GROWTH QUESTION #1
Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?
No Such Thing as Neutral
MEETING AGENDA
- OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
- GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
- ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
- TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
- GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
- CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.
GROWTH QUESTION #2
What did you learn from this week’s sermon?
GROWTH QUESTION #3
What was your most important accomplishment this week?u
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Matthew 12:30-37 NLT 30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. 31 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come 33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS
What did you learn from what we just read?
TRUTH #1
There are only two sides to be on - God’s or the enemy’s. (v. 30)
- Jesus is clear that there are only two sides to be on, His or the enemies. There is no third option.
- If we are not working for the Lord, we are actually working against Him.
- DEFINITION - “Working with me” (synagō): gathering together as fisherman does fish in a net
- DEFINITION - “Working against me” (skorpizo): cutting asunder, cutting to pieces, scattering
- If we are not gathering souls for the Lord, we are actually working against Him by scattering souls. Either our actions are gathering people to Him or scattering them away from Him
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS
What do your daily choices and actions say about whose side you are on? Are there things that you are doing that could scatter people away from Jesus? What can you do differently to help gather people to God?
TRUTH #2
We can only produce what we are. (v. 33)
(v. 28-30)
(v. 28-30)
- No matter what you think or try to convince others, your fruit (what your life produces) will show others who you really are.
- Apple trees produce apples, not lemons. God’s children produce children of God.
- Jesus called the religious leaders of His day “a brood of snakes.” (v. 34)
- DEFINITION - Snakes (echidna): offspring of vipers, addressed to cunning, malignant, wicked men
- Snakes only produce snakes because that’s what’s they are.
- You can’t hide your fruit. What you produce will tell on you!
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS
Determine where your heart is today; is there anything you need to repent of saying or doing that may have positioned you against God, or be producing bad fruit in your life?
TRUTH #3
Every word we speak is either for God or against God. (v. 36-37)
- God has put tremendous power in our mouths! Our words are just as important as our actions to God.
Everything we say has eternal value. Even our idle words must be accounted for.
DEFINITION - idle (argos): inactive, lazy, useless
When Jesus refers to “idle words,” He is letting us know that even the words we don’t think matter can affect our eternal destiny.
Every word we say is taking us somewhere, to good or to evil. We shouldn’t think that our words don’t matter or that they don’t affect our future.
- Jesus set the example for us on how we should use our words. All His words are life!
John 6:63 (NKJV) - It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Every word we speak falls into one of two categories: for God or against Him.
We get to choose if we are going to align our words with Jesus and speak life, or if we are going to choose to speak death instead.
Proverbs 18:21 (GNT) - What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS
Think back over your conversations from this past week, is there anything that you wish you wouldn’t have said? Are there any “words of life” that you can speak today to overturn what was said?
CLOSING QUESTION
What is one thing you have learned from today’s lesson?
GIVING
When we allow genuine compassion to drive our generosity it invites God’s blessings into every aspect of our lives.
Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NLT)
10 Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 11 There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.
Encourage everyone to give their tithes and offerings.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
PRAY
QUESTION #1
Who are you praying for to be saved?
QUESTION #2
Who can you invite to the next meeting?
QUESTION #3
What are your prayer requests?