Study Guide
Message for Sunday April 5, 2020
This Week Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Key Verse: Who is this? verse 11
Crossroads Community Group Guide:
A. Welcome: Welcome everyone especially new persons and read out loud the purpose of your group
B. Purpose:Our purpose is to multiply groups. We do this by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and multiply God's kingdom.
C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use Glory to Glory (or pick your own on YouTube make sure it has the lyrics on the screen)
D. Review: 1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?E. Opening Question (a simple question to introduce the main theme - called an icebreaker): Who do people say that Jesus is?
F. Read Background Information: When having a Bible study on a scene from Jesus life it is good to put yourself in the story. Ask how the different people in the story felt and thought. Ask what would you have felt. Matthew 21 begins the last week of Jesus life. It is the climax. It is the reason He came for - to die for our sins. Jesus know He was going to be crucified and He deliberately went forward so He would be crucified. Note the reactions of different people - the disciples, the crowd and the people in the City of Jerusalem.
G. Word: Read Matthew 21:1-11 - break it down into smaller portions to read. Read it in portions aloud together several times. (Goal is that everyone understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words - keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses)
1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?
2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.
3. What are the details?
4. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?
H. Discuss: The following general questions together (Goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion - the leader should not speak more than 30% of the time - let the group discover what God is saying to them).1. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?2. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story? 3. What do you learn about people from the story?4. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?5. What will you do with what you have learned? (make sure everyone answers this)
I. Commitment - Obedience - Application (This is the key - have everyone answer this question):
1. What in specific will you commit to apply in your life from this study?
J. Prayer Time:
1. Pray for an empty chair representing new people who you want to join your group. Name names of people specifically.
2. Pray for the needs of the members of the group. It is best to divide into 2 groups one of male and the other female.
K. For Next time:
1. Ask each person the name of a person they will invite to the group for next week.