Matthew 6:1-18 | How do I Pray & Fast | Sermon on the Mount

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Life Group Guide QUESTIONS

SERMON OUTLINE

JESUS’ REVOLUTION REVISITED

-              Jesus has come to liberate His people from _____________, and to lead us home to God. He has come to reclaim our _____________, and to teach us how to be citizens in His kingdom.

ON PRAYER

-              Prayer is speaking _____________ our father, who _____________ our needs.

THE POINT OF EVERYTHING

-              God created a beautiful, habitable home in which to _____________ with His people.

ON FASTING

-              Fasting _____________ the flesh to _____________ the soul.

THE PLAIN MAIN THING

-              Jesus succeeded where Adam failed. Therefore, we are _____________ from performing righteousness and invited to live our lives before an audience of _____________. 

-              Jesus assumes His disciples will be _____________, _____________, and _____________.

LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

1.    If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be? Why?

2.        How do you deal with stress and hardships in life?

QUICK REVIEW

1.        Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything that particularly caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

2.        Jesus assumes His disciples will give, pray, and fast. Which of these disciplines feels most neglected in your life right now? What would it look like to practice it not out of guilt, but out of gratitude for what Christ has already done?

READ SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:1-18

1.        How does this passage highlight God’s presence in our world?

2.        What does this passage say about our broken human condition?

3.        How does this passage call me to make change in my life?

DIGGING DEEPER

1.        READ Matthew 6:1-4. In our devotion and spiritual disciplines, it is the attention of the Father that we should be seeking, rather than praise and honour from others.  What is a spiritual discipline that you practice that has shaped your life in the Father’s eyes, in a positive way?

• READ 1 Samuel 16:7, Ephesians 2:8-10. According to these verses, how might we discern when sharing a personal element of our faith honors Christ, or seeks praise and recognition from others?

2.        READ Matthew 6:5-9. Three times Jesus says, “when you pray,” leaving us with the impression that communicating with the Lord is not an option.  Yet many Christians struggle with prayer in their spiritual rhythms.  Why might that be? What barriers do you encounter?

•  READ Matthew 6:9-13. We often treat The Lord’s Prayer as a script that He gave us to pray. However, Jesus said, “this is how you should pray” (NIV) or “pray like this” (ESV).  How might you use this prayer as a guide in your own prayers?

3.        READ Matthew 6:16-18. Fasting hasn’t been a spiritual rhythm that many have explored or committed to.  What have you understood (or misunderstood) about the discipline? What questions do you have about it?

• READ Isaiah 58:6–7, Joel 2:12–13, Ezra 8:21–23, Esther 4:15–16, Luke 4:1–2, & Acts 13:2–3. These passages offer a variety of glimpses into biblical fasting.  What principles do you see in these texts?

TAKING IT HOME

READ Matthew 6:4, 6, 14, & 18. Each of these four spiritual disciplines (giving, forgiving, praying, & fasting) have us focused on a singular audience – the Father.  Does that encourage or discourage you to lean more into these disciplines? How so?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

READ Matthew 6:9-13. Which line of the Lord’s Prayer feels most meaningful to you right now, and why? How can we encourage and support one another in developing spiritual habits that move us away from being seen only by others, and toward sincere, joyful devotion to God?