DON'T MISS THIS. We believe that life is better together! Across our campuses, young adults (in their 20s and 30s) gather in various ways to deepen their relationship with God and their connection to his church. This summer is the perfect opportunity to connect through our upcoming YOUNG ADULT SUMMER EVENTS. In July and August, Ada Bible Young Adults will be taking over the lakeshore for a beach night and hike. Learn more about how you can get connected! Or, share this with a young adult in your life and encourage them to join in!

GROUP VALUES. This week, we conclude our focus on the group value of RELATIONAL INVESTMENTS. Over the last month, we have explored how these investments are important and ways you can strengthen the relationships in your group. This has included finding time outside your regular rhythm to connect and asking someone else about their story. Another way to invest in your group is through a consistent habit of celebration. Celebrating milestones, such as finishing a study or year together, or personal events, like an anniversary or job promotion, creates shared memories that strengthen your relational bonds. As a group, discuss ways you can celebrate each other together.  

 GROW AS A LEADER. This week’s parable exposes how easy it is to feel superior to people whose struggles look different from our own. As you lead, be the first to name an area where you still need God’s mercy. When a leader models humility instead of having it all together, it gives the whole group permission to be honest.

ICEBREAKER

Share about a time someone completely misjudged you based on a first impression. What did they get wrong?

THIS WEEK'S TEXT

Have someone read Luke 18:9-14 aloud.

What words or phrases stand out to you in this passage?

How does the Pharisee describe himself in his prayer?

What does the tax collector do and say as he prays?

THIS WEEK'S SERMON

This week, Pastor Jeff continued our PARABLES series by unpacking the difficult truth found within the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Our culture often measures whether someone is a good person by comparing them to people who seem worse off. Where do you see this comparison mentality showing up in the world around you?

Every heart gravitates toward self-superiority. Why do you think it’s natural for people to feel superior to those who are less put-together?

 Even people who grew up in church, know the Bible, and follow the rules can miss their need for a Savior. Why do you think it’s often the most “put together” people who struggle to see their need for grace?

What does the posture of the tax collector teach us about how we should approach God?

We all tend to build our identity on something—wealth, pleasure, fame, or power. What do you tend to find yourself leaning on for worth or security instead of God?

Who in your life are you tempted to look down on or view as “less than” you, and how might God be inviting you to see that person the way Jesus does?

Both the Pharisee and the tax collector needed the same rescue—the mercy of God through Jesus. What is one specific area of your life where you need to remember it’s God’s saving work, not your performance, that saves you?

WRAP UP

This week, we saw that the self-righteous and the sinner both needed the same rescue—God’s saving work through Jesus. What from this conversation or the sermon encouraged or challenged you the most, and why?