BEYOND THE SURFACE

AGENDA 

  1. Ask someone to pray in.
  2. Ask for highlights from the week.
  3. SUBMIT ATTENDANCE TODAY (search “DG” in your email) & confirm the DG leaders in your group have also submitted attendance for their meetings.
  4. Go over lesson (below).
  5. Encourage all to give on the app.
  6. Ask for prayer requests and pray.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  1. The Way YOUTH CAMP!!! July 16th-19 , You don’t want to miss this !!! Sign up here today!
  2. It is outreach time!!!! We have outreach on May 4th with our adopt a block. Also may 25th we will be meeting at the inland center. 
  3. UNITY NIGHT!!!! this Wednesday April 24th MS and HS will be combined in the HS room. With our theme night which is super hero so come dress and experience an amazing word from PASTOR GAVIN TAIT!!!

GROWTH QUESTIONS 

    1. Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?

    2. What did you learn from this week’s sermon?

    3. What is something you accomplished or want to accomplish this week?

BEYOND THE SURFACE

TODAY’S PASSAGE: 

Matthew 23:23-28 (NLT) 

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! 25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.  27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM WHAT WE JUST READ?

 

GROWTH PRINCIPLE #1

External Righteousness vs. Internal Transformation

Matthew 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. 

  • Jesus addresses the Pharisees practice of tithing meticulously while neglecting the weightier matters of the law : justice, mercy , and faith .
  • External righteousness involves changing the outside , what one eats, drinks, wears, etc.
  • Internal transformation involves a true change of heart and character . Changing our mindset and path.
  • Jesus emphasizes the significance of justice, mercy, and faith as essential components of true righteousness.
  • External righteousness must be accompanied by the heart committed to God’s principles. 

1 Samuel 6:7

 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

  • Change externally and internally go hand in hand . We can’t just change the outside, we need to change the inside, our hearts . For the Lord looks at us internally .

INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:

IN WHAT WAYS HAS GOD CHANGED YOUR HEART?

 

GROWTH PRINCIPLE #2

Cleaning the Outside vs. Cleansing the Inside

Matthew 23:26 

“Blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too.”

  • Jesus uses the metaphor of cleaning the outside of a cup and dish while neglecting the inside to illustrate the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. He emphasizes the importance of INWARD PURITY.
  • Cleaning the outside of the cup signifies one maintaining their outward appearance , while cleaning the inside signifies one maintaining a clean pure heart and motives.
  • Jesus tells us how important it is to have inner purity living a Christain life.
  • He gives us the challenge of examining our heart and motives , and not just our outward actions.
  • Just cleansing the outside will never cleanse the inside . It starts with cleaning the inside that will lead to cleaning the outside.
  • Note that once you clean the inside of your heart, your outward appearance will also start to become cleansed.

INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:

IN WHAT WAYS CAN WE PURIFY OUR HEARTS AND IN WHAT WAYS CAN WE KEEP AND LIVE IN THAT PURITY?

 

GROWTH PRINCIPLE #3

Whitewashed Tombs: Appearance vs. Reality

  • In the passage Jesus is addressing the religious leaders because they showing appearance but not showing the reality. 

Matthew 23:27-28 (NLT)

  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness

  • it is important that we look inward and outward.  
  • We must allow our spirit to look more beautiful then the physical. 
  • Don’t focus on the appearance focused on the reality with God and he will bring the appearance to all his beautiful. 

INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:

WHAT ARE WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOUR SPIRIT MAN GROW AND LET YOUR APPEARANCE BE BEAUTIFUL TO?

CLOSING QUESTION

WHAT IS ONE THING FROM TODAY’S LESSON THAT YOU WILL APPLY THIS WEEK?

Giving 

1 John 3:17-18 (NLT)
17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

When we generously share with those in need, we embody the transformation power of God’s love.

 

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