You're Invited
Goals for this Week’s Study:
- Review Pastor Daniel’s sermon from Sunday morning.
- Help group members (especially new members) get to know one another.
- Take time to introduce and learn a little about each member!
Getting Started:
Open your group with prayer.
Ice Breaker: What’s the strangest, funniest, or weirdest thing you’ve ever been invited to?
Scripture:
- “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:9-13
Sermon Notes: Take time to let everyone share some of the notes they took or anything that stood out to them from the message. Use this time to get everyone in your group talking (a good tip for this situation would be to go around the room and have everyone share one thing that stuck out to them from Pastor Daniel’s sermon)! Keep in mind, not everyone may feel comfortable talking yet, so try your best to help assist them in any way you can!
Study Questions
- Has there even been a time in your life where you didn’t feel like you were good enough? Why?
- What was the significance of Matthew leaving everything to follow Jesus?
- Have there been times in your life where you’ve valued your reputation more than reaching out to someone outside of your normal “circle”?
- Following Jesus isn’t about rituals, rules, or regulations, but it’s about a relationship. Do you feel like you’ve genuinely been following Jesus lately?
- Pastor Daniel stated that being a sinner does not disqualify you from following Jesus, but that it's a prerequisite! What does realizing this change for you?
- Not believing everything yet doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus. Have you ever felt unqualified to be a follower of Jesus because of an uncertainty you have had about Jesus?
- The invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to a relationship. Why do we seem to overcomplicate it at times?
- What next step is Jesus leading you to take this week? How can your Group help you with this?
Final Thoughts:
- The Pharisees motto was to change and become one of us, Jesus’ motto was to follow me and you will change.
- You can’t follow Jesus and stay the same.
- Following Jesus isn’t about rituals, rules, or regulations, but it’s about a relationship.
Pray Over Your Group!
Pray over all prayer requests. Take a little extra time to pray for the unity of our country and all victims of the various natural disasters taking place right now. (Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Wildfires, etc.)