In this portion of Matthew, Jesus underwest testing, not so much of his body but of his very soul. His success in the wilderness foreshadowed his victory on the cross because, as Jesus demonstrated, the real battle is won through aligning ourselves with God and his Word in the wilderness of our soul searching and soul keeping.

In his baptism, Jesus received the remarkable signs of his identity and calling. But while the assumption would be that his clarity of calling meant everything would be good and easy, the Spirit led Jesus into severe testing in the wilderness. Jesus’ responses to the attacks of the enemy teach us how we can leave the refining tests of the wilderness full of the power of the Spirit just like Jesus did.

In the wilderness, Jesus didn’t attempt to dialogue with the devil; he steadfastly depended on the Word of God. In doing so, Jesus shows us the importance of aligning our soul (will, mind and body) to God’s Word, and of integrating a deep longing and dependence on God in our daily lives. As we step into the invitation of fasting this week, may we quiet ourselves before God and direct our soul searching towards Jesus, confident in the fact that He is the one who restores our souls and in whom we can find true rest.

DOWNLOADS

See It Be It Video Audio Notes (download pdf) Notes (digital) iTunes

SEE IT // BE IT

(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)

Title: Fast 3: Justice // Scripture: Isaiah 58

ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes

In this portion of Matthew, Jesus underwest testing, not so much of his body but of his very soul. His success in the wilderness foreshadowed his victory on the cross because, as Jesus demonstrated, the real battle is won through aligning ourselves with God and his Word in the wilderness of our soul searching and soul keeping.

In his baptism, Jesus received the remarkable signs of his identity and calling. But while the assumption would be that his clarity of calling meant everything would be good and easy, the Spirit led Jesus into severe testing in the wilderness. Jesus’ responses to the attacks of the enemy teach us how we can leave the refining tests of the wilderness full of the power of the Spirit just like Jesus did.

In the wilderness, Jesus didn’t attempt to dialogue with the devil; he steadfastly depended on the Word of God. In doing so, Jesus shows us the importance of aligning our soul (will, mind and body) to God’s Word, and of integrating a deep longing and dependence on God in our daily lives. As we step into the invitation of fasting this week, may we quiet ourselves before God and direct our soul searching towards Jesus, confident in the fact that He is the one who restores our souls and in whom we can find true rest.

THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Soul keeping—the restoration of the soul—comes through integration and alignment of our soul in Christ alone.

SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes

Picture (What is the story saying?): What was the outcome of Jesus’ baptism? Why did Jesus need to be baptized in the first place? How did Jesus respond to the enemy in the wilderness? What can we learn about our own soul keeping from Jesus’ example?

Mirror (Where am I in the story?): In your soul searching, how has God been inviting you into confirmation of your identity and calling? Where are you recognizing the attacks of the enemy in your own life? In your responses, how can you align your soul to God?

Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where do you see a need for restoration of the broken, rebuilding of the downtrodden, and reintegration of the soul in your area of influence? Where is God inviting you to proclaim Jesus as the hope and restorer of our souls?

BE IT – Practice 15 minutes

Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes
Spend time in silent prayer asking God to reveal areas of your soul (will, mind and body) that need to be realigned to his truth. Speak out loud truths from his Word that give the promise of restoration to those areas God reveals.

Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes
Ask each person to share a short story from their own life, or from the life of someone who has influenced them, in which they were aligned toward God. How did they express confidence in their God-given identity? How did they demonstrate the importance of integrating the Word of God into their response to the “wilderness moment” they were facing?

Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes
As you go out this week, ask God to make you aware, through the power of his Spirit, of opportunities to speak his peace and truth to others in ways that will restore the brokenhearted, rebuild the ones who have been torn down, and refocus the souls of those around you on the need for reintegration with the heart of God.

CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.