Message Notes
Look Back
What did you do this week to actively and persistently seek God for answers and solutions?
Look Up
Read Matthew 7:21-23
- Jesus talks about 2 types of people in these verses - what sets them apart, and what are the different results?
- What type of people does Jesus focus on in verse 22? What do you think motivated them to do the things described by Jesus?
- Why do you think Jesus says that many people will call him “Lord”? What impact does this have on His relationship with us, and why? What does this mean to you personally?
- Why do you think Jesus responds by saying, “I never knew you” in verse 23? What does this say about God and people?
Read Matthew 7:24-25
- What specific things does Jesus say a person must do to be “wise” in verse 24? How does this compare to how the world views and values wisdom?
- From verse 25, how is a “foolish” person similar to and different from a wise person? What causes the difference, and have you ever experienced this personally?
- Why do you think Jesus concludes His teaching by talking about “storms”? What point do you think He was trying to make?
Overall (Discovery Bible Study)
- What do these scriptures say about God?
- What do they say about people?
- How will I apply this to my life?
Look Ahead
What does the foundation of your life look like? What teaching of Jesus do you need to apply in your actions, decisions and relationships?
Notes
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5-7 includes a long and challenging list of things He encourages His followers to do. It is often easy to feel “I’ll never get all of that right“, or to pick and choose things that we think will be enough. Our assignment is not to get it all right to earn a reward - Jesus has done that for us. Our task is to hear AND obey his teaching in order to build a solid foundation in life - when we do, we are able to weather life’s storms as we draw on Christ’s power.
