Community Group Guide
> Why We Gather
At The Springs Church, we desire for community groups to be a place where we BEHOLD JESUS, BECOME LIKE JESUS, and BELONG IN COMMUNITY. This means that our primary goal for groups is to gather around the transforming presence of Christ. As we gather around the transforming presence of Jesus, we believe by faith that we will be incrementally transformed into His image and likeness. With that in mind, let's begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to lead our time together, move on our hearts, and help us behold Jesus, become Like Jesus, and experince the gift of belonging in community. Let's pray.
> Announcements
- Last week of Community Groups for the Spring Semester is May 11th-17th! Groups will resume in August! Be on the look out for upcoming events over the Summer!
- Summer Service Times: 10 AM, beginning May 17th! We will resume two service gatherings in August.
> Give Thanks
Take a few moments to briefly share about anything that you are thankful unto the Lord for? Perhaps you've witnessed God answer a prayer or experienced a moment that strengthened your faith. Feel free to share any recent occurrences that have encouraged you or instances where you've felt God's presence at work in your life.
> Scripture Reading
Have someone read Mark 11:15-18.
> Discussion Questions
House of Prayer as a place of encounter
We will unpack three key aspects of what it means for the church of Jesus, which is the people not the building, to be a House of Prayer. As we see in the passage, this relies on the connection between the Jewish temple to God and the Church as the new temple. Jesus was passionate to defend the physical temple for its intended purpose. However, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD and has not been rebuilt. The New Testament explains that Christians are themselves the new temple of God, because they bear the Holy Spirit in them. The original temple was meant to be a place where people could encounter God’s presence. This is why Jesus was furious that people would turn it into a marketplace to make money. Similarly, God has called his church to be a primary way people can encounter his presence.
Reflection Question: If you sought to live so that people could encounter God through you this week, what might that look like?
House of prayer as a center of justice and mission
Jesus was angry that people were charging for pigeons because this was the offering that poor people gave at the temple. To charge high prices for pigeons was to gouge poor people in the very place where they should experience God’s love and presence. Jesus aggressively opposed this injustice. Further, Jesus pointed out that the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations, not just the Jewish nation. However, according to Jewish law and custom, only Jewish people could enter the temple to have full access to God. Jesus wanted the temple to be a place of mission so that people of all cultures could seek and find the one true God. This goal was fulfilled in the way that the church of Jesus was a multi-cultural place of reconciliation from the very earliest time of its founding (though it has failed in this calling at many times since then).
Reflection Question: How do you think God has called you to seek his justice and mission?
Reflection Question: As Jesus flips tables, He's clearing the way for God's people to enter into God's presence. What are things in your life that get in the way of connecting to God?
House of prayer as a place of healing
In Matthew’s telling of this same story, immediately after Jesus drove out the moneychangers he welcomed and healed people who were blind and lame. This is significant because those people were traditionally barred from entering the temple because of their infirmity. By healing them, Jesus restored their access to the temple and thus to God’s presence. This is why after Jesus heals a leper in another story, he commands him to go offer a sacrifice in the temple as a sign to the priests. Jesus was in effect telling him, “Go meet with God in the temple because no one can keep you out of there anymore.” [Have someone read Acts 3:1-10.] This story in Acts records the first miracle performed by the disciples after Jesus rose from the dead. This first miracle imitates Jesus’ miracles by healing someone and then leading them into the temple. The church is to
imitate Jesus by praying for healing so that people can be ushered into the presence of God. This healing may be physical, spiritual, emotional, or relational.
Reflection Question: What kind of healing do you want to pray for this week, either for yourself or for someone else?
> Confession and Prayer
Reflect and Pray: As we sit with this passage, ask God to bring to mind anything you need to confess or need prayer for. Take a moment to share and pray for one another. Feel free to split up into pairs depending on the group size.