Week 8: Kingdom Persecution

1 What are the biggest one or two takeaways you will have from this sermon series?

2 Have you ever experienced persecution, false or evil talk toward you, or insult/mocking? How did it make you feel? How did you respond?

3 Read Matt. 5:10-11. What words or phrases jump out at you? What are the two reasons that Jesus shares we will be persecuted for (hint: sake)?

4 Dan explained that Kingdom Persecution is the negative pursuit of others toward you because of your pursuit of Jesus. How does this definition (and the quote below) help your understanding of persecution? Does it challenge your previous thoughts about persecution?

“Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems.”
- John Scott

5 Pastor Dan shared that if we as Christians are going to be rejected/persecuted, it should be for the beatitudes, not our attitudes. Do you think Christians in the U.S.A. are rejected more for the beatitudes, our stance on truth, our following of Jesus, or our attitudes? How do you sometimes think, as Western Christians, we sometimes place our politics, positions, power (or loss of it), and our influence (or loss of it) as the measure of persecution? Is there an attitude that God is calling you to repent from as a result of this message?

6 Read Matt 5:12. How did Pastor Dan explain we find joy and blessing in persecution? Consider the quote below:

“The faith-community of the blessed is the community of the Crucified. With him, they lost everything, and with him, they found everything.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Prayer:
• Invite your group to reflect in prayer for a few minutes over what you discussed.
• Have someone close your time by praying for your group.