Study Questions

1. In Matthew 6:12, why do you think Jesus links asking for forgiveness with forgiving others in the same prayer?
2. In Matthew 18:21–35, what stands out to you about the size of the debt the first servant is forgiven compared to the debt he refuses to forgive?
3. What does this parable reveal about how Jesus understands mercy, debt, and justice in God’s kingdom?
4. How does Jesus’ teaching challenge common assumptions about fairness or limits to forgiveness?
5. What do these passages suggest about the connection between receiving God’s forgiveness and living it out with others?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think forgiveness can be so difficult, even when we understand that God calls us to forgive?
2. How does the idea that forgiveness is different from denial or excusing harm change the way you think about forgiveness?
3. What does it look like to practice forgiveness as a process rather than a one-time decision?
4. How might holding onto resentment affect a person’s peace, relationships, or prayer life over time?

Prayer
Pray that God would give your group humble and contrite hearts that are willing to confess sin and are open to receiving His forgiveness and extending it to others. Take time to pray for one another, asking for courage, wisdom, and healing where forgiveness feels costly or slow.

Icebreaker
What’s a normal, everyday thing you tend to worry about more than you probably need to?
Study

1. In Matthew 6:11, why do you think Jesus teaches us to pray for “daily” bread instead of bread for the week, month, or year?
   
2. How does the story of manna in Exodus 16 help explain what Jesus meant by daily dependence on God?
   
3. What do the commands in Leviticus (19:9-10; 23:22; 25:1-55) and Deuteronomy (14:28-29; 24:19-22) about leaving grain, tithes, and Jubilee reveal about how God views abundance and wealth?
   
4. According to the prophets in Amos 5:11-12 and Isaiah 58:6-10, what makes wealth a problem in God’s eyes?
   
5. How does the contrast between the wilderness and the Promised Land reshape the way you think about dependence and generosity?
   

Application

1. What would it look like for you to “pray for today” this week instead of worrying about what might happen later?
   
2. As you think about your own life, what are some clear examples of needs versus wants—and why is it sometimes hard to tell the difference?
   
3. Where do you feel most tempted to accumulate, hoard, or hold tightly rather than trust God and share with others?
   
4. What is one practical way you could practice “enough” this week as an act of trust in God?
   

Prayer
Ask God to help you trust Him for what you need today and to release anxiety about tomorrow. Pray that He would form in you a heart of contentment and generosity that reflects His care for others.

Icebreaker
When you think about prayer, what usually comes first for you—asking God for help, thanking Him, or something else?

Study Questions

1. In Matthew 6:10, what stands out to you about how Jesus frames prayer around God’s kingdom and will rather than personal needs?
2. Psalm 37:4 and Psalm 86:11 connect "delighting in God" with an "undivided heart." What do these passages teach about how desires and priorities are shaped?
3. Would you like to discuss God's desires and priorities related to immigrants, authority, and protest? If so, see the set of questions below or follow this link. 

Application Questions

1. Where do you notice your prayers most often drifting toward self-seeking rather than kingdom-seeking?
2. Which area of your life currently needs the greatest realignment with God’s priorities—time, relationships, work, habits, decisions, politics, or society and culture?
3. What is one daily choice this week that could become an act of worship if God’s kingdom truly shaped it?
4. Which part of the spiritual practice Pastor Jim led on Sunday (learning the ways of the kingdom, surrendering your desires, or listening for guidance) do you sense God inviting you to lean into right now?

Prayer​
Invite God to bend your will toward His and to unite your heart around His kingdom and purposes. Take time to pray for one another, asking where each person needs trust, surrender, or courage to take the next step of faith.

Study
Note: Today, using the word "immigrant" is more preferable than the word "foreigner." However, because the biblical word is most commonly translated as "foreigner" or "stranger," we'll use that here.

1. Here's a list of almost 30 Bible passages that speak about loving the foreigner. What stands out to you about how consistently Scripture commands God’s people to love the foreigner—from the Law, to Jesus, to the early church?
2. What's the significance of understanding that the command to love the foreigner is a moral command rooted in God’s character rather than a modern cultural or political idea? or an obsolete civil or ceremonial command of the Old Testament?
3. What do the prophets teach us about God’s expectations for rulers and systems, especially in relation to the foreigner and the vulnerable? Here's a list of passages to review.
4. How does Scripture hold together both submission to human authority (1 Peter 2) and obedience to God above all (Acts 5:29)?
   
   1. If a human law conflicts with God's moral law, what should you do?
      
   2. How do you feel about Jesus' command to not retaliate, or use violence; Peter's statement that "it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust treatment" by doing good and not evil; and Paul's statement to leave room for God's vengeance?
   3. In what ways are human laws and orders related to immigration in conflict with God's moral law?

Application

1. Where do you feel tension between your faith and the political or cultural voices you hear about immigrants, protest, or authority?
   
2. What is one concrete way you could practice hospitality or compassion toward an immigrant?
   
3. How can you personally live out “overcoming evil with good” in moments of disagreement, fear, or injustice?
   
4. What might it look like for you to hold both humility toward authority and courage to speak for the mistreated?
   

Prayer
Ask God to shape your heart to reflect His justice, mercy, and compassion, especially toward those who are vulnerable or overlooked. Pray for the courage to obey Christ faithfully, trusting Him with outcomes and final justice.

Icebreaker
Be honest—when you wake up in the morning, what really gets your attention first: coffee, your phone, your kids/pets, or sheer panic about the day ahead?

Questions

1. How have you personally experienced the Lord’s Prayer, and how often do you intentionally begin prayer by honoring God first?
   
2. What patterns or “default structures” do you notice in your prayer life, and how closely do they resemble the flow of the Lord’s Prayer?
   
3. How do you feel about addressing God as Abba or “Dad” in prayer, and what does that reveal about how you relate to Him?
   
4. What are some things in your life that most often compete with God for your allegiance or attention?
   
5. What is one intentional way you can set aside time this week to honor God’s name as holy?
   
6. How might your faith and daily walk with Jesus change if honoring God’s holiness came first in your prayers, worship, and decisions?
   

Prayer
Invite the group to begin by naming who God is before asking for anything—His holiness, goodness, love, power, and faithfulness. Then pray that God would gently reorder our loves this week, helping us put Him first, loosen our grip on the things that compete for our attention, and grow in awe, gratitude, and trust toward the One who is truly worthy of our worship.

Icebreaker
When you think about prayer, which feels more intimidating to you: praying out loud in a group, or trying to find quiet time alone with God?

Study Questions

1. In Matthew 6:5, what problem does Jesus identify with the way some people pray, and what does that reveal about their motivation?
2. What contrast does Jesus draw between praying “to be seen by others” and praying to the Father who is unseen, and how does that contrast reshape the purpose of prayer?
3. What did Pastor Jim teach about the prayers of the babbling pagans? How does Jesus’ critique of them challenge how we pray today?
4. What do these verses teach us about God’s character as a Father and how He relates to our prayers?

Application

1. In what ways have you ever felt pressure to pray a certain way or sound a certain way—either in public or in private?
2. What might it look like for you personally to “remove the audience” in your prayer life this week?
3. How could simplifying your words in prayer help you grow in honesty and intimacy with God?
4. What would change if you truly believed, before you prayed, that God already knows your needs and welcomes you?

​
Prayer
Invite God to help each person release pressure, comparison, or fear connected to prayer, and to grow in trust and intimacy with Him. Take time to share prayer requests, then pray simply and honestly for one another, trusting God’s care.

Icebreaker
What is one simple thing—especially around Christmas—that reliably brings you joy, even on a hard or cold day?

Study Questions

1. Read Luke 1:26-38. Cody observed that Mary's joy came from outside herself (Gabriel's announcement, God's call, the gift of bearing the Messiah, etc.) rather than something she had manufactured within herself. How do you see this idea reflected in life?
2. Cody pointed out a pattern in the Christmas story and in familiar Christmas movies: interruption, resistance, transformation, and joyful response. He mentioned the movies, "The Grinch," "Christmas Vacation," and "It's a Wonderful Life." Where do you see that same pattern at work in Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-56 (the Magnificat)?
3. According to Mary’s song, who receives God’s mercy and blessing, and who is brought low? What does this reveal about God’s values and kingdom priorities?
4. Cody contrasted temporary joy (hot chocolate, gifts, comfort) with lasting, “heavenly joy.” What makes heavenly joy different?
5. How does the phrase “letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” help explain how joy can endure even in hardship or uncertainty?

Application Questions

1. What is one gift in your life right now that you often overlook but could intentionally receive with gratitude?
   
2. Where do you notice yourself trying to create joy on your own rather than receiving it from Christ?
   
3. Who is one person you could intentionally interrupt with joy this week?
   
4. What would it look like for the peace of Christ to truly rule your heart in your current season?
   

Prayer
Pray that God would help your group recognize and receive the joy that comes from heaven rather than trying to create it on your own. Take time to pray for one another, asking that the peace of Christ would truly rule in your hearts and overflow to others through love and service.

Icebreaker
When you go on a long journey, what is one item you would absolutely bring with you?

Study Questions

1. Read Matthew 2:1-12.
2. In Matthew’s Gospel, the first people to worship Jesus are foreign astrologers. Why do you think God chose them to appear in the story?
3. The Magi (think "magistrate" not "magical") were shaped by Daniel’s teachings (as cultural and academic descendants of Daniel), especially Daniel 9:20-27, and watched the heavens in expectation. What does their long search teach us about what it means to seek God today?
4. Understanding the astronomical signs (Jupiter, Regulus, Leo, Virgo) gives depth to the phrase “we saw his star.” How does this enrich your understanding of how God speaks?
5. The prophets pictured a Messiah who would bring peace to all nations, not just Israel. How does this theme show up in Matthew 2?
6. What does the fulfillment of these prophecies tell us about Jesus’ identity and the kind of kingdom He came to establish?

Application Questions

1. Peace begins by looking for Jesus. Where do you typically look first when life becomes stressful, and how can you redirect your gaze toward Christ?
2. The Magi followed the light they had even without knowing the exact destination. Where might God be inviting you to take a step of obedience without full clarity?
3. When Christ rules in us, peace flows through us into our relationships. Who is one person you sense God prompting you to move toward in peace this week?
4. The Magi remind us that Jesus’ peace is for the whole world. Where do you see a need for His peace today, and how might God want to use you in that place?

Prayer
Pray that Christ’s peace would fill your life so deeply that it reshapes your thoughts, attitudes, and relationships. Then ask God to show you the one person or place where He wants that peace to flow through you this week.

Icebreaker
Have you ever experienced a moment when you felt like you were lost, in darkness, or moving blindly through a blizzard?
​
Study Questions

1. Isaiah 9:1-7 speaks to people living in “deep darkness.” What forms of darkness were they facing, and how does that help us understand the weight of their hope?
2. In Isaiah 9:6, why is the promise of a child so significant? What does this reveal about how God chooses to bring hope into the world?
3. Isaiah describes the Messiah using four names—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Which of these titles strikes you most deeply right now, and why?
   1. Wonderful Counselor—the Messiah brings wisdom where there is confusion.
   2. Mighty God—the Messiah provides strength when there is weakness.
   3. Everlasting Father—the Messiah has love that never quits.
   4. Prince of Peace—the Messiah brings calm in the midst of chaos.
4. Pastor Jim is encouraging us all to choose one of these titles or words to focus on for centering our prayers and hope this Advent season. Which one are you choosing?
5. What does it mean that the government rests on His shoulders and not ours or that it's the zeal of the Lord, not ours that accomplishes this? How does that shift the way we think about hope?

Application Questions

1. Where do you feel the greatest “darkness” in your life right now—confusion, weakness, chaos, loneliness, or something else—and what would it look like to invite Jesus into that space?
2. Jesus is the source of wisdom in confusion, strength in weakness, calm in chaos, and love in loneliness. Which of these do you most need this week, and why?
3. Advent calls us to press on in hope. What is one concrete step you can take this week to “fix your eyes on Christ our Light”?
4. Where do you see God still redeeming the world—or your story—even in small ways?

Prayer
As a group, pray for one another by naming specific places of darkness where you need the hope of Christ this week. Ask Jesus, our Light, to shine into those places with wisdom, strength, calm, love, and renewed hope. Then take time to share and pray for one another’s personal requests.

Icebreaker
When has someone gone the "extra mile" for you?

Study Questions

1. Read Matthew 5:38–42. In this passage, Jesus is rooting the human desire for retalitation and resistance to helping others. What stands out to you most in Jesus’ examples of the cheek, the shirt, the mile, and the borrower?
2. How does understanding lex talionis (“eye for eye, tooth for tooth”) help you see what Jesus is doing when He calls us beyond retaliation?
3. Why do you think Jesus’ command in verse 41—“go with them two miles”—would have been shocking in a world where Roman soldiers used angareuo to humiliate and control civilians?
4. In your own words, how would you describe the difference between protection (healthy boundaries) and retaliation (getting even) as Jesus teaches it?
5. How does Jesus connect the teaching on retaliation (vv. 38–42) with His next teaching, “love your enemies” (vv. 43–45)? What does this reveal about God’s heart?

Application Questions

1. Where or with whom in your life do you most easily feel the “first mile” frustration—at work, at home, in your neighborhood, online, or in a difficult relationship?
2. What typically triggers your impulse to retaliate—anger, wounded pride, feeling disrespected, feeling powerless, or something else?
3. What might choosing the “second mile” look like in one real relationship or situation this week? What small act of generosity, patience, or love could break the cycle?
4. How might praying the “Second Mile Prayer” (“Jesus, help me see them as You see them. How can I choose the second mile?”) reshape your response to someone who has frustrated or hurt you?

Prayer Prompt
Take a moment to pray for God to help you recognize your “first mile” moments this week and respond with the Spirit’s strength instead of your instincts. Pray for Jesus to give you His eyes for people who frustrate or oppose you, His courage to choose the second mile, and His love to replace your resentment. Then take time to share personal prayer requests and pray for one another’s needs and relationships.