Categories: Preparing for Sunday

The High Cost of Anger

Dear Friends,

Thanks so much to all of you who prayed, invited and welcomed people on Easter Sunday. It was a very special time with God and one another. Despite many people being gone as best, we can count we had over six hundred and fifty people attend Sunday. God used your invitations and the message preached to bring many to hear the hope of the gospel.

This Sunday’s message will continue is the verse by verse study of the Sermon on the Mount.  The title: The High Cost of Anger.  We live in an age of anger. Many of your friends and family members are being hurt and isolated by anger. You cannot help them if anger controls you as well.  Jesus calls us to a radical love that is impossible without the Holy Spirit.  It is easy to not see your own anger and what it is costing. If you know anyone who is being injured by anger, invite them Sunday. As you pray I believe a new expression of real Christian living can emerge.  I can’t wait to share this with you as I am learning too.

Blessings,
Joe

STEPS TO PREPARE

PRAY FOR THE SERVICES AND FOR YOURSELF
AND ME AND THE OTHER TEACHERS.

PRAYERFULLY READ THE SCRIPTURES
AND CONSIDER THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND A PREACHING SERVICE AND A SMALL GROUP.

INVITE SOMEONE TO COME WITH YOU.

PREPARING FOR SUNDAY: SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Please slowly read this passage and consider the questions:

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
Matthew 5:21-26

  • After thinking about this for a few weeks. Do you agree with this advice” love God and do what you want?”
  • Has your view changed in any way?
  • How often do you get angry and what do you do about it?

Mat 5:21-22 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

  • How often do you get angry and what do you do about it?
  • What tends to come out of your mouth when you’re angry?
  • How serious does Jesus say an angry heart is?
  • How serious doe’s God take angry words?
  • How is withdrawal and coldness just as much an act of anger?

Mat 5:23-24 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

  • How is withdrawal and coldness just as much an act of anger?

Mat 5:25-26 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.”

Mat 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

  • How important is peacemaking to genuine and acceptable worship to God?
  • What are the consequences of not taking relationships seriously?
  • What do you do to heal the relationships you’ve damage when your angry?

Eph 4:26-27 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

  • Do you quickly try to resolve it or avoid and make excuses?
  • Why do we excuse having angry hearts?

Jas 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

  • How can having an angry heart destroy your happiness and witness?
  • How can we pray for you personally?
  • Please be brief so we can give everyone a chance.
Joe Martin

Senior Pastor - Click Here for full profile