Luke 21:29-38 (New Living Translation)
29 Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. 32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him.
I. Jesus wants us to know the directions without being told (vv. 29-33)
• Out of the 193 nations the United States is one of 12 that are in
• Mature Christians recognize spiritual signs as readily as
• Jesus wants Christians to recognize Kingdom signs without
• Looking for Kingdom signs is the sign we care about the
• God is going to have a praying church by
• The Bible needs to be our
II. Jesus wants us to enjoy the journey not forget the destination (v. 34-38)
• Hearts are dulled when we fail to renew our
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• The only adequate preparation to face tribulation is to add
• Prayer provides the strength to
• Some things will only happen in the
• Spiritual strength knows when it is time to
TAKE OFF
1. GTKY question: What is your favorite season? What are some signs that it is about to arrive?
2. Discuss how last week’s Take Away about sharing the gospel went.
TEXT
1. What thoughts or feelings did you have during this week’s sermon?
2. What illustration does Jesus give in verses 29 and 30 to highlight the importance of the change of seasons? How does a seasonal and more generalized approach help us to properly view and interpret signs of the end times?
3. What three things does Jesus say in verse 34 dull our hearts? What things have weighed you down in life and why is it easy - yet dangerous - to focus on them?
4. How does being prayer engaged help us to stay focused and to not be distracted (v. 36)? What other things can we do to remain strong and alert?
TAKE AWAY
How can you be more intentional about being prayer engaged this week? Develop a plan and discuss its implementation.