A study for Community Groups to use the week of November 16th
To prepare for your group discussion each week, group members should use the Series Guide to complete foundational questions in the book for week 5 using the scripture below.
Week Five: Matthew 13:47-52
Overview From beginning to end of Jesus’ time on this earth the kingdom of God was a subject He could not stop talking about. It was one of the first things He proclaimed there on the banks of the Jordan. It was what He told His disciples about even after His resurrection. It was proclaimed through parables, subtly mentioned in prayers. But what is it? Kingdom Come is an invitation for all of us to engage Jesus’ invitation to allow His goodness and grace to increasingly rule every area of our hearts so that good news multiplies from every heart and every home; beginning with ours.
Passage: Matthew 13:47-50 “This parable is peculiar to Matthew. In the chiastic structure of the chapter, it is parallel to the parable of the weeds and has a somewhat similar meaning. But whereas the parable of the weeds focuses on the long period of the reign of God during which tares coexist with wheat and the enemy has large powers, the parable of the net simply describes the situation that exists when the Last Judgment takes place: the kingdom embraces “good” and “bad” fish, and only the final sweep of the net sorts them out.” Ex. Bible Commentary
Questions *In the Series Guide you will find basic questions we want all to use as they begin to look at the passage. Questions such as; Who have you had the opportunity to BLESS this week? What does this passage reveal about God? About people? About the life He has planned for us? These additional questions relate to the passage specifically for your benefit.
1. Jesus reminds us that the message of the kingdom is for everyone. As you think about who in your life needs to hear about the kingdom, who immediately comes to mind in this season of your life? What ways have you tried to discuss spiritual things? Are there new ideas you would have for reaching them in the months to come?
2. What events immediately come to mind as you consider the need for judgment in our world? Jesus explains that judgment will come at the end of the age. How does knowing that judgment has been postponed and not abandoned impact the way we see God’s justice?
3. When you think about judgment to come, how do you think God wants you to live in light of that? How should it impact the way you view yourself and the way you view others?
4. This is the last of the parables in Matthew 13 on the kingdom of heaven. As you reflect on the series as a whole, what do you sense God calling you to do so that the goodness and grace of God would more fully reign in your heart?
