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Sermon Discussion Guide - 09/14/2025
Published September 14, 2025
Formed:
Grace
Sermon Recap
Grace isn’t just a second chance, it’s Jesus meeting people where they are and walking with them where He is going. In Luke 5:27–32, Jesus sees a tax collector named Levi, invites him to follow, sits at his table with other outsiders, and sends people in a new direction. Grace sees the person behind the label, makes room at the table, and partners with truth to lead to repentance.
Ice Breakers
- If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life (without health consequences), what would it be?
- What would your “super useless superpower” be (like always knowing which line at the grocery store is slowest)?
- If you could swap places with a TV or movie character for a day, who would it be?
Discussion Questions
1. When have you caught yourself labeling someone before learning their story? What changed your perspective?
- Context: Jesus “saw a tax collector named Levi” (Luke 5:27). He looked past the social label to the image-bearing person.
- Application: Who’s one person you can intentionally “see” this week—learning a name, a story, or a need—and how will you do it?
2. Have you ever been welcomed before you had your life together? How did that shape you?
- Context: Jesus says “Follow me” to Levi while he’s still at the tax booth—no pre-cleanup, just a next step with Jesus (Luke 5:27–28).
- Application: Where could you extend an invitation now (coffee, lunch, serve with you) without waiting for someone to “be ready”?
3. Think of a meal that became a turning point for you—what made it meaningful?
- Context: Levi throws a banquet for Jesus and invites other “tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 5:29). Grace makes room and sets a table.
- Application: Plan one “table moment” in the next two weeks. Who will you invite, where will it happen, and what will make it welcoming?
4. When have you hesitated to help someone because you worried what others might think?
- Context: Religious leaders question Jesus’ table company (Luke 5:30). Grace moves toward the unlikely, even when reputations are questioned.
- Application: Name one small, concrete act of grace you’ll offer this week to someone on the margins of your world. What’s your first step?
5. What area of your life needs both honesty and help right now?
- Context: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31–32). Truth diagnoses; grace delivers; repentance is a new direction with Jesus.
- Application: Write your own three-part plan: Truth (name the issue), Grace (who/what support you’ll engage), Send (the specific next step and when).
Prayer
- Thank You, Jesus, for seeing us beyond our labels and inviting us to follow You.
- Grow in us a gracious posture that sets tables, listens well, and walks people toward You.
- Give us courage to pair grace with truth, naming what’s real and taking a next faithful step.
- Lead us to people who need a seat this week, and use our homes and lives for Your purposes.
Leader Tip
Don’t fill every silence. Silence in a group can feel awkward, but it’s a great space for reflection. When you ask a question, count to ten in your head before rephrasing or jumping in, and use a smile or nod to reassure people as they think. That pause gives group members the chance to find their words and the courage to share.