Preaching Point: In every situation, believers are responsible for visibly standing out through their good works resulting in the world seeing our actions and giving glory to God.

Main Text: Matthew 5:13–16

Teaching Points:

1. Provide a Distinct Influence to the World v13
2. Produce a Noticeable Presence vv14-16a
3. Properly Understand the Purpose of Good Works v16b

Application Questions:

1. What is one observation or application you found particularly helpful from this week’s sermon?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 2:14–16 and Colossians 4:5-6. Whether your life serves to prevent or slow the decay of others or to add a distinct biblical flavor in the world, how do both of these results of “being salt” point people to their need for Christ? 
3. Read Ephesians 5:8-11 and Philippians 2:14-16. Why is the sentiment that “Christians can live in the background of the world and not attract attention“ a non biblical notion? 
4. What area of influence do you have where you can make the most noticeable presence for the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 
5. Read 1 Peter 2:11–16 and Colossians 3:17. How do these verses along with Matthew 5:13-16 show you that good works, when understood correctly, are not merely an optional add on to your faith, but a necessary part of faithfully following Jesus? 
6. Read Matthew 6:1. Compare this verse to Matthew 5:16. How can you ensure that your good works are done to glorify God and not to esteem yourself in the sight of others? 

Title: Happy Are the Persecuted

Preaching Point: We need to rejoice in every suffering associated with our connection to Christ, knowing that our persecution is proof of our heavenly citizenship and that all our suffering for Christ comes with the promise of great reward in heaven.

Main Text: Matthew 5:10–12 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Teaching Points:

1. Stand Out in a Sinful World v10
2. Be Willing to Be Counted with Christ vv11,12b 
3. Stay Focused on Your Future with Christ vv10b,12 

 Application Questions

1. What is one observation or application you found particularly helpful from this week’s sermon?
2. Read Philippians 1:27–29 and Philippians 2:14–18. Consider how these verses exhort you to stand out in a sinful world. How is suffering and standing firm in Christ profitable for assurance of your faith and proof of the world's coming condemnation outside of Christ? 
3. Why should we see persecution for our faith as more than a possibility if we live out our faith according to the beatitudes?
4. Read 1 Peter 3:14–17. Why is trusting God’s sovereignty in suffering for Christ necessary to remain faithful in our culture? 
5. Read Acts 5:40–42. How does the attitude of Peter and the apostles give you a resolve to be willing to be counted with Christ even when that association includes persecution? 
6. In what ways are Christians persecuted today in North America?
7. Do a quick internet search for “Christian persecution in the world today.” Write down your thoughts on the biblical realities of suffering that our brothers and sisters in Christ endure around the world?  
8. Read 1 Peter 4:12-16 and Romans 8:18-25. What can you do this week to stay focused on your future with Christ in the midst of increasing hostility toward the Christian faith?

Preaching Point: The genuine marker of a child of God is diligently laboring, even at great personal cost, to be peacemakers in every sphere of life.

Main Text: Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Teaching Points:

1. Recount What it Cost Jesus to Make Peace with You 
2. Sacrifice for the Sake of Peacemaking 
3. Be Christ’s Ambassador for Peacemaking 

Application Questions:

1. What is one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon?
2. Read Isaiah 53:4–6 and Ephesians 2:13-18. How does recounting the tremendous personal cost Jesus went through on your behalf to make peace between you and God help you define the personal cost of being a peacemaker?
3. Read Daniel 7:13-14, Hebrews 12:1–2 and Revelation 5:9–13. Compare the cost that Jesus went through to make peace between God and man with the reward that Jesus receives at the resurrection of the saints.
4. How does the Joy set before Christ and His perseverance motivate you to bear the pain associated with peacemaking knowing that there is great reward awaiting faithful ambassadors of Christ?
5. What sacrifices are often necessary to be an effective peacemaker? Why did you choose your answer?
6. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1. What does this verse teach you about how the Bible prioritizes peace with God through Christ and peace with others over an individual's comforts and personal preferences? 
7. What personal preferences and comforts do you often prioritize over peacemaking?
8. Read Romans 10:13–15 and 2 Corinthians 5:17–20. How do these two scriptures stress the importance of your personal involvement in sharing the gospel with others in order for them to make peace with God?
9. Read John 13:34-35. How does a Christian’s inability to be a peacemaker in every sphere of their life severely hinder their ability to be ambassadors for Christ?
10. Read Colossians 3:12–14. Why is the way church members handle conflict with one another a major indicator of a church’s understanding of the gospel? 

Title: Pure in Heart            

Main Text: Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Preaching Point: Anyone who desires a relationship with God today and for eternity must undergo a complete transformation wherein their heart, soul, mind, and body are ruled by Christ through our unconditional surrender to Him. 

Teaching Points:

1. You Must Be Pure in God’s Valuation
2. Accept your Impurity Before God
3. Respond to God’s Offer to Purify You

Application Questions:

1. What is one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon?
2. Read Hebrews 12:14 and 1 Peter 1:14–16. As you engage with our culture’s current infatuation with subjective truth (or live your truth) why must every Christian stand firm on the objective nature of truth, especially when it comes to God’s objective standards for holiness that without which we will not see God?
3. What are the dangers of living your truth and not God’s truth?  
4. Read Matthew 23:27–28. How does the way Jesus calls out the scribes and Pharisees on their hypocrisy impress on you the need to evaluate your own life in light of God’s concern with the inward purity of a person? 
5. Read Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 3:10-12. How do verses like these aid in your understanding of how God sees someone when they are outside of the righteousness of Christ? 
6. How can these verses help you engage with others regarding their impurity before a holy God?
7. Read Ezekiel 36:25–27 and Isaiah 1:18. Why is first comprehending your impurity before God foundational to recognizing the tremendous liberation and joy that comes from God’s offer to purify you for himself? 
8. Read Acts 3:18–19. Why was Christ's substitutionary death for you on the cross and your response of total surrender through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ necessary to purify you?
9. Read 1 John 1:8–9 and Psalm 32:5. Why is regular repentance in the life of a Christian necessary and profitable to maintain an intimate relationship with God in the here and now?

Preaching Point: If we are going to be Jesus-minded people, we must undertake the hard work of going after lost souls and genuinely celebrating when God saves them.

Main Text: Luke 15:8–10

Teaching Points:

1. Increase Your Love for the Lost vv8-9
2. Get Your Hands Dirty v8b
3. Celebrate Salvation vv9-10

Application Questions:

1. What is one observation or application you found helpful from this week's baptisms and sermon?

2. Read Matthew 18:14 and 1 Thessalonians 3:12. What can you do to demonstrate your love for lost souls and actively seek to bring them into God's kingdom, knowing that each one is made in the image of God and in need of salvation?

3. Read Luke 10:2 and Colossians 4:5-6. What are some areas of personal influence where you can work this week to diligently share the good news of salvation with those who are lost, recognizing that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few? 

a. In what ways whether corporately or individually can you actively engage in more evangelism and discipleship to see more people come to know Christ and experience the joy of salvation?

4. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 and Philippians 2:4–8. When you consider how far the apostle Paul was willing to go to see lost people saved and how much Jesus suffered for the salvation of lost souls, how does that motivate you toward a more sacrificial view of your evangelistic labors? How can you sacrifice this week for the advancement of the gospel?

5. Read Acts 11:15–18 and Luke 15:7, 10. How can you cultivate a heart of joy and gratitude for the souls that have been saved and come into the family of God? 

a. How can you join in the celebration of God and the angels when someone repents and turns to Christ, and allow that joy to fuel your passion for evangelism and disciple-making?

Title: Married with Bills

Main Text: Luke 16:19-25

Teaching Points:

1. Recognize "The Good Life" vv19, 22b-25
2. Trust God More vv19-25
3. Cultivate Faith to Help, Not Hoard vv19-21

Preaching Point: The Power of Christ’s resurrection enables you to live effectively for God today while eagerly awaiting your own bodily resurrection at Christ’s return.

Main Text: Romans 6:1–11 1

Teaching Points:

1. Expect a New Life with New Desires vv1-4

2. Be Spiritually Motivated by Your Future Resurrection v5

3. Deliberately Live for God Today vv6-11

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon.

2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 6:12–14. How would you compare these verses to some cultural ideas of what being a Christian looks like? What do you think are some factors contributing to peoples’ increasingly causal attitude toward what your life should look like as a professing Christian?

a. How can you begin changing our culture's perspective of what being a new creation in Christ entails?

3. Read Romans 6:5–7. How can taking the time to explain the significance of Christ's resurrection to a Christian struggling to overcome sin in their life provide a more significant benefit to them than simply confirming that everyone sins and no one is perfect?

4. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Why is encouraging other Christians with their future resurrection and being personally motivated by your resurrection on the last day an important discipline for the Christian?

5. Read Ephesians 2:10 and Luke 1:74–75. Why is choosing to deliberately live for God through the power of Christ’s resurrection a non-negotiable part of one’s new life in Christ? Write down one thing you can do to deliberately live for God this week and share it with your LifeGroup.

Preaching Point : Christians count themselves fortunate because of God’s mercy toward them and should labor diligently to display that mercy to others.

Main Text: Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Teaching Points:

1. Understand Mercy as a Central Feature of the Gospel v7

2. Expect God’s Mercy When You Respond to the Gospel v7

3. Exercise Mercy as a Central Element of Christian Community v7

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon.

2. Read Proverbs 28:13 & Acts 3:19–21. Why is seeing the eagerness of God to show mercy to those who call on Him for forgiveness the correct valuation of God’s character?

a. What verse in the Bible would you share with someone who doesn’t believe that God is eager to show mercy to those who call on Him? Why did you choose this verse?

3. How would you evaluate your own eagerness to extend mercy to others,

 especially those in your church family?

a. Read Matthew 6:14–15. Mercy is the Kingdom standard for all of God’s children. In His Kingdom family, no one withholds mercy and forgiveness who bear the name of Christ. Is there someone in your church family that you need to forgive? Make a plan this week to meet with them and exercise mercy.

4. Read Exodus 34:6–7 & 1 Peter 1:3–5. How does a proper biblical understanding of God's mercy toward people who do not deserve it (like you & me) increase your conviction to show mercy to others, especially when they don't deserve it?

5. Read Matthew 18:21–35. How does God view those who have received His mercy and compassion but do not exercise His mercy and compassion on others?

6. Read Matthew 5:7 & Colossians 3:12–14. What are some specific examples of why you think Christians who excel at showing mercy and compassion have Kingdom Happiness personally and in their Christian community?

compasshillcountry.org

Preaching Point: Kingdom happiness is experienced by those who are counted righteous before God through Jesus Christ and obey Him.

Main Text: Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Teaching Points:

1. Find Satisfaction in Christ’s Righteousness v6

2. Pursue Progressive Righteousness v6

3. Long for Complete Righteousness v6

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon.

2. Read Psalm 42:1–2 & Psalm 63:1-8. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness (doing what God desires)? Why or why not?

3. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 & Romans 5:17. How does the believer's longing to be found righteous in the sight of God find its ultimate satisfaction in Christ's righteousness?

a. In what specific ways should believers experience Kingdom Happiness through the imputed righteousness of Jesus?

4. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 & Proverbs 15:9. Why does God expect his children to pursue progressive righteousness?

a. How would you respond to someone who says they don’t need to pursue progressive righteousness as a Christian? Find scripture that helps you articulate why pursuing progressive righteousness is God’s will for every Christian.

5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:51–58 & Matthew 13:43. What does longing for complete righteousness look like in the Christian’s daily attitude, disposition, thoughts and actions?

6. Read Revelation 7:15–17. What are some benefits of taking time to consider and contemplate the complete righteousness every believer will have in eternity?

compasshillcountry.org

Preaching Point:

Knowing the eschatological plan of God should motivate you to happily submit to the Will of God.

Main Text:

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Teaching Points:

1. Find Kingdom Happiness in Godly Obedience (v. 5)

2. Persevere in Meekness (v. 5)

3. Yearn for Jesus' Coming Kingdom (v. 5)

Application Questions:

1.What is one observation you found helpful from this week's sermon? Why?

2.Read Psalm 37:1-11. How does this passage help you see the benefits of faithfully following God despite the culture's success without God? In what ways do you need to apply Psalm 37 practically?

3. Read Psalm 112:1, Luke 11:28, & Matthew 7:24–25. How does following God's Will lead someone to kingdom happiness? What specific circumstances do you need to address according to God's Word, knowing it will be inconvenient in the short term but will bring long-term kingdom happiness?

4.Read Revelation 3:10-11 & Hebrews 10:36. How do passages like these help you to persevere in submitting to God's Word instead of your wisdom, especially in times of high stress?

5. Read Hebrews 10:24-25 & 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Why is being deeply connected in the community of believers (the local church) critical for you to persevere in meekness? What changes do you need to make to prioritize the community at this church?

6. Read Romans 8:18-23 & 2 Corinthians 4:16–18. Why is a clear focus on the coming of God's perfect kingdom necessary for you to continually submit to God's Will?

7. Read Revelation 21:1-4 & Revelation 22:1-5. Share some of the joy you have, knowing that this is the future for all believers in Jesus Christ. What specific ways can you live differently with the future in mind?

compasshillcountry.org