EXPLORE THE TEXT
Kingdom people reflect their heavenly Father by loving their enemies.
43 “You have heard that it was said,
Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have?
Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?
Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 48 of the Personal Study Guide.
Encourage adults to consider a principle or truth that resonates with them from this session’s verses. Encourage them to record that thought in the margins of their PSGs.
Use that statement as a prayer prompt during your times with God this week. Keep it in front of you and ask God to show you how He wants you to live it out each day.
Direct attention to the second set of questions on page 48 of the PSG. Facilitate a brief discussion on ways adults can serve as a positive influence to those around them this week. Encourage them to identify and pray for opportunities to touch the life of one specific person.
Close in prayer. Ask God to help adults be wise as they strive to become salt and light in the world every day and to learn how to love others in a way that brings glory to Him.
Text or email the group, reminding them to continue working on the memory verse for this session,
Matthew 5:20. Remind adults to continue praying for opportunities to be salt and light to those around them and to look for ways to be a positive influencer the life of the person they have been praying for this week.
It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. (See John 20:21;
1 Thessalonians 1:8.)
h3>BIBLE SKILL: h3>Use multiple Scripture passages to understand a major doctrine.
Read Matthew 5:20,44-45 and highlight the terms righteous and righteousness. Scribes and Pharisees thought righteousness was achieved rather than received. To understand righteousness, read how the following verses answer these questions: What is the source of righteousness? (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:21) How do people become righteous? (Rom. 3:22; 4:3-5) How can believers demonstrate righteousness? (Rom. 6:13-20)