GC Guide

Announcements

1. The Well Training School- If you’re a college student and here for the summer!! We will have a class about studying scripture: What is it? How do we read it? How does it inform the way we interact with culture? Starting June 10th at 7 pm here at The Well. You can sign up on the app or through the events page on our website!
2. Who has a key?- If you have a key to our building, would you please email us at [email protected] and let us know. We’re updating our list and need to make sure we have everyone marked down.
3. Volunteer for Kids Ministry- Going to be in Abilene for any of this summer? Consider discipling our little ones by volunteering for the kids ministry on Sunday mornings! You can submit a volunteer application on the app!

Objectives

1. Acknowledge the significance of Jesus’ authority over ALL things: including nature/creation & demons.
2. Worship Jesus for the gift of his Word and its transforming power in the lives of his disciples.

Key Passages

Matthew 8:23-27

Summary

The Sermon on The Mount in chapters 5-7 was a holistic summary of Jesus’ teaching ministry in which he described the nature of His Kingdom of Heaven and its citizen’s righteousness. Now in chapters 8-9, he reveals by word and deed his authority over the consequences of sin and all things. Not just through preaching and teaching, but now through signs and wonders, he is showing his fulfillment as the prophesied Jewish Messiah.

In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus reveals his authority over nature; he calmed a great storm simply with his words. Then in Matthew 28-34, Jesus reveals his power over demons when he exorcised multiple demons out of two men. Jesus’ interaction with the demons was particularly unique in that they acknowledged him as “Son of God” and then requested that he send them into a herd of pigs. The citizens of the nearby city who heard what Jesus had done came to him out in the country and asked him to leave the region.

Helpful Resources for Leaders

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/authority-jesus/

Sample Questions

Feel free to use or reword the questions below that you think will be most helpful to meet the objectives above. Remember, these questions should ultimately cultivate discussion of ways to respond to or apply what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us through Scripture.

• What do these accounts of nature and demons obeying Jesus say about his identity?
• Why would it be significant for nature to obey Jesus?
• How do you typically tend to respond to authority?
• What characteristics of authority figures are you most willing to submit to?
• Why should believers rejoice in Christ’s authority over all things?
• When do you personally find it most difficult to acknowledge Christ is the authority over every part of your life?
• When do you tend to desire Christ’s authority over your life?

Sample Responses

Either in smaller groups or as a whole GC:

• Take some time to acknowledge ALL of the Scriptures as Jesus’ words and therefore our highest authority. Then take some time to share personal experiences of how God used the Scriptures to transform your life. Or share a time in which you wanted to submit even more of your life to the Scriptures.
• Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm. It responds to God’s Word or the Scriptures. Choose one or more people to read this Psalm aloud as everyone responds in silent worship to the gift of God’s revealed Word, and the blessing that its authority is over God’s people.