Growth Group Leader’s Guide – Spring 2016 – Week 6

 

Getting to Know You  

Read the priestly Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26.

  1. What comes to mind as you hear the blessing? Do you think of UMYF or Dr. Walker?
  2. What is the biggest act of blessing you have done for someone else?
  3. How have you experienced the blessings of grace and peace in your life?

 

Going Deeper

Watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab_gF5sffEw

  1. What stood out to you in the video?
  2. Why do you think people were discouraged from looking at the priests during the blessing? It is important to not confuse the messenger with the message. God is the source of blessing not the person saying the blessing.  
  3. How do you distinguish a blessing from God versus another person? All blessing comes from the LORD.

 

Read Matthew 6:5-6. 

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

  1. Why would praying in a very public way ruin the experience? Prayer is about connecting to God. If our aim in a prayer is impressing others then it leaves little room for God.  
  2. How can we pray in public and not lose focus?
  3. In your life, do you experience more public or private prayers?
  4. In v. 6, Jesus instructs us to enter our “prayer closet,” what does He mean? [A prayer closet is what the priest were doing by covering themselves with their prayer shawls. It is not a physical closet but a way to remove ourselves from the world.  The modern act of closing our eyes reflects this practice.] 
  5. Where is your prayer closet? It can be in the car on the way to work, the shower, etc.

 

Read Matthew 6:1-4. 

6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 

  1. Why does God involve people in the act of blessing others in the first place? The LORD’s aim has always been to teach us to be like Him. Children learn by imitating their parents. He longs for us to be a blessing as He is a blessing.
  2. Why does Jesus again warn us again about publicly taking credit for blessing people? If we seek credit, the focus is not on God or the other person.
  3. Have you ever been blessed in secret? What did it feel like?
  4. In what ways is our church a blessing to Midland?

 

Read Genesis 22:15-18.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

 

  1. What was Abraham blessed with? He overcame his fear and trusted God in all things, even the life of his son, Isaac.
  2. How can we today understand ourselves to be blessed because of Abraham? Our Christian faith grew out of Abraham’s relationship with God.
  3. Could future generation be blessed based on our actions?

 

 

 

Take it home

  1. Who can you bless this week?
  2. Can you find time for both public and private prayer this week?