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SERMON SERIES: We’re continuing a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll read about the early church.
The Triumphal Entry
11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus[a] sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
In this part of God’s Word we see the early church in action and doing some amazing things! Even so, not everyone is motivatedHave you ever wondered about what Palm Sunday was all about? In this part of God’s Word we see the reason that we celebrate Palm Sunday! By taking a close look at it, we can see that…
by the right factors. Today, we’ll look at the difference between peoples’ motivations and realize:
Palm Sunday Teaches Us:
- God’s Word is true
Mark 11:7, Zech. 9:9, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Is. 40:8, John 17:17
- We can be faithful even when God’s plan doesn’t make sense
Mark 1:1-6, Prov. 3:5-6, Ps. 37:5, 1 Thess. 5:24, 2 Tim. 2:13
- Why Jesus came
Mark 11:9-10, Luke 19:10, 1 Tim. 1:15, Matt. 5:17, John 10:10
- How easily we can fall away
Mark 11:9-10, 15:11-14, Heb. 3:12, 1 Tim. 4:1, Matt. 24:10-13
- How much God loves us
John 3:16, Rom. 5:8, 1 John 4:16-19, Ps. 136:26
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Mark 11:1-11 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- As you reflect on Palm Sunday, what questions come to mind?
- Have you ever thought about what Palm Sunday was all about before? What stood out to you while we were talking about what it means?
Diving In
1. Have you ever felt like God was calling you to do something, but it didn’t quite make sense? What was it? What is He calling you to do during this season of your life?
2. We can fall away from God so easily. Read 1 Cor. 10:12. What are some practical steps that you can take to make sure this doesn’t happen to your faith?
3. What are some practical steps that you can take to remind yourself of how much God loves you? What would the outcome be if you were able to take these steps?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?