Hikmat Kashou • Rockford Campus • August 21, 2022
“Salt of the Earth”
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
REMINDERS
- Beach Baptisms on August 28!
- IGNITE!!! Fall Ministry Volunteer Launch on September 7
- Men’s, Women’s, 1829 Small Groups start on September 11
- Adult Life Groups Launch on September 18
TOGETHER IN LIFE
**On Sunday, Hikmat shared stories of many people who were examples to us about how to truly be the salt of the earth. Which story impacted you the most and why?
TOGETHER IN THE WORD
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
QUESTION: Take a few moments as a group to read through Matthew 5:13. What do you think Jesus means when he says to BE the salt of the earth?
GOD WANTS YOU TO PENETRATE THE SOCIETY WITH KINGDOM VALUES.
QUESTION: Often recipes will tell you to salt raw meat an hour before grilling or roasting, this gives the salt time to soak into the meat, tenderize and flavor it. What correlations can you draw between salting meat and Christians being salt to penetrate society?
QUESTION: Hikmat shared the story about the women who was thrown in jail for sharing the gospel, and ultimately she led the police officer to Jesus. She is an example to us about what it looks like to truly BE salt. Her salt tenderized the police officer’s heart over time. Most of us have never been thrown in jail for sharing the gospel. However, can you think of a time where someone’s heart softened towards the gospel or the things of God because of your relationship with them? Please share the story with the group.
GOD WANTS YOU TO PRESERVE WHAT IS GOOD, AND OPPOSE WHAT IS CORRUPT.
QUESTION: Salt is a preservative. Preservatives keep food from spoiling and help maintain nutritional qualities. What are some things that are good in our society that we need to preserve? What should we oppose? What is one step we can each take to have a more active role in preserving and opposing?
GOD WANTS TO USE “THE LITTLE ONES” TO INFLUENCE THE WORLD.
QUESTION: As a group, read the beatitudes in Matthew 5:2-12 together. Do you have a favorite beatitude, or one that you relate to or comforts you the most? Please share which one and why?
QUESTION: We do not need to have great power to be the salt of the earth. Jesus uses the poor in spirit, those who morn, those who are weak, those who have been persecuted for the faith, etc. Can you share an example with the group where God has used your brokenness to point people toward the gospel of Jesus Christ?
GOD WANTS YOU TO BE READY TO LOSE EVERYTHING FOR CHRIST.
Luke 14:34 Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?
Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sister, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:33 So therefore, any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.
QUESTION: As Christians here in the U.S., we still have freedom to worship together in church, to read and share scripture, to openly share the gospel, etc. What are you feeling as you consider how different things are for believers in Lebanon?
QUESTION: Hikmat said in his message that it’s not supposed to be easy to follow Jesus, but our country has made it fairly easy to do just that. How do you reconcile those two points?
QUESTION: Hikmat described a disciple as, “Someone who has found Jesus, and in Jesus found everything.” Is Jesus everything to you? Do you love Him more than life itself?
TOGETHER IN ACTION
QUESTION: This week, contemplate the fact that many believers all over the world are willing to follow Jesus even in the path to death. What price are you willing to pay?
TOGETHER IN PRAYER
Spend some time in grateful prayer, thanking God for our many freedoms. Pray together for the persecuted church in Lebanon and around the world.