How has last week’s sermon and growth group discussions impacted you this week? Are you still thinking through them or have our lives already laid them aside? Last week, the sermon was on Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus was giving a parable regarding the landowner and his tenants. The point of the passage deals with who has correctly viewed their authority in relation to God and the consequences of what happens when we reject God’s authority over us. Listen to the sermon again and/or review Pastor Bret's sermon notes***.

Pastor Bret showed us that the tenants were very poor stewards who actually assumed authority over what they were given to manage, something that was not theirs. Jesus continued after his parable and explained how the Kingdom was being taken away from the hands of it’s current stewardship to those who would be fruitful over the kingdom of Heaven!

Amazingly, we can be seen to be reflecting the Pharisaical stewardship of God’s kingdom instead of the fruitful servant. How do you value the church and the stewardship of the Kingdom we have been given? If you are like me, it is very easy to lose sight of what we are stewarding for the very reason that keeps us from even thinking on God’s perfect, life-changing words week-to-week, life’s busyness and our quiet arrogance.

Therefore we must kill the sin within us and extend this gracious love to others. How do we do this? Pray for God’s grace and mercy to open your eyes to your arrogance in stewarding that makes you think that you have more control than he does over his Kingdom.

As we pray and think through this into this weekend, let us already be looking forward to gathering again in fellowship; including conversation, singing to God and one-another, submitting to one-another and the preaching of the Word (Col 3:12-17). Read through Matthew 22:1-14 and be praying for clarity and help from the Holy Spirit that we might be receptive and actively doing all that we have heard.

*** To access notes, you will need to login to the Table for SWBC.