Building Your Life on the Rock (Matt. 7:24-29)

Outline: Matthew 7:24-29

1. Wise people will build their lives on Jesus' words
2. Foolish people will build their lives on something other than Jesus' words 

Summary: To conclude His sermon, Jesus reminds us that there are really only two types of people in the world: those who build their lives on His words and those who do not.  After telling us that people who do not do the will of His Father will not get to be with Him in His eternal kingdom (7:21-23), Jesus illustrates the same point by using the analogy of two builders.  A wise builder did the hard work of digging a foundation so that he could build his house on the rock and was therefore able to endure the storm. A foolish builder, however, did the easy work of avoiding a foundation altogether and was therefore swept away when the storm came.

Main Point: One will either stand or fall based on whether or not one hears and obeys Jesus' words

Discussion Questions:

• In what specific ways has God challenged you through the Sermon on the Mount?
• Discuss: "Jesus didn't preach this sermon in order to be admired and applauded but obeyed."
• Describe the labor involved in building upon the rock vs. building upon the sand?
• If the rock represents Jesus' words, what does the sand represent?
• What do rain, floods, and winds represent? Can you find any helpful clues from the context? 
• How will obedient people fare when trials and judgment come their way?
• How will disobedient people fare when trials and judgment come their way?
• Is obedience necessary in the Christian life? Explain. 
• How does gospel-grace relate to gospel-obedience?

Application Questions:

• Am I astonished at the authority of Jesus' teachings? 
• In what ways am I taking to heart and obeying Jesus teachings? 
• In what ways am I ignoring or failing to obediently live out Jesus teaching?
• What would I be doing differently if I was truly taking Jesus' teachings to heart?

Prayer Points:

• Confess ways you've ignored or failed to obey the teachings of Jesus
• Thank Jesus for leading you to the Father's heart through His preaching and teaching and the ways that Has spoken to your heart throughout this sermon series 
• Praise God for the ways He's helping you walk in Spirit-empowered obedience
• Ask the Holy Spirit to to help you more faithfully and radically obey Jesus' words

Praying in Light of God's Priorities (Matt. 6:9-10)

Outline: Matthew 6:9-10

1. Petition #1: Hallowed by your name
2. Petition #2: Your kingdom come
3. Petition #3: Your will be done

Summary: As an introduction to the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us two basic prayer principles.  First, our prayers should be fueled by pure motives (6:5-6). Second, our prayers should be characterized by deep trust in our Father's care for us (6:7-8).  What it would look like to infuse these prayer principles into our everyday prayers? Jesus shows us by equipping us with a model prayer, which is known as the Lord's Prayer (6:9-15).  The six petitions in this model prayer give us "hooks" to hang our prayers on. This week we focus our attention on the the first three petitions in which Jesus teaches to pray in light of our Father's top priorities: His glory, His kingdom, and His will.

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean that the Lord's Prayer is a model prayer?
• What is the basic structure of the Lord's Prayer? What significance is there to that structure? 
• What must we keep in mind when we address God in prayer? 
• What are we requesting when we pray "hallowed by your name"?
• What are we requesting when we pray "your kingdom be come"?
• What are we requesting when we pray "your will be done"?
• In what way does the phrase "on earth as it is in heaven" serve as an interpretive "key"?
• What practical steps might we take to see our motives more fully shaped by God's priorities?

Application Questions:

• To what extent are my Father's priorities shaping my prayers?
• Am I more concerned about my glory, my kingdom, and my will or vice versa? Explain.
• If my motives more fully aligned with God's priorities, what powerful effects might this have on my life and the lives of those around me? 

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God your lack of concern for His priorities.
• Praise Jesus for being the perfect model of reverence, submission, and obedience.
• Praise Jesus for dying on the cross to forgive your self-centeredness, that is, your (very human) tendency to make life about your glory, your kingdom, and your will.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you align your motives with God's priorities.

Worship:

Here are three new kingdom-focused worship songs!

Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective

Let Your Kingdom Come - Sovereign Grace 

All Glory Be To Christ - Kings Kaleidoscope