What a good past couple weeks we’ve had seeing some powerful stuff from Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount! Here’s some questions from today formatted a little differently today…

Questions for Group Discussions:

Text: Matthew 7:12-20
Theme: One Rule, Two Roads, Two Trees

**Open The Scriptures**
1. Since the Golden Rule is a “positive command” rather than a “do not” command, how does that change the way you should view proactively caring for others?
2. What is the significance of the narrow and wide roads in Matthew 7, and how does Jesus’ teaching challenge common cultural beliefs about self-identity and salvation?
3. What makes the narrow way “difficult” and the wide path “easy”?
4. In the passage, how does Jesus warn about false prophets, and what criteria does he give for recognizing them according to their fruits?
5. Reflect on Galatians 5:19-23. How does the Apostle Paul distinguish between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, and how does this relate to Jesus’s warning about the trees bearing good or bad fruit?

**Open Your Lives**
1. Considering the command to do unto others as you would have them do to you, how can you practically apply this principle in your interactions with your community or workplace this week?
2. Reflect on your personal journey. Are there areas in your life where you feel you’re on the “narrow road” versus the “wide road”? How can you strive to remain steadfast in your commitment to the narrow path that leads to life?
3. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a situation where someone’s public persona didn’t match their private life, like the example given in the sermon? How did that impact your perception of their message or leadership?
4. How can you cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your daily life, and what steps can you take to ensure that your actions align with your convictions as a follower of Christ?

Blessings,
James