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  • Unfair Grace

    Unfair Grace
    2026/08/30
    Throughout the Bible, God is described as just – which we usually take to mean that he is fair and right in all of his actions. But when it comes to the forgiveness we can receive through Jesus, it turns out God isn’t “fair” at all! Instead, he gives us forgiveness even though we’re incredibly undeserving. This week we’ll face into God’s lavish love for us, and learn how that can motivate us to spread that love into our world. Watch Full Service Discussion Guide To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Before we begin, let’s take a quiet moment and pray for God’s direction of our time together. Then we’ll take a couple of minutes to go around and share where we’ve seen God at work in our lives this week and specifically how we were able to apply the Action Steps from last week’s discussion. Introduction We are in the second week of a series called Wait, Jesus Said What? We’re looking at some of Jesus’ most startling and difficult sayings and work together to understand the truth he wants us to learn. In this discussion, we’re going to look at this statement from Jesus: “those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.” But before we think and talk about this, let’s start with something a bit easier! Connect Let’s start our discussion time with some “get-to-know-you” questions. What is something you remember saying “That’s not fair!” about as a kid? Are you usually the person who arrives early, right on time, or a little late? When have you received something good that you didn’t expect or earn? Opening “That’s not fair!” Most of us learned to say those words pretty early in life. We have a strong instinct for fairness. We notice when someone gets more than we do, receives something we think they didn’t earn, or gets an opportunity we think should have been ours. Fairness matters. But Jesus tells a surprising story that challenges the way we sometimes think about fairness when it comes to God. Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly shows compassion to people who don’t seem to deserve it. Sometimes the surprising part isn’t God’s grace. It’s how people who have already experienced that grace respond when God extends it to someone else. Jesus invites us not only to receive God’s grace, but to participate in it by helping others experience the same kindness and forgiveness we have received. This leads us to our main idea for the week: We can participate in God’s lavish grace. Unpack Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward, discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses. Read Matthew 20:1-16 In this passage, Jesus tells a story about workers hired at different times of the day who all receive the same generous payment. Put yourself in the story. Which group of workers would have had the hardest time accepting the landowner’s decision? Why? The first workers received exactly what they had agreed to receive. Why were they still unhappy? What do you think is behind the landowner’s question, “Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?” What would it look like for us to become people who are excited when someone else experiences God’s grace? Read Jonah 4:1-11 In this passage, God shows mercy to the people of Nineveh, but instead of celebrating, Jonah becomes angry because he wanted the evil people of Nineveh to get God’s judgment. According to verses 2–3, what does Jonah already know about God’s character? What seems ironic about Jonah appreciating God’s provision for him while resenting God’s compassion toward Nineveh? Why do you think it can sometimes be difficult to see God show grace to someone we believe deserves consequences? What does God’s final question reveal about the people he cares about? Read Psalm 103:8-12 In this passage, the psalm writer celebrates a God who is compassionate, patient, and willing to forgive rather than treating us according to what our sins deserve. What words or phrases in this passage describe God? Which description of God’s forgiveness stands out to you most? How could regularly remembering God’s grace toward us change the way we respond to the failures of other people? Action Step This is where we take what we’ve discussed and put it into practice! Read the action steps below and discuss how you can live them out this week in practical ways. 1. Thank Jesus for the “unfair” ways he has forgiven you. Take a few minutes this week to remember specific ways God has shown you patience, kindness, and forgiveness. Instead of comparing yourself to someone else, simply thank Jesus that he has given you more grace than you could ever ...
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    35 分
  • Rip Off

    Rip Off
    2026/08/23
    The words of Jesus in the New Testament can be a source of enormous comfort: “I will give you rest.” “I am with you always.” “I give you my peace.” But Jesus wasn’t just a one-note positivity preacher – he was also known to use his public speaking to shock and challenge his listeners to teach them vital spiritual lessons. Happening upon these lesser-understood passages from the Bible can confuse us even to this day. Watch Full Service Discussion Guide To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Welcome to the first week of Life Groups! Let’s spend a few minutes getting acquainted (or reacquainted) before we begin. Please share your name with the group and if you’ve been a part of a life group at Journey of Faith before. Introduction This week, we’re beginning a new series called Wait, Jesus Said What? We’ll look at some of Jesus’ most startling and difficult sayings and work together to understand the truth he wants us to learn. Today, were going to look at this confusing statement from Jesus: “If your eye or hand causes you to sin… gouge it out or cut it off.” Wait, what? But before we start discussing this, let’s start with something easier! Connect Let’s start our discussion time with some “get-to-know-you” questions. What is something you have completely gotten rid of because you realized you didn’t need it anymore? What is one habit you have successfully changed? Are you more likely to make changes gradually or make one big change all at once? Opening We often try to manage unhealthy patterns through small adjustments. Most of us would rather deal with problems gradually. But sometimes something matters enough that a small adjustment isn’t enough; we need to take it seriously. Jesus taught that sin is like that. Sin is anything that damages our relationship with God, others, or our own soul. Jesus wants us to recognize the damage sin can cause and be willing to take meaningful and sometimes radical steps to deal with it. This leads us to our main idea for the week: We should respond seriously to sin in our lives. Unpack Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward, discuss each of the questions below the verse, before moving to the next set of verses. Read Matthew 5:27-30 In this passage, Jesus uses intentionally shocking language to show how seriously we should take anything that pulls our hearts away from God. His point is not to harm our bodies, but to remove what helps destructive desires grow. What do you think makes Jesus’ words in this passage so startling? Instead of focusing only on the sinful action, where does Jesus direct our attention? What is the difference between trying harder to resist something and changing our circumstances so that temptation has less access to us? How can taking sin seriously actually be an expression of God’s love for us rather than simply guilt or punishment? Read Genesis 4:3-8 In this passage, we read the story of Cain and his brother Abel. God warns Cain that the anger growing inside him is becoming dangerous. God invites Cain to recognize what is happening in his heart before it becomes an action. What emotions or attitudes seem to be growing inside Cain? What warning does God give him? What choices does Cain still have when God speaks to him? What does this passage teach us about dealing with something before it grows into something more destructive? Read Proverbs 4:20-27 In this passage, the writer of Proverbs encourages us to pay careful attention to the direction of our lives, beginning with what is happening in our hearts. What parts of a person’s life are mentioned in these verses? Why do you think the writer places such importance on guarding the heart? What connections do you see between our hearts, what we look at, what we say, and where we go? What might “mark out a straight path for your feet” (v.26) look like in everyday life? Action Step This is where we take what we’ve discussed and put it into practice! Read the action steps below and discuss how you can live them out this week in practical ways. Have an honest conversation with Jesus about your heart. Set aside a few quiet minutes this week and ask: What is happening in my heart that God wants me to notice? Pay attention not only to your actions, but also to the desires, anger, fears, envy, resentment, or other attitudes underneath them. Create some distance from something that feeds a sinful habit. Identify one practical “eye or hand” in your life, something that makes a particular temptation easier to act on. Consider one concrete step you could take to limit its influence or remove your access to it. If appropriate, ask someone you trust to help you follow through. As you think about these steps, what will you commit to this week? Share with the group so...
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    34 分
  • How to Make a Decision

    How to Make a Decision
    2026/08/16

    In our final week of this message series we’ll put everything we’ve learned into practice and get ready to make a big decision with God’s help. What does God want me to do next? What is God’s vision for my future? How can I decide between two good options? What happens if I choose wrong? We’ll address all of these questions and more as we work together to hear the voice of Jesus.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post How to Make a Decision appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    34 分
  • Listening with our Hearts and Minds

    Listening with our Hearts and Minds
    2026/08/09

    As we seek to hear God’s voice of guidance in our lives, we can often be distracted or confused by our own emotions and thought patterns. But what if our feelings and intellect could be better understood and harnessed as powerful tools of discernment? This week in our “Voice of Jesus” series we’ll learn more about the incredible gifts God has given each of us to bring our whole selves into the process of hearing his direction.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post Listening with our Hearts and Minds appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    30 分
  • The Tools of Discernment

    The Tools of Discernment
    2026/08/02

    Trying to hear the voice of Jesus on our own can be confusing; how do we know if we’re hearing from God or just listening to our own inner dialogue? In this week’s message, we’ll explore the invaluable tools of the Bible and other Christians in our quest to hear God guidance. We’ll learn more about the best resources God has given us to so we can connect directly to Jesus together.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post The Tools of Discernment appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    31 分
  • God Speaks in Love

    God Speaks in Love
    2026/07/26

    God speaks. In a world of constant decision making, what if we could learn to hear his voice? In our first week of the Voice of Jesus series, we’ll learn about the incredible opportunity we have to recognize God’s message of love in our lives. We’ll take the first steps together of exploring the mysterious topic of discernment and find out how a relationship with God can be full of direct connection to his guidance.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post God Speaks in Love appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    33 分
  • Lead Like Jesus

    Lead Like Jesus
    2026/07/19

    What kind of influence does your identity create in the lives of others? Whether we realize it or not, every one of us influences someone. The question is not whether we lead, but how. In the closing message of our Unshakeable Identity series, we’ll look into a radically different vision of leadership—one rooted in humility, service, and trust in God. As we discover what it means to lead like Jesus, we’ll see how a secure identity empowers us to care for others and navigate life with confidence and hope.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post Lead Like Jesus appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    31 分
  • Make Good Choices

    Make Good Choices
    2026/07/12

    Who are you becoming through the choices you make every day? Our lives are shaped by countless decisions, both large and small. In a world filled with competing voices and endless distractions, it can be difficult to know which path leads to lasting growth. In this New Testament letter, Peter reminds us that our choices are connected to our identity and purpose. This message explores how a secure identity in Christ gives us the courage to live differently and make decisions that move us toward God’s best.

    Watch Full Service

    Our Groups take a seasonal break during the summer, so there’s no new discussion material available right now. In the meantime, feel free to explore additional studies, guides, and resources anytime at journeyoffaith.com/group-resources/.

    The post Make Good Choices appeared first on Journey of Faith.
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    34 分