Bible Reading
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
[01:06:58]- Philippians 2:13
“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
[01:08:19]- Mark 4:26-29
“And he said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’”
[01:08:56]- Hebrews 12:28-29
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
[01:53:30]- Matthew 13:44-46
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
[01:17:00]- Matthew 13:3-9
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.’”
[01:20:36]- Psalm 24:1
“The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,”
[01:28:20]- Luke 16:10-12
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?”
[01:34:24]- Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
[01:39:44]Observation questions
- In the parable of the sower, what are the four kinds of soil, and what happens to the seed in each one? [01:20:36]
- According to Luke 16:10-12, what are the three areas where faithfulness is tested before greater trust is given?
- In Matthew 13:44-46, what does each man do after finding the treasure or the pearl, and what does that show about the value of the kingdom? [01:17:00]
- In Hebrews 12:28-29, what response is called for from those who are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken? [01:53:30]
Interpretation questions
- If God is the one who works in a person both to will and to work, what does yielded obedience look like in real life without becoming passive or careless? [01:08:19]
- The kingdom grows like seed in the ground, “how he himself does not know.” How does that picture help explain slow, hidden, or gradual spiritual growth? [01:08:56]
- If the seed is good, what does that suggest when there is little fruit in a person’s life? How might hard ground, shallow roots, or thorns show up in ordinary life? [01:22:43]
- Psalm 24 says everything belongs to the Lord. How does that challenge the way a person thinks about money, possessions, time, and even personal plans? [01:28:20]
Application questions
- Where is there a temptation right now to “work harder” in the flesh instead of yielding to God and letting him change the heart at the level of desire? What would surrender look like this week? [01:06:43]
- Which kind of “dirt” feels closest to the present condition of the heart right now: hard ground, shallow ground, thorny ground, or fruitful soil? What might a deep plow, deeper roots, or careful weeding look like in a practical sense? [01:22:43]
- Birds still try to snatch away what God has spoken. Has there been a word, conviction, promise, or calling that has been allowed to slip away? What would it look like to actively guard it instead of letting it be stolen? [01:21:43]
- The kingdom is worth more than everything. Is there anything being held back from God’s rule right now—something being treated as non-negotiable? What makes that area hard to release? [01:17:39]
- If everything belongs to the Lord, what is one area of “my stuff” that needs to be seen more clearly as entrusted rather than owned? How might that change decisions about spending, saving, giving, or using possessions? [01:28:31]
- Faithfulness starts very small. What is one “little thing” already in front of this group member—money, time, a task, a relationship, or someone else’s responsibility—that needs more faithfulness before the Lord? [01:34:24]
- Hebrews says God shakes what can be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain. What has felt shaky lately, and how might God be using that to produce gratitude, reverence, and steadiness? [01:52:54]
