1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.


Group Questions

1. What is a "measure?"


2. What is the big thing that Jesus is teaching you in this passage?


3. What challenges you?


4. Describe your worst relationship.


5. What if your worst relationship is a reflection of your current relationship with God?


6. According to Jesus what is your biggest obstacle to helping someone else?


7. How do we “remove” condemnation from our lives while retaining our discernment?


Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What is Jesus saying in this parable?

3. Do you ever feel like you are “wasting” the soil? What can you do?

4. Why does Jesus so disgusted by hypocrisy?

5. What challenges you in this story?

6. How are you planning to apply this scripture to your life this week?

7. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.


Group Questions

1. How does Jesus get in Peter's boat?

2. Why does Jesus get in Peter’s boat?

3. What does it look like for you to get into other people’s “boat?”

4. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

5. Why does Peter react the way he does?

6. What is Jesus saying he is going to do with Peter?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about Jesus?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Group Questions

1. What did Jesus teach you during the sermon this week?

2. What in your life looks impossible or completely unlikely?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage? Contrast this story with the feeding of the 5000. What is different?

4. How is Jesus challenging you?

5. What do you believe Jesus wants you to do this week?

6. Who will you teach this story to? How did it go teaching the story from last week?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”


Life Group Questions


1. What would you run into your house to get if there was a fire?

2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What is wrong with saving up and taking it easy?

5. How do we store up a rich relationship with God?

6. Who will you teach this story to? How did it go teaching the story from last week?

7. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus[a] charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. Why does Jesus touch this man’s ears and tongue?

3. Why do you think Jesus heals some things, and at other times he does not?

4. Why does Jesus keep telling them not to tell anyone what he is doing?

5. What is the impact of Jesus asking them to keep it secret?

6. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

7. What challenges you?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Group Questions

1. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What hopeless situation would you like Jesus to touch?

5. How are you planning to follow Jesus this week?

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

14 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What comforts are you willing to lose in order to follow Jesus?

3. Is there a specific comfort that is a hindrance to your walk with Jesus?

4. Is there anyone in your family that has discouraged you from walking with Jesus? How?

5. What is one “dead” thing must you leave behind to follow Jesus?

6. Is the cost of following Jesus worth it?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about Jesus?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.


GROUP QUESTIONS

1. What did Jesus teach you during the sermon this week?

2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What do you do in private that you would never do in public?

5. How can good intentions get in the way of doing the right thing?

6. Who will you teach this story to? How did it go teaching the story from last week?

FAMILY QUESTIONS

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?


2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?


3. Who is the bridegroom? The bride? The wedding guests?


4. What is the “new wine” that Jesus is talking about here?


5. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?


6. How can you apply this scripture to your daily walk this week?


7. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?