DON'T MISS THIS. Thank you to our Lifeline team and our students for leading us this weekend! Next weekend, we begin a brand-new sermon series, THE DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY. It’s a great time to invite someone to join you at church and in your group.

GROUP VALUES. This week, we are focusing on SPIRITUAL HABITS. Prayer, reading Scripture, and worship help us keep turning toward God in everyday life. We don’t practice them to earn God’s love—he has already shown it to us in Jesus. We practice them because he is worth knowing more. This week, consider asking your group to share one habit that is helping them pursue God right now, and look for ways to encourage one another to keep growing.

GROW AS A LEADER. As we head into our new series, THE DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY, we want to help you lead well by going deeper with each week’s message. Continue to tune in to the Beyond the Weekend Podcast, where our pastors and staff unpack the sermon, share behind-the-scenes insights, and talk through ideas you can bring to your group conversation. New episodes will release Wednesday mornings throughout the series. Consider making it part of your weekly prep, and inviting your group to listen along, too!

ICEBREAKER

What is your go-to comfort snack or your routine treat after a long day?

THIS WEEK'S TEXT

Have someone read Matthew 4:17 and Matthew 13:44–46 aloud.

What do the two parables in Matthew 13 have in common? What is one difference you notice between the man in the field and the merchant?

 What do these verses reveal about how much the kingdom of heaven is worth?

THIS WEEK'S SERMON

This week, Pastor Luke Koskinen talked about why Jesus’s call to repent is good news. As a group, share the sermon’s main points or key ideas.

 The word “repent” means to change your mind, change direction, or turn around. When you hear that word, what images or ideas come to mind? Why?

 The kingdom of God is simply God in charge. How would our world look different if God’s perfect justice, wisdom, and mercy shaped everything?

 Why do you think we so often believe our lives will go better when we are in charge instead of God?

 We often ask created things—food, screens, relationships, entertainment—to give us comfort or peace that only God can give. When have you seen something promise more than it delivered?

 Jesus describes the man in the field selling everything “in his joy” (Matthew 13:44). How does seeing the value of Jesus change the way we think about the cost of repentance?

 If Jesus pointed to one area of your life and urged you to “trade up,” what would be hardest for you to let go of? Why?

 Even for longtime followers of Jesus, the treasure of knowing him can start to feel ordinary. What helps you see Jesus’s value with fresh eyes?

WRAP UP

This week, we discussed why Jesus’s call to repent is good news. Repentance isn’t a call to give up the good life—it’s an invitation to find real life in Jesus. Whether someone is saying yes to Jesus for the first time or turning back to him, he is calling each of us to himself. What is one step Jesus is inviting you to take this week to turn toward him?

Close your time by praying for one another, asking God to help each person take the step they shared.