Read Matthew 2:1-12. As you consider the story of King Herod, his heart that could not trust, and the way he built literal walls to protect himself, are there parts of his story you can relate to now after Megan's teaching? If so how, and if not, why?
Megan shared three points as the Good News of Christmas: God pursues us; God loves us; and God gifts us Jesus. Discuss what these mean to you as an individual and as a group doing life together.
What did you hear in the weekend message that was either new to you or a good reminder? How did it connect with your current experience or what God is teaching you?
Group Reconnect
Do you like to open gifts in front of people or alone? Why?
Have you ever re-gifted a present? Or, would you consider re-gifting if you haven't before? Why or why not?
Open in Prayer
Looking for an example of an Opening Prayer? Clickhere.
Message Recap
Today, Megan Marshman continued our Christmas at the Movies series with The Grinch. Megan showed us how often we build walls or place ourselves in isolation— much like the Grinch—as a way to protect ourselves because of past hurts. These walls may be obvious, like keeping people at arm's length, but they might also be subtle, like hiding behind good behavior or acts of achievement.
Megan walked us through Matthew 2:1-12, where we see the Magi come to King Herod as they were on their journey to find Jesus. Herod had spent his whole life building his own kingdom and trusted no one—building literal and figurative walls and killing anyone, including his own sons, who was a perceived threat. To hear that there was another King who had been born was unfathomable to him. Herod had spent his whole life building walls and projecting a false self to the world and himself, for that matter.
While we may not relate to a murdering tyrant type like Herod, many of us can understand not trusting people and projecting a false self as a means of protecting our hearts. But God asks us to open our hearts to Him. When we do so, God's love permeates into those places we have been hiding, and He brings comfort, peace, joy—whatever it might be that our hearts need.
Megan encouraged us to experience the true Christmas this year. A Christmas marked by The Good News:
God pursues us We couldn't get to God on our own, so He came to us. Christmas is the story of God coming to us and pursuing us. And in fact, this pursuit is not just at Chrismas. He has been doing so since the beginning (see Gen. 3:9). God moves toward us, always, and this pursuit is not contingent upon us.
God loves us 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love because He first loved us. While yes, we are to love others, we must first allow ourselves to be loved by God. "We do because He first did."
God gifts us Jesus We give gifts because He first gave us the gift of His Son. Through Christmas, Jesus comes to defeat death. The story of Jesus solves all the isolation and the walls we have created by defeating the greatest wall of all, death.
Discussion Questions
Read Matthew 2:1-12. As you consider the story of King Herod, his heart that could not trust, and the way he built literal walls to protect himself, are there parts of his story you can relate to now after Megan's teaching? If so, how, and if not, why?
Megan challenged us that many of us build walls in ways to protect our hearts from the pain or hurt we have experienced. And these walls don't always have the appearance of bad things. For example, hiding behind good behavior is one way we can build walls. Take a few moments to consider if you might be building walls. After you identify what they might be, pray as a group for your hearts to open to the ways God wants to meet you in that pain.
Megan shared three points as the Good News of Christmas: God pursues us, God loves us, and God gifts us Jesus. Discuss what these mean to you as individuals and as a group doing life together.
What did you hear in the weekend message that was either new to you or a good reminder? How did it connect with your current experience or what God is teaching you?
Live It Out
Reflect on your group's discussion about what walls you might have built or be building. Stay committed this week to pray for one another as you walk into situations that might make you want to keep those walls standing.
Magan gave us "homework" when she said, "Open yourself to how loved you are this week!" Endeavor to do this and let's see just how God meets us in those places.
* Please note, we will not have a Group Guide next weekend as it is Christmas. We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating and we look forward to seeing you n the New Year!
Close in Prayer
Looking for an example of a Closing Prayer? Click here.
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