The Flavoring of the World

Salt and Light

Monday, March 28, 2011

3:32 PM

 
 

Matthew 5:13-16 (New International Version, ©2011)

Salt and Light

    13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

   14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 
 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%205:13-16&version=NIV>

 
 

 
 

What are your first impressions of this passage?

 
 

• Jesus then compares us to salt - discuss the ways that salt was used, and still is used.
  

   
   

• Salt was a symbol of a few things in the ancient world - above all it was thought to be useful - how could this apply to the Christian?
  

   
   

• Salt was a symbol of purity - all sacrifices in the temple were offered with salt - discuss the world's need for purity, and how we offer that.
  

   
   

• Salt was a preservative - it was used to keep meat from going bad - how does this apply to the Christian in society?
  

   
   

• Salt was flavoring - a valuable one - a salt and pepper shaker were once symbols of affluence - salt was desired - is this the case with the Christian?
  

   
   

• How can the Christian, or the church be these to the world?
  

   
   

• Can salt lose its saltiness - is it then salt (imagine food without salt)? How would this happen to a Christian?
  

   
   

• What function does light have? How does the Christian perform this function in the world - what are we to illuminate - what darkness do we overcome?
  

   
   

• The bushel that Jesus refers to was a clay pot that the lamp was covered with when someone left their house for safety sake - do we cover our lamp when we leave the house of God (Sunday at about 11:30)?
  

   
   

• How can the sight of a city on a hill be a welcome thing?
  

   
   

• The light that we've been given, is it ours to keep? What is its purpose?
  

   
   

• What is our light to direct people to?
  

   
   

Mustard Seed and Yeast

Luke 13

 
 

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

 18 Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches."

 20 Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough."

 
 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+13&version=NIV>

 
 

• What are your first thoughts when you hear these parables?
  

   
   

  Test Yourself Before We Begin
  

  What does Jesus mean in these parables?
  

1. Mustard is a holy herb, much holier than ketchup
   
2. Unleavened bread lacks spirituality.
   
3. The kingdom of God has room for all - like the branches of a tree for birds.
   
4. The kingdom can start small and grow large.
   

    
    

• What do you know about mustard seeds?
  

   
   

• Are they large? What correlation does this have with the kingdom?
  

   
   

• The plant that Jesus was talking of grew to an average of eight feet tall from a very small start. How does the seed get its start?
  

   
   

• What do we have that is comparable to that seed? What must you do to see it grow?
  

   
   

• What kind of faith does planting imply?
  

   
   

• How does it become a tree?
  

   
   

• The birds in Palestine loved this tree - it had many seeds - they would flock to it - its branches covered as they pecked at and ate the seeds. Why are the birds significant? Who would they represent to us?
  

   
   

• All kinds of birds would share this tree - why is that significant?
  

   
   

• Does service in the kingdom require you to shed that which makes you, you?
  

   
   

• Does Jesus seem to say that this tree has room , and food enough for all?
  

   
   

• How do we endeavor to make that so in our church?
  

   
   

• The leaven that Jesus mentions was a bit of fermented dough that a woman would keep - a tiny piece. What can we gather from the introduction of the leaven? Does it have a big beginning? Does it even seem pleasant (it is rotten dough)?
  

   
   

• Can Jesus use what we have? How does he do this? Do we need much for him to do much?
  

   
   

• Can you witness leaven working - affecting the dough at the molecular level?
  

   
   

• Can you see the affects?
  

   
   

• Is the work of the dough internal or external? And the work of the kingdom?
  

   
   

   
   

Attitudes On Wealth

The Rich Fool

Monday, March 14, 2011

2:57 PM

 
 

Luke 12:16-20 (New International Version, ©2011)

 16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

   18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'

   20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

 
 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luk%2012:16-20&version=NIV>

 
 

• What are your first impressions of this saying of Jesus?
  

   
   

• Test Yourself Before We Begin
  

   
   

• What do you think Jesus meant by this saying?
  

1. Large harvests will make a person lazy and stupid.
   
2. Being a carpenter, He preferred smaller barns.
   
3. It is better to be poor than to be rich.
   
4. We should not become so focused on our work that we forget about God.
   

    
    

   Searching for Context
   

    
    

    13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
   

    14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
   

    
    

   Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12&version=NIV>
   

    
    

• What happens in this passage?
  

   
   

• 
  It was a common practice of the rabbis of Jesus time to arbitrate disputes like this - why do you believe that Jesus shied from this?
  

   
   

• What does Jesus seem to say that the real root of the problem for these brothers was? When you go to a doctor would you prefer them to treat your symptoms or disease? Are you sure of your choice?
  

   
   

• Would conventional wisdom agree with Jesus in v15? Do we live in a society that values possessions or faith? Do you feel this makes us a happy or unhappy society?
  

   
   

• Why do you believe Jesus admonishes against greed?
  

   
   

   16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
  

     18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
  

     20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
  

   
   

• Re-tell this parable in your own words
  

   
   

• Is it a bad thing to have an abundance? Is this what Jesus is preaching
  

   
   

• Describe the pronouns that the man uses? What's the problem with this?
  

   
   

• What happens to our world when we are self-centered?
  

   
   

• Where else could the man have focused his wealth
  

   
   

• What attitude does Christ seem to have toward possessions? Are they intended for our sole enjoyment?
  

   
   

• Does someone have to be wealthy to have this attitude toward wealth?
  

   
   

   21 "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."
  

   
   

  Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12&version=NIV>
  

   
   

• How does one accomplish being rich toward God?
  

A Quiet Place

Mark 1:35-39 (New International Version, ©2011)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

 
 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mar%201:35-39&version=NIV>

 
 

• Discuss your first impressions of this passage.
  

   
   

• Do you recall the flurry of activity Jesus had just encountered? Why do you think that Jesus prayed in solitude?
  

   
   

• Jesus is God in flesh - yet He prayed - why do you feel that is?
  

   
   

• Is time spent, alone, in solitude simply praying, time well spent?
  

   
   

• Do the disciples feel that Jesus is spending His time wisely?
  

   
   

• What do you think the disciples feel that Jesus ought to be doing?
  

   
   

• A professor of mine used to tell us to "not get so caught up in the work of the Lord that we forget the Lord of the work." What do you think of this statement?
  

   
   

• How have you experience the exhaustion that Jesus is experiencing? Did you deal with it in the same way that He did? How are some other ways that we deal with exhaustion?
  

   
   

• How do you pursue solitude in your daily life?
  

   
   

• How does Jesus respond to the disciples?
  

   
   

• Why did Jesus come? In His words…
  

   
   

• What else did He do when He was in the villages? What do you find significant about that?
  

   
   

• When Jesus came into contact with someone the encounter changed them, talk about the kind of changes that happened to them.