1-4-2026: The Prayer of Jesus
The Sermon on the Mount, Part 2 (1 of 7) Small Group Discussion Questions Join our congregation for worship in-person or online at 10:30 am each Sunday via our Grantham Church YouTube Channel. If you ever miss a message, the sermons are always posted to the recent sermons page at our website and at the Grantham Church Podcast the following day, along with the sermon slides and small group discussion questions under Worship Resources. Thank you for staying connected with us! Sunday, January 4th, 2026
Sermon Series Summary Matthew 5-7 is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus went up a mountain and a large crowd gathered to hear him preach a powerful message—proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and casting a vision of what it looks like to live in right relationship with God, our neighbors, and our enemies. These three chapters contain the core of Jesus’ teachings and his most well-known sayings, including some of the most rigorous ethical demands in the Bible. Join us for Part 2 of this series (Jan 4-Feb 15), as we explore the message and implications of Jesus’ invitation to enter the narrow gate and follow him.
Sermon Title: The Prayer of Jesus Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-18 Sermon Focus: The true reward for followers of Jesus is knowing and being known by God. Prayer and fasting are two ways we connect with God’s heart as his children. In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to pray in a way that aligns our desires with God’s in order to bring flourishing. In the first message of part 2 of our Sermon on the Mount series, Pastor Melissa guides us through the prayer that centered Jesus and still centers us today. Thank you for going deeper in conversation with your small group. Use the following questions to help guide your small group discussion:
1. Do you have New Year’s resolutions or goals you’d like to work on this year? What are they? What is motivating you to achieve those goals?
2. Read Matthew 6:1-18. Discuss the challenge of engaging in spiritual practices as “hypocrites” (to get a temporary reward) vs. engaging to know God more (receiving a lasting reward). What is the true reward from God? What does it look like in your life to engage in spiritual practices with integrity and sincerity?
3. The Lord’s Prayer is central to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, which indicates the primacy this prayer should have in the life of Jesus’ followers as a prayer that shapes us to be like Jesus. What elements of the prayer stand out to you? Are there any parts that are challenging to you? As this prayer has become so familiar and sometimes rote to us, how can we keep it fresh and authentic?
4. Do you struggle with addressing God as Father or approaching God in prayer as his child? How does looking at the life of Jesus help us in our posture toward God as Father?
5. Saying the Lord’s Prayer is not about knowing the right formula to get God’s attention. It’s about orienting our hearts toward God and his desires. Is there an area in your life where you recognize you are petitioning God first with your agenda before seeking out his desires? How does the order of this prayer speak to you?
6. LIFE ON MISSION QUESTION: God’s mission is to bring together heaven and earth, and this prayer helps make us into people who participate in that unification. Are there people or circumstances in your life into which you long to see God’s kingdom come? Pray now that God would align your hearts with his and show you how you can be part of bringing his reign on earth as it is in heaven.