MAIN POINT:

Weave a beautiful tapestry; live a life with the end in sight, one that honors God and His Kingdom.

ICEBREAKER:

Share with your group someone you know who left (or is leaving) a lasting legacy. Who do you know who has woven a beautiful tapestry of life?

INTRODUCTION:

This week, Pastor Chris continued in our series “Kingdom Come” with the third sermon entitled “Tapestry.” He described the way a tapestry is made. The vertical strands, called warps, are not seen but they provide the stability to the piece, and the color comes from the horizontal strands, the wefts. He used the illustration to describe how we live our lives. Like the vertical threads, the Kingdom of God provides stability for us so our life is not warped! We can live a beautiful life and weave a tapestry that honors God when we bow our knee to Jesus and cross that drawbridge to the Father that only He can provide to save us from our sins. Pastor addressed the temptation that many of us face when the world of sin beckons us back to join in on the “fun”. This temptation makes us feel like we may be missing out, but the truth is the world does not know our King, or His love, or His peace, or His joy! The transformation a believer experiences is violent! The moment we surrender and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we reject this world and its ruler, Satan. But praying the prayer is not the end of the story, it is the beginning! We must surrender all. We cannot pray the sinners’ prayer and insist on being sovereign over our own lives. We must surrender ALL to His Lordship, and this includes our checkbook (tithing) and our time and our gifts (serving). Only when we do this are we able to weave a beautiful tapestry.

ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:

Read Matthew 6:33.

1.This is our theme verse for this series. What in your life competes for first priority and threatens to bump God out of first place? How do you keep God first?

Read Matthew 19:16-26.

2.This can be a difficult story for some readers. Why do you think Jesus told the rich, young man to sell everything and give it to the poor?

3. Should all Christ followers sell everything they own and give it to the poor?

4. From where does our money come? How should we view our money? Should we place our faith in it? How easily can you part with it? Is it painful, or is it a joy to give it away?

5. Share how God has transformed your life with regard to giving.

Read Matthew 11:12.

6. Pastor referred to this verse as one that has been often misinterpreted and misunderstood. The Crusaders, in particular, misused this verse in their quest to overthrow the Muslims and take back Jerusalem. They lost! Describe how a believer’s decision to follow Christ can be a “violent” choice. Have you experienced this in your own life? How so?

Read Romans 12:1-2.

7. In light of these verses, how can you protect yourself from the temptation of being drawn back into the moat, into the life of sin? What does it mean to be a living sacrifice for the Lord?

8. What motivates a believer to surrender all that we are and all that we have to God?

9. Share with each other ways you no longer conform to the patterns of this world. How is one’s mind renewed/transformed? In what ways has your mind been transformed and renewed?

LEADER NOTES:

1. People, objects, goals and other desires all compete for priority. A life grounded in prayer and in God’s Word and in fellowship with other believers protects the order, with God being #1. Actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life.
2. Jesus looks into the heart and sees our weaknesses. For this young man, his money was his idol/his god. In making money his god, he violated the 1st commandment!
3. No. We are being responsible when we take care of our needs and the needs of our family members, but we must be willing to give up anything God asks from us. This protects us from being selfish with our money.
4. It is all from God! We ought to use our money in a way that pleases the Lord. Faith must be fully in Christ, not in ourselves or in our wealth.
5. Answers may vary. Refer to 2 Corinthians 9:7. Remember becoming a cheerful giver is not done in our own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, the only one who is able to make real and lasting heart transformation.
6. Being transformed and transferred out of darkness into the light of God’s Kingdom is a violent action because you are seen as a traitor by the world. You changed sides, so don’t be surprised that they will hate you. (John 15:18-19, 1 John 3:13). The world will relentlessly pursue you to forcefully take you away from God.
7.In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed to remove sin, but even then, God’s primary desire was that His people would obey them from the heart. Today, he wants the same from us- for us to daily lay aside our own desires and follow Him, surrendering all and trusting Him to guide us.
8. We surrender all with joy and in gratitude for all He has done for us- for forgiving our sins and providing a way to eternity with Him.
9. Refusing to conform to the world is more than a behavior change. Lasting change comes when your mind is renewed and transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit.