Remember to prep for your group
- Pray for your group by name.
- Review the sermon recap, key scriptures, and takeaways.
- Choose which questions you will use for your group.
- Plan the prayer and ministry time.
🎬 Sermon Recap
This sermon focused on Matthew 6:7–15, where Jesus teaches his disciples what we often call “The Lord’s Prayer.” The preacher framed this prayer within the larger Sermon on the Mount, especially Jesus’ closing warning that hearing his words without putting them into practice is like building a house on sand.
The main point was that the Lord’s Prayer is not merely a set of words to recite; it is a “recipe” for a life that is meant to be practiced and embodied. Like reading a recipe card without ever making the meal, we can know the words of the prayer without allowing them to reshape how we live.
Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that forms us: remembering God as our Father, honoring his holiness, surrendering to his kingdom and will, depending on him for daily needs, receiving and extending forgiveness, and asking for deliverance from temptation and evil. The preacher emphasized that Jesus himself lived this prayer, especially in Gethsemane when he prayed, “not as I will, but as you will.”
The sermon also highlighted how daily praying this prayer can expose the gap between what we say and how we live. That gap can either lead us to lower the standard or surrender more deeply to Jesus and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The invitation was to make the Lord’s Prayer a daily practice and to ask God to help us live the words we pray.
The main point was that the Lord’s Prayer is not merely a set of words to recite; it is a “recipe” for a life that is meant to be practiced and embodied. Like reading a recipe card without ever making the meal, we can know the words of the prayer without allowing them to reshape how we live.
Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that forms us: remembering God as our Father, honoring his holiness, surrendering to his kingdom and will, depending on him for daily needs, receiving and extending forgiveness, and asking for deliverance from temptation and evil. The preacher emphasized that Jesus himself lived this prayer, especially in Gethsemane when he prayed, “not as I will, but as you will.”
The sermon also highlighted how daily praying this prayer can expose the gap between what we say and how we live. That gap can either lead us to lower the standard or surrender more deeply to Jesus and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The invitation was to make the Lord’s Prayer a daily practice and to ask God to help us live the words we pray.
Key Scriptures
- Matthew 6:7–15
- Matthew 7:24–27
- Matthew 26:39
- Hebrews 4:12
Key Takeaways
- The Lord’s Prayer is not just meant to be recited; it is meant to be practiced and embodied.
- Jesus connects hearing his words with putting them into practice; that is how we build a stable life on rock.
- Prayer forms us when we regularly bring our lives under God’s Fatherhood, holiness, kingdom, and will.
- Jesus did not only teach this prayer; he lived it, especially in his surrender to the Father before the cross.
- Praying “your kingdom come, your will be done” challenges the kingdoms we are trying to build for ourselves.
- Praying for daily bread reminds us that we are dependent children, not self-sufficient providers.
- Praying for forgiveness requires both receiving God’s forgiveness and extending forgiveness to others.
- The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the prayer, not merely try harder in our own strength.
- Private prayer is meant to shape public life: our relationships, decisions, work, conversations, and responses to others.
Leading the Group
👋 Welcome
Thank everyone for coming and making this group a priority in their lives.
💛 Vision
Why We Meet as a Group
1. We Follow Jesus Together (Life on Life)
We’re learning how to be with Jesus, and live like Jesus—growing in our faith, applying His teachings in everyday life, and helping each other take next steps.
2. We Become a Spiritual Family Together (Life in Community)
We’re building real relationships where we can be known, supported, and encouraged. As we practice things like prayer, Scripture, and sharing life together, God transforms us from the inside out, and we become more like Jesus.
3. We Live on Mission Together (Life on Mission)
We care about the people in our lives who don’t yet know Jesus. Together, we look for ways to love and impact our friends and neighbors with the gospel, and invite others into this community.
1. We Follow Jesus Together (Life on Life)
We’re learning how to be with Jesus, and live like Jesus—growing in our faith, applying His teachings in everyday life, and helping each other take next steps.
2. We Become a Spiritual Family Together (Life in Community)
We’re building real relationships where we can be known, supported, and encouraged. As we practice things like prayer, Scripture, and sharing life together, God transforms us from the inside out, and we become more like Jesus.
3. We Live on Mission Together (Life on Mission)
We care about the people in our lives who don’t yet know Jesus. Together, we look for ways to love and impact our friends and neighbors with the gospel, and invite others into this community.
📬 Announcements
📍 Introduction
We are in a journey together to explore Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount, where He gives us his vision of the good life; what life lived under his rule and in His kingdom is like in the midst of a broken world.
Read Text
- Matthew 6:7–15
- Matthew 7:24–27
- Matthew 26:39
- Hebrews 4:12
Open in Prayer
🔥 Warm-Up
- What is a recipe, instruction, or piece of advice you know well but do not always actually put into practice?
💬 Suggested Discussion Guide
Please choose ahead of time which of the following questions you want to use for your c-group.
Discussion Questions
You don’t have to answer all of these. Choose the ones most helpful for your group.
1. Observation: The Place of the Prayer
The preacher pointed out that the Lord’s Prayer sits near the center of the Sermon on the Mount. Why do you think it matters that Jesus places prayer at the center of his teaching about how to live?
2. Observation: Hearing vs. Practicing
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by comparing those who hear and practice his words to a wise builder on rock. How does that image help you understand the Lord’s Prayer differently?
3. Reflection: Familiarity with the Prayer
The sermon warned that familiarity can dull our senses, causing us to recite words without living them. Have you experienced that with the Lord’s Prayer or another familiar Scripture? What makes that happen?
4. Reflection: “Our Father in Heaven”
Jesus begins the prayer with “Our Father in heaven.” What stands out to you about holding together both intimacy — God as Father — and reverence — God as holy?
5. Reflection: “Your Kingdom Come”
The preacher said praying “your kingdom come, your will be done” aligns our intentions with God’s kingdom rather than our own. Where do you most feel the tension between God’s will and your own will right now?
6. Reflection: Daily Bread
“Give us today our daily bread” reminds us to depend on God for our needs. Why can it be difficult to ask God for what we need instead of simply trying to cover everything ourselves?
7. Deeper Reflection: Forgiveness
The sermon emphasized that Jesus directly connects receiving forgiveness with forgiving others. Why do you think this part of the prayer is often one of the hardest to live?
8. Deeper Reflection: Dissonance Between Words and Life
The preacher described the tension that happens when our words do not match our actions. Can you think of an area where you regularly pray or say one thing, but your life reveals a gap? What do you usually do with that tension?
9. Application: Private Prayer, Public Life
The sermon said, “The prayer is the private practice for a public life.” How might praying this prayer daily change the way you respond to conflict, stress, temptation, or need during the week?
10. Application: Practicing the Prayer
Which line of the Lord’s Prayer do you most need to practice this week, not just say? Why?
The preacher pointed out that the Lord’s Prayer sits near the center of the Sermon on the Mount. Why do you think it matters that Jesus places prayer at the center of his teaching about how to live?
2. Observation: Hearing vs. Practicing
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by comparing those who hear and practice his words to a wise builder on rock. How does that image help you understand the Lord’s Prayer differently?
3. Reflection: Familiarity with the Prayer
The sermon warned that familiarity can dull our senses, causing us to recite words without living them. Have you experienced that with the Lord’s Prayer or another familiar Scripture? What makes that happen?
4. Reflection: “Our Father in Heaven”
Jesus begins the prayer with “Our Father in heaven.” What stands out to you about holding together both intimacy — God as Father — and reverence — God as holy?
5. Reflection: “Your Kingdom Come”
The preacher said praying “your kingdom come, your will be done” aligns our intentions with God’s kingdom rather than our own. Where do you most feel the tension between God’s will and your own will right now?
6. Reflection: Daily Bread
“Give us today our daily bread” reminds us to depend on God for our needs. Why can it be difficult to ask God for what we need instead of simply trying to cover everything ourselves?
7. Deeper Reflection: Forgiveness
The sermon emphasized that Jesus directly connects receiving forgiveness with forgiving others. Why do you think this part of the prayer is often one of the hardest to live?
8. Deeper Reflection: Dissonance Between Words and Life
The preacher described the tension that happens when our words do not match our actions. Can you think of an area where you regularly pray or say one thing, but your life reveals a gap? What do you usually do with that tension?
9. Application: Private Prayer, Public Life
The sermon said, “The prayer is the private practice for a public life.” How might praying this prayer daily change the way you respond to conflict, stress, temptation, or need during the week?
10. Application: Practicing the Prayer
Which line of the Lord’s Prayer do you most need to practice this week, not just say? Why?
Practical Applications
Of all we have discussed tonight, what is one step God is calling you to take in order to follow Him more fully this week?
In addition, you can mention some of these steps to consider.
In addition, you can mention some of these steps to consider.
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer before your feet hit the ground.
Begin each morning by praying Matthew 6:9–13 slowly and intentionally. - Pause after each phrase.
Do not rush through the prayer. After each line, ask:- What does this reveal about God?
- What does this expose in me?
- How might I live this today?
- Pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” over a specific area.
Name one place where you are tempted to build your own kingdom — work, family, finances, reputation, plans, comfort — and surrender it to God. - Ask God for daily bread.
Identify one real need you are carrying and intentionally ask your Father to provide, instead of only relying on your own effort. - Practice forgiveness concretely.
When you pray, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” ask God to bring to mind anyone you are withholding forgiveness from. If it is wise and appropriate, consider what step toward forgiveness or reconciliation God may be inviting you to take. - Notice moments of dissonance.
When your actions or reactions do not match the prayer you prayed, do not ignore it or lower the bar. Pause, repent, receive God’s grace, and ask the Spirit to help you live the words. - Carry the prayer into public life.
Let what you pray in private shape one specific interaction this week — a conversation, conflict, decision, apology, or act of forgiveness.
🙏 Prayer
Close your time by praying into these themes. Invite the group to pray either in smaller groups (men with men or women with women) or all together using this guide.
Pray through the Lord’s Prayer slowly as a group. After each line, pause and invite God to make that part of the prayer real in your lives.
Ask the Father to help you not merely recite Jesus’ words, but practice them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to expose areas of dissonance, lead you into repentance, strengthen you to forgive, and form you into people who live for God’s kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven.
Ask the Father to help you not merely recite Jesus’ words, but practice them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to expose areas of dissonance, lead you into repentance, strengthen you to forgive, and form you into people who live for God’s kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven.