Grow Group Questions - September 21, 2025
Published September 19, 2025
Announcement: Please review the Grow Group Commitment document with your group in September to set the stage for your group this fall.
Prayer Prompt: (two options to consider)
- “Praise Only Prayer Guide” – As you use this guide, focus your prayers on the attributes of God revealed in this week’s text (e.g., Mercy, righteousness, etc.)
- “He is Worthy, We Need Him” – As you use this guide, follow the same approach in the praise section, but also include requests for God’s help to live out and practice what was preached.
Ice Breaker: What’s something small or quirky you actually enjoy that some people might think is weird or “upside-down”
Opening Questions:
Read Matthew 5:7-12 aloud.
- Describe the concept of the Upside Down Kingdom as you understand it.
- Augustine said, “to close the door on a beggar at your doorstep is to ignore that God did not close his door on you.”
- How does that perspective challenge the way you respond to people in need?
- Jesus emphasized that heart motives matter more than outward appearance. In what areas of life are you tempted to “clean the outside of the cup” while neglecting the inside?
- What’s the difference between being a peace-lover, a peacekeeper, and a peacemaker?
Going Deeper:
- Who in your life right now could benefit from you extending mercy instead of judgment? What would it look like to act on that this week?
- Is there a relationship in your life where you’ve settled for “cheap peace”? What would real peacemaking look like in that situation?
- What’s one way you can actively pursue peace in your family, workplace, or church this week?
- As we talked about being pure in heart in the message, did you feel convicted about anything impure that is currently part of your life?
- What spiritual practice can take its place in your heart?