No Vacancy (Part 1: “Mercy”)
Welcome to our Advent and Christmas series, No Vacancy. Through this series, we will be seeking together to make room in our hearts and lives for our Savior this season.
1.Read Luke 2:6-7. What have you heard or read about this passage—was there no room in the inn, the guest room, or what?
2. In the podcast, Pete points out that regardless of your interpretation, it’s remarkable that there was no place for the Savior of the world. What are some other occasions in scripture where there was no room for Jesus?
3. Pete and Jessica talk about how the urgent often overshadows what is important in our lives. Discuss some of the “urgent” things that distract your focus from the important.
Read Matthew 12:1-8.
4. How do the Pharisees in this passage “miss the forest for the trees”? In other words, how do they let their focus on the “urgent” crowd out what is truly important?
5. In Matthew 9:12-13, Jesus repeats the same phrase as in the previous passage, saying to the Pharisees, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ ”— quoting the Old Testament prophet Hosea. Clearly, mercy is a dominant theme in scripture. Why do you think God values mercy over sacrifice?
6. In his sermon, Pete said that “Mercy is messy—if we open the door to God’s mercy in our life, then we should expect to get our hands dirty!” Discuss your experiences of mercy—giving or receiving. How could these experiences be described “messy”?
To follow Jesus means to be ready for this kind of “messiness”, but it also means to be ready for transformation. Read Matthew 12:9-13, picking up where Jesus left off after verses 7 and 8, to see this in action.
7. How have you been transformed by mercy? How has showing mercy to others transformed you?
(*Video available after Sunday services)
