INTRODUCTION

In this message series, we are talking about Jesus - who He is, how He taught and what He said. Each week, we will be unpacking some of the things that Jesus said that have been misquoted and misunderstood. This week, Pastor Joseph is going to talk about Matthew 23:25-26. In this verse, Jesus is talking to the religious leaders of his day. Jesus challenged them with the truth that God is more interested in the state of their hearts than the state of their image.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways is it easier to focus on your image or on what other people think of you rather than focusing on what is really going on inside? How has this impacted your life?
2. What gives you the courage to invite Jesus in to clean out the “dirt” in your heart?
3. What part of this message impacted you the most?

MOVING FORWARD

The hope we find in Jesus is the truth that no one is too far gone or unforgivable. God’s forgiveness is for you through Jesus. When we dare to live as forgiven men and women, we courageously invite God into the darkest, ugliest parts of our hearts and ask Him to clean it out. We don’t have to be afraid of the “dirt” on the inside. God can and will embrace the reality of the worst parts of us, forgive us, and gently restore all of us with His unfailing love—then we can share this good news with everyone we know.

CHANGING YOUR MIND

Psalms 51: 1-2 NIV
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions, wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
—https://www.bible.com/bible/111/PSA.51.1-2.NIV