Friday, June 12, 2015

The Kingdom of God - Group Study Guide

Icebreaker
What is your favourite place you have ever lived? Why?
What is your favourite person you have ever worked for? Why?
Reign VS Realm – Which best describes the Kingdom of God, for you:
              God’s Realm – the best place to live
              God’s Reign – the best leader to follow
When it comes to spiritual things, are you more interested in the Kingdom or the King?
 - What difference does this make in the way you live your life?
Where is God’s Kingdom? Luke 17:20-21
 - What is Jesus saying about the Kingdom of God, to these Pharisees?
 - How are you challenged by these words of Jesus?

Group Time
Let’s spend some time in groups looking at what happens when the Kingdom of God is in our midst.

From Dothan to Samaria – 2 Kings 6:8-23
Q. What was the purpose of the journey in this story?
Q. What impact do you think it had on the target audience?
Q. What does this story teach us about God’s Kingdom?
Q. How does this story show the Kingdom of God in our midst?

From Jerusalem to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-35
Q. What was the purpose of the journey in this story?
Q. What impact do you think it had on the target audience?
Q. What does this story teach us about God’s Kingdom?
Q. How does this story show the Kingdom of God in our midst?

From Jesus to Every Town – Luke 10:1-12
Q. What was the purpose of the journey in this story?
Q. What impact do you think it had on the target audience?
Q. What does this story teach us about God’s Kingdom?
Q. How does this story show the Kingdom of God in our midst?

Review
Have each group report, telling their story and their answers.
What similarities exist in all three stories?
  - a journey, a search, a meal, a blindness, a revealing, a blessing… etc…
What can we learn about the Kingdom of God in our midst from these stories?

Conclusion
Even though it is clear that Jesus taught His Kingdom was a present reality (Luke 11:20, Matthew 12:28, Luke 17:21) what did He say about His Kingdom when confronted by a ruler from this world?  - John 18:36
Why is it so important to understand the difference between the Kingdom of this world and the Jesus’ Kingdom? How does it help us focus our attention?
What did a thief teach us about the journey from the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God? Luke 23:42-43

Ultimately, Jesus’ Kingdom is the only thing worth investing in. Daniel 7:13-14
How does this passage give you purpose and hope?

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