Summit Church
The Kingdom Way Pt 7 | How Not to Be Religious | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
The Big Idea: God ensures that you find what you’re looking for.
How To Find the Father’s Reward:
1. Be Careful
1. Be Careful
Religion is profoundly dangerous!!!
Four Dangers of Being Religious:
- We use it to justify ourselves and demonize our enemies
- We use it to hide our sinful hearts from our conscious minds
- We use it to persuade others to think more highly of us than they should
- We use it to persuade God to think more highly of us than He should
- We use it to justify ourselves and demonize our enemies
- We use it to hide our sinful hearts from our conscious minds
- We use it to persuade others to think more highly of us than they should
- We use it to persuade God to think more highly of us than He should
God ensures that you find what you are looking for.
2. Be Secretive
Go in the closet where you have no motivation except seeking God, seeking the Truth, seeking love.
God ensures that you find what you are looking for.
3. Be Rewarded
God helps you find what you’re looking for.
Giving
Model 1: Hypocrite - “Look at me!”
Model 2: Since God is merciful, I will be, too, in His name.
Model 1: Hypocrite - “Look at me!”
Model 2: Since God is merciful, I will be, too, in His name.
Be careful to watch for the danger of Hypocrisy.
Praying
Model 1: Hypocrite - They love to pray because of the opportunity to parade themselves.
Model 1: Hypocrite - They love to pray because of the opportunity to parade themselves.
Model 2: “Pray to your Father who is unseen”
Fasting
Model 1: Seeking public awareness of their fast
Model 2: A secret quest to meet with God
Model 1: Seeking public awareness of their fast
Model 2: A secret quest to meet with God
God ensures that you find what you are looking for.
Response:
- In what ways am I a hypocrite?
- What one spiritual discipline will I practice privately this week?
- Who in my Oikos needs me this week?
- In what ways am I a hypocrite?
- What one spiritual discipline will I practice privately this week?
- Who in my Oikos needs me this week?
Discussion Guide
OPENER QUESTION:
Tell us about one thing you are really looking forward to this summer.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why is religion so dangerous?
2. What is the difference between “doing something religiously” (praying, reading the Bible, etc) and “being religious”?
3. Do you believe that God will ensure that you find the reward that you are looking for? How is this an expression of His love for you?
4. Step 1 to finding the Father’s Reward is to be careful in your religious practices. What does this mean?
5. What are the hypocritical thoughts or selfish ideas that come up when you are seeking to practice your faith?
6. Step 2 of finding the Father’s Reward is to be secretive. What does this mean?
7. What is so powerful about practicing your faith in secrecy with God alone?
8. Step 3 to finding the Father’s Reward is to be rewarded. What reward(s) would you like from the Father?
9. Read Jeremiah 17:5-8 and talk about the two possible realities we face.
10. Do you have one spiritual practice you will try this week?
Name one person in your Oikos that we can pray for.
Tell us about one thing you are really looking forward to this summer.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why is religion so dangerous?
2. What is the difference between “doing something religiously” (praying, reading the Bible, etc) and “being religious”?
3. Do you believe that God will ensure that you find the reward that you are looking for? How is this an expression of His love for you?
4. Step 1 to finding the Father’s Reward is to be careful in your religious practices. What does this mean?
5. What are the hypocritical thoughts or selfish ideas that come up when you are seeking to practice your faith?
6. Step 2 of finding the Father’s Reward is to be secretive. What does this mean?
7. What is so powerful about practicing your faith in secrecy with God alone?
8. Step 3 to finding the Father’s Reward is to be rewarded. What reward(s) would you like from the Father?
9. Read Jeremiah 17:5-8 and talk about the two possible realities we face.
10. Do you have one spiritual practice you will try this week?
Name one person in your Oikos that we can pray for.