Toolbox Training Videos

Hey, leaders...I am really excited to have the Journey Group Leader Toolbox up and running.  This will be a very helpful resource to make sure that we have the best and most accurate information about each group so that we can be more effective at connecting people into community and making disciples.  In the end, that's what this is all about...making disciples of Jesus for Kingdom impact! If the video playback is low-quality, try clicking the HD icon in the status bar of the video.

https://vimeo.com/91353212

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https://vimeo.com/91416203

https://vimeo.com/91418964

https://vimeo.com/91358865

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Final Session

Matthew 7:15-23 As we come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us two important warnings in these verses.  First, He warns of those that seem to speak and act for God but are not with God in reality.  Normally, a prophet would be proven true or false if the prophecy came true or not.  But sticking with the “internal life” theme of the whole sermon, Jesus says that we can identify the wolves by looking at the fruit of their lives.  The character of their life (their joy, peace, patience, love, etc) and the impact of their life (do they have a trail of blessing and health or damage and hurt in their past) will tell us if they are really with God or not.

Second, Jesus warns that our actions are not necessarily the determining factor of our inclusion in His Kingdom.  All throughout the sermon, Jesus stressed the internal nature of being His follower.  He wants us to know that we can do all the Jesus-type things (a.k.a be a good church person) but totally miss out on His Kingdom if our hearts are not right with Him.

The people that Jesus turned away in verses 21-23 may even be the wolves from verses 15-20.  They were doing things that seemed good and Godly, but they ended up being turned away by Jesus.  If we start with our actions but neglect our heart, we will find ourselves outside of God’s Kingdom.  When we start with a repentant heart, we will find that God will lovingly shape our desires and our actions over time so that we become the people Jesus has described in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 11

Matthew 7:1-14 Randy Harris uses a great word to tie these passages together – generosity.  When we know and understand the depth of God’s generosity toward us, it will compel us to be generous towards others.

When we grasp how much God has forgiven us, we will extend grace to others rather than judge them.  This does not mean that we give a free pass to everyone or that we have no standards of behavior.  That doesn’t fit with the rest of Jesus’ teachings.  Not judging people means that we do not lower our esteem of them because of their behavior.  We realize that we are guilty of similar or worse sins and so we do not think less of them.  Instead, we embrace them when they repent and we do whatever we can to help them move forward in their spiritual life.

When we understand that God wants to give us good things in life (vs. waiting for the chance to punish us), we will more easily call out to Him for help and rely on His provision in this life.  This is not to be seen as a “blank check” that we can cash whenever we want something from God.

When we are living a life that is aware of God’s generosity to us in forgiveness and provision, we will be able to treat others with great generosity in return.  We can take the risk to treat them as we would want to be treated.  Even if they turn around and treat us badly, our gracious, generous heavenly Father will take care of us.

Note: Randy Harris’ interpretation of verse 6 is not in line with the majority of commentators.  Most commentators agree that the “dogs and pigs” are references to Gentiles, but they suggest that Jesus is telling His Jewish audience to keep God’s Kingdom for Jews (see Matthew 10:5-6 for another instance).  At this point, Jesus’ message was for the people of Israel.  Later, He would make it clear to His followers that the Kingdom of God was to be taken to all people, even to the ends of the earth.

Since the exact meaning of this verse is not clear and it is not a critical theological point, we should not be too dogmatic about any one perspective or interpretation.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 10

Matthew 6:19-34 The main point of this section is summed up well in the word priorities.  Some have mistakenly used these verses to say that we should despise anything of this world and the only worthwhile things are those that have “eternal value.”  If that is the case, then God seems to have wasted a lot of energy creating a world of great beauty.  After all, what is the “eternal value” of a beautiful flower or a sunrise?

Instead, Jesus is teaching us to live in and value this life in light of God and His presence with us.  As we make God our priority, everything else falls into perspective.  Rather than our desire, our money becomes a way to honor God and advance His Kingdom.  Rather than our prize, our possessions become necessary tools for living and also a means to help those in need.

When our priorities are the things of this world rather than God, our lives will be marked by worry.  When we are focused on what we can acquire rather than the One who can give us all good things, we experience fear because of our limited ability to acquire these things and we will have a strong fear of losing what we are able to acquire.

When we make God and His Kingdom our priority, we do not turn our backs on the things of this world, but we see them for what they truly are and we can live in freedom and joy knowing that God will be faithful to provide for us.

Bonus: I came across an interesting analogy to help us appreciate verses 22-23 more.  Imagine driving a car in the dark.  If the headlights are working, you can see clearly to navigate the turns.  If the headlights are dim or not functioning, then the darkness is 1000 times more dangerous and you are in a world of trouble!  When our priority is anything other than God, it’s like trying to navigate life in the dark without headlights.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 9

Matthew 6:1-18 In this session we move into chapter 6 and Jesus continue to theme of addressing our inner life as it relates to our faith.  In the previous sessions we learned that obeying the Law was not only a matter of our outward actions, but also a matter of our inward thoughts and attitudes.  Similarly, in this session, we learn that internal motivations are just as important as the outward expressions and practices of our faith.  Jesus highlights three common faith practices (giving, prayer, and fasting).  By highlighting these practices, Jesus is first indicating that He expects His followers to be doing these things.  If we are not doing them at all, our inward motivations can hardly matter!  Like before, Jesus tells us that God is concerned about more than the outward practice alone.  He says that these practices are for God and about God and He should be the only audience that we are concerned about.  When we practice our faith for the observance of others, we squeeze God out of the equation and the result is an empty exercise.

Interestingly, Jesus did not dismiss the concept of a benefit to us as we do these activities.  He says those that do these things for the observance of others already have their reward (esteem, applause, influence, etc.).  But He also says that those who do these things for God alone, will also be rewarded (verses 4, 6, 18).  He doesn’t tell us what that reward will be (a closer connection with God is already a great benefit), but I imagine that God has a much better “prize box” than the one available those around us!

Verses 14-15 may create generate some questions for your group.  On the surface, it seems to contradict the concepts of God’s free forgiveness and unearned grace.  Jesus seems to be saying that God’s forgiveness is dependent on our own forgiveness of others.  Jumping over to Matthew 18:21-35 will give us greater understanding on the matter.  Here, Jesus tells the parable of a servant who was forgiven a great debt by his master but then refused to forgive a small debt owed to him.  The message of the parable (and 5:14-15) is that accepting God’s forgiveness should have a profound impact on our hearts which would give us the capacity to also forgive those that wrong us.  Therefore, if we do not have forgiveness toward others in our heart, we have not truly received God’s forgiveness.  Like most things in our spiritual journey, this is not a switch that is instantly flipped, but rather a process of learning to expand our capacity to forgive others in the same way that God has forgiven us.  The fact that Jesus includes this in His prayer tells us that He knows we will work on this and grow in this on a daily basis.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 8

Matthew 5:38-48 The passages in this session cover two separate but connected thoughts.  As you might expect, in both sections, Jesus challenges the accepted paradigm and stretches our perception of what it means to be part of His Kingdom.

In verses 38-42, Jesus speaks to resistance and retaliation.  The retaliation element comes from the Old Testament (Exodus 21) laws about fair punishment for crimes that cause injury to others.  The intent of the laws was to ensure that punishments did not become excessive.  Over time, however, the people began to see the laws as approval to retaliate when offended.  Jesus uses hyperbolic language again to emphasize the shift He is making.  He exaggerates the examples (let them slap both cheeks, give them tunic and cloak, etc.) in order to make His point.  Verse 41 would have been especially shocking because it refers to the occupying Roman Empire.  By law, a Roman soldier or official could ask people in an occupied country to carry their gear for a mile so that they didn’t have to carry it themselves.  This was a slap in the face to the occupied people and would be a prime example of everything that is wrong with the Roman rule.  And Jesus says to “go the extra mile” (I think this is where that saying comes from) rather than resist or grudgingly comply.

In verses 43-48, Jesus gives some of the most difficult teaching to practically live out.  He says we should actually love our enemies and even pray for those that are seeking to do us harm!  He even goes so far to say that loving those who are good to us or taking care of our friends and family isn’t that noteworthy.  We should definitely love those folks and take care of them, but Jesus says even barbarians and corrupt people do that!  Following Jesus means learning to love even the people that do wrong and have no love for us.  Verse 45 shows us that God lovingly cares for all mankind regardless of their love, or lack thereof, for Him.   Verse 48 lets us know that God should be our gauge, not what we can do or what comes naturally to us.  God's love is so perfect and complete that He even loves the people who hate Him.  That should be our example, our model, and our goal.

In both ways, Jesus is calling us to lay down ourselves (our rights, our self-preservation, our pride, etc.) in order to love others like He loves.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 7

Matthew 5:33-37 I think of pirates when I read this passage.  Pirates (at least in the movies) were notorious for keeping their oaths in a way that benefited them.  For example, if a pirate promised to set you free, he could dump you in the middle of the ocean and still say that he had kept his word.  Pirates have no integrity and so you can never trust them (consider that a free bit of wisdom to live by).

In these verses, Jesus challenges the issue of integrity (or lack of it) by addressing the common practice of making oaths.  An oath is a promise to do something based on the value of something else.  Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I swear on my mother’s grave that I will…”  The problem with oaths is that they are only necessary when the person making the promise is not trustworthy on their own.  They don’t have the integrity that creates trust in their word.

Jesus is calling us to live lives of such integrity that people do not doubt that we will do what we say we will do.  In a world that is so severely lacking integrity, this is a very practical way to be salt and light (session 3) for Jesus to those around us.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 6

Matthew 5:27-32 In these verses, Jesus further develops the theme that our internal lives are as important as our external lives.  The topic in these verses is our sexuality.  Jesus uses a literary tool known as hyperbole to make his point.  Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally.  For example, no one who says they are “hungry enough to eat a horse” expects to actually eat a horse.  Hyperbole is used to drive a point home with a punch.

In these verses, Jesus wants to drive home to points.  First, God’s view of our sexuality is not limited to what we do physically.  While Jesus is not saying that impure thoughts are equal to adultery, He is saying that God’s concept of purity even includes our thoughts and desires.  Honoring God with our sexuality just got a lot more difficult!

Second, Jesus wants us to know that this is a big deal.  His words about gouging out eyes and chopping off hands are not literal prescriptions, but we should not dismiss the intent of the message.  Handling our sexuality in a healthy, God honoring way is very important and sometimes strong, decisive decisions and actions are needed.  You don’t need to poke your eyes out, but maybe you need to cancel the cable or stop associating with that friend…

Tough question about divorce

Hey, Journey Group Leaders...since many of you are going through the Sermon on the Mount material with Matthew's Book, you may bump into (or already did) some sticky questions about divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32).  With so many marriages ending in divorce in our society, it's an issue we need to address with all grace and truth.  Here are some official thoughts from CCC: The Historical Situation

At the time of Christ, the two prominent Jewish rabbinical leaders disagreed about the grounds for divorce that Moses gave in Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  One leader attached sexual impropriety to uncleanness while the other more prominent leader took it much further where minor offenses such as the overcooking of dinner became legitimate grounds for divorce.  In the case of Matthew 19:3-9, the intent of the question was to stir up trouble by getting Jesus to answer against one of the two schools of thought.  Jesus answers them by reiterating the original intent of marriage as a life- long covenant and corrects the Pharisees statement that Moses commanded divorce with permitted divorce because of their hard hearts.

The Exception

Jesus is clear that divorce is wrong except for sexual immorality.  The word immorality used here is a general term for sexual uncleanness.  Jesus is telling us that anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery unless immorality has occurred.  Jesus, as He does throughout the Sermon on the Mount, goes behind the letter of the Law to the spirit of it.  He says that divorce for any reason other than immorality leads to adultery.  Let’s remember the Jews in the audience of Matthew 19 would have assumed that a legally divorced person had the right to remarry and never heard of a divorce that didn’t carry with it the right to remarry.  The idea that God permitted divorce for sexual immorality but forbade remarriage occurred in the post-apostolic era when the view of sexuality became a necessary evil and celibacy was elevated as the most God honoring lifestyle.  Not only was marriage discouraged by remarriage after a divorce but remarriage after the death of a spouse was forbid.  Based on Jesus’ teaching, divorce is permitted on the grounds of sexual immorality and assumed the right of remarriage.

The Restriction

If a person divorces on grounds other than sexual immorality and remarries commits adultery.   When two people whose divorces weren’t valid in God’s sight come together in marriage, they break their former marriage covenant and commit adultery.  But this is not a continuing state; from that point on they are husband and wife.  God recognizes two people as married when they have met the civil requirements, even if their divorces were not valid in God’s eyes.  So when two people marry after divorcing on grounds other than sexual immorality, they sin against the covenant of the previous marriage at the first sexual union.  But this occurs only once as the new marriage covenant now comes into effect.  This view should never take away from the effect of Christ’s restriction as deliberate disobedience is a serious matter.  Followers who truly love the Lord will not lightly ignore or disobey Him.

The Other Allowance

In 1 Corinthians 7:8-15, the Apostle Paul instructs single people to remain single and married people to remain married and a believer choosing to marry another believer is permissible.  However, permission is given for divorce and remarriage on the grounds of the abandonment of a believer by an unbelieving spouse from verse 15.  “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so.  A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.”  Whereas Jesus’ statements in Matthew were addressed to a Jewish audience under the Mosaic Law, Paul’s statements were to believers of Jewish and Gentile descent on the other side of the resurrected Christ.   As the instance of Gentile believers married to unbelieving spouses occurred, some marriages were able to remain intact while other nonbelieving spouses may have wanted their believing mate to renounce Christ or end the marriage.

Based upon Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7:15 we discover two grounds for divorce:  sexual immorality and the abandonment of a believer by an unbelieving spouse.  These two grounds for divorce are also grounds for remarriage.

Ministering To the Offender

We glorify God by showing love for the offenders.  This is best demonstrated by treating them kindly, doing our best to lead them to repentance and forgiving them when they do.  A mistake often made is to view divorce as the sin of all sins.  People who have divorced on inadequate grounds and remarry have sinned, but their sin is just as forgivable as any other sin.  People who disobey God in their divorce and remarriage must be shown love, even though we don’t approve of what they did.  The aim should be their repentance and restoration to fellowship.

Matthew's Book Leader Notes - Session 5

Matthew 5:21-26 One of my daughters saw the title of this session on the TV screen and said, "I bet you never want me to watch the video that has the word 'stupid' in the title!" :)

In reality, we very much need to hear what Jesus has to say in these verses.  Here, Jesus takes the teachings of the Old Testament and reveals how He is taking them to a whole new level.  Much of the Old Testament laws were directed at the external life.  Commands to not murder, not steal, etc. all dealt with external actions.  Jesus takes those commands to a new level by applying them to the internal life.  Most of us can say we have never murdered someone...but can we honestly say we have never reacted to someone out of anger or said hurtful things to someone?  This is such a big deal that Jesus says it even interferes with our worship of and connection with God.

We live in a world that is quick to tear people down and hurt them deeply.  Jesus calls us to live a life of love so strong (through His Spirit) that even we are angry, we don't cause hurt and pain to others.