Today we are continuing our sermon series going through the Gospel of Matthew.

Introduction:

Did you know that Jesus had a cousin that prepared the way for Jesus’ earthly ministry? Today we are talking about John the baptist, in Matthew chapter 3. He lived his life radically for the Lord. By taking a look at his message and how he lived his life, we can learn what it really looks like to live like a mature, godly, Christian.

1. You’ve come to Jesus and repented of your sin
(Matt. 3:1-3, Acts 2:38, 1 Cor. 2:14, 2 Cor. 7:10, 1 John 3:4)


2. You’re being led by the Holy Spirit, and in the process of being transformed by Him
(Matt. 3:4-6, Luke 1:17, Rom. 12:1-2, John 16:13, 1 John 3:24, 1 Pet. 1:16)


3. You’re not easily swayed from the truth
(Matt. 3:7, Prov. 4:25-27, 1 Tim. 1:18-20, 6:20-21, 2 Tim. 4:3, 7, Matt. 7:13-14)

4. You’re bearing fruit
(Matt. 3:8-12, Gal. 5:22-23, Matt. 7:15-20, John 15:1-2, Col. 1:10)

5. You can submit to God’s will over your own
(Matt. 3:13-17, Prov. 3:5-6, James 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:5, Luke 22:42)

6. You’re sharing your faith
(Matt. 3:1-17, Matt. 28:19-20, Rom. 10:14-15, 1 Pet. 3:15-16, 1 Cor. 9:22)

7. You live your life radically for Christ
(Matt. 3:1-17, Phil. 1:21, Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 5:1, 8 )

Getting Started
- Have you ever read or heard about John the Baptist before?
- What stood out to you as we were talking about his life? What do you think John the Baptist’s life was like growing up?
- What do you think it was like for John the Baptist, to have large crowds coming out to the desert to hear the message that God had given to him? What temptations do you think he would have faced?
- Of the 7 characteristics of mature, godly Christians that we discussed in the message, which one do you need to work on most?


Diving In
Read Matthew 3:4-6. If any person, not knowing John’s situation, were to look at a strategy of going to the desert, where there are very few people, and wearing strange clothing, and having a harsh message of repentance, they would probably guess that that evangelism strategy wouldn’t work. However, for John, because he is being led by the Holy Spirit, it does work.
- What can you implement into your life in order to be better led be the Holy Spirit, instead of earthly wisdom?
- Read Romans 12:1-2. How can you better be transformed by God?

Read Matthew 3:7. Undoubtedly, the religious leaders of that day were there to confront John. Yet he never swerved from the truth that God gave him to preach. How easily are you swayed from God’s truth?
- A major way we can stay strong on God’s truth, is to spend time daily in His Word, the Bible. How well do you spend time in God’s Word daily?
- How can you grow in your understanding of God’s truth?

Read Matthew 3:8-12 and Galatians 5:22-23. What fruit is your life bearing?
- Read Galatians 5:22-23 again. Go through each of the fruit of the Spirit, and rate yourself on how well you implement each one into your life. Which ones need the most work?
- Read John 15:1-17. How can you better abide in Christ in order to continually bear good fruit?

Read Matthew 3:13-17. Even though it is not John’s preference to do so, he baptizes Jesus because Jesus instructs him to. How well do you submit to God’s will over your own preferences?
- What’s something that you’re holding onto, that you haven't yet submitted to God?
- Why do you think it’s so difficult to submit to God’s will over our own preferences?

Throughout this entire chapter, John is in the process of sharing his faith. How well do you share your faith with others?
- What stops you from sharing your faith with others?
- Spend some time in prayer about who God would have you share your faith with, and write their name(s) down.
- Spend some time in prayer for the person God has put on your heart for you to share your faith with. Ask God to soften their heart to what he has for them.


Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

CHURCH FAMILY NEEDS: Pray for Katy, as she recovers from her wrist surgery. Pray for Carolyn Dodd and what’s going with her thyroid. Pray for Jerry Jamrozy, who has bone cancer. Pray for the Walter family, as Bill recently had surgery for skin cancer.

MISSIONARIES: This month pray for the Mishkins.


FAMILY OF THE WEEK: Each week we’ll pray for a different family in our church. This week pray for the Mendenhalls.

HILLSIDE HAPPENINGS: Pray that the church would continue to stay unified under Christ. Pray for our livestream and for the people joining us there. Pray for Casa Del Alfarero, the Spanish-speaking Missionary Church 5 minutes from our building.

CURRENT HAPPENINGS: Pray for the war in Israel.Pray for the war in Ukraine.

Attendance
In-person on 12/31: 36
Online views: N/A

Giving
Online (12/25/23-12/31/23): $80
In-Person on 12/31/23: $285 for general
Total general needed weekly to meet budget: $1480

Ladies, mark your calendars for the regional denominational retreat! This year, it is happening on Saturday, March 2nd, at St. Mark Missionary Church. Please see Tammi for more details.

This is a great time to join a small group! Joining a small group is a great way to grow in your faith. There is a small group that meets on Sunday mornings, at 9:30am, and men’s and women’s groups that meet every other Tuesday evening. For more information, please see Pastor Josh.

If you do not receive our weekly emails, announcements, and prayer requests, please join our email list! You can do so by going to hmcworship.com/im-new

TECH: Our worship team is looking for someone who would like to run sound and/or slides. Please see Pastor Josh.

WORSHIP TEAM: Would you like to help out on the worship team? Please see Carolyn Dodd for details.

PRAYER GUIDE: Will you be in prayer for Hillside? Prayer guides are available at the welcome counter. Also, if you would like to be a prayer advocate, please see Pastor Josh.

MAINTENANCE TEAM: Would you like to help out on the maintenance team? We need help inside and outside the building. Please see Jeff Soule for details.