THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
Giving Tables are back! They are an excellent way to support a local ministry in a tangible way. Make sure your group knows about them and consider joining together as a group to purchase some items. For more information, visit adabible.org/givingtables.
GROUP VALUES
This month we are focused on serving. Jesus’s example of service challenges us to serve. Serving as a group helps us look outside what’s going on in our lives and think about others. Have a conversation about serving together as a group this summer. Consider serving together in Discovery Village or the community.
GROW AS A LEADER
If you weren’t able to attend the Spring Small Group Leader Huddle or want a refresher on the key points, watch the huddle recap available on our Small Group Leader training platform. If you haven’t joined the Small Group Leader training platform, signup at learning.adabible.org/small-groups. Reach out to your staff contact if you have any problems.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the final week of our series, The Lord and His Prayer. This week we are reminded we are vulnerable to temptation and that temptation is really about whether or not we trust God.
What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?
Read Matthew 6:9-13 aloud. What’s one line from the prayer that has been meaningful for you?
OUTSIDE HELP
Jesus is helping his followers know how to talk to God. What are some reasons Jesus instructs his followers to pray for guidance away from temptation and deliverance from evil?
How can intentionally praying every day, “Lead us not into temptation,” invite God into our lives and better prepare us for when temptation comes?
SELF DECEPTION
Have someone read Luke 18:9-14 aloud. What’s the big danger of the Pharisee’s prayer?
Praying “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” helps us recognize we could easily act in a way that would be our own undoing. Why do you think it is so easy for us to believe it wouldn’t happen to us?
Pastor Jeff Manion said, “Never do we feel more self-righteous than when we have been hurt and are chewing on our own pain and hatred.” How have you experienced this?
HUNGER
Have someone read Matthew 4:1-4 aloud. Jesus was tempted to make bread out of stones because he had just fasted for 40 days. Often, we are starving for something to make us feel alive, like status, acceptance, recognition, love or approval. What are some areas where you find yourself hungry for something like that?
Jesus’s response in Matthew 4:4 shows he is trusting God. Resisting temptation is more than not doing something wrong. It’s also about trusting God. When we do things our way, how does that show we aren’t trusting God’s way?
Jesus overcame temptation and lived the sinless life we never could. Because of this, Jesus not only took our punishment for sin but also transfers us his righteousness, or goodness, if we accept him. How does accepting Jesus change our relationship with God?
WRAP UP
Jesus’s model prayer reminds us of God’s closeness, but also God’s power. It encourages us to pray God’s kingdom would come and God’s will would be done. It shows us we can trust God with our deepest needs and reminds us we need forgiveness and are vulnerable to temptation. How might a daily prayer where we recognize these things and talk to God about them begin to change our view of God?
Throughout this series, we’ve looked at Jesus’s instructions on how to talk to God. It serves as a model for us, giving us categories to think through as we pray. What’s one way the series will change the way you talk to God going forward?
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