<p> Life Group Study Guide What If? - #1 Matthew 13</p><p>Before Life Group” 1) Listen to the corresponding message either live or at www.waipunachapel.com. Or you can pick up a CD from church. 2) Pray and ask God for insight as you do your personal study. 3) Answer the questions as well as you can. Don’t look for the only “right answer”, answer what you think and what the Lord brings to your mind</p><p>Life Group Study Questions</p><p>Read these two parables: Matthew 13:3-9 and Matthew 13:24-30</p><p>What are the similarities of these parables? What are the differences?</p><p>What do you think they mean?</p><p>Jesus does give some explanation to these two. See Matthew 13:18-23 and Matthew 13:36-43 Why do you think Jesus explained these parables? </p><p>Why didn’t he just tell everyone who was listening the meaning before being asked?</p><p>In the parable of the wheat and weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) Jesus is making at least three clear points. What are they? (Think back to Sunday’s teaching) In light of these points: When have others made a judgment about you, failing to see the bigger picture of the story of your life?</p><p>READ In general, a judgmental person doesn’t trust that God knows what He’s doing. They are afraid that God won’t get it right, so they take matters into their own hands. </p><p>How do we balance standing up for righteousness and being judgmental?</p><p>There is a huge difference between discernment in isolation and discernment in community. Who helps you discern the right thing in complex situations?</p><p>READ: One of the great fears of living in a mixed world is that if we get too close to the darkness, we’ll get some of it on us, that we’ll compromise our identity. It’s a valid fear, and there are plenty of things in the world that have no place in our lives, things that we should say “no” to. But if we’re meant to partner with God in entering chaos and bringing order, we need to have the capacity and maturity to be near the darkness without becoming dark ourselves. Discernment is the process of entering a mixed situation with patience and understanding, affirming the good and resisting the evil with maturity and grace.</p><p>Think about the different settings of your life: the neighborhood you live in, your workplace, your family, your relationships etc. As you think about those settings, what are some of the darkest places that you can lean into and be a light giving presence? What might that look like? </p><p>Pray Together</p>