Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand
Readings:
Is 40:1-5
Mtt 3:1-3
•The wilderness describes what our lives feel like when we reach the end of ourselves, our strength, energy, and ways. How can we identify in ourselves and in others that we/they are in desolation, in need of a new way?
•What are some common misconceptions about what repentance is and what should motivate us to repent?
•In Isaiah 40 God invites us to turn from our ways by offering us comfort, tenderness, peace, and pardon because our ways eventually result in exhaustion, pain, conflict, guilt, and shame. How do we receive God’s offer for ourselves and offer this same comfort, tenderness, peace, and pardon to others?
•What valleys or low points in your life have you been trying to lift by your own ways? What would embracing repentance look like in this area?
•How does repentance bring the mountains/hills (representing areas of our live’s that we have achieved success or strength in our own ways) low before Jesus? What might that look like?
•How does repentance make level the uneven and inconsistent ground in our lives? What areas have you been avoiding needing and depending on Jesus for?
•How does repentance bring comfort, tenderness, peace, and pardon to our rough places? What “rough edges” have you allowed to become characteristic of you that are contrary to the Way of Jesus?
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