouring the foundation

    • building the house

    • throwing a house-warming party

    • enjoying the security of a well-built home

    • thinking about moving

  • The “foundation” of my “house” is made up of:

    • sand & water

    • cinderblocks without mortar

    • different materials that don’t fit together

    • miscellaneous rocks thrown in a pile

    • reinforced poured cement

    • top-of-the-line, steel-reinforced concrete blocks with mortar

  • I would describe my life to be a house that:

    • is steady on a solid foundation

    • settles occasionally (cracks around my doors)

    • has serious roof leaks and broken pipes

    • won’t make it through the next storm

    • is destroyed and I’m trying to rebuild

  • In order for me to build my house on a firm foundation, I need:

    • a barn-raising party (support from my friends)

    • instruction on the right foundation

    • a desire to move

    • strength for the heavy labor

    • a good set of drawings

    • continued encouragement as I make renovations

    • to turn the project over to the Master Builder

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