Welcome the King

 

Study Guide for Week of April 10, 2022 

This Week's Scripture:  Luke 19:11-44

Crossroads Community Group Guide

A. Welcome: Welcome everyone, especially new people, and read aloud the purpose of your group.

B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin 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 spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use: O Come to the Altar  (or pick your own YouTube video that shows the lyrics.)

D. Video Message                                                                   

       

E. Upcoming Events: Crossroads Website        

F. 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?

G. Opening Question (an icebreaker - a simple question to introduce the main theme):

• What characteristic of Jesus attracts you to want to follow Him?

H. Background Information for this study: 

The verses for this week rcod Jesus entry into the City of Jerusalem. It was in jerusalem in approximatel one week that Jesus would be crucified. The amazing aspect of the story is that jesus knew he was going to be crucified but instead of avoiding Jerusalem he chose to enter and be crucified out of love for the lost. He rode into Jerusalem because He had a purpose - to die for broken and lost people like you and I. Jesus is a King with a purpose.

He came riding into jerusalem on a donkey which was a sign of humility. He is a humble King (read Zecheriah 9:9). In those days a King would ride into a City on a horse with his army around him. Jesus is a humble King who came to serve others.  

While everyone is cheering Him Jesus stops and cries for the people of the City of Jerusalem beause they have rejected Him and he knows they will face judgement. Jesus is a compassionate King. 

Lets look at 3 characteristics of King Jesus  

Characteristic One: The Purpose of Jesus 

Characteristic Two: The Humility of Jesus 

Characteristic Three: The Compassion of Jesus

I. Verse Outline: Key Points to Discuss

       1. Characteristic One: The Purpose of Jesus -Verse 28 

• Key Concept: All believers, have received the opportunity (as a gift from the Lord) of working for Him by word and deed, in prayer and offerings, and in many other ways – Norval Geldenhuys 

• Key Verse: Luke 19:13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ (New Living Translation) 

• Community Group Application: We become like King Jesus when we use everything, we have received from God (our life, our abilities, our finances, our time, our opportunities) to build Jesus’ kingdom. 

 

2. Characteristic Two:  The Humility of Jesus verses 29-40 

• Key Concept: Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others/” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

• Key Verse: Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 

6 Who, being in very nature God, 

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 

7 rather, he made himself nothing 

by taking the very nature of a servant, 

being made in human likeness. 

8 And being found in appearance as a man, 

he humbled himself 

by becoming obedient to death— 

     even death on a cross! 

• Community Group Application: We become like Jesus when we humble ourselves and put others first in everything.

3.    Characteristic Three: The Compassion of Jesus - verses 41-44   

• Key Concept: Perhaps if we had more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire.   Hudson Taylor

• Key Verse: Psalm 126:6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. 

• Community Group Application: We become like king Jesus when we have His heart, a broken heart,  for people who are lost  

J. Word: Read the scriptures above. Read it in smaller portions aloud together several times. (The goal is for everyone to 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 jumps out at you and catches your attention?

5. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

K. Discuss the following general questions together. (The goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion. The leader should not speak for more than 30% of the time; let the group discover what God is saying to them.)

1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?

3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?

4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
L. Commitment - Obedience - Application

(This is the key - have everyone answer this question.) 

1. What specifically will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

M. Prayer Time:  Break up into smaller groups of 3-4 - groups of the same sex           

1. Pray for your group to multiply.
2. Ask each other how you are doing spiritually.
3. Pray for the needs of the members of the group.

N. For Next time: Ask each person the name of someone they will invite to the group for next week.