Monday, June 4, 2018

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #12 (Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 20: 1-16)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  Do you empathize with the workers who were upset?  Why or why not?

3)  Consider the landowner.  Why didn't he give more to those who worked longer?  How might this relate to our lives of faith?

4)  Where do we get our ideas or what is "fair" and what is "unfair"?  Who defines "fairness"?   

5)  Does God's idea of "fairness" differ from ours?  If so, what would our world be like / look like if it modeled God's idea of fairness more fully?


Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #11 (Parable of the Prodigal Son/Waiting Father)




Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 15: 11-32)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  Have you ever felt like running away from it all (even faith!).  What caused that feeling?

3)  Consider the older brother. Have you ever felt "righteous indignation" toward another when they received grace that you felt was unfair?  How might this be more dangerous to faith than running away and giving up?

4)  Consider the father.  What decisions did he make out of "love" for his sons?    

5)  Consider the prodigal son.  He showed courage to face his sinfulness and mistakes.  He was surprised by grace.  When have your "faced the consequences" only to be surprised by grace? How did this change you?


Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #10 (Parable of the Talents)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 25: 14-30)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  What are your talents? Don't be shy.  God gave them to you so claim them!

3)  Consider when and how you "risked" your talents for the Lord?  What is the difference between a "good risk" and a "bad risk"?

4)  What do you believe God expects from us and our talents?   

5)  Why might God be frustrated with one who buried their treasure? What might this say to us about discipleship?


Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #9 (Parable of the Unforgiving Servant)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 18: 21-35)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  Consider and share a story of forgiveness, either when you received forgiveness or when you offered forgiveness?

3)  Why do you believe it is hard to offer forgiveness to others?  Why do you believe it is hard to offer forgiveness to yourself?

4)  Why do you believe it is hard to ask for forgiveness?   

5)  There is great power in forgiveness.  How might your family, community, congregation, or even the world be better if there was more forgiveness?


Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #8 (Parable of the Rich Fool)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 12: 16-21)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  What do your worry about the most?  What is the source of this worry?

3)  How does worry impact our relationship with God? Give examples.  

4)  How does your faith affect your financial decisions? Give an example.

5)  How can we prepare for the future and still trust in God? Discuss how people of faith can do this well.

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #7 (Parable of the Tares)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 13: 24-30)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  What are the "weeds" in your life right now? How are they affecting the "wheat" in your life?

3)  Who are the "weeds" in your life? How are they affecting your ability to live your life of faith?  

4)  Why would Jesus say to allow the weeds and the wheat to live together?  How might this teach us something about how we grow in faith and discipleship?

5)  Do you find assurance in the promise that the weeds will one day be separated from the wheat?

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #6 (Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 13: 44-46)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  Have you ever desired something enough to consider giving up everything for it? If so, how do you feel about it now? 

3)  What does it mean to you to know that you are "precious" in the sight of the Lord?  What are your "precious" qualities?   

4)  Why would Jesus give up everything for you and your salvation? What might this say about Jesus?

5)  How could you thank Jesus in your life for his gift of grace?

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #5 (Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector)




Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 18: 9-14)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  Consider a time you felt "better than" someone else.  It's human, we all do it.  Still, try to consider who it is that you may more often than not feel some superiority to.  Why do you believe that is?

3)  The prayer of the tax collector is so genuine.  Have you ever prayed with such heartfelt emotion? When? Why? What may have contributed to the tax collector praying so powerfully?  

4)  Discuss the following quote from Mother Theresa, "You never know Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you've got."  

5)  Where do you do your most honest and genuine praying?

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #4 (Parable of the Unjust Judge)




Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 18: 1-8)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  When a rotten person does the right thing, how do you feel?  Have you ever been the "rotten person" from another's perspective?  If so, have you tried to do right by them?

3)  Have you ever gone to God over and over again with the same request?  How did you feel doing that?  Did you receive the answer you were hoping for? If so, discuss what that felt like.  If not, discuss how you made peace with it (if you indeed have done so).

4)  How would you describe "God's justice?"  

5)  Where do you see "injustice" in our world?  What can you do about it?

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #3 (Parable of Two Builders and Two Foundations)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 6: 46-49)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  You're not literally building a house, so what might Jesus be talking about here for our lives of faith?

3)  Consider and reflect upon a specific "floodwater" that has broken against your life.  Was the response more like "standing firm" or more like "crumbling" or perhaps a little of both?  What contributed to your or others reaction?

4)  What might it mean to "lay a foundation upon solid rock?"

5)  What faith practices can help us to build on "solid rock?"  

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #2 (Parables of the Lost)



Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Luke 15: 1-10)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2)  In what ways have your felt that God pursued you in your life? How did you know that Jesus was pursuing you?

3)  Why does Jesus compare us to sheep? How do you feel about that? Why might it be a good analogy for people of faith?

4)  Do the actions of the shepherd, leaving the 99 to find the one, or the woman, when upon finding her coin, gathers her friends and neighbors for party, seem a bit ridiculous to you?  What might this say about God and his love for us in Christ?

5)  When did you last experience and feel joy?  Do you have enough joy in your life? If people of faith were the most joyous people of all, how might that effect others in our world? 

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"

Parables of Jesus Study Guide #1 (Parable of the Sower / Soils)



Begin with the song "Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil"

Share  your Highs and Lows for the week or since your last meeting

Read  the Lesson (Matthew 13: 1-23)

Talk  and discuss among the following questions:

1) What image / person / situation stood out to you in the story and why? What did it make you feel or understand about God?

2) What is required to keep soil healthy? What can keep your relationship with Christ healthy?

3)  Think about the seeds that fall among the weeds.  What are the "weeds" in your life? What can you do to help remove the weeds?

4)  Look again at the different soils.  Consider your own relationship with Christ.  Being transparent with God, what kind of soil do you feel like today? Over the last year?

5)  What is one small thing (or big thing) that you can do today/this week/this month/this year to get healthier soil in your life?  What commitment are you willing to take today?

Pray  with and for each other (you can use the Lord's Prayer or sing the Doxology)

Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other's forehead and saying "The Lord Bless You and Keep You!"