Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

Carefully Think

  • Read Matthew 12:9-14.
  • How is this passage related to the scene just before (Matthew 12:1-8)?
  • Who is it asking the question of Jesus in Matthew 12:10? What was their motive for asking Jesus what they did?
  • Why did Jesus give the answer to their question as he did? What lesson was he teaching the Pharisees about the Sabbath?
  • How was the man with the withered hand healed?
  • What was the Pharisee's response (v 14)? Why would they respond this way to what he did?

Prayerfully Meditate

  • Last week we discussed tradtions and applications of Scripture becoming ends in themselves. Which ones in your own life come to mind? How do you see a similar theme in this passage?
  • What was it about the Sabbath that the Pharisees were missing? How would that correlate to how we can often miss the main idea of a passage in the way we appy it and expect others to apply it?
  • Read Romans 10:1-4. How does Paul describe the problem of the Jewish people? How does this play out today in our own Christian culture. 
  • When your personal treasured traditions and/or applications of Scripture are challenged, how do you respond? What would a proper response be?
  • How can we regularly test our traditions and applications to ensure that they have not become ends in themselves or misapplications of the actual meaning of the Bible?

Intentionally Act

  • What personal sin, or habit of response does this passage bring conviction to you to repent of? What note of encouragement about your approach to God and his word could you derive from this passage?
  • Pray, according to what you learn in this passage, for those in your life who do not know Christ.
  • How could this passage influence a time of praise from you to your heavenly Father?
  • Who will you look to confidently share the gospel with this week, because of the confidence you have in Christ?
  • Pray for those who will be attending this Sunday who are not Christians. Pray that they will see the gospel in the congregation, hear the gospel in the prayers and music, and be convicted by the gospel through the message on Sunday. Pray that they will respond in repentance and faith.
  • Pray for Christians who are present to be encouraged in their walk with Christ and convicted to continue living faithfully to Christ. Pray that believers will demonstrate mutual affirmation of one another this week in refreshing ways.
  • Pray for those who will be leading the service this Sunday, that they will serve in the most edifying way: Dawson Bryant, music; Mark Krystyniak, Elders' Prayer and Scripture Reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
  • Listen to the music we will sing together and prepare your heart to sing with understanding and fervor this Sunday.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Morning Gathering - December 15, 2013 by Summit Woods Baptist Church